Tanner, Janet 1941(?)–

(Jade Shannon)

PERSONAL: Born c. 1941; married; children: two daughters.

ADDRESSES: Home—Radstock, Bath, England. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Severn House Publishers, 9-15 High St., Sutton, Surrey SM1 1DF, England. E-mail—goldengleam@aol.com.

CAREER: Novelist and short story writer.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

The Black Mountains, Macdonald (London, England), 1981.

The Hours of Light, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1981.

Oriental Hotel, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1984.

The Emerald Valley, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1985.

Women and War, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1987.

The Hills and the Valley, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1988.

Inherit the Skies, Century (London, England), 1989, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1990.

Folly's Child, Century (London, England), 1991, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1992.

Daughter of Riches, Century (London, England), 1992, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

Deception and Desire, Century (London, England), 1993, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.

The Eden Inheritance, Century (London, England), 1994.

The Shores of Midnight, Century (London, England), 1997.

A Family Affair, Century (London, England), 1999.

All That Glisters, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2001.

Hostage to Love, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2001.

Morwennan House, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2002.

Shadows of the Past, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2003.

Tucker's Inn, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2003.

Forgotten Destiny, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2004.

No Hiding Place, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2005.

The Penrose Treasure, Severn House (Sutton, England), 2005.

AS JADE SHANNON

Flowers in the Valley, Macdonald (London, England), 1982.

A Scent of Mimosa, Macdonald (London, England), 1983.

SIDELIGHTS: Janet Tanner writes popular fiction that frequently relates a family's multigenerational saga. In Inherit the Skies she opens with modern scenes, then takes readers, in flashback, to the Morse family's origins in England during the early 1900s. There Gilbert Morse has made a fortune with his automobile company, and has even begun to experiment with flying machines. His estate in Somerset, England is populated with his headstrong offspring, including daughter Alicia. Alicia is eventually caught up in a battle of wills with her illegitimate half-sister, Sarah, who ultimately takes control of the family empire. A Publishers Weekly writer found that the story's strength comes from Sarah's "nascent feminism and details of the aviation business."

Another family epic is presented in Daughter of Riches, which spans several decades and two continents. Daughter of Riches also has an element of mystery, as investigative reporter Dan Deffains looks into the secret past of the wealthy Langlois family. Tanner is "no stylist," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, but nevertheless, she "adroitly spins an intense tale of courage, ambition, corruption and love."

Deception and Desire, published in the United States in 1995, is "brimming with bridled British passion," advised another Publishers Weekly reviewer. Blending mystery and drama into the world of high fashion, the book provides fast-paced entertainment. "Interweaving detailed inner landscapes, Tanner's twisty yet foreseeable maneuvers are deftly delivered," commented the critic. The book's plotting was also praised by Denise Perry Donavin in Booklist; she stated that Tanner's many personal and business story threads are "sure to keep her readers amused and musing."

Tanner turns to the gothic genre with Morwennan House, a novel set in Cornwall, England, in about the year 1800. The story is narrated by Charity Palfrey, an orphan being raised by a local rector and his wife. When she grows up, Charity finds a position as a governess and falls in love with Tom Stanton, a man whom she believes is a smuggler who lures ships to crash on the rocky coastline so that he can plunder their cargoes. Reviewing the novel for Booklist, Shelley Mosley called Tanner "immensely skillful in her portrayal of a brave heroine in search of her roots."

Another of Tanner's gothic novels, Forgotten Destiny, features an amnesiac heroine, Davina, whose guardians want her to marry an older man who has made a fortune in the slave trade. When a stranger stops Davina in the street and calls her "Rowan," memories of her past life are triggered, and she finds that these newfound recollections may endanger her life. Booklist reviewer Mosley stated that "Tanner has created a compelling heroine" and a gripping story "that will keep readers on the edge of their seats."

Tanner told CA: "I have written stories for a long as I can remember—and my only desire is to entertain! My first readers were my classmates when I was about fourteen years old—I used to write steamy serials (12-15 episodes) on exercise-book paper! And I still write every word in pencil on A4 narrow feint paper before transferring it to my computer.

"My first novels—the 'Hillsbridge' series, beginning with The Black Mountains—are based on my home town, Radstock, [England,] which used to be the centre of the Somerset coalfield. My father had worked as a 'carting boy' and The Black Mountains, though the story is fictional, includes many true stories he told me of him and his family.

"Of all the books I have written, my favourite is Oriental Hotel—my definitive romance. I adore the hero, Brit—and still use the nickname for my husband of forty years, Terry (who, incidentally, supplied me with the immortal line in response to Elise's question 'What do you want?' when he comes to her cabin late at night. All my flowery suggestions were replaced by his direct 'What do you think I want? You!').

"Recently I have much enjoyed writing gothic romances, and at present I am penning a crime novel—Terry is an ex-policeman, so I'm hoping for some more pertinent one-liners from him!"

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 1995, Denise Perry Donavin, review of Deception and Desire, p. 1061; March 1, 2002, Shelley Mosley, review of All That Glisters, p. 1098; November 15, 2002, Mosley, review of Morwennan House, p. 583; June 1, 2003, Mosley, review of Shadows of the Past, p. 1746; February 1, 2004, Mosley, review of Tucker's Inn, p. 955; October 1, 2004, Mosley, review of Forgotten Destiny, p. 317; February 15, 2005, Mosley, review of No Hiding Place, p. 1062.

Publishers Weekly, September 28, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of Inherit the Skies, p. 85; June 14, 1993, review of Daughter of Riches, p. 60; February 20, 1995, review of Deception and Desire, p. 197.

ONLINE

Janet Tanner Home Page, http://www.janettanner.co.uk (June 27, 2005).

RomanticTimes.com, http://www.romantictimes.com/ (March 14, 2005), Jill M. Smith, review of Deception and Desire.