Janet Dailey

Biography

Janet Dailey published her first novel, No Quarter Asked, after being challenged to write by her husband. Her husband, Bill Dailey, who also served as her business manager, passed away in August 2005. Initially published by the Harlequin Presents line, she also went to write for Silhouette. Her website indicates that she's the bestselling female author in North America and third best-selling author in the world. While these claims are difficult to verify, there is no doubt that Janet Dailey was once one of the biggest names in the romance genre.

In mid-1997, Janet Dailey was sued by author Nora Roberts for plagiarizing Roberts' books. Dailey admitted that passages from Aspen Gold and Notorious were indeed plagiarized, the cased was settled, and Nora Roberts donated her settlement to literacy causes. Dailey cited various stress-related issues, including the illness of her husband, as the root causes of plagiarism, and fans since have debated whether or not to continue reading her works. The books in question are no longer available for commercial purchase (naturally, their collectible value rose on the news). A third book was also identified as containing plagiarized passages, but had not been released when the suit was filed.

Janet Dailey wrote 57 books for the Harlequin Presents imprint. She published eight books for the Silhouette Romance line. Her "Americana" series features books set in every one of the United States. She has appeared regularly on the New York Times Bestseller list, starting with 1979's Touch The Wind. After an absence from romance resulting from the plagiarism scandal, she returned to writing for Kensington.

The Romance Writers of America created the Janet Dailey Award for novels with social relevance. The award was discontinued in 1997.

Books

• After The Storm - December 1976, Harlequin Presents, #167
• Bed Of Grass - March 1980, Harlequin Presents, #343
• Beware Of The Stranger - October 1978, Harlequin Presents, #256
• Big Sky Country - July 1978, Harlequin Presents, #244
• Bluegrass King - September 1977, Harlequin Presents, #203
• Boss Man From Ogallala - March 1976, Harlequin Presents, #131
• Bride Of The Delta Queen, The - May 1979, Harlequin Presents, #284
• Dakota Dreamin' - August 1981, Harlequin Presents, #445
• Dangerous Masquerade - January 1977, Harlequin Presents, #171
• Darling Jenny - March 1978, Harlequin Presents, #227
• Difficult Decision - October 1980, Harlequin Presents, #386
• Enemy In Camp - August 1980, Harlequin Presents, #373
• Fiesta San Antonio - June 1977, Harlequin Presents, #192
• Fire And Ice - July 1976, Harlequin Presents, #147
• For Bitter Or Worse - January 1979, Harlequin Presents, #267
• For Mike's Sake - October 1979, Harlequin Presents, #313
• For The Love Of God - December 1981 (Silhouette Romance #118)
• Giant Of Mesabi - November 1978, Harlequin Presents, #259
• Green Mountain Man - February 1979, Harlequin Presents, #272
• Heart Of Stone - November 1980, Harlequin Presents, #391
• Homeplace, The - October 1976, Harlequin Presents, #159
• Hostage Bride, The - June 1981 (Silhouette Romance #82)
• Indy Man, The - February 1978, Harlequin Presents, #223
• Ivory Cane, The - January 1978, Harlequin Presents, #219
• Kona Winds - January 1980, Harlequin Presents, #332
• Lancaster Men, The - October 1981 (Silhouette Romance #106)
• Land Called Deseret, A - December 1979, Harlequin Presents, #326
• Land Of Enchantment - August 1976, Harlequin Presents, #151
• Lord Of The High Lonesome - June 1980, Harlequin Presents, #363
• Low Country Liar - August 1979, Harlequin Presents, #302
• Lyon's Share, A - October 1977, Harlequin Presents, #208
• Master Fiddler, The - September 1978, Harlequin Presents, #252
• Matchmakers, The - December 1978, Harlequin Presents, #264
• Mating Season, The - May 1980, Harlequin Presents, #356
• Mistletoe And Holly - December 1982 (Silhouette Romance #195)
• Night Of The Cotillion - March 1977, Harlequin Presents, #180
• No Quarter Asked - January 1976, Harlequin Presents, #124
• Northern Magic - January 1982, Harlequin Presents, #475
• One Of The Boys - December 1980, Harlequin Presents, #399
• Reilly's Woman - April 1978, Harlequin Presents, #231
• Savage Land - May 1976, Harlequin Presents, #139
• Second Time, The - September 1982 (Silhouette Romance #177)
• Sentimental Journey - November 1979, Harlequin Presents, #319
• Separate Cabins - March 1983 (Silhouette Romance #213)
• Show Me - August 1977, Harlequin Presents, #200
• Six White Horses - March 1979, Harlequin Presents, #275
• Something Extra - August 1978, Harlequin Presents, #248
• Sonora Sundown - June 1978, Harlequin Presents, #239
• Southern Nights - July 1980, Harlequin Presents, #369
• Strange Bedfellow - July 1979, Harlequin Presents, #296
• Summer Mahogany - April 1979, Harlequin Presents, #279
• Sweet Promise - September 1979, Harlequin Presents, #308
• That Boston Man - February 1980, Harlequin Presents, #338
• That Carolina Summer - March 1982, Harlequin Presents, #488
• Thawing Of Mara, The - April 1980, Harlequin Presents, #349
• Travelling Kind, The - May 1981, Harlequin Presents, #427
• Tidewater Lover - June 1979, Harlequin Presents, #292
• To Tell The Truth - May 1978, Harlequin Presents, #236
• Tradition Of Pride, A - April 1981, Harlequin Presents, #421
• Valley Of The Vapours - April 1977, Harlequin Presents, #183
• Western Man - June 1983 (Silhouette Romance #231)
• Widow And The Wastrel, The - November 1977, Harlequin Presents, #211
• Wild And Wonderful - March 1981, Harlequin Presents, #416
• Wildcatter's Woman - May 1982 (Silhouette Romance #153)
• With A Little Luck - February 1982, Harlequin Presents, #482

On the Web

• Janet Dailey

Interviews/Articles

• A 2001 Update in the Janet Dailey/Nora Roberts Plagiarism Case

• The Janet Dailey companion : a comprehensive guide to her life and her novels[interviewed by] Sonja Massie and Martin H. Greenberg. New York : HarperCollinsPublishers, c1996.

• Whitehead, Frances. "Janet Dailey: Overview." Twentieth-Century Romance & Historical Writers. Ed. Aruna Vasudevan. 3rd ed. Twentieth-Century Writers Series New York: St. James Press, 1994.