Welcome to Week Three of our Spring Fling Giveaway. For the entire month of May, we’ll be giving away a heck of a lot of books and to see what we’re giving away, check out our GoodReads bookshelf:
Each week, we’ll be hosting some bookish discussions and all you have to do to win some free books is join in the discussions. The more you comment, the better your chances are of winning so you don’t want to miss out.
Each winner will get a box full of books. It will be random and you won’t know until you open up your box what books you will be getting. You can take a look at the bookshelf we created of the books we’re giving away for a peek at what you might get. But the joy of this months festivities is the surprise that will be waiting for you when you open your boxes.
This week we’re going to be discussing author’s we miss. Authors that have written books long ago that we absolutely adored that aren’t writing anymore. For me, it’s Judith McNaught. Judith McNaught was the author that got me hooked on the romance genre but she hasn’t released anything in years. I miss reading new books from her.
I remember inhaling each book from her backlist and loving each and every single book that I read. From Paradise to Something Wonderful to Double Standards. There was always something in each of her books that I absolutely adored. She was so fabulous at writing emotional scenes, characters that drove you nuts but you loved anyway and I’d give anything (well, almost anything) to read a new release from her. It’s been much too long.
Which author (that you love) hasn’t had a new release in a while? Which author do you miss reading? Whether its an author of an old favorite or even a new author that only releases one book a year, which authors are you missing right now?
Please Note: You must include a valid email address with your comment to be eligible. Us and Canada only*
Each contest ends on May 30th at 11:59PM. You can enter any and all giveaways we hold throughout the month but you will only be allowed to win one. We will be holding two giveaways a week and each winner will win roughly about 25 books each. Winners will be announced the first week in September.
Thanks for stopping by. There will be plenty of chances for you to win some fabulous books so stay tuned, you won’t want to miss out.
-Rowena, Holly & Casee
*we don’t normally limit the contests we sponsor ourselves, but in this case the sheer number of books makes shipping international cost prohibitive. International readers: If you have a friend in the states willing to mail your prize, feel free to enter.
Julie Garwood hasn’t gone anywhere but I sure miss her historicals!
mojostables@yahoo.com
I really miss Dallas Schulze. She was supposed to come out with a new book many years ago but I heard her husband was ill and I havent heard of that book coming out or anything else.
patoct@yahoo.com
I miss Cindy Holbrook. She had fun, witty dialog.
When Anne Rice stopped writing the books that I love I really felt the loss. Thank goodness she has come back to writing the great Paranormals that she is known for. I seriously went through withdrawl for several years. LOL
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
I miss LaVyrle Spencer – read every one of her books. She retired many years ago.
I also miss the old type of romances that Sandra Brown and Linda Howard wrote – I enjoy their suspense books but miss the older ones.
Gmapeony
gmapeony@yahoo.com
I really missed Jean Auel—until The Land of The Painted Caves came out.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
HA! I’m in the same boat as Estella! lol I was waiting and waiting for the next Jean M. Auel… and then that piece of craptastic crap came out. *sigh*
natasha @ likeminds.ca
I miss Kathryn Smith. She was always one of my favorites, but there haven’t been any new releases in a few years.
quigleymarye@hotmail.com
I miss Sharon and Tom Curtis, aka Laura London. I’m not sure whatever happened to them. The Windflower is still one of my favorite romances ever. Loveswept just reissued Lightning That Lingers in ebook and I was thrilled to get a copy.
I miss Judith Ivory and wonder what happened to her.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
I’ll have to voice what Kat #1 commentor said…I miss Julie Garwood’s historicals. Her books are what got me hooked on romance thanks to my mother. The books she writes now do not have that magic she once wrote.
sspaw at optimum dot net
I’m going to second Judith McNaught. Double Standards was one of the first romance novels I ever read.
I also agree with @Kat. Julie Garwood needs to go back to writing historicals. I mean, Saving Grace, The Bride, The Wedding, The Secret, The Prize, come on! I always go back to these books. I have to read them at least once a year to remind myself what a good historical is.
I’m with Christina and Kat. Julie Garwood was my gateway into historical fiction and I devoured her backlist. I loved how her books all intertwined w/ overlapping characters. And they were so funny w/out being cheesy. I haven’t read any of her contemporaries… almost can’t bring myself to do it. I’m inspired to do a reread now! 🙂
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com
Until you posted this, I hadn’t consiously realized that Judith McNaught wasn’t publishing anymore. I read most of her books in one go a couple years ago, loved them, but didn’t look for more since then. Now I miss new books from her desperately! I guess I have you to thank, haha.
smartb56 at gmail dot com
I miss Judith McNaught’s books as well. I keep hearing she has a book to be released but that was a couple of years ago and the date keeps getting pushed back. I just wish her the best. I first read Remember When and fell for it.
It’s funny some of the authors I miss I have only recently discovered and loved…only to find their backlist isn’t available. In this case I am hoping their backlist will somehow be re-issued again (and soon!). Authors I miss also are Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Penelope Williamson, and Brenda Joyce (her older ones).
*Sigh* There are so many books out there too and yet from authors whose works I like I can’t get enough.
One of my favorite authors is Julia Ross and she hasn’t had a release in several years. I’m also missing Meryl Sawyer.
janie1215 AT excite DOT com
Anita Mills is who I miss most. I LOVED her medievals!
Kristy hardymher blazes, kimehak@yahoo.com
Ty great prizes
Kimh
I would have to agree with the other posters — I miss Julie Garwood’s historicals.
Also, since I have been reading romances for more than 25 years now, I have a long list of authors I miss — right off the top of my head I would have to say:
Lee Damon — who only wrote 4 books as far as I know — wonderful characters and very emotional
Marley Morgan — who only wrote 2 Silhouette Desires that I know of
Elizabeth Ann Michaels — wrote historicals, last book published in 1998
Danelle Harmon — historicals, last book was in 2001
Susan Spencer Paul (Mary Spencer) — historicals and some paranormal — last book was in 2006
Marylyle Rogers — historicals and last book was in 1998
Katherine Kingsley — historicals and whose last book was in 2004
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, there are a large number of authors that I miss and would love to see return to writing again.
Lynn (dlynnpauley at yahoo dot com)
My two favorite authors, Jennifer Crusie and Sarah MacLean are still writing but I feel so bereft in between books, I don’t know what I’d do if they stopped completely. 🙂
I miss Stef Ann Holm. She took a break from writing last year.
lrmegtom@gmail.com
Lynn R.
Does it count if some of these simply don’t write the same subgenre of romance?
I am definitely with you on Judith McNaught. I glommed her–one of my first gloms, too. I don’t think there is any of her books I don’t love.
LaVyrle Spencer and Maggie Osborne stopped writing at the pinnacle of their careers, which is oh so wise–but so sad for those of us who love everything they wrote.
Elizabeth Lowell is another author I miss, though she’s still writing. Like Linda Howard, there seems to be a moment, a novel, where she stopped writing with the voice I loved–and Ms Lowell added insult to injury by re-releasing a number of ‘revised’ early works without warning–different title and blurb, add a hundred pages of repetitious text = very angry reader.
I also hope that Judith McNaught writes another book. Two other authors that haven’t published anything in awhile are Paula Detmer Riggs and Kim Cates. Both these authors started their careers writing category romances, then graduated to full-length novels.
penfield716(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
I miss reading books by Cindy Miles. She wrote the most romantic romances EVEA! She will always be one of my favorite authors, but I wish she would write a new book!
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
There are 2 authors no longer publishing that I sorely miss–Lavyrle Spencer, who retired from writing in 1997 and Linda Winfree, who wrote the very good ‘Hearts of the South’ series and then vanished from the scene. *sigh*
@teenyann, I heard a rumor that Winfree took a break to get another degree but plans to start writing again soon. No idea if its true, but I hope so.
Several authors I love write one book a year, so I miss them for the rest of the time: Julia Quinn, Julie Anne Long, Sarah MacLean. Thank goodness Sherry Thomas is back–there was a looong gap between her books.
mochfly(at)swbell(dot)net
@Kat: I KNOW! I miss reading JG’s Highland books. They were so funny and so good.
@Cristina: McNaught and Garwood are the authors that I reread the most. LOVE their older stuff.
@sarac: You’re welcome! ;P
@bookloveroh: I’ve never heard of half of those authors, I wonder if I’d be able to find their books online.
@Na: I really enjoyed Remember When. Loved Cole and Diana. They were such a cute couple and when Cole “prays” for Diana? *swoon*
@SumGeek: Oh no, I don’t even want to think about not getting new books from MacLean and Crusie. They’re too good to stop writing now.
@azteclady: I’m with you on LH, the last book that I read by her wasn’t nearly as good as the ones I remember from years and years ago so I’m scared to start another book by her…though that doesn’t stop me from buying her books.
Loads and loads of authors that I’ve never heard of. Thanks for bringing them onto my radar guys!
I also miss McNaught’s and Garwood’s historicals. Judith Ivory I love, but she’s fallen off the radar. Diane Farr is another I miss.
@ Holly:
I hope to goodness you are right about Linda Winfree. I know she has a family and was teaching, which probably took up most of her time. Add to that getting another degree and any spare time she may have had would be less than zero! I so enjoy her books…I would hate to think that she would never write again. Thanks for the heads-up!
I’m another one who misses Julie Garwood’s historicals. I really dislike her contemporaries. I also miss Theresa Weir. She still writes, but has changed genres. I started reading Mary Stewart in middle school and loved her books. I think I read them all in a summer and as an adult have found most of her books in used book stores and rummage sales. Her last book was about 15 years ago. And finally, I know they’re not romances, but I miss the anticipation and excitement of knowing there was a new Harry Potter book.
books4mb@gmail.com
another hand up to missing Garwood’s historical romances. Same goes for Kleypas (just not reader of contemp or rom suspense).
gamistress66 (at) aol (dot) com
I wish Janet Evanovich would put out more books. It seems like such a long time between books on her Stephanie Plum series.
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
I miss Lori Foster’s books and Lisa Kleypas as well. Please count me in.
iheartbookgossip at gmail dot com
I would have to agree w/ everyone missing Julie Garwood’s historicals. She’s was my gateway to romance and I remember discovering her in my late teens and scouring bookstores for her backlist. I haven’t read any of her contemporaries. Not that I don’t think that they would be good, just that they don’t have the appeal to me as her others.
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com
I too miss LaVyrle Spencer – had forgotten how much I enjoyed her.\
lovesthemets@yahoo.com
Thanks for the fantastic contest
I very much enjoyed books by Julie Beard, but there weren’t many & none recently.
sallans d at yahoo dot com
Johanna Lindsey doesn’t seem to have that many releases out.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com