Haeger, Diane

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Haeger, Diane

PERSONAL:

Married. Education: Doctoral studies in clinical psychology.

ADDRESSES:

Home—CA.

CAREER:

Author.

WRITINGS:

ROMANCE NOVELS

Courtesan, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

The Return, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Angel Bride, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Pieces of April, HarperTorch (New York, NY), 1997.

Beyond the Glen, HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1998.

The Secret Wife of King George IV, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2000.

My Dearest Cecelia: A Novel of the Southern Belle Who Stole General Sherman's Heart, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2003.

The Ruby Ring, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 2005.

The Perfect Royal Mistress, Three Rivers Press (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Diane Haeger is a romance novelist whose works have taken readers on historical journeys through the centuries, from Rome in the 1500s to Scotland in the 1980s.Her first novel, Courtesan, was serendipitously inspired by a story about Diane de Poitiers, mistress to King Henry II. Haeger related on her home page: "I grew absolutely driven to accurately tell to an American audience the true story of Diane de Poitiers' strength, love and commitment to a man she loved but could never marry." Haeger has written steadily since, with nine published historical novels to date.

The Secret Wife of King George IV is another of Haeger's fictional works that has its roots in historical nonfiction. In the eighteenth century, a secret relationship formed between the Anglican King George IV and Maria Fitzherbert, a young Catholic widow. Haeger tells a fictional account of their clandestine marriage and the political, practical, and personal conflicts that tore the two apart. Library Journal reviewer Andrea Lee Shuey wrote: "Historical romance readers will enjoy this depiction of true love fraught with complications." A contributor to Publishers Weekly pointed out that "Haeger is most successful in the textured characterization of her two protagonists."

The protagonist of Haeger's ninth novel, The Perfect Royal Mistress, is Nell Gwynne, a seventeenth-century actress and mistress of King Charles II. Coming from humble beginnings, Nell caught the king's eye during a performance, and the two began a longtime—and not particularly secret—relationship. Conflict appears in the form of mistresses competing for the king's attention, Nell's desire to continue her acting career, and the king's involvement in political intrigue. In a review for Booklist, Carol Haggas described the novel as a "lively tale of ribald passion and royal politics," further noting that "Haeger's captivating historical drama abounds with tantalizing scenes." A Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked that Haeger "perfectly balances the history with the trystery."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 2007, Carol Haggas, review of The Perfect Royal Mistress, p. 54.

Library Journal, March 15, 2000, Andrea Lee Shuey, review of The Secret Wife of King George IV, p. 126.

Publishers Weekly, January 31, 2000, review of The Secret Wife of King George IV, p. 78; January 8, 2007, review of The Perfect Royal Mistress, p. 34.