Just Add Water

Kristie mentioned trads to full length historicals in her comment. I realized I forgot a few authors, who took something old and made it new, and in doing so made a few fans blue. Watch it grow Elizabeth Lowell did it once or twice: This Time Love (based on Sequel, SIM #128), Eden Burning (based on Fires of Eden, SIM #141), Beautiful Dreamer (based on Valley of the Sun, SIM #109), Remember Summer (based on Summer Games, SIM #57), To the Ends of the Earth (based on The Danvers Touch, SIM #18), Where the Heart Is (based on traveling Man, SIM #97), Desert Rain (based on Summer Thunder, SD #77), A Woman Without Lies (based on A Woman Without Lies, SIM #81), Lover in the Rough (based on Lover in the Rough, SIM #34), and Forget Me Not (based on Forget Me Not, SIM #72). The only one I have both copies of is Desert Rain/Summer Thunder and I don't think I have read either. I have read This Time Love, Lover in the Rough and Forget Me Not as well as the one I hate To the Ends of the Earth but haven't read the SIMs. So again... can't say if they are better or needed to be expanded - in my opinion. I want to say I have read EL say she never set out to write SIM's, so her books were always much longer than the publisher wanted them to be. So I think her purpose in expanding them was to tell the story she had first envisioned. Catherine Coulter is another writer who mined her backlist, dusted and created 'new' books. Her first novel, The Autumn Countess became The Countess. The Rebel Bride was first released as a Regency than expanded and released as a historical romance. Lord Deverill's Heir became The Heir, The Generous Earl became The Duke and Lord Harry's Folly became Lord Harry. There are a few more... doesn't look like any of her trads stayed that way. CC has a letter written to the reader telling why she reworked the novels and why they will work for you. Of course, you might have heard Judith McNaught edited a book of hers, Whitney, My Love. Uh... there were mixed feeling on the subject... Mary Jo Putney, the author kristie mentioned has some TRADITIONAL REGENCIES that were expanded. The Would-Be Widow revised into The Bargain, The Controversial Countess became Petals in the Storm, The Rake and the Reformer grew into The Rake and The Rogue and the Runaway revised into Angel Rogue. Nicole Jordan has also touched up some older novels. The Lover and The Warrior were both made more PC when they were reissued. Personally I liked the newer books but I know some wish the cheating and such had stayed just like it was. Touch of Fire is being reissued in December but I don't think there are any changes being made. I am sure I am missing some... what authors can you think of that reissued and revised their work? Do you think it is good or bad? Should even the author of a 'classic' novel not be allowed to change their own work? Or are readers sense of 'ownership' a bit much. What the hell makes a book a classic anyway? Can you think of a novel that changed for the better? Or one that didn't work? Is this just a historical thing? I couldn't think of any contemporary novels... maybe that goes back to what is and what isn't PC over the years.