Rosemary Rogers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers

Born 1932
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Pen name Rosemary Rogers
Occupation Novelist
Nationality American
Writing period 1974 - Present
Genres Romance

Rosemary Jansz Navaratnam Rogers (b. 1932 in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka) is a best-selling author of historical romance novels as Rosemary Rogers.

Rogers was born in the former Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka.[1]. Her first book, Sweet Savage Love, was published in 1974. She was the second romance author, after Kathleen Woodiwiss, to have her novels published in trade paperback format.[2] Rogers is considered to be one of the founders of the modern historical romance, and many of today's writers cite her writing as one of their biggest influences.[3][4] She lives in Connecticut.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early years

Rosemary Jansz was born in 1932 in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Her parents, Cyril and Barbara Jansz, were Dutch-Portuguese settlers who owned several private schools and were extremely wealthy. Rogers lived among many servants and was sheltered from much of the outside world. She began writing at age eight, and throughout her teens penned many romantic epics in the style of her favorite writers, Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas, père, and Rafael Sabatini.[5][6]

After spending three years at the University of Ceylon, Rogers became a reporter, and soon married Summa Navaratnam, a Ceylonese track star known as "the fastest man in Asia".[5][6]

Disappointed with her husband, Rogers moved with her two daughters to London in 1960. There, she turned down an offer to become a wealthy man's mistress in Paris, and instead married Leroy Rogers, an African-American from the United States, and moved her family to California, where they had two children.[5]

The second marriage ended after eight years, and Rogers was left to support herself and four children on her salary as a typist for the Solano County Parks Department. The following year, her parens were forced to flee Ceylon with few of their possessions, and came to live with Rogers.[5][6] Her third marriage was to Christopher Kadison in September of 1984. It was not a marriage made in heaven and they soon began to live apart.

[edit] Writing career

Every night for a year, Rogers worked to perfect a manuscript that she had written as a child, rewriting it 24 times. When she was satisfied with her work, she sent the manuscript to Avon, which quickly purchased the novel.[5] That novel, Sweet Savage Love, skyrocketed to the top of bestseller lists, and became one of the most popular historical romances of all time.[citation needed] Her second novel, Dark Fires, sold two million copies in its first three months of release.[7]

Her first three novels sold a combined 10 million copies. The fourth, Wicked Loving Lies sold 3 million copies in its first month of publication.[6]

[edit] About her books

Rogers was one of the first romance authors to extend her scenes into the bedroom. Her novels are often full of violence, and the heroine is usually raped one or more times, sometimes by the hero, and sometimes by other men. Her heroines travel to exotic locations and meet important people.[5] In many cases, one or both of the protagonists follows a "riches-to-rags-to-riches" storyline.[6]

[edit] Personal life

The four children of Rogers have grown and they have become independent. Rogers is single and makes her home in Connecticut, where she continues to write.

[edit] Bibliography

[1]

[edit] Legend of Morgan-Challenger Series

  1. Sweet Savage Love (1974)
  2. Dark Fires (1975)
  3. Wicked Loving Lies (1976)
  4. Lost Love, Last Love (1980)
  5. Bound by Desire (1988)
  6. Savage Desire (2000)

[edit] Logan Duology

  1. An Honorable Man (2002)
  2. Return to Me (2003)

[edit] Single Novels

  • Wildest Heart (1974)
  • The Crowd Pleasers (1978)
  • The Insiders (1979)
  • Love Play (1981)
  • Surrender to Love (1982)
  • The Wanton (1985)
  • Tea Planter's Bride (1995)
  • Dangerous Man (1996)
  • Midnight Lady (1997)
  • All I Desire (1998)
  • In Your Arms (1999)
  • A Reckless Encounter (2001)
  • Jewel of My Heart (2004)
  • Sapphire (2005)


[edit] Sources

  1. ^ a b c Rosemary Rogers. Fantastic Fiction. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  2. ^ Smith, Janet Elaine (October 2003). Author of the Month: Beatrice Small. MyShelf.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  3. ^ Gold, Laurie (1999-03-02). Judith Ivory: Intelligence that Shines Through. All About Romance Novels. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  4. ^ Interview with Shirl Henke. Die romantische Bucherekcke (March 2005). Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Darrach, Brad (January 17, 1977), “Rosemary's Babies”, Time, <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918604-2,00.html>. Retrieved on 24 May 2007 
  6. ^ a b c d e Murphy, Mary (1977), The Wicked, Loving Life of Rosemary Rogers, <http://www.cherylclarke.net/cherylclarke.net%20folder/cherylclarke.net/pdf_files/Binder%2014.pdf>. Retrieved on 24 May 2007 
  7. ^ Thurston, Carol (1987). The Romance Revolution. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 47-48. ISBN 0-252-014421-1. 
Languages