Emilie Loring

Emilie Baker Loring (September 5, 1866 – March 13, 1951) was an American romance novelist of the 20th century. She began writing in 1914 at the age of 50 and continued until her death after a long illness in 1951. After her death, her estate was managed by her sons, Selden M. and Robert M. Loring. Based on a wealth of unfinished material they discovered, She died in Wellesley, Massachusetts, on March 13, 1951.

Works

Most of Loring's books are highly romantic mysteries that focus on a young, independent woman with courage and ideals who finds herself in a tricky situation, relies on the help of a strong, handsome man, and ends up with him at the end of the story. Beyond romance and mystery, her books also explore a selection of topics including marriage, love, the work ethic, American patriotism, freedom, and optimism.

She enjoyed painting pictures with words, often describing the environment, architecture, dress, food, and physical features of characters in exacting and colorful detail. In the books published after she died, much of the colorful description was left out. Another major difference in the books published before and after the author's death is the characters' language, shifting away from American slang.

Loring's work features several repeating motifs; among them are a heroine in her early 20s with dark hair, a dark-haired lawyer or aspiring politician for a hero, a secondary male predisposed to speaking in quotations, a "sleek" bad guy, a wise, older woman who may or may not end up with a wise, older man who has long been in love with her, a flirtatious blond woman vying for the hero, and New England as a setting or character trait: "New England granite". Often-used plot devices in her novels include an orphaned character, a marriage of convenience or contract, a clandestine marriage, and trouble coming from outside a well-knit social structure.

Her book Beyond the Sound of Guns (1945) is referenced nine times in America's Popular Sayings: Over 1600 Expressions on Topics from Beauty to Money and Everything in Between by Gregory Titelman, citing phrases that turn out to be quotes or paraphrases from someone else.

Publishing and copyright history Her earlier books, from 1922 to 1937, were originally published in hardcover by William Penn & Company in Philadelphia. Her books from 1938 to 1950 were originally published by Little, Brown and Company, as were all of her posthumous works. All 30 of her novels written during her lifetime were reprinted by Grosset (now Grosset & Dunlap) in 1961. Later, all of her works were reprinted in mass-market paperback editions by the romance division of Bantam Books.

As late as 2005, Thorndike Press, an imprint of Thomson Gale, was reprinting select titles in large-print format, although its website did not show them in its 2007 catalog. Emilie Loring's sons, Robert and Selden, are listed as "child of the author" in searchable copyright renewal records. The Loring family asserted its rights to copyright in 2016 and is now re-publishing Emilie Loring's works.

Selden was listed first in the copyright information from 1955 to 1960 (or 1961?). From 1962 to 1971, Robert is listed first in the copyright information. In the 1972 novel The Shining Years, only Robert is listed as the copyright owner as the executor of the estate of Emilie Baker Loring.

List of published works

As Josephine Story

Articles and short stories "Rush order for fancy dress". St. Nicholas Magazine, Vol. 41, p. 977, September 1914. "Gossip; an endless chain". St. Nicholas Magazine, Vol. 42, p. 508-9, April 1915. "The delicate art of being a mother-in-law". Woman's Home Companion, vol. 46, p. 100, June 1919.

Books For the Comfort of the Family; a Vacation Experiment (George H. Doran Company, 1914) The Mother in the Home (Pilgrim, 1917)

As Emilie Loring

Articles and short stories "Box from Nixon's". Woman's Home Companion, vol. 48, p. 9-10, May 1921. For information on this periodical, see "Glycerine tears". The Delineator, vol. 106, p. 8-9, March 1925.

Novels (chronological order) Releasedate Title Publisher(s) 1922 The Trail of Conflict Penn 1924 Here Comes the Sun! Penn 1925 A Certain Crossroad Penn 1927 The Solitary Horseman Penn 1928 Gay Courage Penn 1929 Swift Water Penn 1930 Lighted Windows Penn 1931 Fair Tomorrow Penn 1932 Uncharted Seas Penn 1933 Hilltops Clear Penn 1934 We Ride the Gale Penn 1934 With Banners Penn 1935 It's a Great World! Penn 1936 Give Me One Summer Penn 1937 As Long As I Live Penn 1938 High of Heart Little, Brown 1938 Today Is Yours Little, Brown 1939 Across the Years Little, Brown 1940 There Is Always Love Little, Brown 1941 Stars in Your Eyes Little, Brown 1941 Where Beauty Dwells Little, Brown 1942 Rainbow at Dusk Little, Brown 1943 When Hearts are Light Again Little, Brown 1944 Keepers of the Faith Little, Brown 1945 Beyond the Sound of Guns Little, Brown 1946 Bright Skies Little, Brown 1947 Beckoning Trails Little, Brown 1948 I Hear Adventure Calling Little, Brown 1949 Love Came Laughing By Little, Brown 1950 To Love and to Honor Little, Brown 1952 For All Your Life Little, Brown 1954 I Take This Man Little, Brown 1954 My Dearest Love Little, Brown 1955 The Shadow of Suspicion Little, Brown 1955 With This Ring Little, Brown 1956 What Then Is Love Little, Brown 1957 Look to the Stars Little, Brown 1958 Behind the Cloud Little, Brown 1960 How Can the Heart Forget? Little, Brown 1962 Throw Wide the Door Little, Brown 1963 Follow Your Heart Little, Brown 1964 A Candle in Her Heart Little, Brown 1965 Forever and a Day Little, Brown 1966 Spring Always Comes Little, Brown 1967 A Key to Many Doors Little, Brown 1968 In Times Like These Little, Brown 1969 Love with Honor Little, Brown 1970 No Time for Love Little, Brown 1971 Forsaking All Others Little, Brown 1972 The Shining Years Little, Brown

Play Where's Peter? (Penn, 1928)