What happens when an author dies and still has material that could be published? One would naturally think that no more books would be published under their name. But there are novels that are written in the spirit of or written based on information from the original author. Interestingly it is not as unusual as you would expect. Robert Ludlum died after writing 3 Bourne novels. Eric Van Lustbader now writes the series. After Ian Fleming died, Anthony Horowitz continued writing James Bond books. “Other deceased writers who are still publishing books include Tom Clancy (Grant Blackwood and Mark Greaney), Vince Flynn (Kyle Mills), Michael Palmer (his son, Daniel Palmer) and Mickey Spillane (Max Allen Collins).” (–Mary G., Fiction Collection Coordinator of Laramie County Library)
There are other authors and shadow authors (my name for them), but the one that interests me right now is Janet Dailey. I just picked up a new book by Janet Dailey and while it had a plotline that was vaguely familiar to other books I have read (like pieces of this book and parts like another book), I shrugged it off. After all, it was new. It was marketed as “the first in a new cozy Christmas series.” It seems that Janet Dailey (according to Goodreads) died in 2013, it is her husband and daughter who are now writing books under her name. I can’t decide if I am upset by the deception or upset by the lack of clarity that is part of the deception. It’s been ten years, maybe the books should start to include their names under author as others have done. Maybe deception is not their true purpose as much as carrying on her legacy, but that could be a great story itself as well as a marketing ploy. For me, I am unsettled by the realization. Proving yet again, I am a Pollyanna. Sigh.
Elise sent in an interview with Lisa Childs. She writes several series of novels in the genre of romantic suspense. The novel sounds interesting. I liked the sound of the two main characters. The Last Mission by Lisa Childs is the last novel in her HotShots Heroes.
