Difference between revisions of "Anne Weale"

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[[Category:Authors - W]] [[Category:Presents Author]] [[Category:Harlequin Romance Authors]] [[Category:Prolific Authors]] [[Category:English Authors]] [[Category:Deceased Authors]]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weale, Anne}}
== Biography ==
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[[Category:Authors - W]] [[Category:English Authors]] [[Category:Prolific Authors]] [[Category:Deceased Authors]] [[Category:Harlequin Authors]] [[Category:Harlequin Presents Authors]] [[Category:Harlequin Romance Authors]]
[[Anne Weale]] authored nearly 90 novels, starting with her debut novel ''[[Winter Is Past]]'', a story that notably captures the passion felt by the characters while never slipping into overtly sexual writing. Her writing career began in 1955.  She also wrote [[Single Title|single title]] romance. Anne Weale passed away on October 24, 2007.
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[[Image:Weale_houseonflamingocay.jpg||thumb|150px|The House On Flamingo Cay by Anne Weale]]
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==Biography==
 +
[[Anne Weale]]'s writing career began in 1955. She authored nearly 90 novels, published primarily by [[Harlequin]] and [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]], but also wrote [[Single Title|single title]] romance. Anne Weale, whose real name was Jay Blakeney, passed away on October 24, 2007.
  
Weale, whose real name was Jay Blakeney, built on the legacy of authors such as [[Rosalind Brett]] ([[Lilian Warren]]), who emphasized intense sexual tension in her work. Blakeney/Weale, though she believed her writing was tame compared to younger authors, maintained her position as an author who pushed the boundaries of sexuality in her work throughout her [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]] career. In fact, the author treated readers to what is believed to be the first oral sex scene in her M&B title ''[[Antigua Kiss]]'', published in 1982. Weale also wrote a masturbation scene in novel ''[[Ecstasy]]'', published in 1983. (Note 1)
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Blakeney/Weale was a trained journalist who retired from reporting when her fiction income -- a combination of amounts earned as a [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]] author and writing for magazines such as ''[[Woman's Illustrated]]'', which serialized the work of authors -- exceed 1,000 pounds a year (''Note 2''). The author, who sold her first work to the publisher in 1955 at the age of 24, was a full-time fiction writer before she was thirty.
  
The author was well-known for her strong settings, information she often gained from her travels. The novels comprising the "Longwarden" series - [[Flora]], [[All My Worldly Goods]] and [[Time And Chance|Time & Chance]] - were among the favorites of Weale. Her last novel, published in 2002 was ''[[The Man From Madrid]]''. Weale was also a founding member of the [[Romantic Novelists Association]].  
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Her last novel, published in 2002 was ''[[The Man From Madrid]]''. Weale was also a founding member of the [[The Romantic Novelists' Association]]. Weale continued to innovate even in the age of the Internet. She wrote a regular website review column for ''The Bookseller'' from 1998 to 2004, a UK publication, before starting her own blog [http://bookwormonthenet.blogspot.com/ Bookworm on the Net]. Her final post is an apology for the lack of posts due to technology problems. She was working on her autobiography ''88 Heroes...1 Mr. Right'' at the time of her death.
  
Blakeney/Weale was a trained journalist who retired from reporting when her fiction income -- a combination of amounts earned as a [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]] author and writing for magazines such as ''[[Woman's Illustrated]]'', which serialized the work of authors -- exceed 1,000 pounds a year (Note 2). The author, who sold her first work to the publisher in 1955 at the age of 24, was a full-time fiction writer before she was thirty.
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===Writing Career===
  
Many of the editorial policies in place in today's [[Category]] titles find their roots in the practices developed by [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]]. For example, the use of proper names, including brand names, was carefully vetted by [[Joan Bryant]]. Blakeney/Weale learned firsthand of the dangers of using real names when a co-worker complained to the publisher about the use of his name for one of her characters in her debut novel ''[[Winter Is Past]]''. Blakeney/Weale, though pleading innocence, eventually changed the character name and stated publicly that there was no connection between the fictional character and the real man. Interestingly, the man in question was more concerned with being "teased" about appearing in the novel than with the novel's content. (Note 3)
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Weale, built on the legacy of authors such as [[Rosalind Brett]] ([[Lilian Warren]]), who emphasized intense sexual tension in her work. Her first book,  ''[[Winter Is Past]]'', was a story that notably captures the passion felt by the characters while never slipping into overtly sexual writing. Although Blakeney/Weale believed her writing was tame compared to younger authors, she actually maintained her position as an author who pushed the boundaries of sexuality in her work throughout her [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]] career. In fact, the author treated readers to what is believed to be the first oral sex scene in her M&B title ''[[Antigua Kiss]]'', published in 1982. Weale also wrote a masturbation scene in her novel ''[[Ecstasy - Anne Weale|Ecstasy]]'', published in 1983. (''Note 1'')
  
Weale continued to innovate even in the age of the Internet. She wrote a regular website review column for ''The Bookseller'' from 1998 to 2004, a UK publication, before starting her own blog [http://bookwormonthenet.blogspot.com/ Bookworm on the Net]. Her final post is an apology for the lack of posts due to technology problems.
+
The author was well-known for her strong settings, information she often gained from her travels. Her [http://bookwormonthenet.blogspot.com/ blog] identifies her location as "mainly Europe," although she lived in England. The novels comprising the "Longwarden" series - ''[[Flora]]'', ''[[All My Worldly Goods]]'' and ''[[Time And Chance|Time & Chance]]'' - were among the favorites of Weale.  
  
She wrote twenty books for Harlequin [[Presents]], mainly during the 1980s before moving to the [[Tender]] line. Writing for the [[Harlequin Romance]] imprint, she published 42 novels.
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Many of the editorial policies in place in today's [[Category]] titles find their roots in the practices developed by [[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]]. For example, the use of proper names, including brand names, was carefully vetted by [[Joan Bryant]]. Blakeney/Weale learned firsthand of the dangers of using real names when a co-worker complained to the publisher about the use of his name for one of her characters in her debut novel ''[[Winter Is Past]]''. Blakeney/Weale, though pleading innocence, eventually changed the character name and stated publicly that there was no connection between the fictional character and the real man. Interestingly, the man in question was more concerned with being "teased" about appearing in the novel than with the novel's content. (''Note 3'')
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 +
She wrote twenty books for Harlequin [[Presents]], mainly during the 1980s before moving to the [[Tender]] line. Writing for the [[Harlequin Romance]] imprint, she published 42 novels. Weale also wrote under the name [[Andrea Blake]].
 +
 
 +
Jane Holland, daughter of [[Charlotte Lamb]], noted that her mother and Weale maintained a [http://charlottelamb.blogspot.com/2007/12/in-memoriam-anne-weale.html prodigious correspondence]:
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<blockquote>Charlotte Lamb and Anne Weale were both compulsive letter-writers, and after the invention of the fax machine (though before email became popular) they would fax each other sharp, witty, and incredibly detailed multi-page letters on a daily basis. Indeed, it was not unusual for them to send and receive these lengthy faxes several times in a single morning, knocking a topic like romance editing, the latest bestsellers, cover images for a new book, or even some hot publishing gossip back and forth like a couple of top-notch literary tennis players!
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I'm sure if my mother had lived to see the widespread use of email, their daily correspondence would have taken on new and even more epic proportions!</blockquote>
  
 
* Note 1 - McAleer, Joseph. ''Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon'' (Oxford University Press, 1999), 288.
 
* Note 1 - McAleer, Joseph. ''Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon'' (Oxford University Press, 1999), 288.
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== Books ==
 
== Books ==
*  [[All I Ask|''All I Ask'']] - June, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #830]]
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*  [[A Call For Nurse Templar|''A Call For Nurse Templar'']] - 1961 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #578]]
 +
*  [[A Marriage Has Been Arranged|''A Marriage Has Been Arranged'']] - September, 1997 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3474]]
 +
*  [[A Night To Remember - Anne Weale|''A Night To Remember'']] – 1996
 +
*  [[A Spanish Honeymoon|''A Spanish Honeymoon'']] - March, 2004 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3789]]
 +
* [[A Touch Of The Devil|''A Touch Of The Devil'']] - July 1982 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#511]]
 +
*  [[A Treasure For Life|''A Treasure For Life'']] - October, 1972 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1629]]
 +
*  [[All I Ask - Anne Weale|''All I Ask'']] - June, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #830]]
 +
*  [[All My Worldly Goods|''All My Worldly Goods'']] – 1987
 
* [[All That Heaven Allows|''All That Heaven Allows'']] - July 1983 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#613]]
 
* [[All That Heaven Allows|''All That Heaven Allows'']] - July 1983 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#613]]
 +
* [[Antigua Kiss|''Antigua Kiss'']] - 1982
 
*  [[The Bartered Bride - Anne Weale|''Bartered Bride, The'']] - September, 1998 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3520]]
 
*  [[The Bartered Bride - Anne Weale|''Bartered Bride, The'']] - September, 1998 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3520]]
 
*  [[Bed Of Roses - Anne Weale|''Bed Of Roses'']] - June, 1982 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2484]]
 
*  [[Bed Of Roses - Anne Weale|''Bed Of Roses'']] - June, 1982 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2484]]
 +
*  [[Bid Time Return|''Bid Time Return'']] - 1977
 
* [[Blue Days At Sea|''Blue Days At Sea'']] - July 1981 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#444]]
 
* [[Blue Days At Sea|''Blue Days At Sea'']] - July 1981 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#444]]
 
*  [[Castle In Corsica|''Castle In Corsica'']] - 1960 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #537]]
 
*  [[Castle In Corsica|''Castle In Corsica'']] - 1960 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #537]]
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*  [[Doctor In Malaya|''Doctor In Malaya'']] - May, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #914]]
 
*  [[Doctor In Malaya|''Doctor In Malaya'']] - May, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #914]]
 
*  [[The Doctor's Daughters|''Doctor's Daughters, The'']] - 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #716]]
 
*  [[The Doctor's Daughters|''Doctor's Daughters, The'']] - 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #716]]
* [[Ecstasy|''Ecstasy'']] - February 1984 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#670]]
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* [[Ecstasy - Anne Weale|''Ecstasy'']] - February 1984 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#670]]
 +
* [[Flora|''Flora'']] - 1983
 
*  [[The Faberge Cat|''Faberge Cat, The'']] - June, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3318]]
 
*  [[The Faberge Cat|''Faberge Cat, The'']] - June, 1994 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3318]]
 
*  [[The Feast Of Sara|''Feast Of Sara, The'']] - April, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1007]]
 
*  [[The Feast Of Sara|''Feast Of Sara, The'']] - April, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1007]]
 
*  [[The Fields Of Heaven|''Fields Of Heaven, The'']] - January, 1974 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1747]]
 
*  [[The Fields Of Heaven|''Fields Of Heaven, The'']] - January, 1974 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1747]]
 
* [[The First Officer|''First Officer, The'']] - November 1980 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#395]]
 
* [[The First Officer|''First Officer, The'']] - November 1980 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#395]]
 +
* [[Footprints In The Sand - Anne Weale|''Footprints In The Sand'']] – [[Mills and Boon Romance]] [[Mills and Boon Romance By The Numbers|#3822]]      February 1993 and [[Harlequin Romance Subscription]] [[Harlequin Romance Subscription By The Numbers|#155]]      October 1993
 +
* [[The Fountain of Delight|''Fountain of Delight, The'']] - 1990
 
* [[Frangipani|''Frangipani'']] - December 1985 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#846]]
 
* [[Frangipani|''Frangipani'']] - December 1985 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#846]]
 +
* [[Girl About Town|''Girl About Town'']] – 1965
 
* [[The Girl From The Sea|''Girl From The Sea, The'']] - January 1981 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#408]]
 
* [[The Girl From The Sea|''Girl From The Sea, The'']] - January 1981 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#408]]
 
* [[Girl In A Golden Bed|''Girl In A Golden Bed'']] - September 1987 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1013]]
 
* [[Girl In A Golden Bed|''Girl In A Golden Bed'']] - September 1987 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1013]]
 
*  [[Hope For Tomorrow|''Hope For Tomorrow'']] - March, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #901]]
 
*  [[Hope For Tomorrow|''Hope For Tomorrow'']] - March, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #901]]
 
*  [[The House Of Seven Fountains|''House Of Seven Fountains, The'']] - 1960 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #553]]
 
*  [[The House Of Seven Fountains|''House Of Seven Fountains, The'']] - 1960 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #553]]
*  [[The House On Flamingo Cay|''House On Flamingo Cay, The'']] - 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #743]]
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*  [[The House On Flamingo Cay|''House On Flamingo Cay, The'']] - 1962 ([[Mills and Boon|Mills & Boon]]); 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #743]]
 
*  [[If This Is Love|''If This Is Love'']] - February, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #798]]
 
*  [[If This Is Love|''If This Is Love'']] - February, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #798]]
 +
* [[The Impatient Virgin|''Impatient Virgin, The'']] - 1998
 
*  [[Islands Of Summer|''Islands Of Summer'']] - September, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #948]]
 
*  [[Islands Of Summer|''Islands Of Summer'']] - September, 1965 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #948]]
 
*  [[The Last Night At Paradise|''Last Night At Paradise, The'']] - June, 1981 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2411]]
 
*  [[The Last Night At Paradise|''Last Night At Paradise, The'']] - June, 1981 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2411]]
*  [[The Lonely Shore|''The Lonely Shore'']] - July, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1027]]
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*  [[The Lonely Shore|''Lonely Shore, The'']] - July, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1027]]
 
*  [[Lord Of The Sierras|''Lord Of The Sierras'']] - January, 1975 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1848]]
 
*  [[Lord Of The Sierras|''Lord Of The Sierras'']] - January, 1975 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1848]]
 
* [[Lost Lagoon|''Lost Lagoon'']] - June 1988 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1085]]
 
* [[Lost Lagoon|''Lost Lagoon'']] - June 1988 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1085]]
 
*  [[The Man From Madrid|''Man From Madrid, The'']] - April, 2004 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3793]]
 
*  [[The Man From Madrid|''Man From Madrid, The'']] - April, 2004 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3793]]
 
*  [[The Man In Command|''Man In Command, The'']] - January, 1969 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1271]]
 
*  [[The Man In Command|''Man In Command, The'']] - January, 1969 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1271]]
*  [[A Marriage Has Been Arranged|''Marriage Has Been Arranged, A'']] - September, 1997 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3474]]
 
 
*  [[Neptune's Daughter|''Neptune's Daughter'']] - October, 1988 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2940]]
 
*  [[Neptune's Daughter|''Neptune's Daughter'']] - October, 1988 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2940]]
 +
* [[Never Go Back|''Never Go Back'']] - 1995
 
*  [[Never To Love|''Never To Love'']] - 1962 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #644]]
 
*  [[Never To Love|''Never To Love'']] - 1962 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #644]]
 
* [[Night Train|''Night Train'']] - March 1988 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1061]]
 
* [[Night Train|''Night Train'']] - March 1988 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#1061]]
* [[Now Or Never|''Now Or Never'']] - October 1978 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#258]]
+
* [[Now Or Never - Anne Weale|''Now Or Never'']] - October 1978 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#258]]
*  [[Nurse Templar|''Nurse Templar'']] - 1961 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #578]]
 
 
* [[Passage To Paxos|''Passage To Paxos'']] - May 1982 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#504]]
 
* [[Passage To Paxos|''Passage To Paxos'']] - May 1982 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#504]]
 
*  [[Pink Champagne|''Pink Champagne'']] - August, 1992 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3216]]
 
*  [[Pink Champagne|''Pink Champagne'']] - August, 1992 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3216]]
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*  [[Rain Of Diamonds|''Rain Of Diamonds'']] - October, 1981 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2436]]
 
*  [[Rain Of Diamonds|''Rain Of Diamonds'']] - October, 1981 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #2436]]
 
* [[The River Room|''River Room, The'']] - April 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#282]]
 
* [[The River Room|''River Room, The'']] - April 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#282]]
 +
* [[Sea Change|''Sea Change'']] - 2002
 
*  [[Sea Fever|''Sea Fever'']] - June, 1991 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3132]]
 
*  [[Sea Fever|''Sea Fever'']] - June, 1991 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3132]]
 
*  [[The Sea Waif|''Sea Waif, The'']] - July, 1967 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1123]]
 
*  [[The Sea Waif|''Sea Waif, The'']] - July, 1967 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1123]]
 +
* [[Seascape|''Seascape'']] - 1995
 
* [[Separate Bedrooms|''Separate Bedrooms'']] - September 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#312]]
 
* [[Separate Bedrooms|''Separate Bedrooms'']] - September 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#312]]
 
*  [[The Silver Dolphin|''Silver Dolphin, The'']] - 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #767]]
 
*  [[The Silver Dolphin|''Silver Dolphin, The'']] - 1963 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #767]]
 
*  [[The Singing Tree|''Singing Tree, The'']] - March, 1993 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3257]]
 
*  [[The Singing Tree|''Singing Tree, The'']] - March, 1993 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3257]]
 +
* [[Sleepless Nights|''Sleepless Nights'']] – 1999
 +
* [[Sophie’s Secret|''Sophie’s Secret'']] - 1996
 
*  [[South From Sounion|''South From Sounion'']] - July, 1968 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1224]]
 
*  [[South From Sounion|''South From Sounion'']] - July, 1968 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1224]]
*  [[A Spanish Honeymoon|''Spanish Honeymoon, A'']] - March, 2004 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3789]]
 
 
* [[Stowaway|''Stowaway'']] - October 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#317]]
 
* [[Stowaway|''Stowaway'']] - October 1979 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#317]]
 
*  [[Sullivan's Reef|''Sullivan's Reef'']] - August, 1970 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1423]]
 
*  [[Sullivan's Reef|''Sullivan's Reef'']] - August, 1970 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1423]]
 +
* [[Summer Lightning - Anne Weale|''Summer Lightning'']] – 1971
 +
* [[Summer’s Awakening|''Summer’s Awakening'']] – 1984
 +
* [[The Sun in Splendor|''Sun in Splendor, The'']] - 1975
 
*  [[Sweet To Remember|''Sweet To Remember'']] - December, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #879]]
 
*  [[Sweet To Remember|''Sweet To Remember'']] - December, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #879]]
 +
* [[Tequila Sunrise|''Tequila Sunrise'']] - 1993
 
*  [[Terrace In The Sun|''Terrace In The Sun'']] - December, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1067]]
 
*  [[Terrace In The Sun|''Terrace In The Sun'']] - December, 1966 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1067]]
 
*  [[Thai Silk|''Thai Silk'']] - February, 1991 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3108]]
 
*  [[Thai Silk|''Thai Silk'']] - February, 1991 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3108]]
 
*  [[That Man Simon|''That Man Simon'']] - July, 1971 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1512]]
 
*  [[That Man Simon|''That Man Simon'']] - July, 1971 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1512]]
* [[A Touch Of The Devil|''Touch Of The Devil, A'']] - July 1982 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#511]]
+
* [[Three Weeks In Eden|''Three Weeks In Eden'']] – 1964
* [[A Treasure For Life|''Treasure For Life, A'']] - October, 1972 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #1629]]
+
* [[Time and Chance|''Time and Chance'']] – 1989
 +
* [[Turkish Delights|''Turkish Delights'']] - 1993
 
*  [[Until We Met|''Until We Met'']] - September, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #855]]
 
*  [[Until We Met|''Until We Met'']] - September, 1964 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #855]]
 
* [[Wedding Of The Year - Anne Weale|''Wedding Of The Year'']] - [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#565]] January 1983
 
* [[Wedding Of The Year - Anne Weale|''Wedding Of The Year'']] - [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#565]] January 1983
 
*  [[Winter Is Past|''Winter Is Past'']] - 1961 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #582]]
 
*  [[Winter Is Past|''Winter Is Past'']] - 1961 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #582]]
 
*  [[Worthy Of Marriage|''Worthy Of Marriage'']] - December, 2000 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3633]]
 
*  [[Worthy Of Marriage|''Worthy Of Marriage'']] - December, 2000 [[Harlequin Romance By The Numbers|Harlequin Romance #3633]]
* [[Yesterday's Island|''Yesterday's Island'']] - [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#622]] August 1983
+
* [[Yesterday's Island|''Yesterday's Island'']] – August, 1983 [[Presents]], [[Harlequin Presents By The Numbers|#622]]
 +
* [[The Youngest Sister|''Youngest Sister, The'']] - 1997
  
 
== On The Web ==
 
== On The Web ==
* [http://www.harlequinromanceauthors.com/authors/meet_weale.html Anne Weale] - Biography at Harlequin Romance Authors
+
* [http://www.eharlequin.com/author.html?authorid=692 EHarlequin] - Biography at Harlequin Romance Authors
 
* [http://bookwormonthenet.blogspot.com/ Bookworm on the Net] - [[Anne Weale|Anne Weale's]] blog
 
* [http://bookwormonthenet.blogspot.com/ Bookworm on the Net] - [[Anne Weale|Anne Weale's]] blog
 
=== Articles/Interviews/Remembrances ===
 
=== Articles/Interviews/Remembrances ===
 
* [http://lizfielding.blogspot.com/2007/11/anne-weale-anne-weale-who-for-fifty.html] - Remembrance by [[Liz Fielding]]
 
* [http://lizfielding.blogspot.com/2007/11/anne-weale-anne-weale-who-for-fifty.html] - Remembrance by [[Liz Fielding]]
 
* [http://kate-walker.blogspot.com/2007/11/anne-weale.html] - Remembrance from [[Kate Walker]]
 
* [http://kate-walker.blogspot.com/2007/11/anne-weale.html] - Remembrance from [[Kate Walker]]

Latest revision as of 10:07, 5 January 2012

The House On Flamingo Cay by Anne Weale

Biography

Anne Weale's writing career began in 1955. She authored nearly 90 novels, published primarily by Harlequin and Mills & Boon, but also wrote single title romance. Anne Weale, whose real name was Jay Blakeney, passed away on October 24, 2007.

Blakeney/Weale was a trained journalist who retired from reporting when her fiction income -- a combination of amounts earned as a Mills & Boon author and writing for magazines such as Woman's Illustrated, which serialized the work of authors -- exceed 1,000 pounds a year (Note 2). The author, who sold her first work to the publisher in 1955 at the age of 24, was a full-time fiction writer before she was thirty.

Her last novel, published in 2002 was The Man From Madrid. Weale was also a founding member of the The Romantic Novelists' Association. Weale continued to innovate even in the age of the Internet. She wrote a regular website review column for The Bookseller from 1998 to 2004, a UK publication, before starting her own blog Bookworm on the Net. Her final post is an apology for the lack of posts due to technology problems. She was working on her autobiography 88 Heroes...1 Mr. Right at the time of her death.

Writing Career

Weale, built on the legacy of authors such as Rosalind Brett (Lilian Warren), who emphasized intense sexual tension in her work. Her first book, Winter Is Past, was a story that notably captures the passion felt by the characters while never slipping into overtly sexual writing. Although Blakeney/Weale believed her writing was tame compared to younger authors, she actually maintained her position as an author who pushed the boundaries of sexuality in her work throughout her Mills & Boon career. In fact, the author treated readers to what is believed to be the first oral sex scene in her M&B title Antigua Kiss, published in 1982. Weale also wrote a masturbation scene in her novel Ecstasy, published in 1983. (Note 1)

The author was well-known for her strong settings, information she often gained from her travels. Her blog identifies her location as "mainly Europe," although she lived in England. The novels comprising the "Longwarden" series - Flora, All My Worldly Goods and Time & Chance - were among the favorites of Weale.

Many of the editorial policies in place in today's Category titles find their roots in the practices developed by Mills & Boon. For example, the use of proper names, including brand names, was carefully vetted by Joan Bryant. Blakeney/Weale learned firsthand of the dangers of using real names when a co-worker complained to the publisher about the use of his name for one of her characters in her debut novel Winter Is Past. Blakeney/Weale, though pleading innocence, eventually changed the character name and stated publicly that there was no connection between the fictional character and the real man. Interestingly, the man in question was more concerned with being "teased" about appearing in the novel than with the novel's content. (Note 3)

She wrote twenty books for Harlequin Presents, mainly during the 1980s before moving to the Tender line. Writing for the Harlequin Romance imprint, she published 42 novels. Weale also wrote under the name Andrea Blake.

Jane Holland, daughter of Charlotte Lamb, noted that her mother and Weale maintained a prodigious correspondence:

Charlotte Lamb and Anne Weale were both compulsive letter-writers, and after the invention of the fax machine (though before email became popular) they would fax each other sharp, witty, and incredibly detailed multi-page letters on a daily basis. Indeed, it was not unusual for them to send and receive these lengthy faxes several times in a single morning, knocking a topic like romance editing, the latest bestsellers, cover images for a new book, or even some hot publishing gossip back and forth like a couple of top-notch literary tennis players! I'm sure if my mother had lived to see the widespread use of email, their daily correspondence would have taken on new and even more epic proportions!

  • Note 1 - McAleer, Joseph. Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon (Oxford University Press, 1999), 288.
  • Note 2 - ------. Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon (Oxford University Press, 1999), 228.
  • Note 3 - ------. Passion's Fortune: The Story of Mills & Boon (Oxford University Press, 1999), 223.

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