Author of the week: Mary Balogh

Born in Wales and having survived the bombing of her hometown during World War II, Mary and her sister, Moira, were taught by their mother to love reading and words. They filled up notebooks with stories and hoped to be authors one day. She departed for Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada for a two-year teaching assignment but met her husband on a blind date soon after arrival. She taught english and eventually became a school principal They had three children which gave her little time to write until her youngest was in school. She is beloved of author Georgette Heyer and hoped to recreate the Regency period that Heyer had done so well. Her first novel, A Masked Deception, was written long hand on her kitchen table in 1982. It was published in 1985 and the rest, as they say, is history. She has since published over 60 novels and 30 novellas—an incredible amount! Her novels are historical romances set in the Regency period. The Regency era was from 1811 in the United Kingdom when the Prince of Wales ruled by proxy and became King George IV. It is known for the excess of the aristocracy but it is also noted for its distinction in art and architecture. Mary Balogh is known for her sparkling dialog, wit, and often outrageous humor; colorful details of clothing, customs, carriages, and mores which capture the spirit of the times; and sympathetic characterizations of her strong heroes and heroines. Dell Historical publishing has re-released two of her previous novels, More Than a Mistress and No Man’s Mistress. This summer, Balogh also finished up the series with The Secret Mistress. This series deals with the Dudleys, the Duke of Treacham, Lord Ferdinand and Lady Angeline, and their difficulties in finding true love.
Other authors writing similarly: Stephanie Laurens, Jo Beverly, Patricia Veryan.