The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, these novels are commercially in two main varieties: category romances, which are shorter books with a one-month shelf-life, and single-title romances, which are generally longer with a longer shelf-life. Separate from their type, a romance novel can exist within one of many subgenres, including contemporary, historical, science fiction and paranormal.

One of the earliest romance novels was Samuel Richardson's popular 1740 novel ''Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded'', which was revolutionary on two counts: it focused almost entirely on courtship and did so entirely from the perspective of a female protagonist. In the next century, Jane Austen expanded the genre, and her ''Pride and Prejudice'' is often considered the epitome of the genre. Austen inspired Georgette Heyer, who introduced historical romances in 1921. A decade later, British company Mills and Boon began releasing the first category romance novels. Their books were resold in North America by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd, which began direct marketing to readers and allowing mass-market merchandisers to carry the books.

It is often claimed that the modern romance genre was born in 1972 with Avon's publication of Kathleen Woodiwiss's ''The Flame and the Flower'', the first single-title romance novel to be published as an original paperback in the US, though in the UK the romance genre was long established through the works of Georgette Heyer, Catherine Cookson and others. Nancy Coffey was the senior editor who negotiated the multi-book deal. The genre boomed in the 1980s, with the addition of many category romance lines and an increased number of single-title romances. Popular authors began pushing the boundaries of the genre and plots, and characters began to modernize.

In North America, romance novels are the most popular genre in modern literature, comprising almost 55% of all paperback books sold in 2004. The genre is also popular in Europe and Australia, and romance novels appear in 90 languages. Most of the books, however, are written by authors from English-speaking countries, leading to an Anglo-Saxon perspective in the fiction. Despite the popularity and widespread sales of romance novels, the genre has attracted significant derision, skepticism and criticism.

Definition

According to the Romance Writers of America, the main plot of a romance novel must revolve around the two people as they develop romantic love for each other and work to build a relationship together. Both the conflict and the climax of the novel should be directly related to that core theme of developing a romantic relationship although the novel can also contain subplots that do not specifically relate to the main characters' romantic love. Furthermore, a romance novel must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Others, including Leslie Gelbman, a president of the Berkley Group, define the genre more simply, stating only that a romance must make the "romantic relationship between the hero and the heroine ... the core of the book." In general, romance novels reward characters who are good people and penalize those who are evil, and a couple who fights for and believes in their relationship will likely be rewarded with unconditional love. Bestselling author Nora Roberts sums up the genre, saying "The books are about the celebration of falling in love and emotion and commitment, and all of those things we really want." Women's fiction (including chick lit) is not directly a subcategory of the romance novel genre, because in women's fiction the heroine's relationship with her family or friends may be equally as important as her relationship with the hero.

Some romance novel authors and readers believe the genre has additional restrictions, from plot considerations such as the protagonists meeting early on in the story, to avoiding themes such as adultery. Other disagreements have centered on the firm requirement for a happy ending, or the place of same-sex relationships within the genre. Some readers admit stories without a happy ending, if the focus of the story is on the romantic love between the two main characters (e.g. Romeo and Juliet). Others believe the definition should be more strictly worded to include only heterosexual pairing. While the majority of romance novels meet the stricter criteria, there are also many books that are widely considered to be romance novels that deviate from these rules. Therefore, the general definition, as embraced by the RWA and publishers, includes only the focus on a developing romantic relationship and an optimistic ending.

As long as a romance novel meets those twin criteria, it can be set in any time period and in any location. There are no specific restrictions on what can or cannot be included in a romance novel. Even controversial subjects are addressed in romance novels, including topics such as date rape, domestic violence, addiction, and disability. The combination of time frame, location, and plot elements does, however, help a novel to fit into one of several romance subgenres. Despite the numerous possibilities this framework allows, many people in the mainstream press claim that "all [romance novels] seem to read alike." Stereotypes of the romance genre abound. For instance, some believe that all romance novels are similar to those of Danielle Steel, featuring rich, glamorous people traveling to exotic locations. Many romance readers disagree that Steel writes romance at all, considering her novels more mainstream fiction.

Romance novels are sometimes referred to as "smut" or female pornography, and are the most popular form of modern erotica for women. While some romance novels do contain more erotic acts, in other romance novels the characters do no more than kiss chastely. The romance genre runs the spectrum between these two extremes. Because women buy 90% of all romance novels, most romance novels are told from a woman's viewpoint, in either first or third person.

Formats

Romance novels are divided into two sub-sets, category romances, also known as series romances, and single title romances. Many authors write only within one of the formats, but others, including Jayne Ann Krentz and Jennifer Crusie, have achieved success in both formats.

Category romance

Category romances are short, usually no more than 200 pages, or about 55,000 words. The books are published in clearly delineated lines, with a certain number of books published in each line every month. In many cases, the books are numbered sequentially within the line. These novels have widespread distribution—often worldwide—but a single U.S. print run, remaining on a bookseller's shelves until they are sold out or until the next month's titles are released and take their place. Writers for the largest publisher of category romance, Harlequin/Mills & Boon, can find their novels translated into 26 languages and sold in over 100 international markets.

To write a successful novel of this length, the "author must pare the story down to its essentials. Subplots and minor characters are eliminated or relegated to the backstory." Nonetheless, category romance lines each have a distinct identity, which may involve similar settings, characters, time periods, levels of sensuality, or types of conflict. Publishers of category romances usually issue guidelines for each line, specifying the elements necessary for a novel to be included in each line. Depending on the current market and perceived reader preferences, publishers frequently begin new lines or end existing ones. Most recently, erotic and Christian lines have been introduced while traditional Regency romance lines have ended.

Single-title romances

Single-titles novels are romance novels not published as part of a publisher's category. They are longer than category romances, typically between 350 and 400 pages. Publishers may release the novels over a shorter space of time for sales velocity and publicity reasons, but on average authors write 1.5 novels per year and have one each year published. Single-title novels remain on the booksellers' shelves at the discretion of the store.

Despite their name, single-title novels are not always standalone novels. Some authors prefer to write several interconnected books, ranging in number from trilogies to long-running series, so that they can revisit characters or worlds. Such sets of books often have similar titles, and may be labelled as "Number 1 in the XXX Series", but they are not considered series romances because they are not part of a particular line.

Subgenres

{| align="right" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" |+ Subgenre Popularity in the United States (2006) |- ! style="background:#efefef;" |Subgenre ! style="background:#efefef;align:center" |% of market |- |Category romance | align="center" |40% |- |Historical romance | align="center" |17% |- |Contemporary romance | align="center" |16% |- |Paranormal romance | align="center" |9% |- |Romantic suspense | align="center" |7% |- |Inspirational romance | align="center" |6% |- |All others | align="center" |5% |} Because the definition of a romance novel does not limit the types of plot devices, time frames, or locations that can be included, the genre has grown to encompass a wide variety of material and spawned multiple sub-genres. Sub-genres of romance are often closely related to other literature genres, and some books could be considered a romance subgenre novel and another genre novel at the same time. For example, romantic suspense novels are often similar to mysteries, crime fiction and thrillers, and paranormal romances use elements popular in science fiction and fantasy novels.

Contemporary romance

Contemporary romance, which is set after World War II, is often what people mean when they refer to a romance novel. Contemporary romance novels—the largest sub-genre—are set in the time when they are written, and usually reflect the mores of that time. Heroines in contemporary romances prior to 1970 usually quit working when they marry or have children—while heroines after 1970 usually have, and keep, a career. As contemporary romance novels have grown to contain more complex plotting and more realistic characters, the line between this sub-genre and the genre of women's fiction has blurred.

Most contemporary romance novels contain elements that date the books. The majority of them eventually become irrelevant to more modern readers and go out of print. Those that survive the test of time, such as Jane Austen's work, are often reclassified as historical romances.

Over half of the romantic fiction published in the United States in 2004 (1468 out of 2,285 books) were contemporary romance novels. Contemporary romance novels have twice been chosen by Kelly Ripa to be featured in her Reading with Ripa book club.

Historical romance

Historical romance is set before World War II. This subgenre includes a wide variety of other subgenres, including Regency romance. Historical romance novels are rarely published in hardcover, with fewer than 15 receiving that status each year, less than one-fifth of the number of contemporary romance novels published in that format. Because historical romances are primarily published in mass-market format, their fortunes are tied to a certain extent to the mass-market trends. Booksellers and large merchandisers now sell fewer mass market paperbacks, preferring trade paperbacks or hardcovers, which prevents historical romances from being sold in some price clubs and other mass merchandise outlets.

In 2001, 778 historical romances were published, a 10-year high. By 2004, the annual number had dropped to 486, which was still 20% of all romance novels published. Kensington Books says they receive fewer submissions of historical novels, and their previously published authors have switched to contemporary.

Romantic suspense

Romantic suspense involves an intrigue or mystery for the protagonists to solve. Typically, however, the heroine is the victim of a crime or attempted crime, and works with a hero, who tends to be in a field where he would serve as a protector, such as a police officer, FBI agent, bodyguard, or Navy SEAL. By the end of the novel, the mystery is resolved and the interaction between the hero and heroine has evolved into a solid relationship. These novels primarily take place in contemporary times, but authors such as Amanda Quick have broadened the genre to also include historical timeframes.

Like all romances, romantic suspense novels must place the development of a relationship between the protagonists at the heart of the story. The relationship "must impact each decision they make and increase the tension of the suspense as it propel the story. In turn, the events of suspense must also directly affect the relationship and move the story forward." Romantic suspense novels tend to have more "clean" language, without the "emotional, intimate" descriptions often used in more traditional romances. Because the mystery is a crucial aspect of the plot, these novels are more plot-driven instead of character-driven.

This blend of the romance and mystery was perfected by Mary Stewart, who wrote ten romantic suspense novels between 1955 and 1967. Stewart was one of the first to seamlessly combine the two genres, maintaining a full mystery while focusing on the courtship between two people. In her novels, the process of solving the mystery "helps to illuminate" the hero's personality, helping the heroine to fall in love with him.

Paranormal romance

Paranormal romance blends the real with the fantastic or science fictional. The fantastic elements may be woven into an alternate version of our own world in an urban fantasy involving vampires, demons, and/or werewolves, or they may be more "normal" manifestations of the paranormal—humans with psychic abilities, witches, or ghosts. Time-travel, futuristic, and extraterrestrial romances also fall beneath the paranormal umbrella.

These novels often blend elements of other subgenres—including suspense, mystery, or chick lit—with their fantastic themes. A few paranormals are set solely in the past and are structured much like any historical romance novel. Others are set in the future, sometimes on different worlds. Still others have a time-travel element with either the hero or the heroine traveling into the past or the future. Between 2002 and 2004, the number of paranormal romances published in the United States doubled to 170 per year. A popular title in the genre can sell over 500,000 copies.

Many paranormal romances rely on the blend of contemporary American life with the existence of supernatural or magically empowered beings, human or otherwise; sometimes the larger culture is aware of the magical in its midst, sometimes it isn't. Some paranormal romances focus less on the specifics of their alternative worlds than do traditional science fiction or fantasy novels, keeping the attention strongly on the underlying romance. Others develop the alternate reality meticulously, combining well-planned magical systems and inhuman cultures with contemporary reality.

Science Fiction Romance

The first futuristic romance to be marketed by a mainstream romance publisher, Jayne Ann Krentz's ''Sweet Starfire'', was published in 1986 and was a "classic road trip romance" that just happened to be set in a separate galaxy. This genre has become more popular since 2000. Krentz attributes the popularity of this romance genre to the fact that the novels "are, at heart, classic historical romances that just happen to be set on other worlds."

A science fiction romance is a romance novel that takes place in a story that would otherwise be classified as a science fiction story.

Fantasy Romance

Fantasy Romance, also known as Romantic Fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy fiction, describing a fantasy story using many of the elements and conventions of the romance genre. Romantic fantasy has been published by both fantasy and romance lines, with some publishers distinguishing between "fantasy romance" being more like a contemporary fantasy novel with romantic elements, and "romantic fantasy" with more emphasis on the romance elements of the story.

Time-Travel Romances

Time-travel romances are a version of the classic "fish out of water" story. In most, the heroine is from the present day and travels into the past to meet the hero. In a smaller subset of these novels, the hero, who lives in the past, travels forward into his future to meet the heroine. A successful time-travel romance must have the characters react logically to their experience and should investigate some of the differences, both physical and mental, between the world the character normally inhabits and the one where they landed. Some writers end their novels with the protagonists trapped in different time periods and unable to be together—to the displeasure of many readers of the genre.

Inspirational romance

Inspirational romance, as the market exists today, combines explicitly Christian themes with the development of a romantic relationship. In 2004, 167 novels were published in the inspirational romance subgenre. These novels typically do not include gratuitous violence or swearing, and the central courtship is chaste. Sex, if it is present at all, occurs after marriage and is not explicitly detailed. Many novels in this genre also focus on the hero or heroine's faith, turning the love story into "a triangle: the man and the woman and also their relationship with God." Themes such as forgiveness, honesty, and fidelity are common.

The first line of series inspirational romances debuted shortly after the 1980 U.S. presidential election, when Silhouette launched their Silhouette Inspirations line. The books were aimed at born-again Christians and were marketed in religious bookstores. The Silhouette Inspirations line was closed after Harlequin acquired Silhouette in 1984 because it was not profitable. However, Christian publishers continue to produce romance novels, including historical and contemporary.

Multicultural romance

Multicultural romance typically features a hero and/or heroine who is African-American, although some multicultural lines also include Asian or Hispanic heroes or heroines or interracial relationships. The first line of multicultural romance novels, Arabesque, was launched by Kensington books in 1994. BET Books purchased the line in 1998, and the number of new authors that they publish has continued to expand each year. BET has also developed some of the Arabesque novels into made-for-television movies.

In 1999, Kensington Publishing launched the first line of Latino romance novels - ENCANTO. The ENCANTO novels were originally released in two ways - a bilingual Spanish/English version and a Spanish only version. Two novels were published every month until late 2001 when the line went into hiatus. Despite the demise of the line, several of the ENCANTO authors have continued writing novels with Latino protagonists namely, Sylvia Mendoza, Tracy Montoya, Caridad Pineiro, Berta Platas, Lara Rios and Lynda Sandoval.

Although romance novels featuring African-Americans and Hispanic protagonists are becoming more popular, those featuring Asian or Asian-American characters are rare. Author Tess Gerritsen believes this is due to the fact that there are fewer Asian-American women who read romances: "We read romances because we want to feel good about love...in order to do that, the reader must identify with the heroine."

Erotic Romance

Erotic romance, sometimes called romantica, is a blend of romance and erotica. Erotic romance novels are characterized by strong sexual content, but can contain elements of any of the other romance subgenres. Erotic romance novels tend to use more frank language, avoiding many of the euphemisms used in books with milder content. These novels also usually include more sex scenes, often focusing more on the sex act rather than being a more traditional love scene, and may include more unusual positions or acts. Despite a greater emphasis on the sex scenes, however, erotic romance is not to be confused with pornography. Pornography concentrates on the sex acts, but erotic novels include well-developed characters and a plot that could exist without the sex acts.

Erotic romances lengths run from short stories to single-title novels. Some of these are published as part of a category, such as Harlequin Blaze, while others are published as part of an anthology and are only novella length. Even single-title erotic romances may be as short as a novella, however.

Many of the publishers of erotic romance are either small press publishers or electronic book publishers. Writers often have more leeway in what types of erotic acts can be included when working with an electronic publisher than they would have working with a print publisher. The market for erotic romances has been growing rapidly, leading some publishers to create new lines for these types of books. Some subjects are still considered taboo, even with erotic romance. Themes such as pedophilia, incest, and bestiality are discouraged by all publishers.

The market for erotic romances has grown rapidly. Ellora's Cave, an electronic publisher that focuses on erotic romance, became the first electronic publisher recognized by the Romance Writers of America as a legitimate publisher.

History

Development

One of the earliest romance novels was ''Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded,'' by Samuel Richardson. Published in 1740, ''Pamela'' was the first popular novel to be based on a courtship as told from the perspective of the heroine. Unlike many of the novels of the time, ''Pamela'' had a happy ending. The book was one of the first bestsellers, with five editions printed in the first eleven months of release. The genre did not fully take form, however, until the nineteenth century. Jane Austen is widely considered to be one of the masters of the romance novel genre, and ''Pride and Prejudice'', published in 1813, has been called "the best romance novel ever written". Critics, however, lamented that Austen's works reinforced the sexist stereotype (i.e. economic and social reality that to avoid poverty that women must marry.) In the early part of the Victorian era, the Brontë sisters built upon Austen's work with their novels. Charlotte Brontë's ''Jane Eyre'', published in 1847, introduced the orphaned heroine. Incorporating elements of both gothic novels and Elizabethan drama, ''Jane Eyre'' "demonstrate[d] the flexibility of the romance novel form."

The genre continued to be popular into the twentieth century. In 1919, E.M. Hull's novel ''The Sheik'' was published in the United Kingdom. The novel, which became hugely popular, was adapted into a movie, which established star Rudolph Valentino as the top male actor of the time. The hero of this book was an iconic alpha male who kidnapped the heroine and won her admiration through his forceful actions. The novel was one of the first to introduce the rape fantasy. Although women were gaining more independence in life, publishers believed that readers would only accept premarital sex in the context of rape. In this novel and those that followed, the rape was depicted as more of a fantasy; the heroine is rarely if ever shown experiencing terror, stress, or trauma as a result.

The first historical romances appeared in 1921, when Georgette Heyer began writing romances set during the English Regency period (1811-–1820), when the Prince Regent ruled Great Britain in place of his ill father, George III. Heyer was inspired by Austen's novels. Austen also wrote romances set in the Regency period, but she was describing the times she lived in, so her novels were contemporary. Because Heyer set her writing amid events that occurred over 100 years previously, she had to include more detail on the time period to help her readers understand. Unlike other romance novels of the time, Heyer's novels used the setting as a plot device. Her characters often contained more modern-day sensibilities, and more conventional characters in the novels would point out the heroine's eccentricities, such as wanting to marry for love. Heyer was a prolific author, and write one to two historical romance novels per year until her death in 1974.

Rise of the category romance

In the 1930s, Mills and Boon began releasing hardback romance novels. The books were sold through weekly two-penny libraries and were known as "the books in brown" for their brown binding. In the 1950s, the company began offering the books for sale through newsagents across the United Kingdom.

A Canadian company, Harlequin Enterprises, began distributing in North America in 1957 the category romances published by Mills and Boon. Mary Bonneycastle, wife of Harlequin founder Richard Bonneycastle, and her daughter, Judy Burgess, exercised editorial control over which Mills and Boon novels Harlequin reprinted. They had a "decency code," and rejected more sexually explicit material that Mills and Boon submitted for reprinting. Realizing that the genre was popular, Richard Bonneycastle finally decided to read a romance novel. He chose one of the more explicit novels and enjoyed it. On his orders, the company conducted a market test with the novel he had read and discovered that it outsold a similar, tamer novel. Overall, the novels were short and formulaic, featuring heroines who were sweet, compassionate, pure and innocent. The few heroines who worked did so in traditional female jobs, including as nurses, governesses and secretaries. Intimacy in the novels never extended beyond a chaste kiss between the protagonists. By choosing to sell their books "where the women are," they allowed many mass-market merchandisers and even supermarkets to sell the books, all of which were exactly 192 pages. Harlequin then began a reader service, selling directly to readers who agreed to purchase a certain number of books each month.

Birth of modern romance

The modern romance genre was born in 1972 with Avon's publication of Kathleen Woodiwiss's ''The Flame and the Flower'', the first romance novel "to [follow] the principals into the bedroom." Aside from its content, the book was revolutionary in that it was one of the first single-title romance novels to be published as an original paperback, rather than being first published in hardcover, and, like the category romances, was distributed in drug stores and other mass-market merchandising outlets. The novel went on to sell 2.35 million copies. Avon followed its release with the 1974 publication of Woodiwiss's second novel, ''The Wolf and the Dove'' and two sexy novels by newcomer Rosemary Rogers, ''Sweet Savage Love'' and ''Dark Fires''. The latter sold two million copies in its first three months of release. By 1975, ''Publishers Weekly'' had reported that the "Avon originals" had sold a combined . The following year over 150 historical romance novels, many of them paperback originals, were published, selling over .

The success of these novels prompted a new style of writing romance, concentrating primarily on historical fiction tracking the monogamous relationship between a helpless heroine and the hero who rescued her, even if he had been the one to place her in danger. The covers of these novels tended to feature scantily clad women being grabbed by the hero, and caused the novels to be referred to as "bodice-rippers." A ''Wall St. Journal'' article in 1980 referred to these bodice rippers as "publishing's answer to the Big Mac: They are juicy, cheap, predictable, and devoured in stupefying quantities by legions of loyal fans." The term bodice-ripper is now considered offensive to many in the romance industry.

In this new style of historical romance, heroines were independent and strong-willed and were often paired with heroes who evolved into caring and compassionate men who truly admired the women they loved. This was in contrast to the contemporary romances published during this time, which were often characterized by weak females who fell in love with overbearing alpha males. Although these heroines had active roles in the plot, they were "passive in relationships with the heroes." Across the genre, heroines during this time were usually aged 16–21, with the heroes slightly older, usually around 30. The women were virgins, while the men were not, and both members of the couple were described as beautiful.

Category romance adapts

Category romance lines were slower to react to some of the changes that had swept the historical romance subgenre. Despite the fact that the former Mills & Boon lines were now owned by a North American company, the lines did not have any American writers until 1975, when Harlequin purchased a novel by Janet Dailey. Dailey's novels provided the romance genre's "first look at heroines, heroes and courtships that take place in America, with American sensibilities, assumptions, history, and most of all, settings." Harlequin was unsure how the market would react to this new type of romance, and was unwilling to fully embrace it. In the late 1970s, a Harlequin editor rejected a manuscript by Nora Roberts, who has since become the top-selling romance author, because "they already had their American writer."

In 1980, Simon and Schuster formed Silhouette Books to take advantage of the untapped talent of the American writers. They published several lines of category romance, and encouraged their writers to create stronger heroines and less dominant heroes. Authors were also expected to address contemporary issues where appropriate. Silhouette soon saw their market share expand, and in 1984, Harlequin acquired them. Despite the acquisition, Silhouette continued to retain editorial control and to publish various lines under their own imprint.

A 1982 survey of romance readers confirmed that the new styles of writing were attracting new readers to the genre. 35% of the readers surveyed had begun reading romances after 1977. An additional 31% of those surveyed had been readers for between 6 and 10 years, meaning they had become interested in the genre after 1972, when Woodiwiss's revolutionary novel was published. This means that two-thirds of those surveyed joined the genre after it had begun to change.

The number of category romance lines increased at a rapid pace, and by 1985 there were 16 separate lines producing a total of 80 novels per month. The sudden increase in category romance lines meant an equally sudden increase in demand for writers of the new style of romance novel. This tight market caused a proportionate decrease in the quality of the novels that were being released. By 1984, the market was saturated with category lines and readers had begun to complain of redundancy in plots. The following year, the "dampening effect of the high level of redundancy associated with series romances was evident in the decreased number of titles being read per month." Harlequin's return rate, which had been less than 25% in 1978, when it was the primary provider of category romance, swelled to 60%.

Further change

The genre continued to expand in the mid-to-late 1980s, as publishers realized that the more popular authors were often those who stretched the boundaries of the genre. A 1984 novel by LaVyrle Spencer featured an overweight, middle-aged hero who had to make drastic changes to his lifestyle to win the heroine, while a 1987 Dailey novel involved an ugly hero and a heroine who was searching for her birth mother. Jayne Ann Krentz's 1986 novel ''Sweet Starfire'' became the first futuristic romance, combining elements of traditional romance novels and science fiction. The relationships had also modernized: by the 1990s, it was rare to see a book that featured a man raping his future wife. In the mid-to-late 1980s, contemporary romances began to feature women in more male-dominated jobs, such as offshore oil rigs and the space program. By the early 1990s, the pendulum had swung back to feature heroines who were self-employed. The age range of heroines also began to expand, so that books began to feature women who had already reached 30 and even 40. Heroes also changed, with some authors veering towards a more sensitive man. Despite the broadening of some aspects of the plot, other taboos remained, and publishers discouraged authors from writing about controversial subjects such as terrorism, warfare, and masculine sports. Romance novels began to contain more humor beginning in the 1990s, as Julie Garwood began introducing a great deal of humor into her historical romances.

The romance novel began to expand in other ways as well. In 1989, author Jude Deveraux became the first romance author to transition from writing original mass market paperbacks to being published in hardcover. Her novel, ''A Knight in Shining Armor'', "became a natural bestseller." Several authors found success writing single-title romances set in contemporary times, and publishing houses began to encourage the growth in the genre. Because the novels were set in modern times, they could include more of the elements that modern women could relate to, and soon began to touch on themes such as single parenthood, adoption, and abuse.

By 2000, the covers had begun to evolve from featuring a scantily clad couple to instead showing a view of the landscape featured in the novel.

As women's career options have expanded in real life, so have those of their fictional counterparts. In the earliest Harlequin romance novels, heroines were typically nurses and secretaries. As time has passed and women have entered the workforce in larger numbers, romance heroines have spanned the career spectrum. Modern romance novels now feature more balanced relationships between men and women.

Markets

North America

The romance fiction market "has been impervious to the overall economic recession, with faithful readers spending up to $40 a month" on romance novels in 1982. That year, paperback romances totaled $300 million in sales, and the total audience was estimated at 20 million readers. A survey of 600 regular romance readers the same year "found that they mirror the general population in age, education, and marital and socioeconomic status." Over half of the women had at least some college education, and 40% were employed full-time. 60% of the women surveyed read at least one romance every two days. The women admitted to reading romances as an antidote to stress, for mental escape, and to learn about history and new careers.

The romance novel market continued to expand, so that by 1991, they comprised 46% of all mass market paperbacks sold in the US. This expansion was due in part to voracious readers, with over half of Harlequin's customers purchasing 30 novels per month. By this time, the romance novel audience had become more educated, with 45% having a college degree, and more than half of the audience worked outside the home.

By the 2000s, romance had become the most popular genre in modern literature. In 2008, romantic fiction generated $1.37 billion in sales, with 7,311 romance novels published and making up 13.5% of the consumer book market. Over 74 million people claimed to have read at least one romance novel in 2008, according to a Romance Writers of America study. Nine point five percent of romance readers identified themselves as male, and the study reported that romance readers were more likely to be married or living with a partner. Of the entire American population, 24.6% read at least one romance novel in 2008.

International markets

}} 74.8 million people read an English-language romance novel in 2008. Harlequin sells more than 4 books per second, half of them internationally. Author Heather Graham attributes this to the fact that "emotions translate easily." In the United Kingdom, over 20% of all fiction books sold each year are romance novels. Although romance novels are translated into over 90 languages, the majority of authors of these works are from Great Britain, the United States, Canada, or, to a lesser extent, Australia. Even in France, where over 12 million romance novels are sold each year, all of the books are translations. This leads to a more Anglo-Saxon perspective in the fiction, which at times can be much less successful in a European market. Although Italy is the strongest foreign market for the chick lit sold by single-title imprint Red Dress Ink, in that country romance readers do not care to read books about cowboys, as this type of occupation was not common in their culture. The paranormal romance genre is not popular in countries such as Poland and Russia, although historical romance tends to be very successful. Inspirational romance does not sell well in Europe, where romances that feature babies are very popular.

Some publishing companies in Germany refuse to allow their romance authors to use their own names, fearing that the German audience will not buy a romance novel that does not have an Anglo-American pseudonym. German readers enjoy reading more erotic romance novels, and some German translations of English romance novels expand or insert love scenes into otherwise tame stories. The alternate scenario also occurs, as other German translators censor the love scenes.

In 2004, sales of romance novels in Australia increased 28% over the year before. Between 1999 and 2004 there was an increase of 40–50% in the number of new titles released. Harlequin received 20,000 unsolicited manuscripts each year.

Awards

The most prestigious and notable awards for romance novels are the RITA Awards, which are presented annually by the Romance Writers of America to the best novels in romantic fiction.

Critical attention

“Romances are, in fact, subversive literature: They encourage women to be dissatisfied with inequality, and to set higher expectations for themselves, and they show them ways to achieve those expectations, largely by taming men and, in a way, usurping their power. Romances are arguably the only art form of any kind that portrays women as equal partners with men.” --David Pollard

The romance genre has been popularly derided and critically ignored.

Despite recent rehabilitation and merging of the genre with other genres, the stigma attached to the romance genre continues to be strong, with some dedicated readers embarrassed to admit to buying or even reading the books. The romance genre has over the years generated significant derision, skepticism and criticism. Some critics point to a lack of suspense, as it is obvious that the hero and heroine will eventually resolve their issues, and wonder whether it is beneficial "for women to be whiling away so many hours reading impossibly glamorized love stories." According to fiction author Melissa Pritchard, a romance novel "perpetuates something slightly dangerous, that there's this notion, that there's this perfect love out there, and it can distract you from the work of loving yourself."

Romance novelists attribute the stigma to the fact that romance is the only genre "written almost exclusively by women for women." Romance novelist Jennifer Crusie counters that in the modern romance novel "a woman is rewarded with unconditional love [only] if she remains true to herself", while novelist Susan Elizabeth Phillips believes that romance novels are popular because the heroine always wins, sometimes overcoming great odds so that she is no longer a victim.

Footnotes

See also

List of romantic novelists

References

External links

Romance Writers of America

Romance Wiki A wiki dedicated to documenting the history of Romance Novels.

The Romantic Novelists' Association UK professional organization for writers of romance.

Category:Literary genres * Category:Romance

ar:رواية رومانسية bn:রোম্যান্স উপন্যাস ca:Novel·la sentimental de:Liebes- und Familienroman et:Armastusromaan es:Novela rosa fr:Roman d'amour anglo-saxon it:Romanzo rosa he:רומן רומנטי nl:Liefdesroman ja:恋愛小説 no:Kjærlighetsroman sl:Ljubezenski roman sv:Kärleksroman vi:Tiểu thuyết lãng mạn wa:Roman d' amour zh:愛情小說 tr:Aşk romanı

name	Meg Cabot
pseudonym	Meggin CabotPatricia CabotJenny Carroll
birth name	Meggin Patricia Cabot
birth date	February 01, 1967
birth place	Bloomington, Indiana, United States
occupation	Writer
nationality	American
period	1967–present
genre	Chick-lit, Mystery, Romance, Science fiction
height	5' 8" (1.73 m)
notableworks	''The Princess Diaries''''The Mediator''''Avalon High''
influences	Old high school diaries; Princess Diaries from her mother dating an old professor of hers; life events
website	http://megcabot.com }}

Meg Cabot (born Meggin Patricia Cabot on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana, United States) is an American author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot. She has written and published over fifty books, and is best known for ''The Princess Diaries'', later made by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films of the same name. Meg's books have been the recipients of numerous awards, including the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, the American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Tennessee Volunteer State TASL Book Award, the Book Sense Pick, the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, the IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice - as well as many others (see awards section for specific book wins). She has had numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers.Cabot has more than fifteen million copies of her books—children's, young adult, and adult—in print worldwide.

Personal life

After Meg graduated from Indiana University, Cabot moved to New York City, with the original aim of pursuing a career as an illustrator. in 1991. However, she soon quit this job and started working as an assistant manager of the freshman dormitory at New York University.

Meg Cabot married financial writer and poet Benjamin D. Egnatz on April 1, 1993. Their wedding date, April Fool’s Day, was a deliberate play on her husband's belief that only fools get married in the first place. The wedding was actually an elopement in Italy. Her novel ''Every Boy's Got One'' is loosely based on her own elopement. She has two cats, Henrietta (a one eyed cat) and Gem, about whom she often blogs.

After living in Indiana, California, New York, and France, she now currently resides in Key West, Florida. She splits her time between an apartment in New York City and a barn in Bloomington, Indiana.

.

Young adult novels

''The Princess Diaries'' series

''The Princess Diaries'' series is the most notable series written by Meg Cabot, and has been published in more than 40 countries. The first book in the series was published in October 2000; the series spent 38 weeks on the ''New York Times'' Children's Series Best Sellers List and was sold to publishers in 37 foreign countries.

In 2001 and 2004 respectively, the series was brought to the big screen by Walt Disney Pictures as ''The Princess Diaries'' and ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.

Note that in the UK and Australia the books are published under titles based on the volume number (e.g.: ''Mia Goes Fourth'').

''The Princess Diaries, Volume I'' / ''The Princess Diaries'' (October 2000)

''Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Take Two'' (June 2001)

''Volume III: Princess in Love'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky'' (March 2002)

''Volume IV: Princess in Waiting'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Mia Goes Fourth'' (April 2003)

*''Volume IV and 1/2: Project Princess'' (August 2003)

''Volume V: Princess in Pink'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Give Me Five'' (March 2004)

''Volume VI: Princess in Training'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Sixsational'' (March 2005)

*''Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess Present'' (October 2004)

''Volume VII: Party Princess'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven'' (March 2006)

*''Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen Princess'' (May 2006)

*''Volume VII and 3/4: Valentine Princess'' (December 2006)

''Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink'' / ''The Princess Diaries: After Eight'' (January 2007)

''Volume IX: Princess Mia'' / ''The Princess Diaries: To The Nines'' (January 2008)

''Volume X: Forever Princess'' / ''The Princess Diaries: Ten Out Of Ten'' (January 6, 2009)

Illustrated by Chelsey McLaren:

''Princess Lessons'' (March 2003)

''Perfect Princess'' (March 2004)

''Holiday Princess'' (November 2005)

On January 6, 2009, a companion book to ''Volume X: Forever Princess'' entitled ''Ransom My Heart'' was published under the name Princess of Genovia, Mia Thermopolis by Avon Books, the adult division of HarperCollins, the Princess Diaries series publisher. All author proceeds from the novel, which was printed on 100% recycled paper, go to Greenpeace.

The Mediator series

#''Shadowland'' (October 2000) #''Ninth Key'' (February 2001) #''Reunion'' (July 2001) #''Darkest Hour'' (December 2001) #''Haunted'' (February 2003) #''Twilight'' (January 2005)

The Mediator Series is about a 16-year-old girl named Susannah "Suze" Simon. Suze is a mediator, whose role is to help ghosts finish their business on earth so they can pass on to the afterlife. To this end, she can see, touch, communicate with, hit, punch, and 'kick ghost butt' when she has to. The series begins just after Suze's widowed mother marries Andy Ackerman, when she has moved to Carmel, California, to live in an old house complete with three stepbrothers. To make matters worse, her bedroom is haunted by an attractive male ghost named Jesse de Silva, who died 150 years earlier. Suze remembers that back in New York a fortune teller had told her that she was a mediator (which proved correct) and that she would only fall in love once but it would last for an eternity. Her one love for eternity just might be Jesse. But does he love her back?

The first four books were originally released under the pseudonym Jenny Carroll (this was when Cabot was working with different publishing houses). ''Haunted'' was the first title to have Meg Cabot's name on it. The first four books were later reprinted under Cabot's real name in 2005 with new cover art when ''Twilight'' was released in hardcover. The UK titles for the series were as follows: ''Shadowland- Love You to Death, Ninth Key- High Stakes, Reunion- Mean Spirits, Darkest Hour- Young Blood, Haunted- Grave Doubts,'' and ''Twilight- Heaven Sent''.

The Mediator series rights have been sold to producer Julia Pistor, and will be made into a movie in the near future.

In December 2010, HarperTeen reprinted a omnibus edition titled ''The Mediator: Shadowland and Ninth Key''.

1-800-WHERE-R-U series

#''When Lightning Strikes'' (February 2001) #''Code Name Cassandra'' (August 2001) #''Safe House'' (March 2002) #''Sanctuary'' (September 2002) #''Missing You'' (December 26, 2006)

This series revolves around Jessica Mastriani, an ordinary 16-year-old girl given extraordinary psychic powers after being struck by lightning. Her powers allow her to know the exact location of missing children; after seeing a picture of a person, they appear in her dreams. The first four books take place over less than a year, and chronicle her attempts to help missing children while trying to avoid the scrutiny of the federal government. The fifth book, published four years after the fourth book, picks up the story line after Jess has turned 19. Over the course of the books, Jess is romantically involved with Rob Wilkins, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

The first four books were written under Cabot's pseudonym, Jenny Carroll. After poor sales, the series was discontinued. Sales improved when the books were re-released in 2004 under Cabot's real name. Cabot was unhappy with the discontinuation; she stated that she wanted to take the series up to eight books. Her current publishing house agreed to publish one more installment. ''Missing You'' was released in December 2006 and ended the series.

The ''1-800-WHERE-R-YOU'' series was the basis for the television show ''Missing'', which aired on the Lifetime cable network for three seasons from 2003 to 2006.

The series has been reprinted in the US in an omnibus edition, and retitled ''Vanished''.

''All-American Girl'' series

''All American Girl'' (September 2002)

''Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel'' (July 2005)

The series revolves around Samantha Madison, a Washington, D.C. native, who, while skipping her after-school art class, saves the life of the president, and becomes a national hero. The two books are about her rise to fame and her love life with the president's son, David, who appears to want to take their relationship to the next level in the second book. There is also a short story called Another All American Girl in the anthology Our White House:Looking In, Looking Out, about Samantha's experience in the White House.

''Avalon High'' series

''Avalon High'', December 2005

''Avalon High: Coronation'' (three-book manga series)

*''The Merlin Prophecy'' (July 3, 2007)

*''Homecoming'' (June 24, 2008)

*''Hunter's Moon'' (September 1, 2009)

There is a sequel to the first ''Avalon High'' novel. However, instead of a regular novel, it is part of a new partnership HarperCollins brokered with Tokyopop (a leading United States manga company). It has been released as a three-book manga series, called ''Avalon High: Coronation''. The first manga, titled ''The Merlin Prophecy'', was released on July 3, 2007 and was drawn by manga artist Jinky Coronado, who does the ''Banzai Girl'' manga. She also illustrated the other two manga.

The ''Avalon High'' film was shown on Disney Channel on November 12, 2010. Britt Robertson played Allie, while Gregg Sulkin played Will.

The Airhead trilogy

''Airhead'' (May 2008)

''Being Nikki'' (May 2009)

''Runaway'' (March 2010)

This three-book series is about Emerson Watts, and overachieving high school student. When she wakes up, after an accident, she discovers that her brain has been transplanted into the body of teen supermodel, Nikki Howard. Now, she is no longer judged by her grades, but by her looks and she has to fight the worldwide corporation, Stark Industries, if she wants to find out what really happened to her old life and to protect her friends and family.

The Abandon Trilogy

''Abandon'' (26 April 2011)

''The Underworld''

TBA (TBA)

Blurb for the first book in the trilogy, ''Abandon'':

She knows what it's like to die. Now Death wants her back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die. That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible. Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her. What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most. And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her: The Underworld.'

Other young adult fiction

''Nicola and the Viscount'' (August 2002)

''Victoria and the Rogue'' (March 2003)

''Teen Idol'' (July 2004)

''How to Be Popular'' (July 2006)

''Pants on Fire''/''Tommy Sullivan is a Freak'' (May 2007)

''Jinx'' (July 2007)

Children's novels

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls

''Moving Day'' (2008)

''The New Girl'' (2008)

''Best Friends and Drama Queens'' (2009)

''Stage Fright'' (2009)

''Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out'' (2010)

''Blast From the Past'' (2010)

Adult novels

Insatiable series

The first book in Meg's latest series for adult readers, ''Insatiable'', was released on June 8, 2010, and became an instant ''New York Times'' bestseller. This series is a modern retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but with a twist. The main character, Meena Harper, has a special gift: she can foretell people's death . . . just not her own. Even worse, she's being forced by the television show for which she works to write vampires into the plot due to their popularity. Meena, however, hates vampires (she doesn't believe in them, and doesn't like how they always go after—and kill girls). This complicates things when she finds out from Alaric Wulf, a demon-hunter with a secret unit of the Vatican called the Palatine Guard, that vampires are attacking girls all over her native New York City, and that her new boyfriend might be one of them . . . Lucien Antonescu, Dracula's son, the Prince of Darkness. A sequel to Insatiable called ''Overbite'' will be out in the US in July 2011. In the UK the title is referred to as "Craving."

Heather Wells series

#''Size 12 is Not Fat'', December 27, 2005 #''Size 14 is Not Fat Either'', November 28, 2006 #''Big Boned'', December 26, 2007

The Heather Wells series is an adult mystery series that features former pop star Heather Wells. Heather was once a teen star, but was fired by her recording company when she asked to sing songs she had written instead of the ones they composed for her. The book opens just after Heather has gotten a job as a residence house coordinator at New York College and quickly discovers that young girls in the dorm are being murdered.

The second book was originally titled ''Phat Chick'', but this was changed by the publishers to ''It's Not Over Until The Size 12 Chick Sings'', and finally, ''Size 14 is Not Fat Either'', which continued Heather's amateur sleuthing adventures.

The third book in the series is published under the title "Size Doesn't Matter" in Australia and Great Britain. (In other countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, it was entitled "Big Boned".) In 'Size Doesn't Matter', Heather solves another mystery, and is involved in a love triangle with Tad, her boyfriend, and Cooper, whom she secretly loves, but rejected her.

In March, 2008 the series was contracted for two additional books, which should be released in 2012 and 2013.

Queen of Babble series

#''Queen of Babble'' (May 2006) #''Queen of Babble in the Big City'' (June 2007) #''Queen of Babble Gets Hitched'' (June 2008/April 2009 - Paperback)

''Queen of Babble'' debuted at #27 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The main character of this romantic comedy, Lizzie Nichols, is a recent college grad who isn't sure what she wants out of life. All she knows is that she can't keep a secret, even her own. This causes her many romantic, friendship, and work-related problems, especially after moving to New York City after graduating from college. There, she can't seem to keep her mouth shut long enough not to screw up her dreams . . . but nothing is going to keep her from trying to find the career she's wanted. And maybe a boyfriend, too.

Romance novels

These novels were written under Cabot's pseudonym Patricia Cabot:

''Where Roses Grow Wild'' (March 1998)

''Portrait of My Heart'' (January 1999)

''An Improper Proposal'' (November 1999)

''A Little Scandal'' (June 2000)

''Lady of Skye'' (January 2001)

''Educating Caroline'' (November 2001)

''Kiss the Bride'' (May 2002)

Written under Cabot's characters

''Ransom My Heart'' (January 2009) - Written by Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia with help from Meg Cabot

Boy series

''The Boy Next Door'', October 2002 (as Meggin Cabot)

''Boy Meets Girl'', January 2004 (as Meggin Cabot)

''Every Boy's Got One'', January 2005

These books are loosely connected romantic comedies told in emails, IMs, and brief journal entries. ''The Boy Next Door'' was a Kelly Rippa Book Club Pick on ''LIVE! with Regis and Kelly''.

Other works

''She Went All the Way'', December 2002 (as Meggin Cabot)

Short stories

"The Christmas Captive" (as Patricia Cabot), included in the adult romance anthology ''A Season in the Highlands'', which was published in December 2000.

"Girl’s Guide to New York through the Movies" included in ''Metropolis Found: New York Is Book Country 25th Anniversary Collection'', published in August 2003.

"Kate the Great" included in ''Thirteen: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen'', published October 2003.

"Party Planner" included in the adult short story collection ''Girls' Night In'', published September 2004.

"Connie "Hunter" Williams, Psychic Teacher" included in the teen short story collection ''Friends: Stories About New Friends, Old Friends, and Unexpectedly True Friends'', published August 2005.

"Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls" included in the ''CosmoGIRL!'' short story collection ''Shining On'', published April 2006.

"Reunion" included in the adult short story collection ''Girls' Night Out'', published June 2006.

"Cry, Linda, Cry: Judy Blume’s Blubber and The Cruelest Thing in the World" included in Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, published Spring 2007.

"Ask Annie" included in ''Midnight Feast'', published July 2007.

"The Exterminator's Daughter" included in ''Prom Nights From Hell'', published May 2007.

"Every Girl's Dream" A short story written by Cabot out of the Mediator Series.

"Princess Prettypants" A short story in the anthology ''Zombie vs. Unicorns'' published in September 2010.

''The Night Hunter'' A short story in the anthology ''Fear: 13 Stories of Horror and Suspense'' published in September 2010.

Screenplays

Early versions of the screenplay for Disney's ''Ice Princess'', released in 2005, were written by Meg Cabot

Film Adaptations

In 2001, the film version of the Princess Diaries was released. The film starred Anne Hathaway as Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis and Julie Andrews as Clarisse Renaldi.

The Disney Channel original movie version of ''Avalon High'' premiered late fall 2010. the film starred Gregg Sulkin as A. William Wagner and Britt Robertson as Allie Pennington (Ellie Harrison)

An Untitled ''Queen Of Babble'' movie is currently ''In Development''. The book has been optioned by Jeffrey Sharp of Sharp Independent, with Kristen Bell slated to star.

Awards

''Romantic Times'' Reviewers Choice Award for Best British Isles Historical Romance, 1999, for ''An Improper Proposal''

Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers selection, Best Book selection, American Library Association, and New York Public Library Teen Book for the New Millennium citation, all 2001, all for ''The Princess Diaries''

Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination, best young adult category, Mystery Writers of America, 2003, for ''Safe House''

''The Princess Diaries'' was voted "one of the nation's 100 best-loved novels" by the British public as part of "The Big Read," British Broadcasting Corporation, 2003.

Queen of Teen nomination (2008) for her work

"Airhead" nominated for Teen Choice Book of the Year, 2009

References

"Meg Cabot." ''Authors and Artists for Young Adults'', Volume 50. Gale Group, 2003. Reproduced in ''Biography Resource Center''. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006.

MegCabot.com

Category:American novelists Category:Writers of young adult literature Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Chick lit authors Category:21st-century women writers Category:Writers from Indiana Category:Fan fiction writers

ar:ميج كابوت br:Meg Cabot cs:Meg Cabotová de:Meg Cabot es:Meg Cabot fr:Meg Cabot id:Meg Cabot it:Meg Cabot he:מג קאבוט hu:Meg Cabot no:Meg Cabot pl:Meg Cabot pt:Meg Cabot ru:Кэбот, Мэг fi:Meg Cabot sv:Meg Cabot vi:Meg Cabot

name	Jessica Rowley Pell Bird Blakemore
pseudonym	Jessica Bird;J. R. Ward
birth name	Jessica Rowley Pell Bird
birth place	Massachusetts, U.S.A.
occupation	novelist
language	English
nationality	U.S.American
period	2002-present
genre	romance, paranormal romance
spouse	John Neville Blakemore III (2001-present)
website	http://www.jessicabird.com
portaldisp	}}

Jessica Rowley Pell Bird (b. 1969 in Massachusetts, U.S.A.) is an American novelist. Under her maiden name, Jessica Bird, she writes contemporary romance novels, and as J.R. Ward, she writes paranormal romance. She has received the Romance Writers of America RITA Award.

Biography

Born Jessica Rowley Pell Bird on 1969 in Massachusetts, U.S.A., she is the daughter of W. Gillette Bird, Jr. and Maxine F. Bird. She began writing as a child, penning her thoughts in diaries as well as inventing short stories. The summer before she went to college she wrote her first book , a romance novel. After that, she wrote regularly, but for herself. Bird attended Smith College where she double majored in history and art history, concentrating on medieval period. She then received a law degree from Albany Law School and worked in healthcare administration for many years, including as the Chief of Staff at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

In 2001, Bird married John Neville Blakemore III. Her new husband encouraged her to try to get an agent and market her manuscripts. She found an agent, and in 2002 her first novel, a contemporary romance called ''Leaping Hearts'', was published. Several years later, Bird invented a world populated by vampires and began writing single-title paranormal romance novels under the pen name J.R. Ward. These novels are a series, known as the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Bird likes to write series novels which incorporate characters from her previous books. She likens the process of creating a series to "meeting friends through other friends". Her heroes are most often alpha males, "the tougher, the cockier, the more arrogant, the better", while the heroines are smart and strong.

The Romance Writers of America awarded her the RITA Award for Best Short Contemporary Romance in 2007 for her novel ''From the First''. She has also been nominated six times for ''Romantic Times'' Reviewer's Choice Awards, winning once for ''Lover Awakened''.

Bibliography

As Jessica Bird

Single novels

''Leaping Hearts'' 07/30/02 ''ISBN 0-8041-1988-0''

''Heart of Gold'' 06/03/03 ''ISBN 0-8041-1989-9''

''An Unforgettable Lady'' 03/02/04 ''ISBN 0-345-45895-8''

''An Irresistible Bachelor'' 03/30/04 ''ISBN 0-345-45896-6''

The Moorehouse Legacy Series

# ''Beauty and the Black Sheep'' 07/01/05 ''ISBN 0-373-24698-6'' # ''His Comfort and Joy'' 01/01/06 ''ISBN 0-373-24732-X'' # ''From The First'' 04/01/06 ''ISBN 0-373-24750-8'' # ''A Man in a Million'' 01/01/07 ''ISBN 0-373-24803-2''

The O'Banyon Brothers Series

# ''The Billionaire Next Door'' 08/01/07 ''ISBN 0-373-24844-X''

Omnibus

''From the First / What are Friends for?'' (2006)

Collections in collaboration

''Plain Jane's Secret Life / Beauty and the Black Sheep'' (2005) (with Cathy Gillen Thacker)

"''The Billionaire Next Door''" in ''Mistress: Taken by the Tycoon'' (2009) (with Jan Colley and Kristi Gold)

As J. R. Ward

Black Dagger Brotherhood series

# ''Dark Lover'' 09/06/05 ''ISBN 0-451-21695-4'' # ''Lover Eternal'' 03/07/06 ''ISBN 0-451-21804-3'' # ''Lover Awakened'' 09/05/06 ''ISBN 0-451-21936-8 '' # ''Lover Revealed'' 03/06/07 ''ISBN 0-451-41235-4'' # ''Lover Unbound'' 09/25/07 ''ISBN 0-451-22235-0'' # ''Lover Enshrined'' 06/03/08 ''ISBN 0-451-22272-5'' # ''Lover Avenged'' 4/28/09 ''ISBN 0-451-22585-6'' # ''Lover Mine'' 05/01/10 ''ISBN 0749941789'' # ''Lover Unleashed'' 03/29/11 # ''The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide'' 10/01/08 ''ISBN 978-0-451-22500-9'' # ''Lover Reborn'' 27/03/12

''J.R. Ward Box Set: Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Unbound, Lover Revealed, Lover Enshrined'' (omnibus) (2009)

Fallen Angels series

# ''Covet'' 9/29/2009 ''ISBN 0-451-22821-9'' # ''Crave'' 10/2010 # ''Envy''

Collections in collaboration

"''The Story of Son''" in ''Dead After Dark'' (2008) (with Sherrilyn Kenyon, Susan Squires, Dianna Love)

"''Dark Lover''" in ''Blood Lust 6'' (2010) (with MaryJanice Davidson, Christine Feehan)

"''Lover Awakened''" in ''Blood Sample 7'' (2010) (with MaryJanice Davidson, Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister)

References

External links

Jessica Bird Official site

J. R. Ward's Official Site

BookPage interview with JR Ward

Category:1969 births Category:American fantasy writers Category:American romantic fiction writers Category:Living people Category:RITA Award winners Category:Smith College alumni

de:Jessica Bird fr:Jessica Bird id:Jessica Bird fi:Jessica Bird

name	Penelope Jones Halsall
pseudonym	Caroline CourtneyMelinda WrightLydia HitchcockPenny JordanAnnie Groves
birth name	Penelope Jones
birth date	November 24, 1946
birth place	Preston, Lancashire, England
occupation	Novelist
nationality	British
period	1979-present
genre	Contemporary romance, historical romance
spouse	Steve Halsall (died)
influences	Georgette Heyer
website	http://www.Penny-Jordan.co.uk
portaldisp	}}

Penny Halsall, née Penelope Jones (b. 24 November 1946 in Preston, Lancashire, England) better known by her pen name of Penny Jordan, is a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and now writes contemporary romances as Penny Jordan and historical romances as Annie Groves (her mother's maiden name). She has also signed novels as Melinda Wright and Lydia Hitchcock. Her books have sold over 70 million copies worldwide and has been translated into many languages.

Widowed, she lives in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, surrounded by her pets.

Biography

Personal life

Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on 24 November 1946 in Preston, Lancashire, England, and weighed about eight pounds. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, who died aged 85, and his wife, Margaret Louise Groves Jones, 86, who passed to Jones her Scots Celtic heritage. She has a brother, Anthony Jones, and a sister, Prudence "Pru" Jones.

She has been a keen reader from childhood. Her mother would leave her in the children's section of the local library while she changed her father's library books. Her story-telling career began at the age of eight when she began telling original bedtime stories to her younger sister.

Her all-time favourite books are those of Jane Austen, Dorothy Dunnett, Catherine Cookson, Georgette Heyer, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare's plays and poetry and the Bible. After reading a serialised Mills & Boon book in a woman's magazine, she fell in love with the hero. Jones was eleven and she quickly became an avid fan.

Since 2003, she returned to writing historical novels as Annie Groves (she has adopted her mother's maiden-name). Jordan gains much of her inspiration from human interest stories in the news as well as her own family history. She adapted a story told by her grandmother Elsie Jones in ''Ellie Pride''. This novel also begins a family saga.

Bibliography

As Caroline Courtney

Single novels

''Duchess in Disguise'' (1979)

''A Wager for Love'' (1979)

''Love Unmasked'' (1979)

''Guardian of the Heart'' (1979)

''Dangerous Engagement'' (1979)

''Love's Masquerade'' (1980)

''The Fortunes of Love'' (1980)

''The Romantic Rivals'' (1980)

''Heart of Honour'' (1981)

''Destiny's Duchess'' (1981)

''The Masquerading Heart'' (1981)

''Abandoned for Love'' (1981)

''The Tempestuous Affair'' (1981)

''Love of My Life'' (1981)

''Love Triumphant'' (1981)

''Lover's Victory'' (1981)

''The Courier of Love'' (1982)

''Love in Waiting'' (1982)

''Libertine in Love'' (1982)

''The Daring Heart'' (1982)

''Forbidden Love'' (1982)

''Hearts or Diamonds'' (1985)

''Prisoner of Passion'' (1985)

''Dual Enchantment'' (1985)

''Conspiracy of Kisses'' (1986)

As Melinda Wright

Single novels

''The Concorde Affair'' (1981)

''Love at 30,000 Feet'' (1982)

''Flight into Ecstasy'' (1983)

As Lydia Hitchcock

Single novels

''The Ducetti Lair'' (1981)

''The Geneva Touch'' (1982)

As Penny Jordan

Single Novels

''Falcon's Prey'' (1981)

''Tiger Man'' (1981)

''Marriage without Love'' (1981)

''Blackmail'' (1982)

''Long Cold Winter'' (1982)

''Caged Tiger'' (1982)

''Daughter of Hassan'' (1982)

''Northern Sunset'' (1982)

''Island of the Dawn'' (1982)

''An Unbroken Marriage'' (1982)

''Bought with His Name'' (1982)

''Escape from Desire'' (1982)

''Desire's Captive'' (1983)

''Forgotten Passion'' (1983)

''Man Hater'' (1983)

''Rescue Operation'' (1983)

''Flawed Marriage'' (1983)

''Phantom Marriage'' (1983)

''Sudden Engagement'' (1983)

''Passionate Protection'' (1983)

''Savage Atonement'' (1983)

''The Inward Storm'' (1984)

''Love's Choices'' (1984)

''Response'' (1984)

''Shadow Marriage'' (1984)

''Wanting'' (1984)

''Darker Side of Desire'' (1984)

''Rules of the Game'' (1984)

''Campaign for Loving'' (1985)

''Permission to Love'' (1985)

''Taken Over'' (1985)

''Time Fuse'' (1985)

''You Owe Me'' (1985)

''What You Made Me'' (1985)

''The Friendship Barrier'' (1985)

''Only One'' (1985)

''The Six-Month Marriage'' (1985)

''Exorcism'' (1985)

''Fire With Fire'' (1985)

''Injured Innocent'' (1985)

''The Hard Man'' (1985)

''Desire for Revenge'' (1985)

''Capable of Feeling'' (1986)

''A Man Possessed'' (1986)

''Return Match'' (1986)

''Desire Never Changes'' (1986)

''Research into Marriage'' (1986)

''A Reason for Marriage'' (1986)

''Loving'' (1986)

''Stronger Than Yearning'' (1986)

''Too Short a Blessing'' (1987)

''Passionate Relationship'' (1987)

''A Savage Adoration'' (1987)

''For One Night'' (1987)

''An Expert Teacher'' (1987)

''Substitute Lover'' (1987)

''Levelling the Score'' (1987)

''Fight for Love'' (1987)

''Payment in Love'' (1988)

''Special Treatment'' (1988)

''Force of Feeling'' (1988)

''Without Trust'' (1988)

''Potential Danger'' (1988)

''Lover's Touch'' (1988)

''Power Play'' (1988)

''A Reason for Being ''(1989)

''Beyond Compare'' (1989)

''Equal Opportunities'' (1989)

''Valentine's Night'' (1989)

''So Close and No Closer'' (1989)

''Free Spirit'' (1989)

''Bitter Betrayal'' (1989)

''Silver'' (1989)

''A Rekindled Passion'' (1989)

''Rival Attractions'' (1990)

''Time for Trust'' (1990)

''Unspoken Desire'' (1990)

''Breaking Away'' (1990)

''Out of the Night'' (1990)

''Game of Love'' (1990)

''The Hidden Years'' (1990)

''A Kind of Madness'' (1990)

''Second Time Loving'' (1990)

''Payment Due'' (1991)

''A Forbidden Loving'' (1991)

''A Time to Dream'' (1991)

''Dangerous Interloper'' (1991)

''Second-Best Husband'' (1991)

''A Cure for Love'' (1991)

''Stranger Form the Past'' (1991)

''Past Passion'' (1991)

''Law of Attraction'' (1992)

''Lesson to Learn'' (1992)

''Mistaken Adversary'' (1992)

''Lingering Shadows'' (1992)

''Past Loving'' (1992)

''Passionate Possession'' (1992)

''A Matter of Trust'' (1992)

''Tug of Love'' (1992)

''Yesterday's Echoes'' (1993)

''For Better for Worse'' (1993)

''French Leave'' (1994)

''Cruel Legacy'' (1994)

''Power Games'' (1995)

''Unwanted Wedding'' (1995)

''The Trusting Game'' (1995)

''Her Christmas Fantasy'' (1996)

''Stranger From The Past'' (1997)

''Mission: Make-Over'' (1997)

''To Love, Honour and Betray'' (1998)

''Wanting His Child'' (1999)

''One Intimate Night'' (1999)

''The City-Girl Bride'' (2001)

''Christmas Eve Wedding'' (2002)

''Now or Never'' (2003)

''Sweet Revenge'' (2005)

''The Christmas Bride'' (2006)

''Her Lover Her Husband'' (2006)

''The Italian Duke's Wife'' (2006)

''The Sheikh's Blackmailed Mistress'' (2008)

''The Boss's Marriage Arrangement'' (2008)

The Bride's Bouquet Series

#''Woman to Wed?'' (1996) #''Best Man to Wed?'' (1996) #''Too Wise to Wed?'' (1996) :*''The Bride's Bouquet'' (Omnibus) (2000) :*''Duet: Woman to Wed? / Best Man to Wed?'' (2005)

The Perfect Crightons Series

#''A Perfect Family'' (1997) #''The Perfect Seduction'' (1997) #''Perfect Marriage Material'' (1997) #''The Perfect Match?'' (1997) #''The Perfect Lover'' (1998) #''The Perfect Sinner'' (1999) #''The Ultimate Surrender'' (2000) #''The Perfect Father'' (2000) #''A Perfect Night'' (2000) #''Coming Home'' (2000) #''Starting Over'' (2001) :*''The Crightons: The Perfect Seduction / Perfect Marriage Material / The Perfect Match?'' (by Request 3's) (2001) :*''Women and Love: The perfect lover / The perfect father / The perfect night'' (2002)

Fantasy in the Night Series

#''Fantasy for Two'' (1998) #''One Night in His Arms'' (1998)

Sweet Revenge Or Seduction Series

#''Mistress Assignment'' (1999) #''Lover by Deception'' (1999) #''A Treacherous Seduction'' (1999) #''The Marriage Resolution'' (1999)

Sheikh's Arabian Nights Series

#''The Sheikh's Virgin Bride'' (2003) #''One Night with the Sheikh'' (2003) #''Possessed by the Sheikh'' (2005) #''Taken By The Sheikh'' (2007)

Jet Set Wives Series

#''Bedding His Virgin Mistress'' (2005) #''Expecting The Playboy's Heir'' (2005) #''Blackmailing the Society Bride'' (2005)

''Jet Set Wives'' (Omnibus) (2008)

Silk Series

#''Silk'' (2008) #''Sins'' (2009) #''Scandals'' (2010)

The Leopardi Brothers Saga

#''Captive At the Sicilian Billionaire's Command'' (2009) #''The Sicilian Boss's Mistress'' (2009) #''The Sicilian's Baby Bargain'' (2009)

For Her Eyes Only Series Multi-Author

:*''An Unforgettable Man'' (1995)

Dangerous Liaisons Series Multi-Author

:*''An Unforgettable Man'' (1995)

The Big Event Series Multi-Author

:*''Marriage Make Up'' (1998)

Amnesia Series Multi-Author

:*''Back in the Marriage Bed'' (2000)

Greek Tycoons Series Multi-Author

:*''The Demetrios Virgin'' (2001) :*''The Mistress Purchase'' (2004)

Red-Hot Revenge Series Multi-Author

:*''The Marriage Demand'' (2001)

Wedlocked! Series Multi-Author

:*''The Blackmail Baby'' (2002) :*''Marco's Convenient Wife'' (2002) :*''Mistress to Her Husband'' (2004)

Do Not Disturb Series Multi-Author

:*''The Tycoon's Virgin'' (2002)

By Royal Command Series Multi-Author

:*''The Blackmail Marriage'' (2003) :*''The Italian Duke's Mistress'' (2006)

Mistress to a Millonaire Series Multi-Author

:*''Mistress of Convenience'' (2004) :*''The Mistress Purchase'' (2004)

Foreign Affairs Series Multi-Author

:*''Mistress of Convenience'' (2004)

Greek Tycoons Series Multi-Author

:*''The Mistress Purchase'' (2004)

Desert Brides Series Multi-Author

#''Prince of the Desert'' (2006)

Dinner At 8 Series Multi-Author

:*''The Christmas Bride'' (2006)

Uncut Series Multi-Author

:*''Master of Pleasure'' (2006)

The Royal House Of Niroli Series Multi-Author

:1. ''The Future King's Pregnant Mistress'' (2007) :8. ''A Royal Bride At the Sheikh's Command'' (2008)

Mistress to a Millionaire Series Multi-Author

:*''Virgin For The Billionaire's Taking'' (2008)

Collections

''Penny Jordan Collection ''(1984)

''Best of Penny Jordan: Falcon's Prey / Tiger Man'' (1986)

''Penny Jordan Omnibus: Shadow Marriage / Man-hater / Passionate Protection'' (1992)

''Penny Jordan Collection: Fire with Fire / Capable of Loving / Substitute Lover'' (1993)

''Two complete stories by Penny Jordan: Game of Love / Time for Trust'' (1995)

''Mistletoe Magic'' (1996)

''Marriage of Convenience: Loving / Injured Innocent / The Six-Month Marriage'' (2000)

''Collector's edition: A Perfect Family / To Love, Honor and Betray / The Perfect Sinner'' (2000)

''A Collection: Shadow Marriage / Man-Hater / Passionate Protection'' (2002)

''Duet: Stronger Than Yearning / Silver'' (2004)

''Sweet Seduction'' (2005)

''Duet: Rules of the Game / Passionate Possession'' (2005)

''Duet: Perfect Family / Fantasy for Two ''(2006)

''The Sheikh's Bride'' (2006)

Omnibus in collaboration

''Sunsational'' (1991) (''Fantasy'' by Emma Darcy / ''Rent-A-Bride'' by Emma Goldrick / ''You Owe Me'' by Penny Jordan / ''Lovers in the Afternoon'' by Carole Mortimer)

''Matched By Mistake'' (1996) (''Passionate Protection'' by Penny Jordan / ''Hotline'' by Gina Wilkins / ''Forbidden Surrender'' by Carole Mortimer)

''Yours, Mine And Ours'' (1997) (Penny Jordan with Cathy Gillen Thacker and Marisa Carroll)

''Christmas Treats'' (1998) (''Figgy Pudding'' by Penny Jordan / ''A man for all seasonings'' by Day Leclaire / ''All the trimmings'' by Lindsay Armstrong)

''Wedded Bliss'' (1999) (''They're Wed Again'' by Penny Jordan / ''The Man She'll Marry'' by Carole Mortimer)

''A Man for Mum!'' (1999) (''Wanting His Child'' by Penny Jordan / ''The Boss and the Baby'' by Leigh Michaels / ''One Mum Too Many'' by Vicki Lewis Thompson)

''Nearly Weds!'' (1999) (''Making Sure of Sarah'' by Betty Neels / ''The Man She'll Marry'' by Carole Mortimer / ''They're Wed Again!'' by Penny Jordan''

''Christmas Presents'' (1999) (Penny Jordan with Anne McAllister and Sally Wentworth)

''Latin Lovers'' (2000) (''A Spanish Christmas'' by Penny Jordan / ''The Christmas Eve Bride'' by Lynne Graham / ''Christmas in Venice'' by Lucy Gordon)

''Wed Again!'' (2001) (''They're Wed Again!'' by Penny Jordan / Anne Mather / ''The Man She'll Marry'' by Carole Mortimer)

''Christmas with a Latin Lover'' (2001) (''The Christmas Eve Bride'' by Lynne Graham / ''A Spanish Christmas'' by Penny Jordan / ''Christmas in Venice'' by Lucy Gordon)

''What Women Want!'' (2002) (Penny Jordan with Darcy Maguire)

''City Girls'' (2002) (Penny Jordan with Liz Fielding and Jessica Hart)

''Winter Weddings'' (2002) (''Christmas Eve Wedding'' by Penny Jordan / ''A Scandalous Courtship'' by Gail Whitiker / ''Snowbound Sweetheart'' by Judy Christenberry)

''For Love Or Money'' (2003) (''Unwanted Wedding'' by Penny Jordan / ''The Borghese Bride'' by Sandra Marton)

''Greek Millionaires'' (2004) (Penny Jordan with Anne McAllister and Sara Craven)

''Strictly Business'' (2004) (''The Temp and the Tycoon'' / ''The Fiance Deal'' by Liz Fielding with Penny Jordan and Hannah Bernard)

''Boardroom to Bedroom'' (2005) (''The Boss's Marriage Arrangement'' by Penny Jordan / ''His Darling Valentine'' by Carole Mortimer)

''Plain Jane Makeover'' (2005) (Penny Jordan with Miranda Lee and Barbara McMahon)

''The Mills and Boon Collection: 3 Full-Length Stories'' (2006) (Penny Jordan with Margaret Way and Caroline Anderson)

''Marco's Convenient Wife'' Penny Jordan / The Mistress's Secret'' by Julia James) (2006)

''The Innocence Collection'' (2007) (''Innocent Bride'' by Penny Jordan / ''Innocent Desires'' by Carole Mortimer / ''Innocent Seduction'' by Kay Thorpe)

Graphic Novels

''Response: Graphic Novel'' (2005) art by Takako Hashimoto

As Annie Groves

Pride Family Series

#''Ellie Pride'', 2003 #''Connie's Courage'', 2004 #''Hettie of Hope Street'', 2005

World War II Series

#''Goodnight Sweetheart'', 2006 #''Some Sunny Day;'', 2006 #''The Grafton Girls'', 2007 #''As Time Goes By'', 2007

Campion Family Series

''Across the Mersey'', 2008

''Daughters of Liverpool'', 2008

''The Heart of the Family'', 2009

''Where the Heart Is'', 2009

''When the Lights Go On Again'', 2010

References and sources

External links

Penny Jordan's Official Homesite & Annie Groves's Official Homesite

Nantwich Writers Official Website

Penny Jordan in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd

Annie Groves in Harper Collins UK

Penny Jordan in Fantastic Fiction and Annie Groves in Fantastic Fiction

Category:1946 births Category:English romantic fiction writers Category:Living people Category:People from Nantwich Category:People from Preston, Lancashire

es:Penelope Jones Halsall fr:Penelope Jones Halsall pt:Penelope Jones Halsall