Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://erinlyon.net/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2017001112
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017001112
HEADING: Lyon, Erin
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053 _0 |a PS3612.Y558
100 1_ |a Lyon, Erin
370 __ |e California
374 __ |a Attorney |a Novelist
670 __ |a I love you subject to the following terms and conditions, 2017: |b ECIP t.p. (Erin Lyon) data view (ERIN LYON is a practicing attorney who spends her free time writing novels about lawyers; debut novel)
670 __ |a Her Website, viewed Jan. 9, 2017: |b (Erin Lyon; lives in California)
PERSONAL
Married; children: two daughters.
EDUCATION:Bachelor’s degree in English, law degree.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Attorney, novelist, broadcast television at the Sacramento ABC affiliate, practicing lawyer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Writer, lawyer, and worker in broadcast television, Erin Lyon is the author of the “Contract Killers” series. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English, worked at the Sacramento ABC television affiliate for ten years, then went to law school to earn a law degree. She works as a practicing civil attorney and also writes fiction, publishing her debut novel, I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, in 2017. Erin lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and numerous rescue animals.
In her alternate world book, she imagines a place where marriage doesn’t exist. Couples instead sign seven-year contracts. Thirty-four-year-old Kate Shaw just graduated from law school but doesn’t yet have a job. She had signed a contract with Jonathan, whom she loves, but is surprised when he doesn’t want to renew his contract with her after their seven years are up. Now Kate is forced to join her uncle’s law firm practicing contract law. Although there is no divorce, contracts can be breached. Kate begins to fall for the notorious Adam Lucas, a man who purposely goes after contracted women hoping to disrupt happy couples. But now Jonathan says he wants Kate back and wants to sign another seven-year contract with her.
In an interview online at Reading Books Like a Boss, Lyon explained how she came up with the idea for the book. She had discussed with a friend that some animals mate for life, but humans seem to have a shelf-life of about seven years. That idea, plus her venture into contract law, created the idea of contracts for marriage. In developing the character of Kate, Lyon remarked: “Kate starts to find her footing as a lawyer and … realizes that people are generally nuts. She struggles with making practical decisions about her future, but Adam manages to continue to make a mess of that.”
Calling Lyon’s debut novel clunky, a writer in Publishers Weekly commented: “Lyon tries to create a self-aware and socially perceptive protagonist, but Kate instead becomes presumptive in her intuitions.” The writer added that the love triangle failed and the protagonist was tiring and undermined an interesting novel idea. On the other hand, Lauren DuBois remarked online at RT Book Reviews, “Lyon’s novel is a fun read that will keep readers engaged throughout, as it follows a sometimes-confusing path for its protagonist.” DuBois was also frustrated by the first book’s cliffhanger leading into the next book.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, November 21, 2016, review of I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, p. 97.
ONLINE
Erin Lyon Website, https://erinlyon.net (September 1, 2017), author profile.
Reading Books Like a Boss, https://readingbookslikeaboss.com/ (January 10, 2017), author interview.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (January 10, 2017), Lauren DuBois, review of I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions.*
Jan 10 2017
INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY – I LOVE YOU SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BY ERIN LYON
Interview & Giveaway – I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions by Erin Lyon
You’ve probably heard me talking a lot about this book the last few weeks! I have author Erin Lyon on the blog today. She’s here to talk about her debut, I Love You Subject to the Following Conditions, which is out in stores today!
Read my Review (4 stars)
And…I’m giving away a paperback copy to a lucky reader! Read my interview with Erin Lyon and then be sure to enter!
Megan: Erin, I am so freaking excited to have you on Reading Books Like a Boss today! I Love You Subject to the Following Conditions (ILYSttFTaC – haha that’s quite the acronym) was such a fun and unique twist on the “playboy who doesn’t want to commit “ storyline. I stayed up late reading this, which I rarely do. I really like my sleep. I’ve been telling everyone to read this fun and sexy book!
Can you tell us a little bit about the book? I’d love to hear how you describe it!
Erin: Thanks, Megan! So excited to be here! I describe the book as a romantic comedy with a twist. It’s set in a world where there is no marriage, no divorce, and all relationships are instead based on seven-year contracts. So, every seven years, a couple gets to decide if they want to renew the contract or let it expire (provided you don’t breach the contract first, of course).
Megan: That unique element added such a fun dynamic to the story and the characters. How in the world did you come up with the whole concept of signing law and contracts?
Erin: Years ago, I was talking with a co-worker and I think the conversation started by talking about animals that they say “mate for life.” Then I said maybe not humans…they seem to have a shelf life of about seven years. Then I went to law school (because my friends and family let me down by not trying to talk me out of it) and I learned about contract law. After finishing law school, the two ideas sort of merged and voila: seven-year contracts.
Megan: Haha! A 7-year shelf life! As a lawyer myself, I definitely gravitated to and enjoyed how contract law entered into the family law arena. It’s sort of crazy to think of!
I loved how Kate was very self-aware and called herself out on some of her own crap. I wanted to slap her a few times myself! What were some of your favorite things about her?
Erin: I like that Kate can laugh at herself. She tries to do the right thing, but definitely falls short sometimes. But she still shrugs it off rather than beating herself up over her mistakes.
Megan: Did you have a particular scene (or scenes) that you just loved writing?
Erin: I loved the scene at the bar where she sees the mermaid in the tank! I think because that whole scene sort of played in my head like a movie and I was just writing away and didn’t even know exactly what was going to happen next. And of course, the kiss that follows. Kate was just goofy and fearless in the best way.
Megan: I LOVED that scene so much, too. When I was reading that scene, I could totally see Kate being carefree and totally adorable. And Adam…well…looking at her all amused. Speaking of Adam…
I would describe Adam as very charismatic, kind, and mysterious. I loved how he was so attuned to Kate and how to help her out of a tough situation. How would you describe Adam? And why is he so freaking stubborn?
Erin: Adam is the unicorn. Well, he starts out as the letch who’s just trying to get a girl in bed. But once they get to be friends? He has a depth Kate never anticipated (which is why he’s so good at tangling up her brain). But he’s also – as you said – stubborn and determined that relationships are not for him. He’s gotten used to giving people only the surface of who he is and they seem okay with that, which has made him more cynical about opening up to anyone.
Megan: I’m dying to know if we’ll learn more about him (and what’s going on in his brain) in the next book.
Erin: Much more! It’s so hard because this story was always an arc for me and it’s one continuous storyline! Adam is more confused about his feelings for Kate in Book 2 but she definitely continues chipping away at his marble façade.
Megan: I’m going to ask you the question that EVERYONE will want to know upon finishing this one: When can we expect book two?
Erin: It’s in editing but I don’t have a release date yet! So sorry! I will shout it from the rooftops once it’s got a release date. 🙂
Megan: As a follow-up, why must you torture us so?
Erin: Hahaha. I know, I know. Like I said, I have this whole story laid out and Book 2 starts *the moment* Book 1 ends!
Megan: My emotions were all over the place at the end of ILYSttFTaC. Can you give us any hints or tease us a bit about the next book? I may or may not resort to begging.
Erin: Kate starts to find her footing as a lawyer and – spoiler alert – realizes that people are generally nuts. She struggles with making practical decisions about her future, but Adam manages to continue to make a mess of that. But I can tell you that she does narrow her playing field by the end of Book 2!
Lightning Round:
Favorite movie?
As Good As It Gets. Not a wasted line in the entire movie.
Coolest place you want to go, but haven’t yet?
New York City! Never been, but I’m finally going in March! So excited!
Your least favorite word?
“Bae.” Because it’s not a word, people! Oh, and “adorbs.” Please. Just stop.
Haha! Favorite romance novel?
Wuthering Heights. Yeah, I know. Stalker alert. Can’t help it. It’s a twisted love story, but I have entire passages memorized.
Favorite junk food?
Cookies. All kinds as long as they don’t have raisins.
What are your guilty pleasures?
The Vampire Diaries. Yes, I am a grown woman entirely obsessed with a CW show. Oh, and I’ve been known to occasionally marathon the Twilight movies. (Shocking, I know!)
Erin Lyon Goodreads Author
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorErinLyon/?ref=ay...
Twitterwritinglyon
GenreChick Lit, Romance, Contemporary
Member SinceMay 2015
edit data
Erin Lyon graduated with a Bachelor's degree in English and then worked in broadcast television for 10 years before going to law school. She is now a practicing attorney and blames all of the people in her life for not trying to talk her out of the whole “becoming a lawyer” thing. (Except for her brother who, to be fair, did say, "Really?")
After finishing law school, she completed her first novel, I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, and began working on the sequel, Unconditionally. Erin lives in Northern California with her husband of 20 years, her teenage daughter, and a house full of rescue animals (and a husband-imposed ban from visiting her local SPCA).
About Erin
Writer, Lawyer, Connoisseur of Poor Decision-Making.
Erin graduated with a Bachelors degree in English and then worked in broadcast television at the Sacramento ABC affiliate for 10 years before going to law school. She is now a practicing civil attorney and blames all of the people in her life for not trying to talk her out of the whole “becoming a lawyer” thing.
After finishing law school, she completed her first novel, I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, and began working on the sequels. Erin lives in Northern California with her husband of nearly 20 years (the Saint), her two daughters (the Girls), her three rescue dogs (the Boys), and three cats, who, let’s be real, belong only to themselves.
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Print Marked Items
I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and
Conditions: A Contract Killers Novel
Publishers Weekly.
263.47 (Nov. 21, 2016): p97.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions: A Contract Killers Novel
Erin Lyon. Forge, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-7653-8610-6
Lyon's clunky debut, the first in an anticipated series, takes place in an alternate contemporary California where the
word marriage is replaced with contract, and the religious aspects are swapped for legal ones. People enter seven-year
legal contracts that can renew, expire, or be breached. Kate Shaw is a 34-year-old recent law grad without a job. She's
in a loving contracted relationship, but her partner, Jonathan, decides not to renew it, because he never saw himself as
a signed man for the rest of his life. After Kate grudgingly accepts a job at her uncle's contract law firm, she befriends
Adam Lucas, a man who's notorious for going after contracted women. Within a week of separation, Jonathan wants
Kate back. Kate must choose whether to go back to him or venture forward. Though she claims to love Jonathan and
has only a crush on Adam, she never tries to repair the earlier relationship. Lyon tries to create a self-aware and
socially perceptive protagonist, but Kate instead becomes presumptive in her intuitions. She assumes Adam's a
"broken toy" throughout the novel despite the lack of any communication divulging Adam's backstory. A failed love
triangle and a tiring protagonist undermine a noteworthy central idea. (Jan.)
Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
"I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions: A Contract Killers Novel." Publishers Weekly, 21 Nov.
2016, p. 97+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA471273983&it=r&asid=69faec5ff219a9b97193451d9f33cdac.
Accessed 6 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A471273983
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All's fair in love: hot and heavy historicals and
geek-love lead the trend toward popular
subgenres
Eve Stano
Library Journal.
141.17 (Oct. 15, 2016): p24.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
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Romance, like many genres, is continually evolving and broadening its definition with new subgenres, trends, and
crossovers. The digital and self-publishing markets make it ever easier for authors and publishers to test new ground,
see what readers are clamoring for, and find new niches for romance to claim. Don't be fooled into thinking the triedand-true
staples of the genre are disappearing, though. Fans, while eager for fresh and original characters, plots, and
themes, are also loyal, and many long-established subgenres are more than holding their own in popularity, with a
nearly overwhelming number of options. Try something new or stay in one's comfort-zone? The possibilities are
nearly endless.
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HISTORY OR HER STORY?
Regency-set tales are easily the most popular form of historical romance. According to Jane Nutter, communications
and marketing manager at Kensington Publishing, "Regency romance will continue to reign supreme, since it's an
entry point for so many people coming off of classic novels like [those by] Jane Austen." To satisfy Regency fans,
there are several debut series heading our way. Grace Burrowes begins a new series with a new publisher with The
Trouble with Dukes (Forever: Grand Central, Dec.), a spin-off of her "Windham" series, while perennial favorite Mary
Balogh begins her new "Westcott" series with Someone To Love (Signet, Nov.; see review, p. 66), a rags-to-riches
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story of an orphan inheriting a fortune. Lisa Berne's You May Kiss the Bride is the first title in this debut author's "The
Penhollow Dynasty" (Avon, Mar. 2017), said to be "reminiscent of Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Lisa Kleypas....,"
according to Avon's publicity team.
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A reimagining of Sir Walter Scott's life in England's Lake District is the subject of Josi S. Kilpack's stand-alone novel
The Lady of the Lakes (Shadow Mountain, Jan. 2017). Set outside of London's ubiquitous ballrooms is the high-seas
Regency adventure Lord of the Privateers (Mira: Harlequin, Dec.), the final title in Stephanie Laurens's "The
Adventurers Quartet." Julia London's "Highland Grooms" series launches with Wild Wicked Scot (HQN: Harlequin,
Dec.) about feuding Scottish clans.
Is there no hope for other historical settings to take over the market? Allison Carroll, associate editor at Harlequin's
HQN division, believes "demand for love and adventure in different time periods and exotic locales continues to
grow." Publishers are meeting that demand with an abundance of historical romance set outside the Regency, such as
Harlequin Historical debut author Jenni Fletcher's portrayal of the medieval period of William the Conqueror in her
captive bride romance Married to Her Enemy (Dec.). Kensington's Nutter talks about a new pre--Civil War series that
takes place in New Orleans, called "Bayou Bad Boys." Set in the Antebellum South, it has a "lush, epic feel," and
"issues of the time are not ignored." The first in this refreshing series is Kathleen Bittner Roth's Felice (Zebra:
Kensington, Apr. 2017).
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Avon editorial director Erika Tsang also sees a shift in time frame for historical titles. "The popularity of Downton
Abbey brought us more Victorian-era historical romances, as well as those set during the turn-of-the-20th century."
Kerrigan Byrne's The Duke (St. Martin's, Feb. 2017), the fourth installment in her "Victorian Rebels" series, features a
nurse by day/spy by night who gets tangled up with a duke who has lost a hand as a prisoner of war. Published by
Zebra: Kensington, Joanna Shupe's "Knickerbocker Club" series takes place during New York's Gilded Age. The
second title, Baron (Nov.), spotlights a medium caring for her three siblings; book three, Mogul (Feb. 2017), centers
on a heroine trying to find her missing brother.
Aside from the Victorian stage, authors are trying out the more modern early 20th century as a setting. HQN's Carroll
describes Sharon Page's The Worthington Wife (Dec.) as taking place during the 1920s, "from the aristocratic estates
in England to the roaring nightclubs filled with ex-patriots in France to the streets of New York's Hell's Kitchen." Erin
Galloway, associate director of publicity for Penguin Random House's Berkley division, says of Amanda Quick's The
Girl Who Knew Too Much (May 2017), it's a 1930s romance "during the glamorous days of Hollywood in a small
town where Hollywood moguls and stars seek privacy for scandalous trysts and wild parties."
PLAYTIME
Contemporary titles remain hugely popular, with sports stories, and the alpha males who star in them, scoring bigtime.
"Hometown Players" is a winning hockey series from Victoria Denault; On the Line (Forever Yours: Grand
Central, Dec.) is the fifth installment. Sara Rider's "The Perfect Play" series focuses on a number of sports, with Going
for the Goal (Pocket Star, Feb. 2017) about a professional sports agent falling for a bad boy hockey player. Liora
Blake's First Step Forward (Pocket, Nov.), the first in her new "Grand Valley" series, features a pro football player and
the owner of an apple orchard that is about to hit bottom. Addison Fox's At Last (Swerve: St. Martin's, Nov.) stars a
former NFL hero who walks away from the pros and clashes with a Brooklyn brewery owner.
While the traditional games will continue to thrive, the genre is broadening to include new and ever more exciting
sports. Consider Rebecca Yarros's Wilder (Entangled, Sept.), which features a five-time X Games (extreme sports)
champion. And men aren't alone in the sports spotlight. Underground (Crimson Romance, Nov.) by Cecilia Johanna
stars a heroine who not only fights in MMA (mixed martial arts) matches but is also fighting to become a professional
dancer. The second installment in Sara Rider's "The Perfect Play" series, Keeping Score (Pocket Star, Nov.), stars a
female soccer player who has won two Olympic medals.
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Also focusing on physical feats and the drive to win, military romance is still going strong with Tawny Weber's Call to
Honor (HQN: Harlequin, Feb. 2017), the first in her "SEAL Brotherhood" series featuring fiercely competitive navy
SEALs. [For more on military romance, see "Love in Uniform," Collection Development, LJ 8/16.]
MORE THAN BRAWN
Physicality is undeniably sexy, but it isn't the only game in town. "Smart is hot!" says Avon senior editor Amanda
Bergeron, and the brainy side of romance is meeting the demand with a plethora of techie heroes and heroines. Ebook
bundle Love, Corp.: 3 Geek Romances (Crimson Romance, Oct.) by Ashlinn Craven focuses on workplace romances
set in tech companies. As Amy Pierpont, editor in chief at Grand Central's Forever and Forever Yours imprints, says,
"We're flying our geek flag high." Erin Nicholas's debut series, "Opposites Attract," about "three wonderfully geeky
women and the men who are lucky enough to love them," opens with Completely Yours (Forever: Grand Central,
Dec.).
In a humorous take on the song and film Love Potion No. 9, a biochemist accidentally spritzes on pheromones,
attracting a rock legend in Mary Ann Marlowe's Some Kind of Magic (Zebra: Kensington, Jan. 2017). Romantic
suspense is also getting tech-savvy with a heroine computer hacker in Sarah Castille's new "Ruin & Revenge" series,
which begins with Nico (St. Martin's, Dec.).
Peter Senftleben, associate editor at Kensington, has certainly come across more "geek" characters, whether gamers or
comic book fans, and enjoys "seeing a different kind of interest and protagonist that doesn't always get to be in the
spotlight." Nothing could be more sweetly geeky and romantic than two gamers flirting and falling in love through a
video game, as in Alexis Hall's Looking for Group (Riptide, Aug.).
Even our favorite professionals, librarians, are coming out in force with Dawn Ryder's suspenseful Deep into Trouble
(St. Martins, Mar. 2017). This third title in her "Unbroken Heroes" series matches up a library worker with a special
agent. Kensington's Nutter says that "smart adventure-based romance is a genre that readers are clamoring for but
cannot find." She believes that debut author Susan Mann, a librarian, will "help fill the gap for readers looking to
combine intelligent heroes solving riddles, finding] clues based in art, literature, and history, with rip-roaring old-
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fashioned adventure." Her The Librarian and the Spy (Zebra Shout: Kensington) will be out in April 2017. Another
librarian author, Sarah Title, begins a new series with The Undateable (Zebra Shout: Kensington, Feb. 2017), which
"deals with the ugly side of viral Internet fame" and has a sexy Latinx (pronounced Lateen-ex) hero and, of course, a
librarian heroine.
LOVE FROM ANOTHER WORLD
Fantasy and sf addicts are out in force these days, as can be attested to by the incredible success of TV series such as
Game of Thrones and Outlander. Also, movie franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek as well as Marvel and DC
superhero films continue to boom. Romance writers have taken on the epic fantasy and sf tales with crossovers that
transcend genre boundaries. To test the waters, Kensington will publish Jeffe Kennedy's The Edge of the Blade (Jan.
2017), an epic romantic fantasy with a twist: the female protagonist is a fierce warrior who protects the hero.
Jacqueline Carey is no stranger to epic fantasy that also delights romance readers with strongly sensual, erotic plots,
such as her "Kushiel's Legacy Trilogies." Carey here retells Shakespeare's The Tempest in a tale of forbidden love,
Miranda and Caliban (Tor, Feb. 2017).
For sf romance lovers, marriage and divorce give way to seven-year contracts in Erin Lyon's I Love You Subject to the
Following Terms and Conditions (Forge, Jan. 2017). Meanwhile, veteran fantasy and sf writer Connie Willis came out
with Crosstalk (Del Rey: Ballantine, Oct.), in which couples undergo an outpatient procedure to connect emotionally
like never before. Samantha Sotto's time travel romance Love and Gravity (Ballantine, Feb. 2017) is likened to both
David Nicholl's One Day and Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife.
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Paranormal romance interest remains strong, according to Tara Gelsomino, executive editor for Crimson Romance.
"Shifter romances continue to be hot," she says. Kathy Lyons's bear-shifter series "Grizzlies Gone Wild" comes out of
hibernation with the second and third books, License To Shift (Forever Yours: Grand Central, Oct.; Xpress Reviews,
9/30/16) and For the Bear's Eyes Only (Forever Yours: Grand Central, Nov.). While Cathy Clamp's second "Luna
Lake" title, Illicit (Tor, Nov.), also features shifters from dueling bear clans.
HIT AND MYTH
Fairy tale and myth retellings are also keeping paranormal romance in view. Monique Patterson, executive editor and
editorial director of romance for St. Martin's Press, thinks that "retellings never waned in romance and have been
happening across all the romance subgenres." The press is releasing Kerrelyn Sparks's new "Embraced" series, which
opens with a reimagining of beauty and the beast, How To Tame a Beast in Seven Days (Mar. 2017).
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Christine Warren proves that animals are not the only shifters around with Hard To Handle (St. Martin's, Feb. 2017),
the fifth entry in her "Gargoyles" series. While Tina Moss, an author with City Owl Press, thinks that paranormal
romance readers "are loyal, hungry, and dying for more!" Her "Paranormal Crimes Division" series continues mixing
it up with a vampire love interest and a shifter protagonist in Red Alert, coming in November. Other mythical
creatures permeate the paranormal romance market as well. A demon abducts a fey princess in Kresley Cole's 18th
title in the "Immortals After Dark" series, Wicked Abyss (Gallery: S. & S., Mar. 2017).
The Chosen (Ballantine, Apr. 2017) is the 15th book in J.R. Ward's "Black Dagger Brotherhood" saga, but fans can
also indulge in her spin-off "Black Dagger Legacy" and its second title, Blood Vow (Ballantine, Dec.). In debut author
Madhuri Pavamani's new dark and erotic "The Keeper" series, an assassin must kill a target that has nine lives. The
series begins with Dutch (Swerve: St. Martin's, Feb. 2017), quickly followed by Juma (Swerve: St. Martin's, Mar.
2017).
A DIVERSE UNIVERSE
All readers deserve books that represent their individuality. Crimson's Gelsomino acknowledges that there is less
diversity in the publishing industry than is warranted but that "both industry and cultural events in the past year have
prompted some overdue and important conversations about inclusivity and representation in romance." For years,
many publishers have developed imprints dedicated to multicultural fiction, others to LGBTQ+ works, while still
others increasingly offer a broader selection of materials, whether related to ethnicity, sexual orientation, abilities, age,
or body type. Diverse titles we've seen are predominantly from African American authors (and feature African
American characters).
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Selena James, executive editor at Kensington, states, "Urban fiction and contemporary romance are two distinct
categories that remain favorites for African American readers." Kiki Swinson's sequel to The Score, which was
published earlier this year, continues the story of her identity thief protagonist in The Mark (Dafina: Kensington, Jan.
2017). Tracy Brown's Boss (Griffin: St. Martin's, Jan. 2017), a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet, has been likened to the immensely popular TV shows Empire and Scandal.
New author Rina Gray has the second book in her "Crush on You" series, It's Been You, coming out this winter
(Crimson, 2017), after her debut, Fool for You (Crimson, Jul.). For some humorous wedding antics, K.M. Jackson's
new "Unconventional Brides" series for Dafina: Kensington begins this December with Insert Groom Here and
follows up in April 2017 with To Me I Wed, in which the protagonist gives up on finding Mr. Right and marries
herself. Debut author Serenity King's Love Me Forever (Kimani: Harlequin, Mar. 2017) introduces a business tycoon
who seeks tech help for his new company from the former owner's daughter.
To get your holiday fix, Elle Wright is wrapping up her "Edge of Scandal" series with a Christmas novella, All He
Wants for Christmas (Forever Yours: Grand Central, Dec.). Crimson Romance will be branching out with a historical
Western novella by debut author Apollonia Lord. Sparks fly between a woman who runs the local printing press and a
man whom she believes to be an outlaw who is really working undercover to catch a burglary ring in Seduced by the
Outlaw (Sept.).
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INTERRACIAL ROMANCE
Many readers are hungry for romances featuring interracial matches. Michelle Forde, communications and marketing
manager for Kensington's e-original line Lyrical Press, says, "We have something wonderfully fresh" with Alyssa
Cole's new historical romance An Extraordinary Union (Mar. 2017), which finds a former slave and a Pinkerton
detective going undercover in the South during the Civil War. Among contemporaries, Tracey Livesay's latest heroine
must rely on her baby's father for help in Along Came Love (Avon Impulse, Oct.). Debut author Jey Tehya's new novel
considers love between a pansexual biracial (white and Cherokee) woman and a Mumbai man who is slated for an
arranged marriage in The Wrong Kind of Indian (Wyatt-MacKenzie, Jan. 2017). Meanwhile, Harlequin's Love
Inspired imprint gets festive this November with Belle Calhoune's Reunited at Christmas.
LGBTQ+ ROMANCE
The availability of LGBTQ+ fiction is still growing as publishers realize these titles appeal to a broad spectrum of
romance readers. As a result, Avon, St. Martin's, Crimson Romance, and others are actively seeking romances
featuring characters with a wider variety of sexual orientations and gender identities. Kensington's Senftleben is
hoping to acquire more LGBTQ+ stories but says, "It can be difficult to find the right voice to accurately and
sensitively portray some issues."
Regency male/male romances seem to be taking hold, with Cooper Davis's A Gentleman Revealed (InterMix:
Penguin, Mar. 2017) and K.J. Charles's Wanted, a Gentleman (Riptide, Jan.). Avon Impulse welcomes its first M/M
romance author, Cat Sebastian, with the Regency tale The Soldier's Scoundrel (Sept.; Xpress Reviews, 9/30/16), about
a low-born criminal and a high-born soldier. The second installment, as yet untitled, is slated for February 2017.
Despite the plethora of historicals, contemporary M/M romance still dominates the market. Anna Zabo continues to
mix business with pleasure in Daily Grind (InterMix: Penguin, Dec.). Grand Central's Pierpont is "looking forward to
publishing the first in an M/M erotica series by RITA award-winning author Alexis Hall." The first title, Arden St.
Ives, will be published by Grand Cenral's Forever Yours imprint in April. The fourth title in Santino Hassell's "Five
Boroughs" series, Interborough (Riptide, Oct.), brings back the characters from Sunset Park. A.M. Arthur retunes her
musician-themed "Off Beat" books with a damaged guitarist in Steady Stroke (Swerve: St. Martin's, Feb. 2017).
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Lorelie Brown's Take Me Home (Riptide, Nov.), the second in the "Belladonna Ink"
series, focuses on an F/F relationship that blooms during a trip home for the holidays. An asexual woman finds herself
in a dance competition with a biracial trans instructor in Cass Lennox's Finding Your Feet (Riptide, Jan. 2017), Book 2
in the "Toronto Connections" titles. In the gritty and suspenseful Bad Boy (Atria, Dec.) by Elliot Wake, a transgender
vlog star is also a vigilante punisher of those who hurt the disenfranchised.
INDEPENDENT WOMEN
Liberated and spunky heroines are definitely in the majority these days. St. Martin's Patterson believes independent
heroines dominate "because the women who write them and the women who read them are smart, savvy, independent
women themselves." Avon's Bergeron seconds the emotion. "Our authors, their characters, and our readers are strong,
empowered women," she says. The heroine of Lindsay McKenna's Wind River Rancher (Zebra: Kensington, Jan.
2017) returns from the war in Afghanistan and manages a ranch for wounded veterans and those who suffer from post-
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traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Alison Bliss's new series "Perfect Fit" is a trilogy involving plus-sized heroines who
are "smart, sassy, and...know that the first step in finding love is loving yourself" The first title is Size Matters
(Forever: Grand Central, Nov.). For fans of the emotional romances of Jojo Moyes, Close Enough To Touch (Gallery:
S. & S., Feb. 2017) by Colleen Oakley deals with a woman who is allergic to human contact but braves the world to
make a life for herself and finds romance along the way. In Emily Brett's adventure romance Found (Sparkpress, Oct.),
an ICU nurse who has a heart condition accepts assignments around the world to experience life to the fullest lest she
die young like her mother.
FORBIDDEN LOVE
With Fifty Shades Darker out in theaters just in time for Valentine's Day, it's a sure bet that not only is the erotica craze
far from over, it will likely have another spike in interest. Claire Zion, Berkley editor in chief, says, "Erotic romance is
still very popular for us, whether the books involve BDSM or not. Readers are definitely still interested in the taboo
and forbidden." One example is Tamsen Parker's School Ties (InterMix: Penguin, Sept.; Xpress Reviews 9/2/16), in
which a teacher has a fling with a former student. Keeping the forbidden theme burning, veteran erotica author J.
Kenner continues a step-sibling romance in her "S.I.N." series with Sweetest Taboo (Bantam, Oct.).
Two new erotica series are debuting this season. Kristen Ashley's "Honey" books open with The Deep End (St.
Martin's, Mar. 2017), in which men serve as pleasure slaves at the Honey Club. Tara Sue Me launches her new BDSM
training school series, "Lessons from the RACK," with Master Professor (Berkley, Apr. 2017).
For a billionaire fix, try Opal Carew's A Fare To Remember (Griffin: St. Martin's, Jan. 2017): a cab driver and her
passenger take a red-hot detour. Audrey Carlan's Divine Desire (Waterhouse, Dec.) should have plenty of steamy
scenes as two yoga instructors pair off. Debut author Sienna Snow offers up a BDSM series, as yet untitled, featuring
billionaire women, with Arya's Absolution (Forever Yours: Grand Central, Nov.).
WHAT'S TRENDING
Several publishers cited efforts to grow their digital imprints and increase the number of e-original titles. "It's usually
where we see the newest trends and ideas," says Berkley's Zion. Grand Central's Pierpont notes how e-first publishing
allows the publisher to "build the brands and following for our authors" before heading to print.
Traditional publishers are also keeping their eyes on indie authors, looking for talent. Avon's Tsang says she is paying
attention to self-published authors and titles, noticing what is buzzing or popular or even what her friends are talking
about. This is how she discovered indie author Alisha Rai and her debut series, "Forbidden Hearts." Next summer,
Avon will be releasing Hate To Want You, a reinvention of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with lovers from feuding
families meeting in secret. Crimson's Gelsomino finds that most authors are "embracing the hybrid publishing model,
releasing works through any combination of traditional, digital, and self-publishing to keep reader interest high and
momentum building." The result, of course, is that readers will have that much more to love.
Eve Stano is the Adult Services Manager, Lincoln Library, Springfield, IL. Before heading back to school to become a
librarian, she drudged away in the world of finance for several years, but eventually her love of books and reading
rather than numbers or money got the better of her. She has strong interests in collection development and readers'
advisory services and has reviewed e-original romances for LJ since November 2014
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RELATED ARTICLE: Rolling On
Q&A VANESSA NORTH
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Vanessa North's most recent LGBT romance, Roller Girl (Riptide, Jul.) garnered rave reviews for her sensitive
portrayal of a transgender ex-wakeboarding star who takes up a new sport and a new identity. LJ checks in to see what
she's been up to and if more "Lake Lovelace" books are coming.
At the start of your career, you wrote paranormal M/F romances, but now your focus is on contemporary LGBT
romance. What inspired the switch?
It was more of an evolution. When I started writing in 2011, paranormal shifter books were huge, I was reading a lot
of them, and I enjoyed the challenge of the worldbuilding. But I was also a very new writer, still learning my own
voice and my own core stories. It turns out, even my M/F romances were pretty darn queer, with bisexual heroines and
gay subplots. Around the end of 2012, I stopped writing paranormal to focus on contemporary [romance] because I felt
[it] suits my quieter, more character-driven voice more than para-normal does. Around that same time, I started
focusing on the queerness in my stories instead of relegating it to subplots; it felt like taking a deep breath for the first
time. These were the stories I really wanted to tell, and this was the voice I was still trying to find.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Roller Girl is the third book in the "Lake Lovelace" series. What were your goals, and do you feel you achieved them?
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The "Lake Lovelace" series is all about fun and friendship and summer love that turns into more. I wanted it to be sexy
and funny and evoke that lazy summer day feeling. I do explore some heavier themes in the series--depression,
addiction, privilege, and social class--but for the most part it's sup posed to be a fun ride.
For Roller Girl in particular, I wanted to give Tina an empowering story where she challenged her own limits and
ideas of who she was, but I didn't want it to be a story about transition--because I don't feel that's necessarily an
appropriate topic for cisgender writers to explore. There is a danger when privileged writers write about stories that
aren't ours to tell that we center ourselves and our perspectives, and I thought both Tina and my trans readers deserve
better than that. Instead, I focused on the power of communities of women and Tina coming into her own as a member
of one of those communities.
I do think I achieved the goals of writing fun summer love stories, and I hope that I also achieved the goal of giving
Tina an empowering story without splashing my own privilege all around. Now it's in the readers' hands to interpret
and engage with. Stories take on new meanings and new lives with each reader, so time will tell!
What challenges or advantages come with writing a series over a stand-alone novel?
In a series, you need consistency from book to book, and that's both a challenge and an advantage. You can reveal new
things about a character who was secondary in one book when you make them the main character in another, but you
need to keep character[ization] consistent. The big challenge is that secondary characters and primary characters serve
different purposes in storytelling. The wise-cracking best friend in book one who was there for comic relief needs to
reveal his serious side and his hidden wounds if he's going to be romantic hero material in book two. All of these
characters view each other through different eyes and will have different interpretations of both their relationships with
each other and their interactions.
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The advantage is that you become so close to the characters in a way that writing a single book doesn't quite manage.
Ben, the main character from Double Up, is as familiar to me as writing in a diary ... because I've spent so much time
with him throughout the series. When you spend that kind of time with a character, you know them as well as you
know yourself.
What sort of developments or trends in romance are you anticipating?
I think we're going to see more queer stories in the mainstream--I think this has already started happening and is just
going to continue. As there are more "dark romances" and "dark erotica" appearing in the market, we're going to see
more discussion about consent and rape fantasy in contemporary romance. The power fantasy alpha-male archetype is
going to continue to evolve and be reinterpreted in different ways. We've seen werewolves and vampires, bikers and
billionaires. I think we're going to see more subtle variations on the power fantasy, too--more geek romances!
Tell us about your next project.
I'm wrapping up Summer Stock, another small-town contemporary, this one set around a summer stock Shakespeare
company, a disgraced TV star, and the townie who catches his eye. I'm getting ready to dive into my next lesbian
romance, Off Limits, which will be part of Riptide's multi-author "Rose and Thorns Ladies' Social Club" series. And I
do have plans for at least one more Lake Lovelace--set story--just as soon as I can fit it into my writing schedule.--Eve
Stano
Romance in Store
AUTHOR TITLE PUBLISHER RELEASE
Arthur, A.M. Steady Stroke Swerve: St. Feb. 2017
Martin's
Ashley, Kristen The Deep End St. Martin's Mar. 2017
Balogh, Mary Someone To Love Signet: NAL Nov.
Berne, Lisa You May Kiss the Avon Mar. 2017
Bride
Blake, Liora First Step Forward Pocket Nov.
Bliss, Alison Size Matters Forever: Grand Nov.
Central
Brett, Emily Found Sparkpress Oct.
Brown, Lorelie Take Me Home Riptide Nov.
Brown, Tracy Boss Griffin: St. Jan. 2017
Martin's
Burrowes, Grace The Trouble with Forever: Grand Dec.
Dukes Central
Byrne, Kerrigan The Duke St. Martin's Feb. 2017
Calhoune, Belle Reunited at Love Inspired: Nov.
Christmas Harlequin
Carew, Opal A Fare To Remember Griffin: St. Jan. 2017
Martin's
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Carey, Jacqueline Miranda and Tor Feb. 2017
Caliban
Carlan, Audrey Divine Desire Waterhouse Dec.
Castille, Sarah Nico St. Martin's Dec.
Charles, K.J. Wanted, a Riptide Jan. 2017
Gentleman
Clamp, Cathy Illicit Tor Nov.
Cole, Alyssa An Extraordinary Lyrical: Kensington Mar. 2017
Union
Cole, Kresley Wicked Abyss Gallery: S. & S. Mar. 2017
Craven, Ashlinn Love, Corp: Crimson Romance Oct.
3 Geek Romances
Davis, Cooper A Gentleman InterMix: Penguin Mar. 2017
Revealed
Denault, Victoria On the Line Forever Yours: Dec.
Grand Central
Fletcher, Jenni Married to Her Harlequin Dec.
Enemy Historical
Fox, Addison At Last Swerve: St. Nov.
Martin's
Gray, Rina Fool for You Crimson Romance Jul.
Gray, Rina It's Been You Crimson Romance 2017
Hall, Alexis Arden St. Ives Forever Yours: Apr. 2017
Grand Central
Hall, Alexis Looking for Group Riptide Aug.
Hassell, Santino Interborough Riptide Oct.
Jackson, K.M. Insert Groom Here Dafina: Kensington Dec.
Jackson, K.M. To Me I Wed Dafina: Kensington Apr. 2017
Johanna, Cecilia Underground Crimson Romance Nov.
Kennedy, Jeffe The Edge of the Kensington Dec.
Blade
Kenner, J. Sweetest Taboo Bantam Oct.
Kilpack, Josi S. The Lady of the Shadow Mountain Jan. 2017
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Lakes
King, Serenity Love Me Forever Kimani: Harlequin Mar. 2017
Laurens, Stephanie Lord of the Mira: Harlequin Dec.
Privateers
Lennox, Cass Finding Your Feet Riptide Jan. 2017
Livesay, Tracey Along Came Love Avon Impulse Oct.
London, Julia Wild Wicked Scot HQN: Harlequin Dec.
Lord, Appollonia Seduced by the Crimson Romance Sept.
Outlaw
Lyon, Erin I Love You Subject Forge: Tor Jan. 2017
to the Following
Terms and
Conditions
Lyons, Kathy For the Bear's Forever Yours: Nov.
Eyes Only Grand Central
Lyons, Kathy License To Shift Forever Yours: Oct.
Grand Central
McKenna, Lindsay Wind River Rancher Zebra: Kensington Jan. 2017
Mann, Susan The Librarian Zebra Shout: Apr. 2017
and the Spy Kensington
Marlowe, Mary Ann Some Kind of Magic Zebra: Kensington Jan. 2017
Me, Tara Sue Master Professor Berkley Apr. 2017
Moss, Tina Red Alert City Owl Nov.
Nicholas, Erin Completely Yours Forever Yours: Dec.
Grand Central
Oakley, Colleen Close Enough To Gallery Feb. 2017
Touch
Page, Sharon The Worthington HQN: Harlequin Dec.
Wife
Parker, Tamsen School Ties InterMix: Penguin Sept.
Pavamani, Madhuri Dutch Swerve: St. Feb. 2017
Martin's
Pavamani, Madhuri Juma Swerve: St. Mar. 2017
Martin's
Quick, Amanda The Girl Who Knew Berkley May 2017
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Too Much
Rai, Alisha Hate To Want You Avon Jul. 2017
Rider, Sara Going for the Goal Pocket Star Feb. 2017
Rider, Sara Keeping Score Pocket Star Nov.
Roth, Kathleen Felice Zebra: Kensington Apr. 2017
Bittner
Ryder, Dawn Deep into Trouble St. Martin's Mar. 2017
Sebastian, Cat The Soldier's Avon Impulse Sept.
Scoundrel
Shupe, Joanna Baron Zebra: Kensington Nov.
Shupe, Joanna Mogul Zebra: Kensington Feb. 2017
Snow, Sienna Arya's Absolution Forever Yours: Nov.
Grand Central
Sotto, Samantha Love and Gravity Ballantine Feb. 2017
Sparks, Kerrelyn How To Tame a St. Martin's Mar. 2017
Beast in Seven
Days
Swinson, Kiki The Mark Dafina: Kensington Jan. 2017
Tehya, Jey The Wrong Kind Wyatt-MacKenzie Jan. 2017
of Indian
Title, Sarah The Undateable Zebra Shout: Feb. 2017
Kensington
Wake, Elliot Bad Boy Atria Dec.
Ward, J.R. Blood Vow Ballantine Dec.
Ward, J.R. The Chosen Ballantine Apr. 2017
Warren, Christine Hard To Handle St. Martin's Feb. 2017
Weber, Tawny Call to Honor HQN: Harlequin Feb. 2017
Willis, Connie Crosstalk Del Rey: Oct.
Ballantine
Wright, Elle All He Wants Forever Yours: Dec.
for Christmas Grand Central
Yarros, Rebecca Wilder Entangled Sept.
Zabo, Anna Daily Grind InterMix: Penguin Dec.
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Source Citation (MLA 8
th Edition)
Stano, Eve. "All's fair in love: hot and heavy historicals and geek-love lead the trend toward popular subgenres."
Library Journal, 15 Oct. 2016, p. 24+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA466412896&it=r&asid=e7f4cc8c001b3ee3cdedd83d6abaadd6.
Accessed 6 Aug. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A466412896
I LOVE YOU *SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Author(s): Erin Lyon
Lyon's novel is a fun read that will keep readers engaged throughout, as it follows a sometimes-confusing path for its protagonist. She not only deals with the twists and turns of a complicated love life and attention from both wanted and unwanted suitors, but also the ones that come with life in general. Perhaps the only frustrating thing about the novel is that since it is part of a series, it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which will help keep readers waiting for the next book.
Marriage doesn't exist in the world Kate lives in. Seven-year contracts are signed by those who want relationships, with the option to resign, and if they want out earlier, they breach. But Kate doesn't need to worry about that, because while she can't find a job as a lawyer, her love life is on track, even with a "contract killer" trying to find a way to get her to cheat. But then her partner decides not to re-up, putting Kate on a crash course as she suddenly has to take a job in signing law — which she vowed never to do — and suddenly, the man who wanted her when she was unavailable is giving her more confusing signals than ever. Now, Kate is trying to figure everything out, but life is suddenly more complicated than she ever imagined. (FORGE, Jan., 336 pp., $15.99)
Reviewed by:
Lauren DuBois