Karen Robards Books In Order

Publication Order of Dr. Charlotte Stone Books

Publication Order of The Guardian Books

Publication Order of Banning Sisters Books

Publication Order of Jessica Ford Books

Publication Order of Pirates Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Karen Robards didn’t intend to become a best-selling romance author. She had a submission accepted to Reader’s Digest at a young age, but in her family of doctors and lawyers, “author” was not a valid career choice. When she wrote the first few pages of her first book, she had never even read a romance, noting that she had always considered them to be to un-intellectual for her liking. During a graduate level creative writing class, her professor requested they write the first 50 pages of a book that would get published. Pragmatically, Robards went to a local bookstore, looked at what was selling, and decided that was what she would write. In a class full of men who believed they were writing the next great American novel, Robard’s steamy, exciting romance stood out – in a bad way. Her classmates laughed, and her professor noted that while she had talent, she needed to fix her reading material. Her discouragement didn’t last for long, though: those first 50 pages turned into her first novel. In the summer before her final year of law school, Robards saved herself from a career path she didn’t want by dedicating herself to her writing. She resurrected her creative writing project, sent it to publishers, got some interest, and wrote Island Flame (1981). Thrilled by her success, she dropped out of law school and began writing full time.

Throughout her career, Robards has continued a common-sense approach to writing, choosing her own path instead of allowing others to direct her course. She is one of the few romance authors who’ve been able to make the switch from historical to contemporary romance, and she continues to write successfully in several romance genres, even when her publishers seem to think that particular style of book isn’t going to sell. She has stated that she chooses to write books that she would want to read, and her readers seem to agree with her. Her books have a winning combination of suspense, passion, and humor that keep readers coming back.

Robards resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and three sons, and credits her success to her supportive family and to her dedication. She treats writing as the full time job it is, working from 8 A.M. to 2 P.M. five days a week. Her consistency and dedication has paid off dividends: she has won multiple awards for her writing – including a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, has made the best-seller list several times, and, at one point, was writing two books a year. She refers to herself as a feminist, and the heroines of her novels often exhibit strong characteristics that back up this claim. She has been surprised by the resistance women authors face in the publishing industry, especially by the belief that writers who are pregnant or have young children suddenly lose the ability to write. Robards disproved this, writing throughout her pregnancies and her children’s upbringing. Her novels have been praised for their ability to mirror real life, with situations, scandals, and characters that are relatable to her readers. Throughout her stories, the sensuous quality of her writing shines through.

In the historical romance genre, Robards has a duology (the Hate Duology) consisting of her first two published novels, and a trilogy (the Banning Sisters series), as well as several stand alone entries. Her recent work has slanted more towards suspenseful romance works, with series based on the professional and personal lives of Jessica Ford and Dr. Charlotte Stone.

For the Jessica Ford series, Robards draws on her legal training to create her sexy, savvy protagonist. Jessica Ford is a rookie attorney who’s the only survivor of a fiery car crash. Among the victims was the first lady, and Jessica thinks the accident may not have been so accidental. Set on a political mise-en-scene, Pursuit follows Jessica on her mission, with lots of steamy and suspenseful turns in the mix.

The second entry into the Jessica Ford series is Justice. The book opens with Jessica attempting to hide her identity, a consequence of the events of the previous novel. Jessica deals with having a new career as a criminal lawyer in a high-profile firm while taking a closer look at a series of disappearances that, to Jessica, seem suspicious. She’s also saddled with a hunky secret service bodyguard, who just happens to be her ex-boyfriend. As the tension rises,Jessica’s life is in danger, and she discovers that it might not be so bad to have a big, strong man protecting her, even if he is her ex.

In 2012, Robards began a suspenseful paranormal romance series and introduced us to Dr. Charlotte (Charlie) Stone, a criminal pathologist intent on understanding (and stopping) madmen and serial killers. Charlie is haunted by her traumatic past, and also literally haunted by ghostly visitations. She struggles to keep these visions hidden, as she feels they will damage her reputation as a psychologist. In the first book of this series, The Last Victim, Charlie is contacted to help hunt down a murderer she is intimately tied to – a teenage girl is murdered with the same M.O. as Charlie’s teenage best friend. Is this the same man, or a copycat? Charlie also meets a sexy new man, with one problem: he’s a ghost. The romance and tension unfold together as the clock runs down on the killer’s next victim.

The second book in Dr. Charlotte Stone series is The Last Kiss Goodbye, published in 2013. Charlie’s romance with her supernatural lover continues, as does her career of trying to get into the heads of serial killers. Unfortunately for Charlie, this time, the killer she’s hunting also has a target: her. This opponent puts all of Charlie’s abilities to the test, while her steamy romance continues to evolve, and her hidden paranormal powers add to her insight. Charlie has no choice but to play the game the killer has set up, as he will continue to kill until he either captures his prey or until Charlie stops him.

2 Responses to “Karen Robards”

1. sherry vecellio: 2 years ago

   when does Karen Robers new book come out?sherry vecellio

   Reply
   • Graeme: 2 years ago

     Unsure. Her next book was tentatively titled Fire in the Sky. I’d seen a release date of June 2021 previously but now I am seeing June 2022. I checked Karen’s social media but she has made no reference to it or any new books coming out this year.

     Reply