In memory of Joan Van Nuys

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Joan began writing late in life after her daughter Carol moved to Norway in 1973; she compiled Carol’s many adventures into short story form. Although not a fan of the romance genre (she never read a romance novel before deciding to write one), she thought it might be an easy way to begin a writing career. In the early-1980s, she wrote a traditional romance featuring a Norwegian hero that got her an agent; however, the story was rejected by major publishers. She persisted and wrote two more romances under the pseudonym “Marianna Essex” that were published by Signet Books. Joan found the format for the boilerplate romance novels to be too restrictive so she turned to writing the more challenging historical romances. Over a period of seven years, she wrote seven critically successful and popular historical romance novels published by Leisure Romance and Avon Books. Some of these books were translated into other languages, and she attained a worldwide following. 

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