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WHAT HAPPENED TO WATER'S EDGE? |
Despite various flagrantly incorrect
assertions circulating all over the internet, Water's Edge
was never published. Judith was halfway through writing it when,
according to her, she realized she had two very good books going.
So what is an author as smart as JM to do? Why split them up, of
course!
The book that emerged from the split was Someone To Watch Over Me, which is in stores now.
Below is what Judith had to say about the change on SimonSays.com:
The time travel was originally called WATER'S EDGE and had a great red cover. When I stopped working on the time travel, I decided to keep and use the title WATER'S EDGE--and the cover--for the contemporary mystery.
Then, about 4 months ago, when the contemporary mystery finally lit up for me and I could see and access it's potential, I decided I was tired of the title WATER'S EDGE. I thought it deserved a better title and more intriqing cover. Something new and fresh and uniquely its own.
Pocket agreed. My editor agreed, and we started playing with titles on the phone. Within an hour we had STWOM, and I loved it. Pocket sent me two ideas for new covers, and I was crazy about the second one, which is the cover that you're seeing now for STWOM.
I have no idea if I'll ever use the title WATER'S EDGE for anything in the future. I kind of doubt it. We've all talked about it so long, I'm tired of it.
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WHAT IS JM WORKING ON NOW? |
Judith's next book, CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, is set for release in May 2009. See What's Next? for the latest details.
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ARE JM's BOOKS CONNECTED? SHOULD I READ THEM IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER? |
All
of Judith's novels stand alone, but if you truly wish to experience
the Optimum McNaughtizing Experience, group them as follows:
| BOOK
ORDER & RECURRING CHARACTERS |
| A
Kingdom of Dreams |
1497 |
None |
|
Tender
Triumph |
1983 |
None |
| Once
& Always |
1815 |
Jason,
Victoria, & Roddy Carstairs |
|
Double
Standards |
1984 |
None |
| Something
Wonderful |
1816 |
Jordan,
Alex, & Roddy |
|
Paradise |
1978-1989 |
Matt,
Meredith, & Joe |
| Almost
Heaven |
1818 |
Jordan,
Alex, & Roddy |
|
Perfect |
1993 |
Zack,
Julie, Matt, Meredith, Joe, Paul Richardson |
| Whitney,
My Love |
1816-1820 |
Clay,
Whitney, Stephen, Nicki, Alicia, & Hugh |
|
Double
Exposure |
1995 |
Spencer,
Corey, Cole, Diana, & the Fosters |
| Until
You |
circa
1824 |
Stephen,
Sheridan, Clayton, Whitney, Jordan, Alex, Jason, Victoria, Alicia,
Hugh, Nicki, & Julianna Skeffington |
|
Remember
When |
1996 |
Cole,
Diana, Spencer, Corey, & the Fosters |
| Miracles |
(circa
1826) |
Nicki,
Julianna, Clayton, Whitney, Stephen, Sheridan, & Hugh |
|
Night
Whispers |
1998 |
Noah,
Sloan, Courtney, Paul Richardson |
| .
|
.
|
.
|
|
Someone
To Watch Over Me |
2003 |
Courtney & Joe O'Hara. Casual mentions of Noah, Matt, & Meredith |
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IN WHAT ORDER WERE JM's BOOKS WRITTEN? |
Though you might want to read them in the order that they occur fictionally (see above), you may also be interested to know that the order in which they were written was very different:
Whitney, My Love (1985) -- Although it was not published until 1985, after Tender Triumph and Double Standards, Whitney was actually written first.
Tender Triumph (1983)
Double Standards (1984)
Once & Always (1987)
Something Wonderful (1988)
A Kingdom of Dreams (1989)
Almost Heaven (1990)
Paradise (1991)
Perfect (1993)
Until You (1994)
Miracles (1994)
Double Exposure (1995)
Remember When (1996)
Night Whispers (1998)
Someone To Watch Over Me (2003)
Every Breath You Take (2005) -- Not yet published.
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ARE ALL OF JM's BOOKS AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER? |
Yes, between book club editions, large print copies, and JM's later releases, all have been printed in hard cover at one time or another. You may have to search harder to find some than others, though.
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WILL JM EVER WRITE ANOTHER HISTORICAL? |
That is a question many fans seem to be asking these days. On July 24, 2004, Judith made the following VERY encouraging comment on her online bulletin board at SimonSays.com:
I'm getting an almost forgotten little "itch," one that I haven't felt for a long, long time, but it's getting serious. It's so serious that I mentioned it to Linda Marrow a couple of weeks ago after we finished discussing EBYT. I thought the itch was history. And it is. It's an itch to write an historical again--specifically, to tackle what was once called WATER'S EDGE and never finished.
We'll see. BUT if I do it, it will not be called WATER'S EDGE. I'm tired of that title.
Kind of exciting, really, but so is the new book.
Kind of exciting?!? Isn't that an understatement! So you see, dear historical fans, all hope is not lost.
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WILL JM EVER WRITE ABOUT CLAY AND WHITNEY's (or another couple's) CHILDREN? |
In response to this question, Judith has said:
...It's highly unlikely. (My answer would be that because I make it a habit to never say never.)
For one thing, I don't want to write about Clay and Whitney with gray hair. A spin off that takes place at about the same time as the original novel, is okay with me--i.e., UNTIL YOU.
I just don't like sequels; I've never read one that was the equal to the original.
When I leave a couple at the end of an historical novel, they're in a wonderful place. I took them there; I made the trip with them--and it's never an easy trip. And then I told them goodbye. I want them to live on in my memory as they were.
There's one more problem with sequels to regency historicals, and that is that the regency period marked the end of the glamorous, elegant, free-wheeling ways of the English aristrocracy. Clayton and Whitney's children would never have known a life like their parents enjoyed.
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