Yes, the great lady said it herself: she probably did, to a large extent, inspire the invention of chick lit: in the US, at least. So Janet Evanovich is the first living author to be featured in our Thursday Trailblazer series!
She started out writing romance novels, which were moderately successful. But she really found her voice (and a million-selling career) when she invented Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter extraordinaire. Her first foray into smart, snarky, first-person narration, Stephanie is strong, kicks ass and is never afraid to speak her mind. She also looks fabulous (I'm sure). In short, she's an inspiration: and Janet is too, turning her career into a family business (her daughter, son and husband all work for/with her!) - although she has admitted she barely gets time to breathe...
Her novels are obviously inspired by great authors like Elmore Leonard, but Evanovich's own influence is clear in writers like Jenny Crusie and Lani Diane Rich.
Read this: One For The Money.
What do you think?
And who's your favourite trailblazer? Let us know!
