Regan Walker: Classic romance authors – they're back
Most of us can remember the first book we read in a certain genre. In historical, my first was Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers – a real eye-opener at 13! (Don't tell my mom.) Nora Roberts' Hot Ice was my first romantic suspense. Holy cow, that was a good book! I still revisit it when I'm in need of inspiration. Here, Regan Walker, author of the Agents of the Crown trilogy and historical book lover/blogger, recalls the classic historical romance authors who shape her reading history.
Regan: When I began reading historical romance (I know, I know, it's been around for a long time, but I only began reading the genre four years ago), I discovered a wealth of rich reads for the person who wants a love story wrapped around well-researched history. You can see from my blog, Regan's Romance Reviews, that I have many favorites, but there are some who influenced me to become the writer I am today. And, though they began writing their best sellers decades ago, they are still writing today! Even better, you can find their backlists as well as their current books in e-book format!
One of the first authors whose historical romances I fell in love with was Heather Graham, who wrote many of her historical romances as Shannon Drake. I have read every one of her many historicals, stories of Vikings, the Scots, the English and worthy American tales. Her long list of novels is varied. The North American Women trilogy, which begins in England with Sweet Savage Eden, was wonderful, providing heroines to admire. The trilogy is a part of the six-book Cameron saga. I recommend every one of them.
The unrequited love stories of Penelope Williamson are timeless. I always know I must come equipped with Kleenex when I pick up one of her books (and I've read every one of them). My all-time favorite by Williamson is The Passions of Emma, which tells of the Irish immigrants in America and the coming of age of a young highborn woman who discovers the allure of a poor man of honor and the pain of waiting for his love. The author who inspired me to write adventures was Marsha Canham, who is famous for her high seas, swashbuckling romances, including The Wind and the Sea, an adventure with a handsome naval officer and a pirate's daughter. I've read all of Canham's books, including her latest in the Pirate Wolf trilogy.
For England's history you cannot do better than Virginia Henley's Plantagenet series, including The Dragon and the Jewel, which features a real love story from 13th-century England. Her ability to weave history into a fictional (or a real) romance is superb. (When Henley read my novels and endorsed them with a quote, I was honored and speechless.)
Another great author is Shirl Henke. She writes Western historical romances and perhaps pioneered the half-Native American hero. One of her early ones, Capture the Sun, is still an all-time favorite. And the best news? All are available on Kindle!
These and other classic historical romance authors influenced me and led to my Agents of the Crown trilogy, the first two books of which are available now (I'm writing the third!). It's a Regency spy series where each adventure is set in a different place. Racing with the Wind is set in London and Paris. My newest release, Against the Wind, is set in the Midlands of England and features the uprising dubbed "the last revolution in England." And Wind Raven is set on a schooner and in the Caribbean with an English sea captain and an American heroine. My goal is to sweep the reader away not only for an adventure, but for love.
I think the happy-ever-after ending, guaranteed with romance novels, is important to people today, especially women. Life has some hard realities and the entertainment world often brings us only depressing stories. I want a story that inspires me, and provides noble heroes and heroines who face difficulties with courage and overcome to find true love. In the end I want to smile. And I want a really good story with real history, not just fluff or "wallpaper" historical backgrounds.
Though I am now an author, I remain an avid reader and reviewer and love to read both the "old" and "new" classics by authors who take pains to get the research right, who bring us worthy tales of love set deep in the history of the past. I do hope you'll join me … on my blog, in my novels and pick up a classic!
Here's the blurb for Against the Wind:
A night in London's most exclusive bordello. Agent of the Crown Sir Martin Powell would not normally indulge, but the end of his time spying against Napoleon deserves a victory celebration. Yet, such pleasure will not come cheap. The auburn-haired courtesan he calls "Kitten" is in truth Katherine, Lady Egerton, a dowager baroness and the daughter of an earl as elusive as she is alluring. Fleeing a fate worse than death, she runs right into Martin's arms. But he has known darkness, too, and he alone can touch her heart -- as she has touched his. To the English Midlands they will steal, and into the rising winds of revolution.
To find out more about Regan and her books, you can visit her website, www.reganwalkerauthor.com. You can also connect with her on her blog (Regan's Romance Reviews), Facebook and Twitter (@RegansReview).