Where have all the authors gone - Sing it with me

Where have all the authors gone
Long time pa as sing
Where have all the authors gone
Long time ago

You must be of a certain age to once again understand what the heck I’m talking about


Sub title

Top 10 Missing in Action or I really miss them list

No, No you’re probably thinking – not another list! Hey! I said I was a machine

Tom & Sharon Curtis/Laura London: So far I’ve read what four of their books – Windflower, Sunshine & Shadows, Lightning That Lingers and Love’s a Stage. I have one left on my TBR pile. I'm kind of like Cindy. She has a certain book that she isn't reading yet because she knows she's going to love it and she doesn't have one as good to replace it. I have one London left and as soon as I read it, I know that will be the end of the run until I find some more. Each one of these has been such a treasure. I’ve mentioned this wonderful writing couple every time I read one of their books and how much they are missed.

Elizabeth Elliot: What made me think of this list – since I was I list making mode – was reading on cw’s blog her question as to whatever happened to Elizabeth Elliot. I think this is the most frequently asked about author on AAR too as readers continue to discover her books and seek out more. Especially frustrating is we were kind of left up in the air. There is a story just dying to be told about the brother-in-law. She wrote three books and a short story – that’s it. I haven’t read her short story but I read Warlord, and Betrothed, two wonderful medievals and Scoundrel a historical. That’s it! That’s her entire backlist. The last one was published in 1996, ten years ago now. But it just goes to show for all those who haven’t read these wonderful books, the impact that three books and a short story have had on all those who have read her books, that we are still waiting ten years later. If you haven’t read her before, and if you’re a fan of especially medievals – DO NOT MISS HER!

Judith Ivory: Her last published book was Untie My Heart published in 2002. We hear from her from time to time. She participated in a round table discussion at AAR last year, but still – no book and there doesn’t seem to be any on the horizon that I know of. While not quite everyone’s cup of tea, I really have enjoyed her books and I have just about all of them in my collection – most read and loved.

Marsha Canham: I wasn’t sure whether to include her or not. Not because I don’t think she a wonderful writer – she is. I have almost her entire back list and they are fabulous. No, the reason I wasn’t sure if I should include her is we know what happened to her. She retired to spend time with her family. I’ve heard grumblings that one of the issues that prompted her retirement was she didn’t like the way things were headed in the publishing world. Whether that is true or not I don’t know since I’ve never read anywhere she said that. Regardless, she has given us many a wonderful story and if she ever decides to come ‘out of retirement’ she will be most warmly welcomed back. She wrote Westerns (love ‘em), Medievals (‘love ‘em) Historicals (love ‘em) Pirate Adventure (can take or leave those – hah! Fooled you) and wrote them all most excellently

Danelle Harmon: She has a web page and according to the last entry, she had personal reasons for not writing. That was in 2003. She has a wonderful series going about four brothers, The Wild One, The Beloved One, The Defiant One and The Wicked One. I read these all and they were very very good. The latest one was published in January 2001. She also has a few more including a few (RADAR going up) Pirate books. I have couple in my TBR pile thanks to some friends and I’m hoping to get to them very soon. specially if AngieW has a pirate theme month – just for me! like in say June or July to get everyone psyched for the release of Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. That way everyone who doesn’t have a pirate book TBR can get one early enough that it could be considered a TBR book – Stop! Enough! – back to the subject

Ackhem - sorry about that

Kristin Kyle: She’s another author with a very short back list, but the ones she had left a lasting impression on my. Well the ones I’ve read. I still have one TBR if I can past the cover. She had a most excellent Futuristic with Nighthawk and another really good read with The Last Warrior. She also has/had a web site in which she stated she left writing for two reasons. The first reason was health issues, but the second one was much more maddening. She couldn’t get a publisher. Her book sales for the last two books were not very good. And no wonder. The covers were horrid! Whoever decided on those ones should have been shot. She has a wonderful way to tell a story and I still miss her writing very much.

Rebecca Paisley: Her writing can best be described as quirky. I love quirky. A couple of times she went a wee bit over the quirky quota and while I was reading her book I had major eye roll problems but overall I really quite like her books. The last book of hers I have was published in 1996. I would love to see her return to writing

Julianna Garnett: The last book I can find that she wrote was The Laird published in 2002. She also wrote a few other medieval books like Scotsman (I’m wincing just in case Maili sees this), The Vow, The Quest, The Knight, The Magic and The Baron. They were all very entertaining. Before that she wrote a couple of Westerns under the name Virginia Brown. Interestingly enough, while I was looking stuff up at Amazon, I noticed another romance book published in 2005 by Virginia Brown called Deadly Design. It has a picture of a cat on the front. I wonder if it’s the same person? Perhaps Nicole (our cat cover loving reader) might know.

Eve Byron/Connie Rinehold: She came onto my radar years ago with a simply wonderful book Letters from a Stranger about two lonely people who “met” and fell in love by mail. He was a major stationed in Europe at the crossroads in his career and she was a former child beauty queen who had learned to cover her childhood pain in writing letters to strangers. I love this book, it’s a great comfort read. She followed that one up with a most interesting ghost story based on the old poem The Highwayman. I’m vividly reminded of this book every time I hear the haunting song by Loreena McKennit. She disappeared for a while and then resurfaced as Eye Byron. I have one or two of her books. (I must say again – I am giving myself some great books to look for here). The last known book I can find for her is October 1999. To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised is she suffered from Bad Coveritis. Cough *avon* cough

Tamara Leigh: She wrote some wonderful Medievals and then just up and disappeared. And kewl – looks like there are 2 of hers I missed somehow. The last one I have came out in 1996 – The Saxon Bride. Somehow I missed a Medieval Time Travel that come out in 1997 – double kewl and another one Blackheart (wowzers – I’m glad I did this) came out in 2001. Nothing since then from this author. And there are way too few medievals coming out these days.

Hope Tarr: Now I added her because she confused me. She has three books out, all wonderful despite My Lord Jack being one of the considerations for the Worst Cover. Then we had Tempting with a most gorgeous cover. From the ridiculous to the sublime she went. Tempting was published in 2002. Then she seemed to disappear book wise but has still had quite a noticeable on-line presence. I wondered what was going on. Happy news to end with. I checked her website and she has the first in a new series due to come out in July and it looks quite interesting.
Nice to end this on a high note.

Now if I were to sit down with these ten women and one guy this is what I would say

To those of you who decided for one reason or another to quit your writing, I just want to thank you for the hours of reading pleasure you gave me. If you should decide in the future that you have another story you want to tell, please let me know. That would just make my day. For those of you who aren’t writing because the publishing industry done you wrong, is there anything we as readers and fans of your books can do to correct this injustice?


‘til later