Beverly Barton, 64, American romance author, heart failure.

That's what I've been telling my romance authors to do," she said, "because the mystery has a built-in structure.

And while romance authors didn't destroy the classic detective story, they did vamp on its stylistic conventions.

Cat Johnson is a published romance author.

At 23 she became the youngest published romance author in USA, a record that stood for ten years.

Nora Roberts, a perennial best-selling romance author, also has seen her more recent successes revive interest in older books, though some readers might not realize it.

A collector's edition of favourite titles from one of the world's best-loved romance authors.

She was the second romance author, after Kathleen Woodiwiss, to have her novels published in trade paperback format.

Rosemary Rogers was one of the first romance authors to extend her scenes into the bedroom.