This one almost slipped by me! Roberts' newest trilogy begins with
The Next Always, which will be released November 1, 2011. It looks like fact and fiction will be merging for this trilogy, which takes place in a family renovated bed-and-breakfast in Boonsboro, MD (Nora and her family have actually renovated a B&B in Boonsboro). Following is the synopsis from Amazon:
The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen...
Can I just say that I love the front cover of this book? There's something very warm and romantic about the old stone building, the colours of the wood and the flowers. If this is the front of the actual B&B I think I might need to take a road trip. And talk about great free advertising for it! If any fan of Nora's didn't know she owns a B&B in her hometown, they will now! Seeing as how this book is about a mother and two sons, I wonder how many of Nora's fans will be asking her how much of her life made it into this book?
I am looking forward to reading this book, I love a romance in a small hometown where people fall in love with someone they have known all their life, but never considered. But, enough with the trade size! I knew this would happen when Roberts' Bride Quartet came out in Trade. I hate that size! For one thing it is more expensive, and another thing, it is not comfortable to hold while reading. I want the mass market book back for the trilogies! I will definitely be borrowing this book from the library instead of buying it, even though Roberts is usually an autobuy for me.
Do you ever read a couple of books by an author and then they seem to suddenly disappear? For myself, I can think of two authors I am wondering about. First up is Rebecca Brandewyne. I read her book, Upon a Moon Dark Moor, for the first time when I was about 13. I loved the gothic feel to it, and how Brandewyne did not rush the story, but let it unfold as Draco and Maggie grew up. There was also a sequel involving their sons, Across a Starlit Sea. The way the sequel ended left it pretty wide open for a third book involving the grandchildren. According to her website the third book will be called Beneath a Sun-Washed Sky, and it should have been finished in 2007 or 2008. I have not come across it in my searches.
The second author is Tamara Leigh. A couple of years ago I read her book, Blackheart. It was a Medieval where a man, Lord Bernart Kinthorpe, orders his wife Juliana to sleep with his enemy, Lord Gabriel de Vere. Lord Kinthorpe is impotent but wants to put an end to the rumours that he is by producing an heir. I can't remember the reason why he chose his enemy, but the rest of the story is about Gabriel finding out about the plot and falling in love with Juliana. Again, there was a subplot with Juliana's sister that made it obvious that there would be a sequel. If I remember correctly, the sister had suffered an injury to her head that left her somewhat mentally incapacitated. During the time that Juliana was taken by Gabriel, the sister left Kinthorpe's castle. At the end of the novel, Gabriel's friend (naturally) was looking for the sister to bring her back. This book was written in 2001 and the book about the sister has not been written yet. The information I can find is that Tamara Leigh is now writing inspirational romances. Which is a shame because I really enjoyed her medieval romances and wanted to read the story of the sister. I can understand that authors' style changes. Some move from historical to contemporary or erotic to mainstream. But I do wonder if authors sometimes owe it to their fans to at least finish what they started.
