This book offers the perfect starting point for fans and researchers of the romance genre looking to learn more about a favorite author.Romance is the Rodney Dangerfield of popular fiction genres. Neither the readers nor the writers receive much respect, yet the genre remains astoundingly popular. Romance Authors: A Research Guide provides a starting place for librarians, student researchers, and fans who wish to find out more about specific authors. The book will also be useful to book club leaders looking for background information on romance authors and readers' adviosr, as they help patrons find new authors or the complete backlist of a favorite writer.The guide offers a brief overview of the romance genre, a timeline of events important to the genre, a listing of authors by subgenre, biographical and informational entries on each author, and an extensive bibliography of research sources on romance. The focus is on popular romance authors writing today. In order to provide context, notable romance authors from the past such as Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and Kathleen Woodwiss are also included.