Violet Winspear

[3] She wrote from her home in the South East England, an area which she never left, but she researched her far-flung settings at the local library.

She said: "The real aim of romance is to provide escape and entertainment", but when in 1970 she commented: "I get my heroes so that they're lean and hard muscled and mocking and sardonic and tough and tigerish and single, of course.

Even though many of her storylines are uninspiring, she excels at boldly using the written words to vividly bring to life the surroundings of her plots.

Many established Harlequin novelists such as Robyn Donald and Kay Thorpe, employ sexual antagonism in developing conflict in their stories.

Since men are quick to acknowledge this vital force, Robyn casts them into the role of hunter and as women label it as a weakness to despise and overcome, she makes them the prey.

This lends her stories an acute imbalance in character development where the heroine is left bemused with an alpha male hero who exerts overwhelming control over every situation.