We have all been immensely saddened by the death of Jo Beverley. Jo fought a brave battle against cancer a few years ago and appeared to have beaten it but unfortunately it returned and she passed away last week. Jo was an immensely popular author and won many awards for her fabulous books. She was also inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame. Her death has come as a sad blow to her many, many fans on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. It has also come as a blow to those of us who knew her. Jo was a very generous author who gave a great deal of help and advice to those who were starting out as authors, as well as those with more experience. She had an enormous knowledge and willingly shared it with others.
She was a calm and gracious presence at RNA conferences, where she became a familiar face after her return to England, having lived in Canada for many years. She joined our Historical Romance UK blog , where she entertained readers and supported writers through her lively blog posts. Her last blog post was written only a few short months ago, in March. It was about one of her favourite plots, the marriage of convenience, a familiar plot she brought vividly to life with her own unique style. That was the key to Jo's success. She could take a familiar plot and stamp it with her own unique voice.
We are all thinking of her family at this difficult time and offer them our condolences. We would like to thank Jo for the joy she brought into so many lives. She will be sadly missed.
Amanda Grange
1 comment:
I was away in Northern Manitoba (the wilds of Canada) when all of this happened with Jo Beverley. The odd thing is that I was reading her latest The Viscount Needs a Wife, which led me to reread most of the other Rogue books when I returned. It was only last night when I stumbled on the news of her passing. I feel I have lost a friend. I love her books, and her Author's notes at the end of most. The notes would often lead me to research of my own. She will be sorely missed. I have this hollow feeling in my chest thinking about it. That's a powerful writing ability to evoke such pain when I have never even met her.
Post a Comment