"the downscale image of American paperbacks. The line signaled cultural self-improvement and political education. However the war years caused a shortage of staff for publishers and book stores, and a severe shortage of rationed paper, worsened by the air raid on Paternoster Square in 1940 that burned 5 million books in warehouses. Romantic fiction was especially popular, with Mills and Boon the leading publisher. Romantic encounters were embodied in a principle of sexual purity that demonstrated not only social conservatism, but also how heroines could control their personal autonomy. Adventure magazines became quite popular, especially those published by DC Thomson;"
"of the 1929 German work by B. Traven was criticised. The company is now known in particular as a specialist genre fiction publisher. In the romance novel genre, many Robert Hale authors then moved on to Mills & Boon. Over the period 1968 to 1982, the company produced an extended series of hardback science fiction titles, for the public library market. Most of these works were published in the 1970s; they included editions of prominent American writers, some less-known authors, and a number of pseudonymous works. In the early days the company address was 102 Great Russell Street. It later"
"Charles Boon Charles Boon (9 May 1877 - 2 December 1943) was a publisher who, along with Gerald Rusgrove Mills founded the publishing company Mills & Boon in 1908. Charles Boon was born on 9 May 1877 in London as the eldest of the six children of his father Charles Boon who was a brewer's servant. Since his parents were poor, Charles Boon had a deprived childhood. His father died when Boon was only 12 years old, and Boon had to leave school and take up odd jobs to support his family. During this period he also worked in a"
"distinctive feature of both Mills & Boon and Harlequin (in North America) is the length of time their books are available to buy. They publish a set number of books each month which are sent to subscribers and displayed on stands in book shops. At the end of the month, any unsold copies in the shops are withdrawn and pulped. Titles are available to buy direct from Mills & Boon for 3 months or until they are sold out, whichever is sooner. Again, any remaining books are disposed of. Fans looking for particular books after this time must find them"
"bookshop and a circulating library which gave him insights into the sales and distribution of books. In 1893 Boon joined Methuen & Co., a publishing firm in London, as an office boy and warehouse clerk. Eventually he rose to become the general manager of the firm. While at Methuen & Co., Boon met Gerald Mills who was also working in the same firm. Gerald Mills and Charles Boon joined hands in 1908 to establish their own publishing house ""Mills & Boon"" with an initial investment of £1000. The company was planned as a diversified publisher publishing both fiction and nonfiction"
"Sydney to handle sales in the Asia-Pacific region. The success of the Australian operation in the 1970s was such that it was able to begin printing its own editions. Their books are sold through a combination of subscription and retail sales. For example, in any given month they publish eight novels in their Modern line; 6 of those are available on the retail market, and all eight are available to buy directly from the company both on and offline. Mills & Boon encourage readers to subscribe to their favorite lines, whose books will then be delivered to their home. One"
"the United States. On October 1, 1971, Harlequin purchased Mills and Boon. John Boon, another founder's son, remained with the company, overseeing British operations. North American booksellers were reluctant to stock mass market paperbacks, and Harlequin chose to sell their books ""where the women are"", distributing them in supermarkets and other retail stores. The company focuses on selling the line of books, rather than individual titles. Rather than traditional advertising, the company focused on giveaways. A sampling of books within a line would be given away, sometimes in conjunction with other products, in the hopes that readers would continue to"
"Gerald Rusgrove Mills Gerald Rusgrove Mills (3 January 1877 - 23 September 1928) was a publisher who, along with Charles Boon, established the publishing company Mills & Boon in 1908. Gerald Rusgrove Mills was born on 3 January 1877 in Stourbridge as the eldest son of Harry Mills, a solicitor. He had a comfortable childhood. After attending Mason Science College (which later became the University of Birmingham) and Caius College, Cambridge, Mills started his association with publishing industry by joining the educational publishers Whitaker & Co. in London. He later joined the publisher Methuen & Co. as educational manager where"
"sold the company to Harlequin Enterprises of Canada. Harlequin, having made a great success out of selling licensed Mills & Boon titles in North America, wanted to secure the editorial source. John Boon, son of the co-founder, continued as head of the company while his brother, Alan, continued as head of editorial. Much of the company's success from the 1950s to the 1980s came from Alan Boon's editorial talent. A considerable portion of Mills & Boon sales were derived from export markets, particularly India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. In 1976 an Australian office was established in"
"to be successful. Penny Jordan, an author writing for Mills & Boon, puts this as ""[the rules] are not written down, but if you diverge from reader expectations, they won't read your second book."" One critic claimed that the genre promotes misogyny and the sexual submission of women to men. Julie Bindel writes ""I would go so far as to say it is misogynistic hate speech."" She describes a typical Mills & Boon novel as a rape fantasy structured around ""the 'gender dance'—man chases woman, woman resists, and, finally, woman submits in a blaze of passion."" Bindel further condemns Mills"
"Margaret Way Margaret Way is an Australian writer of romance novels and women's fiction. A prolific author, Way has written more than 120 novels, many through Mills & Boon, a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd., owned by Harlequin Enterprises. Before her marriage she was a well-known pianist, teacher, vocal coach and accompanist. She began writing when her son was born, a friend took a pile of Mills & Boon books to her, she read all and decided that she also could write these types of novels. She began to write and to promote her country with her"
"to the particulars of their respective markets."" Harlequin began expanding into other parts of Europe in 1974, when it entered into a distribution agreement with Cora Verlag, a division of German publisher Axel Springer AG. The companies signed a two-year agreement to release two Mills and Boon novels each month in magazine format. The books sold well, and when the agreement came up for renewal Harlequin instead purchased a 50% interest in Cora Verlag. The new joint venture format allowed Harlequin to receive more of the profits, and allowed them to gain continued distribution in Austria, Switzerland, and West Germany."
"Mills and Boon over many years she has now started publishing independently using the internet publisher ""Lulu"". Lee Wilkinson Lee Wilkinson (born Nottingham, England) is a popular British writer of over 30 romance novels in Mills & Boon since 1987, and is now publishing independently through the site ""Lulu"". Her latest romantic novel ""Marley"" is available through ""Lulu"". Lee Wilkinson born in Nottingham, England, is the only child. She was educated at an all-girls school. Lee married Dennis at 22. They had two children, a son and a daughter, and became grandparents four times over. Following the death of Dennis"
"Gill Sanderson Gill Sanderson is the pen name of Roger Sanderson, a prolific author of romance novels for publisher Mills and Boon. As of 2015, Sanderson is the only male author writing for Mills and Boon; he chose to publish under his wife's name instead of his own. Before writing romances, Sanderson wrote for ""Commando"" war comics. After reading several Mills and Boon romance novels, he and his wife began writing novels together. Sanderson soon began writing novels by himself but chose to use his wife's name for publication. Sanderson has written more than 50 novels, which have sold a"
"accepted and was published in 1978 as ""The Passionate Winter"". She became one of the youngest and most prolific Mills & Boon's authors. She celebrated the publication of her 100th book, 20 years after her debut, and 30 years after this, she published her first historical novels, in the Mills & Boon Historical series. In 2012 she was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II for her 'outstanding service to literature'. In 2014 she received a Pioneer of Romance Award from Romantic Times in the US. In 2015 she started writing her first indie series called Alpha, as well as her Harlequin"
"combined three million copies. Many of his books are medical romances. Jay Dixon, a scholar of romance novels, described Sanderson as ""one of the few men who does have the knack"" of writing from the perspective of a female. Sanderson was featured in the documentary ""Guilty Pleasures"". Gill Sanderson Gill Sanderson is the pen name of Roger Sanderson, a prolific author of romance novels for publisher Mills and Boon. As of 2015, Sanderson is the only male author writing for Mills and Boon; he chose to publish under his wife's name instead of his own. Before writing romances, Sanderson wrote"
"characters are outdated and inappropriate for modern works. However, supporters of the publisher counter that Mills & Boon are careful to follow their readers' tastes and interests; if the hero follows this trend it is because that is what the readers want. In modern novels, popular hero archetypes are Arab sheikhs, Italian billionaires, Greek tycoons, and princes. According to Mills & Boon author Sharon Kendrick, ""the sheikh represents the ultimate female fantasy–dark, autocratic, completely powerful, outrageously chauvinistic."" Penny Jordan adds that the hero often has a softer side, which the heroine will discover during the course of the novel: ""He's"
"Boon novels were officially launched in India in 2008, although they were already popular in the country due to unofficial imports and purchases from abroad. Sales swiftly increased, doubling over the 2009-2010 period. According to Mills & Boon, an author can receive royalties of between £2,000 to £30,000 per book. The year 2008 was Mills & Boon's centenary as a publisher. This was marked by a number of events and exhibitions. In November 2008, BBC Four celebrated the anniversary by broadcasting the 90-minute drama ""Consuming Passion"", written by Emma Frost. Electronic publishing has allowed Mills & Boon to double its"
"""punishing kiss"". Brett/Warren came to Mills & Boon from Rich & Cowan, a publisher she felt didn't offer her enough support. Rosalind Brett's romances from the 1950s are historically significant for the Mills & Boon series, by her choice of locations. Her stories take readers away from the British Isles, to East Africa: Rhodesia, Nyasaland, providing glimpses of Salisbury (present day Harare) and Bulawayo, the second city in what is now Zimbabwe. Other locations are French Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Pacific Islands . The main characters are at work trying to build prosperous lives in what were British,"
"output. As of 2012, it now releases over 100 e-books per month, more than in print, and sells more e-books than physical books. Parent company Torstar cited the strong growth of e-books in its 2010 report, with digital revenues up CAN$16.1 Million. According to Tim Cooper, digital and marketing director for the publisher, ""digital lends itself to the habitual nature of our content. Our readers finish reading one and they can download the next."" Author Sharon Kendrick's opinion is similar: ""[Mills & Boon] are an intense reading experience, and they can be read quickly. People read four to five in"
"London publishing firm of Mills & Boon, which was initially a light fiction publisher in a wide range of genres. Many of his stories were set in Essex and East Anglia. He also had two volumes of poetry published. He married in 1920 Margaret Lindsay Mackay, who died in 1957. He himself died on 29 November 1972. Victor Bridges Victor Bridges (real name Victor George de Freyne, 1878–1972) was a prolific English author of detective and fantasy fiction, and also a playwright and occasional poet. Born on 14 March 1878 at Clifton, Bristol, Victor George de Freyne may have been"
"Mills & Boon books. And on the 15th March 2015 she published her 200th book, titled Shadow Alpha, which was recognised, along with her other achievements by being awarded the 2015 RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Carole married to Peter, father to two children, they had four sons more, and now the family is formed by six children (with 22 years of difference between the first-born and the unexpected youngest child. Carole Mortimer Carole Mortimer (born 1960 in England) is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest"
"company was exclusively publishing Mills and Boon novels. Although Harlequin had the rights to distribute the Mills and Boon books throughout North America, in 1967 over 78% of their sales took place in Canada, where the sell-through rate was approximately 85%. Richard Bonnycastle died in 1968 and his son, Richard Bonnycastle, Jr., took over the company. He immediately organized the 1969 relocation of operations to Toronto, Ontario where he built the company into a major force in the publishing industry. In 1970, Bonnycastle, Jr. contracted with Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster to distribute the Mills and Boon novels in"
"formulaic, featuring heroines who were sweet, compassionate, pure and innocent. The few heroines who worked did so in traditional female jobs, including as nurses, governesses and secretaries. Intimacy in the novels never extended beyond a chaste kiss between the protagonists. On October 1, 1971, Harlequin purchased Mills and Boon. By this point, the romance novel genre ""had been popularized and distributed widely to an enthusiastic audience"" in Great Britain. In an attempt to duplicate Mills and Boon's success in North America, Harlequin improved their distribution and marketing system. By choosing to sell their books ""where the women are,"" they allowed"
"Mills & Boon in 1958. Another two novels appeared in 1960, and five more were published posthumously. By the late 1950s she was suffering from breast cancer, which spread to her bones and lymph nodes. She died in the Peter MacCallum Clinic in Melbourne on 4 July 1960, at the age of 31. Her themes include mutual attraction between earth women and male aliens, children with unearthly powers, Amazons in outer space, and planets ruled by matriarchies. Her tone is often light and humorous. Her achievements are commemorated by the Norma K. Hemming Award, established by the Australian Science Fiction"
"had been published by Mills and Boon in the Commonwealth of Nations. The first Mills and Boon novel to be reprinted by Harlequin was Anne Vinton's ""The Hospital in Buwambo"" (Mills and Boon No 407). The contract with Mills and Boon was based solely on a handshake, given each year when Bonnycastle visited London. He would lunch at the Ritz Hotel with Alan Boon, the son of a Mills and Boon founder, and the two would informally agree to extend their business agreement for an additional year. Mary Bonnycastle and her daughter Judy Burgess exercised editorial control over which Mills"
"heroes, I would probably bash him over the head with an empty whisky bottle. It is a type I loathe and detest. I imagine in all women, deep down inside us, is a primitive desire to be arrogantly bullied."" Many critics particularly point to the comments by another of Mills & Boon's writers, Violet Winspear, in 1970, that all her heroes ""must frighten and fascinate. They must be the sort of men who are capable of rape"". Bindel argues that, as heroines have acquired greater agency, the heroes have become even more domineering and misogynistic. Other critics contend that these"
"heroes of Mills & Boon novels have not significantly changed over time, however, almost always being a dominant alpha male. Joanna Bowring, co-curator of the Mills & Boon centenary exhibition at Manchester Central Library in 2008, notes that ""there's always been a subtle undercurrent of force throughout the books and that's never changed from the earliest ones. Even later, when other aspects are influenced by feminism and the shifting attitudes outside the novel, the men are masterful and stern."" In 1966, the Mills & Boon author Hilary Wilde said ""The odd thing is that if I met one of my"
"Violet Winspear Violet Winspear (28 April 1928 – January 1989) was a British writer of 70 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1961 to 1987. In 1973, she became a launch author for the new Mills & Boon-Harlequin Presents line of category romance novels. Presents line books were more sexually explicit than the previous line, Romance, under which Winspear had been published. She was chosen to be a launch author because she, along with Anne Mather and Anne Hampson were the most popular and prolific British authors of Mills and Boon. In 1970 Winspear commented that she wrote her"
"household chores and scribbled away in exercise books every chance she got. Now, she has two adult children, a son and a daughter, and two grandchildren, Abigail and Ben. With her husband's encouragement, she finally finished a manuscript, ""Caroline"". When she was only 19, in 1965, Mills & Boon published ""Caroline"", and this became her first published book, signed under the pseudonym Anne Mather. ""In fact her first five books were first published in hardback by Robert Hale Ltd, London although Mills & Boon later published these in paperback. The first novel to be issued entirely through M&B was Dangerous"
"Robyn Donald Robyn Donald (born 1940) is a prolific writer of romance novels who lives in Kerikeri in Northland, New Zealand. She writes for the English Mills and Boon romance series, and all her books have also been reedited under Harlequin Enterprises Limited series. Her first romance titled ""Bride at Whangatapu"" was published under the exegesis of Mills and Boon in 1977. Her books are printed 500,000 at a time. Born as Robyn Kingston in Warkworth where he father owned a dairy farm, she trained and worked as a teacher. She now lives at Kerikeri and is a fulltime writer"
"buy books within that line. Harlequin then began a reader service, selling directly to readers who agreed to purchase a certain number of books each month. At the time that Harlequin purchased Mills and Boon, the company published only one line of category romances. Six novels were released each month in this line, known as Harlequin Romance. At John Boon's urging, in 1973 Harlequin introduced a second line, Harlequin Presents. Designed partially to highlight three popular and prolific authors, Anne Hampson, Anne Mather, and Violet Winspear, these novels were slightly more sensual than their Harlequin Romance counterparts. Although Mary Bonnycastle"
"empty. And now it is almost full again with the laughter of grandchildren who all come to see her at least once a week. Four now, two boys and two girls. Sadly, her mother died a few months ago, but she’s all right — her five-year-old grandson told her he saw her last night and she was laughing. Amiable and disorganized, Emma will continue to write until someone tells her to stop. An ordinary life, a happy life, she considers herself very lucky. Emma Richmond Emma Richmond was a popular writer of 33 romance novels in Mills & Boon from"