eBooks also allow readers to download books that they might otherwise be ashamed to be seen carrying. (Fifty Shades of Grey anyone?) No one will be able to tell if you’re reading the New York Times or porn on your eReader on the ride to work on the subway.

eBooks also save shelf space, trees, and yes, money. eBooks are generally more inexpensive than hard copy books. All this translates to more people reading more books, and therefore increased book sales.

That’s all well and good, but now we have to think about our poor favorite authors, especially in the popular genres of romance, thrillers, and mysteries. The increased demand for books has put pressure on publishers and authors working in these fields to increase the number of books they write a year. Best-selling author Lisa Scottoline lamented, “It used to be that once a year was a big deal… But today the culture is a great hungry maw, and you have to feed it.” Scottoline is now writing two books a year, up from the one book a year she used to write. It’s a strain for Scottoline, who ends up writing for long hours every day.

Of course, not everyone finds a high rate of production as strenuous. Prolific and popular romance author Nora Roberts has been writing an average of seven new books a year since her first book was published in 1980. She now has more than 200 books to her name, and this year, she has 5 new books coming out, together with numerous reprints. Roberts is unique. The quality of her writing hasn’t suffered despite the large volume she produces.

But not everyone is Roberts. James Patterson, another prolific author, has been able to ramp up production to an astounding 12 books in 2011. He’s scheduled to release 13 this year. Patterson has had to rope in co-authors to reach that level of production, and the truth is, the quality of the books have suffered tremendously.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I love reading new books from my favorite authors. But quality’s important too, and too often, I’ve found myself disappointed with the eBooks from my favorite authors that I paid good money for. When you have to churn out books by the dozen, something has to give, and it’s usually quality.

I’d rather read one good book by my favorite author a year, and find other excellent authors and books to “tide me over” in the meantime, than read five mediocre books by that same favorite author. How about you?

The Rescue, published in 2005, is about how a volunteer fireman rescues a single mother and her speech-impaired son from a car crash. The book’s set in North Carolina, but the German film is going to be set in Germany – and filmed there as well. The decision to make a German film adaptation isn’t as odd as it may sound. Outside of the US, Germany is the largest market for Sparks’ books, with more than 12.5 million copies sold there. Sparks said, “I’m excited to produce something special for my German-speaking fans, who have supported my books and films for so many years.”

Sparks’ books have spawned a series of very successful films. Apart from The Lucky One, books that have been made into films include Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song.

Indeed, award winning director Lasse Hallstrom is currently hard at work on the newest Nicholas Sparks book adaptation, Safe Haven, which will star Josh Duhamel. Looks like there’s no stopping the Nicholas Sparks book and movie phenomenon!

Romance Author of the Month Gina Robinson

Hello hello BestRomanceStories.com readers and welcome to yet another installment of our series on our Romance Author of the Month Gina Robinson. As you’ll have found out in our earlier article about her, Gina is the author of a number of successful spy romances.

Gina’s latest novel Diamonds are Truly Forever is a brand new Agent Ex book, and will be released on May 22. Gina was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions about herself… Read on to find out more about Diamonds are Truly Forever, what it is about spies that so fascinates Gina, and what skills she has that might make her a good spy.

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Q. Hi Gina and thanks for taking the time to join in for this interview! Your new Agent X book, Diamonds Are Truly Forever will be released on May 22. Is there anything you’d like to tell our readers about the Agent X series and your latest book?

The Agent Ex books are what I like to call spylicious romances with a lot of action, adventure, and humor. We all see the glamorous side of spies like James Bond, but what would it be like to actually be married to him? What strains does a job like his put on a marriage? Each of the Agent Ex books features a secret agent and their spouse in a relationship that’s almost terminal and on the brink of divorce.

The back cover copy for Diamonds Are Truly Forever perfectly illustrates what I mean:

SHE CANNOT TELL A LIE

Staci Fields loves her gorgeous husband—and that’s the honest truth. Unfortunately, her inability to lie is a major liability for the wife of a CIA agent. During a previous mission, her loose lips nearly got her husband killed. So now Staci’s filing for divorce to keep him out of danger—no matter how much her lips still crave his kiss…

HE CANNOT HIDE HIS LOVE

Drew Fields knows that his wife doesn’t want to play the spy game anymore. But when he learns that Staci may be a pawn in her stepfather’s secret dealings with terrorists, he has no choice but to step back into her life. This time, the stakes are higher than ever. The closer he gets to Staci, the deadlier the odds. And the more he loves his ex, the more he has to lose…

 Q. What fascinates you about spies and spycraft? What inspired you to write books about spies?

I’ve always been fascinated by the double lives spies lead. Think of the nerve it must take to keep up a cover life day after day never knowing whom you can trust and who might betray you.

I actually sort of fell into writing about spies. I read a travel article about a fantasy spy camp and that got me thinking–what would happen if people went to a camp where they were pretending to be spies and actually fell into a real mystery? That was the basis for my first book, Spy Candy. After that, it was a natural progression to write actual spy stories. Because I love romance, I write about spies’ personal lives and their trials in finding love and living happily ever after.

Q In The Spy Who Left Me, Treflee does incredibly well as a spy, despite having no real training. Do you think you’d make a good spy? What are three skills that you currently have that you think would make you a good spy?

I’d probably be a terrible spy. I’m a lot like my heroine Staci in Diamonds Are Truly Forever in that I’m a really bad liar. And acting isn’t my thing, either. Those are huge detriments to a spy. On the other hand, I’m a good eavesdropper, a strategic/logical thinker, and I love people watching.

Q. You studied electrical engineering and used to write software for defense contractors. Does your engineering background and work experience influence / help with your writing? If so, how?

Engineering taught me to think logically and evaluate problems from all angles. Those are terribly useful skills when plotting a novel. I’ve even been known to make flowcharts for some of my novels. I also understand more about how technology works than many people, which is helpful.

Q. Do you have any quirky habits, or are there any rituals or routines that you have to go through before you start writing?

I have a composition notebook for each book I start. I usually jot down my thoughts in it and fill up about 8-10 pages with notes before I start writing. After that, I generally abandon the notebook. So I have all of these composition notebooks around with only a few pages used in each. But I absolutely need a fresh, new one for each book. I can’t make myself use one that already has notes for another book in it.

Q. Who are some authors who have made an impression on you, and who influence your work? What are some of your favorite books?

Of course the Ian Fleming Bond books have influenced me and the way I write about spies. As for my favorite books, I love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It’s just such a classic relationship book and Austen is so tremendously witty in her writing.

Q. Please tell us three things about yourself that you think will surprise readers.

1. I’m not terribly adventurous. Not nearly as adventurous as my characters, that’s for sure.

2.  I have absolutely no spatial ability at all, which is really odd for someone who majored in engineering.

3. I consider myself a serious person.

Q. If you could have one super power, what would it be?

I’d love to be able to fly. Like a lot of people, I have dreams where I’m soaring above the world on my own power. The sense of freedom in those dreams is absolutely thrilling. Who wouldn’t want that?

Lord of Vengeance by Lara Adrian

Lara Adrian is better known for her paranormal romances than her historical romance books, but before her Midnight Breed books shot her romance book super-stardom, Adrian had (as Tina St. John) great success with historical romance books as well. Lord of Vengeance is an example, having been a HOLT Medallion finalist for best historical romance of the year. As a child, Gunnar Rutledge watched helplessly as the Baron D’Bussy murdered his father and slew his mother. Now a well-proven knight and skilled warrior, Gunnar is ready to take revenge on the Baron. He takes the Baron’s daughter Raina hostage, determined to use her as a means to strike out at her father. The wronged knight knows no mercy, and will stop at nothing to destroy his enemy. But in the ten days that he holds Raina captive, he finds himself charmed by her sweetness and spirit. Raina too finds herself learning the ugly truth behind her own family, and starts to fall for Gunnar – even if she knows that he’s determined to destroy her family to avenge his own.

Best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon brings us back to the Ichidian universe with Born of Silence, the fifth installment in her fantasy romance book series, The League. Although the quality of the books in The League series has been somewhat inconsistent, Born of Silence is by far one of Kenyon’s best, featuring a tortured hero to rival fan favorite, Acheron (of the Dark Hunter series).

The hero, Darling Cruel (I know, I had to laugh at the name when I first read it several books back), has had a very hard time of it in this fantasy romance book. As the heir to the Caronese Empire, Darling should have had a wonderful childhood. But when his Uncle Arturo kills his father and usurps the throne, Darling is forced to endure years of abuse by his Uncle. At 28, he remains a minor, and under his Uncle’s rigid control. He’s also had to pretend to be gay in order to protect his mother and siblings.

But Darling also has a secret identity as mysterious masked fighter Kere in The League. [He’s also clearly not gay, and Kenyon does a great job of explaining the subterfuge.] As Kere, he’s been fighting alongside Resistance leader Zarya Starska – and having a secret affair with her. Kere and Zarya are in love, and they’ve been planning to marry, but when Zarya discovers Kere’s real identity, everything falls apart. Zarya has good reason to hate the governing family – it destroyed her family. When she finds out that Kere is actually the true heir to the government, she’s stunned.  And when darling is captured by the Resistance, and tortured horribly, Darling nearly breaks. He vows to wrest back control of government – and kill every member of the Resistance. It’s up to Zarya to pull Darling back from the brink and bring back the lover she used to know.

I really enjoyed this book – more than I have any other Kenyon fantasy romance book since Acheron. As we know from Acheron, Kenyon has a real gift for creating tortured heroes. (Zarek – in Dance with the Devil – is another good example.) She does another great job with Darling. I haven’t sobbed as much since I read Acheron! Let you think I care only for Darling, a few words also about Zarya, who was a strong, likeable heroine, and a good match for Darling. Continuity between Born of Silence and the rest of the series is good, and Kenyon continues to keep the Ichidian universe both consistent and believable. Born of Silence was a strong showing by Kenyon, and I look forward to the next book in this excellent fantasy romance book series!

I read in an article today that a number of Florida public libraries have either banned or declined to carry the popular erotic romance books. Some libraries say that they can’t bring in the books because of a limited budget. Another library has been more blunt, saying that it won’t buy erotic or pornographic books for the library. The Collier County library has declined to stock the book because of its “lack of literary merits including writing quality and lack of compelling plot.”

Now, we must remember that the Fifty Shades of Grey books are currently some of the most talked about novels in America. Everyday there’s an article or two about the books or the author E.L. James (who is currently on her U.S. book tour). They’re also selling like hotcakes.

Libraries are a public service, and the book there are intended for the use by those who cannot afford to – or choose not to – purchase books for themselves. The service is funded by taxpayers, by and large, and is for the public good. With this in mind, shouldn’t they be stocking books that are a big part of the current zeitgeist? Shouldn’t library members be able to choose not to buy the books that have been on the best-seller lists for months, but instead check out these books?

Let’s look also at the excuse that libraries won’t stock erotic romance books or pornography. Having read all three Fifty Shades of Grey books, I would certainly say that they are no more “smutty” than some of the steamy romances from “mainstream” romance book authors. All those bodice rippers that you see in your local library are just as much erotic romance as James’ books. The difference now is that the books have been portrayed in the media as “porn”. They’re not – if the powers-that-be would just read the books, they’d probably see that too.

Which brings me also to the excuse that the libraries can’t stock the books because of a “lack of literary merits”. If that was the reason, then libraries would only stock the literary greats – you know, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Hemingway, Hardy and so on. Oh no, wait, Hardy’s work was panned by the Victorian public as “obscene” (Jude The Obscure having been called Jude The Obscene). So we can’t be having any of those obscene Thomas Hardy books around at libraries as well. And oh, wasn’t Chaucer actually incredibly ribald? Let’s throw his works out too!

I know most library goers whose libraries don’t stock the erotic romance trilogy can go out and buy a copy for themselves. But it’s the principle of the thing you see. My point is, if you can stock Hardy and Chaucer, and if you can stock other romance books (some of which have sex scenes, gasp) then you can definitely stock the Fifty Shades of Grey books.