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Janet Dailey (1944–2013)

Author of Tangled Vines

294+ Works 14,711 Members 208 Reviews 9 Favorited

About the Author

Janet Dailey was born on May 21, 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa. She was a romance writer, who wrote over 150 books during her lifetime. Her works include No Questions Asked, the Calder series, the Americana series, and Merry Christmas, Cowboy. In 1993, she received the Romance Writers of America show more Lifetime Achievement Award. She died on December 14, 2013 at the age of 69. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Series

Works by Janet Dailey

Tangled Vines (1992) 330 copies, 2 reviews
The Proud and the Free (2009) 304 copies, 3 reviews
Aspen Gold (1991) 292 copies, 2 reviews
Heiress (1987) 277 copies, 2 reviews
This Calder Sky (1981) 269 copies, 2 reviews
Calder Pride (1999) 269 copies, 2 reviews
Green Calder Grass (2002) 262 copies, 5 reviews
The Great Alone (1986) 246 copies, 2 reviews
Masquerade (1990) 240 copies, 1 review
This Calder Range (1982) 233 copies, 3 reviews
Shifting Calder Wind (2003) 228 copies, 3 reviews
Stands A Calder Man (1983) 227 copies, 5 reviews
Rivals (1989) 227 copies, 1 review
Calder Promise (2004) 221 copies, 4 reviews
Calder Born, Calder Bred (1983) 220 copies, 2 reviews
Notorious (1996) 204 copies, 1 review
Calder Storm (2006) 200 copies, 3 reviews
Illusions (1997) 191 copies
Silver Wings, Santiago Blue (1984) 184 copies, 3 reviews
Lone Calder Star (2005) 173 copies, 3 reviews
Something More (2007) 168 copies, 1 review
The Rogue (1980) 157 copies, 1 review
Legacies (1995) 155 copies, 1 review
Bannon Brothers: Trust (2011) 142 copies, 6 reviews
Eve's Christmas (1981) 140 copies, 1 review
The Glory Game (1985) 133 copies
Scrooge Wore Spurs (2002) 126 copies, 1 review
Santa in Montana (2010) 124 copies, 4 reviews
Night Way (1981) 123 copies, 1 review
Touch the Wind (1979) 112 copies, 4 reviews
The Pride of Hannah Wade (1985) 108 copies, 1 review
Mistletoe and Holly (1982) 107 copies
Bannon Brothers: Honor (2012) 106 copies, 2 reviews
A Capital Holiday (2001) 100 copies, 4 reviews
Ride the Thunder (1980) 100 copies
Bannon Brothers: Triumph (2013) 97 copies, 6 reviews
Texas True (2015) 97 copies, 1 review
A Cowboy Under My Christmas Tree (2012) 90 copies, 4 reviews
Mistletoe and Molly (2007) 90 copies
Long, Tall Christmas (2015) 85 copies, 3 reviews
Santa In A Stetson (2009) 84 copies, 1 review
My Kind of Christmas (2018) 83 copies, 2 reviews
Texas Tough (2015) 82 copies, 1 review
Dangerous Masquerade (1976) 82 copies, 4 reviews
Christmas on My Mind (2016) 81 copies, 4 reviews
Refuge Cove (The New Americana Series) (2017) 79 copies, 1 review
Holding Out for Christmas (2020) 79 copies, 2 reviews
Santa's Sweetheart (2021) 79 copies, 1 review
Bed of Grass (1980) 78 copies, 2 reviews
Just a Little Christmas (2017) 76 copies
Northern Magic (1982) 76 copies, 2 reviews
Kona Winds (1979) 75 copies, 1 review
Sunrise Canyon (The New Americana Series) (2016) 75 copies, 2 reviews
Christmas in Cowboy Country (The Bennetts) (2014) 75 copies, 3 reviews
Valley of the Vapours (1976) 75 copies
Leftover Love (1984) 74 copies, 3 reviews
Merry Christmas, Cowboy (2013) 71 copies, 6 reviews
Southern Nights (1980) 71 copies
No Quarter Asked (1990) 70 copies
Lord of the High Lonesome (1980) 69 copies, 1 review
The Traveling Kind (1981) 68 copies
A Land Called Deseret (1979) 67 copies, 2 reviews
Enemy in Camp (1980) 67 copies, 1 review
Summer Mahogany (1979) 66 copies, 2 reviews
It's a Christmas Thing (2019) 65 copies, 4 reviews
The Thawing of Mara (1980) 65 copies
After the Storm (1975) 65 copies, 1 review
Terms of Surrender (1982) 65 copies
The Matchmakers (1978) 64 copies
The Homeplace (1976) 64 copies, 1 review
Six White Horses (1977) 64 copies, 1 review
Difficult Decisions (1980) 63 copies
One of the Boys (1980) 63 copies, 1 review
A Tradition of Pride (1981) 63 copies, 1 review
That Boston Man (1979) 63 copies
Tidewater Lover (1978) 63 copies
Sonora Sundown (1978) 62 copies, 1 review
Big Sky Country (1977) 62 copies
The Mating Season (1980) 61 copies
The Widow and the Wastrel (1977) 61 copies, 1 review
Fire and Ice (1975) 61 copies
The Indy Man (1977) 59 copies, 1 review
The Hostage Bride (1981) 58 copies
Heart of Stone (1980) 58 copies
Dakota Dreamin' (1981) 58 copies
Savage Land (1974) 57 copies
To Tell the Truth (1979) 57 copies
Sentimental Journey (1979) 56 copies
Giant of Mesabi (1978) 56 copies
Show Me (1976) 56 copies, 1 review
Darling Jenny (1975) 55 copies, 1 review
Evergreen Christmas (Frosted Firs Ranch) (2024) 55 copies, 5 reviews
Reilly's Woman (1977) 55 copies, 1 review
A Lyon's Share (1977) 55 copies, 1 review
Searching For Santa (1984) 54 copies, 4 reviews
Wild and Wonderful (1981) 54 copies
For the Love of God (1981) 54 copies, 2 reviews
Fiesta San Antonio (1977) 54 copies, 2 reviews
Night of the Cotillion (1976) 53 copies
For Mike's Sake (1979) 53 copies
Green Mountain Man (1982) 53 copies, 1 review
That Carolina Summer (1981) 53 copies, 1 review
Somebody Like Santa (2022) 52 copies
Land of Enchantment (1975) 52 copies
Texas Forever (The Tylers of Texas) (2019) 52 copies, 2 reviews
A Calder at Heart (The Calder Brand) (2023) 51 copies, 1 review
Strange Bedfellow (1987) 50 copies, 1 review
For Bitter Or Worse (1978) 49 copies
Texas Fierce (The Tylers of Texas) (2017) 49 copies, 1 review
Bluegrass King (1977) 48 copies
Separate Cabins (1983) 47 copies
Beware of the Stranger (1978) 45 copies
The Lancaster Men (1981) 44 copies
Boss Man from Ogallala (1975) 43 copies, 1 review
Western Man (1983) 43 copies
Best Way to Lose (1983) 43 copies
The Second Time (1982) 42 copies
To Santa With Love (1977) 42 copies, 3 reviews
Sweet Promise (1976) 41 copies, 1 review
Flower Girls [Anthology 4-in-1] (1996) — Contributor — 41 copies
Quicksand (2022) 41 copies
Foxfire Light (1982) 40 copies, 2 reviews
One in a Million (Rivalries) (2024) 40 copies, 1 review
Something Extra (When You Kiss Me anth) (1975) 40 copies, 1 review
Try To Resist Me [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2006) 37 copies, 1 review
Yes, I Do [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2008) 37 copies
The Master Fiddler (1977) 34 copies
Blue Moon Haven (New Americana, 7) (2022) 33 copies, 2 reviews
Marry Me, Cowboy! [Anthology 4-in-1] (1995) — Author — 32 copies
Stealing Kisses [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2008) 32 copies, 1 review
Wildcatter's Woman (1982) 30 copies
Calder Country (The Calder Brand) (2024) 29 copies, 2 reviews
You're Still the One [Anthology 4-in-1] (2013) 25 copies, 1 review
Because of You [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2002) 23 copies, 1 review
Lover Man [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2009) 22 copies
The Ivory Cane (1977) 20 copies
Texas Kiss [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2009) 20 copies
American Destiny (2009) 19 copies
Lie for a Million (Rivalries) (2025) 17 copies, 1 review
Forever [Omnibus 2-in1] (2004) 16 copies
Everything [Omnibus 2-in-1] (2004) 15 copies, 1 review
Calder Strong (The Calder Brand) (2025) 14 copies, 1 review
365 Ways to Make Love (1996) 7 copies
Presomptions (1997) 3 copies
AILES D'ARGENT (2001) 2 copies
Les ailes d'argent (1986) 2 copies
Amante Indócil 2 copies
Le mal-aimé (1984) 2 copies
Duel 2 copies
La princesse cherokee (1995) 2 copies
Os Donos da terra 2 copies, 1 review
Le ranch Calder (1984) 2 copies
Le dernier des Calder (2001) 1 copy
Prisonniers du bonheur (2001) 1 copy
Amor indeciso ( (2021) 1 copy
Destiny 2/1 1 copy
El intruso (1982) 1 copy
Devocao (1998) 1 copy
Calder Saga Books 1-5 (1990) 1 copy
Silvervingar. D. 2 (1986) 1 copy
Baile de máscaras (1990) 1 copy
Amor Em Jogo (1990) 1 copy, 1 review
ORGULHOSOS E LIVRES (1995) 1 copy
Nepokořená (2000) 1 copy
A luta pela terra 1 copy, 1 review
Santa’s Sweetheart (2021) 1 copy

Associated Works

How to Write a Romance and Get it Published (1983) — Contributor, some editions — 128 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Legal name
Dailey, Janet Ann Haradon
Birthdate
1944-05-21
Date of death
2013-12-14
Gender
female
Occupations
secretary
novelist
Awards and honors
Romance Writers of America (Lifetime Achievement Award, 1993)
Short biography
Sued by Nora Roberts in 1997 for plagiarism. Ms. Dailey admitted this and settled with Ms. Roberts, blaming the lapse on psychological problems. (See Wikipedia for details). She is writing original work again.

Janet Dailey is the American author of over 100 books. She began her career as a category romance writer with Harlequin in 1974. She transitioned to single-title romance novels in 1979. Her first mass market romance novel, Touch the Wind, reached the New York Times Best Seller List. Her subsequent books have also been New York Times Bestsellers. Her novel Foxfire Light was made into a movie.

Dailey was born and raised in Iowa. She met her husband, Bill, when she worked at the secretarial firm he owned. In 1980, Dailey and her husband moved to Branson, Missouri, where Bill promoted and produced shows at the American Theater. He died on August 5, 2005.
Cause of death
complications from heart surgery
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
Storm Lake, Iowa, USA
Places of residence
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Branson, Missouri, USA
Early, Iowa, USA
Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA
Place of death
Branson, Missouri, USA
Burial location
Ozarks Memorial Park Cemetery, Branson, Missouri, USA
Map Location
Iowa, USA

Members

Reviews

219 reviews
For the Love of God is an unusual book that skirts the fine line between mainstream and inspirational romance. It probably has a little too much religion to be considered purely mainstream, but also has too much sexual tension to be considered purely inspirational. For me though, that meant it was just right.;-) Considering that this book was originally published by Silhouette, I was surprised at how much of a role the characters' faith played in the story, particularly for Seth, yet in my show more opinion, it wasn't the least bit preachy. Since he is a minister, of course he attends church every Sunday, and performs all the duties expected of a man of God. There was some mild discussion of Biblical content, and I was quite impressed with a rather sensual scene where Seth and Abbie read The Song of Solomon to each other (complete with Bible passages quoted). Since that happens to be one of my favorite books of the Bible, I absolutely loved the scene, and thought it was beautiful and romantic. However, I realize that other readers on both sides of the mainstream/inspirational fence may find it offensive for completely opposing reasons. Because of this, and some other mild sensuous content, as well as one mild profanity, I doubt a Christian publisher would touch it. Seth and Abbie share some passionate kisses and moderate caressing which built some surprisingly good sexual tension, but they never completely crossed that line. In fact, they chose to wait until marriage (which doesn't actually happen in the book), so there are no full-blown love scenes, which should make it appropriate for most readers.

Seth was an extremely appealing hero. I rarely see a minister character outside of the inspirational romance sub-genre, so that alone was intriguing to me. I loved that he was so laid back, not really caring much about the small-town gossip that was being generated by him dating Abbie. I've never cared much for pulpit-pounding ministers, and it seemed that the retiring pastor who Seth was replacing was one of those. Seth, however, couldn't have been further from that himself. He was much more a teacher than a preacher, and also exhibited genuine care and concern for his flock. As a minister, he was just about perfect for me, but he certainly raised a few eyebrows when he came to town. No one, including Abbie, thought that he looked or acted like a minister, because of his stunning good looks, his little, green sports car, and the fact that he'd rather wear jeans and t-shirts than a clerical collar when he wasn't “on duty.” He was extremely charming though, winning most people over pretty quickly, and those he didn't, he just didn't sweat it. I liked that he was looking for the right woman for him and not the right woman for his profession. When half the ladies in town started bringing him casseroles and cakes and coming to church on Sundays even when they hadn't attended in years, he just took it all in stride, and never seemed to be interested in anyone but Abbie. I just love a hero who is single-minded in his pursuit of the heroine. It took a while, but Seth finally convinced her that he was only flesh-and-blood, like any other man, and shouldn't be put up on a pedestal.

Abbie was a really likable heroine who had returned to her small home-town after a bad breakup. When Abbie first met Seth, she was very attracted to him, but when she found out he was the new minister, she wasn't quite so sure if a relationship between them would work. At first, she was a little intimidated by his position, but Seth deftly charmed her into one, then two, then more dates, and before she knew it, she was falling in love. Along the way though, Abbie fell prey to some of the town gossip, and worried that she and Seth shouldn't be together or that he was just toying with her. I wish she'd had a little more faith in Seth and his love even though he hadn't come out and told her yet, but overall, her doubts weren't too overblown in my opinion. She was just a really nice girl who'd had her heart broken once already and wasn't quite sure until Seth convinced her.

There weren't many prominent secondary characters, but I did enjoy Abbie's relationship with her parents, especially her dad, for whom she works. I also liked the two elderly sisters from the church, who are complete opposites. Since they're always telling stories, Seth encouraged them to write a book, and they ended up writing a racy romance which amused him. Some of the background townspeople could get a little ornery about trying to imply or outright tell Seth who he should/shouldn't be dating/marrying, but I was very happy to see Seth put them in their place by doing what he thought was right.

For the Love of God was first published in 1981, but surprisingly it didn't feel all that dated to me. There was a mention of Trans-World Airlines (TWA), which no longer exists, and if one paid close enough attention, the fashions and lack of cell phones might show its age, but overall it seemed like it could be taking place today. For the Love of God was a really sweet, feel-good romance, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It might have had something to do with feeling like the author found that delicate balance between religious content and sensuous content, or maybe it was a yummy hero and appealing characters in general, but this book has found a place on my keeper shelf. It was my first read by Janet Daily, but it has left me interested in checking out her other works.
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½
Ruth is eager to move on after her divorce and start new holiday traditions to help her children heal painful memories. Judd, the man she loved long ago comes back into her life unexpectedly when her son takes interest in his custom saddle business. Judd begins to bond with him and Ruth wonders how long until her secret is exposed… Judd is his father. Will feelings rekindle between Ruth and Judd or will the truth break her family?

THE SOUND OF SLEIGHBELLS was a heartwarming holiday read. I show more loved the cozy small-town setting and could easily picture this as a Hallmark movie. This is the first Janet Dailey book I’ve read. I was a little worried of what I was getting into when I first started reading as Ruth’s character and history were being introduced. Her life seemed like a mess and I wondered how this would possibly be a happy romance tale, but once the story got going, it became clear that there were charming characters and an ultimately sweet story despite the darker plot elements. It was easy to either love-to-love or love-to-hate the characters. I was particularly fond of Abner. The romance aspect was tasteful and not overwhelming, leaving themes of family, community, second chances and new beginnings to really shine. Taking place over a span of time that includes both Thanksgiving and Christmas, THE SOUND OF SLEIGHBELLS gives the reader a good amount of holiday spirit and a satisfying ending.

THE SOUND OF SLEIGHBELLS is book six of Janet Dailey’s The Christmas Tree Ranch series. I’d recommend it to fans of small-town romance and those looking for a holiday read. I look forward to reading the other books of the series as well as Dailey’s other works.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Between the Chapters for the giveaway ARC.
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A tragic accident landed Travis in prison for three years. Now free, he’s returned to Branding Iron, Texas to live at a ranch he inherited. Without family or money, Travis doesn’t plan on celebrating Christmas but it might not be possible to escape the holiday spirit when living in Branding Iron.

After enjoying THE SOUND OF SLEIGHBELLS, book six of Janet Dailey’s The Christmas Tree Ranch series, I decided to start back at the beginning and read the rest in order. Book one, MY KIND OF show more CHRISTMAS, was a quick holiday read, though I didn’t enjoy it as much. The chemistry between the characters felt forced. I am a fan of small-town Christmas settings though and did like seeing where the series started. Even though this particular book wasn’t the biggest hit for me, I do look forward to continuing with the rest to see how the series develops. show less
It's been a long time since I read a Harlequin book. I don't remember them as being quite so bad as this one was. The best part was the story of the long time farm employee who bested the arrogant Rans McQuade who thought he was too old to do the plowing with his mules. Unfortunately, McQuade's arrogance is treated as a positive character trait even to the point of his winning the lady's affections. This statement really made my blood boil "...all it takes is a little brute force to change show more you from a frigid wildcat to a sex kitten." All the men in this story from Lara's father to her two-timing husband are throwbacks to the bad old days and Lara would be much better off far, far away from them. I'm sure the real women of Mississippi would not put up with their behaviour. show less
½

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Statistics

Works
294
Also by
17
Members
14,711
Popularity
#1,563
Rating
½ 3.4
Reviews
208
ISBNs
2,126
Languages
15
Favorited
9

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