I can’t think of a better day than Valentine’s Day to highlight the work of Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel, both reigning queens of the romance fiction genre.
Although romance fiction is known to have existed in ancient Greece, it’s not until the 19th century that romantic fiction ruled. The novels of Jane Austen, while known for their literary excellence, most certainly qualify to be called romance fiction in its highest form.
By definition, the modern romance novel places its primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people. That relationship must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending to be an example of romance fiction. Most certainly, Jane Austen’s time honored fiction does just that. Let’s take a look at how Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel make it happen.
Nora Roberts (born Eleanor Marie Robertson on October 10, 1950) is the author of more than 225 romance novels.
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.” Roberts and her career were featured in Pamela Regis’ A Natural History of the Romance Novel. Regis calls Roberts “a master of the romance novel form,” because she “has a keen ear for dialogue, constructs deft scenes, maintains a page-turning pace, and provides compelling characterization.”
Publishers Weekly once talked about her “wry humor and the use of different narrators, two devices that were once rarities” in the romance novel genre. Many of Roberts’ novels have been, or will be, reissued. To avoid confusion, all of Roberts’ new releases include a logo that is a circle with the initials “NR” inside, indicating that the book has never been published before.
Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born August 14, 1947) is best known for her romance novels.
She has sold more books than any other living author and is the fourth bestselling fiction author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold. She has written 165 books, including 141 novels. As the daughter of a German father and a Portuguese mother, in a wealthy and privileged family, she spent much of her childhood in France. From an early age, she was included in her parents’ dinner parties, giving her an opportunity to observe the lives and habits of high society.
No doubt, these early experiences gave her the background she would need to portray the lives of the rich and famous. As time progressed, Steel’s writing evolved. Her later heroines tend to be stronger and more authoritative. In 2002, Steel was decorated by the French government as an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contributions to world culture, the culture she so often described in her novels.
NEW BOOKS:
Fiction:
The Silhouette Girl,” V.C.Andrews
“The Only Woman in the Room,” Marie Benedict
“Run Away,” Harlan Coben
“Chocolate Cream Pie Murder,” Joanne Fluke
“Never Tell,” Lisa Gardner
“Cemetery Road,” Greg Iles
“Best Family Ever,” Karen Kingsbury
“The Perfect Alibi,” Phillip Margolin
“The Cornwalls Are Gone,” James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
“The First Lady,” James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
“Say You’re Sorry,” Karen Rose
“Silent Night,” Danielle Steel
“Wild Card,” Stuart Woods.
Non-Fiction:
“Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics,” Chris Christie
“Parkland: Birth of a Movement,” Dave Cullen
“Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals,” Rachel Hollis
“Mar-A-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump’s Presidential Palace,” Laurence Leamer
“Code Name: Lise: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy,” Larry Loftis
“A Serial Killer’s Daughter,” Kerri Rawson
“Obstruction of Justice: How the Deep State Risked National Security to Protect the Democrats,” Luke Rosiak
“From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America,” Howard Schultz
“Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House,” Cliff Sims
“Camelot’s End: Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight That Broke the Democratic Party,” John Ward
Juvenile Fiction:
“Dog Diaries: A Middle School Story,” James Patterson with Steven Butler
Young Adult:
Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Gregory Mone
“On the Come Up,” Angie Thomas
Children’s Picture Books:
“Happy Birthday from the Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Eric Carle
“A is for Awesome! 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World,” Eva Chen (Board Book)
