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Jan. 28, 2005 (The author has penned five published romances — under female pseudonyms; three of which were Harlequin SuperRomances). When Nick Evans wrote THE HORSE WHISPERER, he was a television producer and had two kids in their teens. Ivana Trump (FOR LOVE ALONE, FREE LOVE) published while enjoying a reported $20-million divorce settlement from “The Donald,” in addition to the couple’s Greenwich, Connecticut, estate. Her children: seventeen, fourteen, eleven. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (SHANNA, ASHES IN THE WIND) had already had a career as a fashion model and had devoted herself to raising her sons — all before she began writing. Not a one the typical housewife, pounding out romance novels between Dirty Dishes and Dirty Diapers. What’s more, they’re the rule, in the romance business, despite the persistent myth that every romance writer begins as a harried hausfrau. The reality is more likely an elementary school teacher (Jude Deveraux), an English aristocrat (Barbara Cartland), a MENSA member/journalist/teacher/belly dancer (Rebecca Brandewyne), a businesswoman (Janet Dailey), or a hairdresser (David Wind). Rosemary Rogers is usually brought up and wrongly, when someone argues the validity of rags-to-riches, between DD and DD. Albeit twice divorced and struggling with four children, Rosemary was actually a secretary when first published. That’s not to say there aren’t romance writers who fit the stereotype. The best myths are almost always those based upon some seed of truth to keep them self-perpetuating. Although, those stereotypes would probably be writers even if they’d been actors or brain surgeons; it takes a special discipline to keep putting 65,000 words at a time into a sensual, let alone saleable, format. Publisher hype fuels the rumor of housewife- author. Pressed for an insider’s insight, George Glay, at the time the head honcho at Harlelquin, confessed to me that the any-woman-can-write-one theory is pure fantasy, always has been, but is genuinely a boon for good business. “It’s part of the sales package,” he told me. “Books for housewives, by housewives. Holding out the dream that any reader can someday pen a romance, see it published, and be catapulted into glitz and glamour, fame and fortune. Of course, there HAS to be the attending message that the more romances read, the easier it is to write one, but that’s almost pretty much already a universal. It’s pretty much drummed into people, from Day One, that voluminous reading is a key to any kind of successful writing. It’s the luck of us romance publishers that most women keep buying and reading our products whether or not they ever find the time to put pen to paper. And occasionally, to keep the rumor alive, an ordinary housewife ‘does’ publish and ‘does’ have her fifteen minutes of fame. Or, more likely, she ‘comes across’ as an ordinary hausfrau, because she knows, and we know, that that will help sell her books.” ------------ About the author William J. Lambert III: Take a look at his books: Email: the.lambert.iii.laager@worldnet.att.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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