Nora Roberts is so prolific she had to take up a pen name so her publisher could release more books by her each year.
“I’m a fast writer,” Roberts told The Associated Press in a rare interview. She typically releases four books a year, and has for more than four decades.
It’s not just about her speed. It’s her range, too. She’s written more than 250 books, from romantic one-offs and fantasy-themed trilogies to a police procedural series she’s been writing for three decades. The 60th book of the “In Death” series, “Bonded in Death”, is being released in February.
Roberts has left her mark on the literary world, and she has no plans to stop anytime soon. She talked about the art of writing, why she won’t have the main characters in her “In Death” series have kids, and her thoughts on the romance genre — including why she doesn’t see herself as part of it anymore.
AP: You write under two different names — Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb. Why?
Roberts: I’m a fast writer.
I didn’t like the idea of taking a pseudonym until my agent said to me one day, ‘Nora, there’s Pepsi, there’s Diet Pepsi, and there’s caffeine-free Pepsi.’ And that hit home. I drink Diet Pepsi and I’ve realized it’s marketing and I could be two brands.
So I said I would do that if I could write something completely different.
AP: You’re coming out with your 60th book in the “In Death” series. You’ve been writing two books per year for the series since 1995. What is your vision for the series at this point?
Roberts: I can’t imagine ending it and I still have ideas for where they’re going next. They’re not just books about murders. They’re about interaction and relationships and the evolution of characters.
AP: Do you have an ending in mind, or was there an ending that you had in mind at one point that you’ve gone past?
Roberts: I never had an endpoint. It just sort of happened that I got to 60 books. I’m very invested in these characters. So I like to tell their stories.
AP: You’ve said that if Roarke and Eve were ever to have a child, you would see that as the end of the series because their lives would be so changed by that. Is that true?
Roberts: That is an internet truth. Children change everything. How are they going to be out there in the middle of the night chasing bad guys or working on a case or having that crazy sex?
Source : https://apnews.com/article/nora-roberts-books-interview-783da019d60648480adb27512b2953bf