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Guide to the LeAnn Lemberger Papers

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Collection Overview
Date Span: 1982 -
Creator: Lemberger, LeAnn (1954-)
Extent: 30.00 linear feet.
Collection Number: MSC0647
Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Summary: Author of romance novels as Leigh Michaels. Manuscript drafts, galleys, and page proofs of her novels, as well as articles by and about Lemberger and teaching materials used for the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

Alternate Extent Statement: Audio material: Reel-to-reel broadcast of radio program in Box N1; teaching materials in Box T1

Access: This collection is open for research.

Use: Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

Acquisition: These papers are being given to the University of Iowa Libraries by LeAnn Lemberger, with a new donation almost every year.

Preferred Citation: LeAnn Lemberger papers, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, Iowa.

Repository: University of Iowa Special Collections
Address: Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-5921
Curator: Greg Prickman
Email: lib-spec@uiowa.edu
Website: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc

Iowa author LeAnn Lemberger was born in 1954 and raised on a farm in Guthrie County. She earned her B.A. from Drake University, where, as a journalism student, she received both the Robert Bliss Award and William Randolph Hearst Award.

In 1981, Harlequin published her first romance novel, The Grand Hotel. She writes using the name Leigh Michaels, a combination of her own name and that of her husband Michael Lemberger. She now publishes an average of four new romances each year, making Leigh Michaels Harlequin's most-published American author. Her works have been translated into twenty-four languages and are sold in 120 countries. Most of her novels are set in the Midwest and LeAnn Lemberger still lives and writes in Ottumwa, Iowa. During the summer she teaches for the Iowa Summer Writing Festival in Iowa City. She has also written a text book and a self-help guide for students of creative writing.

The papers of LeAnn Lemberger date from 1982 to the present with additions being made each year. They are organized by publication date, with an alphabetical index. The vast majority of the collection consists of manuscript drafts of her various romance novels, such as The Best Made Plans, Family Secrets, and Traveling Man. Also included are articles by and about the author, copies of her newsletter Leigh Michaels Update, and teaching packets used for the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

Where material has come to us in scrapbooks, these scrapbooks have been disbound and the material distributed into folders.

Beginning with the 2001 addendum, all duplicate copies and foreign language editions of Lemberger's books will be included in this manuscript collection. Previously, these volumes had been cataloged and shelved in the Iowa Authors Collection in Special Collections.
See Leigh Micheals' web site at http://www.leighmichaels.com/
LeAnn's husband Michael has a very successful career as a photographer. He spent seventeen years as a news photographer, and is also a teacher of photography as well as an artist (pen and ink and computer graphics) and archivist. If you are interested in Micheal's photography and art, please visit his web site at http://www.mlemberger.com/

Browse by Series:
Series 1: ARTICLES
Series 2: MANUSCRIPTS
Series 3: MISCELLANEOUS, NEWSLETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS, PUBLICITY
Series 4: SCRAPBOOKS
Series 5: TEACHING

  • Series 1: ARTICLES
  • A1:
  • Articles by Lemberger
  • "New Trends in Romance Fiction." The Writer, March 1988, p. 21-23.
  • "It Simply Sounds So Stupid." Romance Writers Report, Vol. 22:No.4 (April 2002), p. 33-36.
  • "I've Written a Book-But Now What Do I Do?" TMS
  • "Psst! Can You Keep a Secret?" Romance Writers Report, June 2003, p. 22-25.
  • "Romantic Notions." The Secrets Writing Popular Fiction, Vol. 4, p. 28-33.
  • "Things That Stump the Best of Us." Romance, Vol. 23: No.4 (April 2003), p. 24-27.
  • "Will This Be On the Exam? Teaching Romance Fiction Writing." Romance Writers Report, March 1998, p. 31-32.
  • Articles about Lemberger
  • Series 2: MANUSCRIPTS
  • Sub-Series: INSTRUCTIONAL MANUSCRIPTS
  • I1:
  • Dear Leigh Michaels: A Novelists Answers the Most Asked Questions About Getting Published
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Second draft
  • Third draft
  • The Michaels Method
    Working draft of an instruction book for creative writing.
  • Unraveling the Romance
    Typescript draft of a proposed book, later incorporated into the second edition of Writing the Romance Novel.
  • Writing the Romance Novel
  • Research and notes
  • First edition
    TMS with holograph corrections.
  • Publication copy with notes for second edition
  • Second edition
    TMS with holograph corrections.
  • I2:
  • Writing the Romance Novel (cont.)
  • Second edition (cont.)
    TMS with holograph corrections.
  • Third edition
    TMS with holograph corrections.
  • Third edition
    Bound MS with holographic corrections.
  • Sub-Series: PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS
  • M1:
  • Kiss Yesterday Goodbye - 1984
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English edition in Box M22
  • On September Hill - 1984
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Deadline for Love - 1985
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • German edition in Box M22
  • Dreams to Keep - 1985
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • German copy: Three Part Classics
  • English edition in Box M22
  • Wednesday's Child - 1985
  • First draft, incomplete
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Canadian edition
  • English edition in Box M22
  • Capture a Shadow - 1986
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Korean edition
  • English edition in Box M22
  • Come Next Summer - 1986
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Korean edition in Box M22
  • English edition in Box M22
  • Leaving Home (working title: Dearly Beloved) - 1986
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English edition in Box M22
  • M2:
  • Leaving Home (cont.) - 1986
  • Australian and Korean editions
  • Reprint in Harlequin World's Best Romances, Vol. 8: No. 1, p. 71-106 - 1998
  • Touch Not My Heart - 1986
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English edition in Box M22
  • Brittany's Castle (working title: The Master's Touch) - 1987
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English edition in Box M22
  • The Grand Hotel - 1987
  • Sample chapters and synopsis
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • O'Hara's Legacy - 1987
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Sell Me a Dream - 1987
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • M3:
  • Carlisle Pride - 1988
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript
  • First version
  • Second draft
    Rewrite with notes.
  • Second version
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Dutch and Italian editions in Box M22
  • Close Collaboration (working title: Teacher's Pet) - 1988
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Italian edition (2) in Box M22
  • Rebel With a Cause - 1988
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript
  • German edition
  • French edition in Box M22
  • Strictly Business - 1988
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • M4:
  • Strictly Business (cont.) - 1988
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Dutch, German and Korean editions in Box M22
  • Exclusively Yours - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • German edition
    Part of a three-part volume: City Love.
  • Italian edition in Box M22
  • Just a Normal Marriage (working title: In the Matter of Mandy) - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted (2 copies)
  • In Harlequin World's Best Romances, Vol. 9: No. 6, p. 103-141 - 2000
  • Turkish, Swedish and Dutch editions in Box M22
  • Let Me Count the Ways - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Dutch, Italian and Swedish editions in Box M22
  • A New Desire (working title: Heart's Desire) - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • M5:
  • A New Desire (cont.) - 1989
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Dutch, French and German editions in Box M22
  • No Place Like Home - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Dutch, French and Turkish editions in Box M22
  • Shades of Yesterday - 1989
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish editions in Box M22
  • An Imperfect Love (working title: One Imperfect Love) - 1990
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Dutch edition
  • English and Spanish editions in Box M22
  • A Matter of Principal - 1990
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Dutch and Swedish editions in Box M22
  • Once and For Always - 1990
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English and Dutch editions in Box M33
  • M6:
  • With No Reservations - 1990
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, French, German and Dutch editions in Box M22
  • Some Kind of Hero - 1991
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Revised proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • French edition in Box M22
  • Temporary Measures - 1991
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited manuscript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English and Swedish editions in Box M22
  • An Uncommon Affair - 1991
  • Research and notes
  • First draft with corrections and revisions
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Italian, French, Turkish, Korean and Swedish editions in Box M23
  • The Best Made Plans - 1992
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • M7:
  • The Best Made Plans (cont.) - 1992
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Chinese, Finnish (2), Swedish, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Dutch, French and Czech editions in Box M23
  • Garrett's Back in Town - 1992
  • Research and notes
  • Early incomplete draft and false starts
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited manuscript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Australian, UK and Czech editions
  • Swedish and Korean editions in Box M23
  • Old School Ties - 1992
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Italian, Korean and Finnish editions in Box M23
  • The Unexpected Landlord (working title: The Mushroom Factor) - 1992
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • M8:
  • The Unexpected Landlord (cont.) - 1992
  • Copy-edited typescript
  • Proof copy
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Japanese edition
  • English, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Greek, Korean, Italian, French (Canada) and Dutch editions in Box M23
  • Dating Games - 1993
  • Research and notes
  • Early edited draft
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Japanese and UK editions
  • English, Czech, Dutch, Swedish, Korean, German, Italian, French, Greek and Norwegian editions in Box M23
  • The Lake Effect - 1993
  • Research and notes
  • TMS and notes, untitled
  • First draft
  • Early edited draft
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Taiwanese, UK and Australian editions
    Published under the title Tempting a Tycoon
  • Dutch, French, Korean, German, Chinese, Swedish (2), Norwegian, Portuguese, Japanese and Czech editions in Box M23
  • Safe in My Heart - 1993
  • First draft
  • M9:
  • Safe in My Heart (cont.) - 1993
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English (2), Norwegian (2), Korean, Chinese, Greek, Czech and French editions in Box M23
  • Ties That Bind - 1993
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited draft
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Cover art information
  • English (2), French, Finnish, Chinese (2), Spanish, Dutch, Greek, Korean and Italian editions in Box M23
  • Family Secrets (working title: Stolen Summer) - 1994
  • Research and notes
  • Early draft
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Copy-edited proof (2 copies)
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Japanese edition
  • English, German, Finnish, Czech, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Turkish, Korean, Green, French and Italian editions in Box M24
  • M10:
  • The Only Solution - 1994
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited draft with suggested changes
  • Author's typescript copy to correct
  • English (2), Dutch, Turkish, Japanese, Czech, Finnish (2), Portuguese and Swedish editions in Box M24
  • A Singular Honeymoon - 1994
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Typescript draft with holographic corrections
  • Copy-edited proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English (2), German, French, Korean, Italian, Japanese and Turkish editions in Box M24
  • Traveling Man - 1994
  • Research and notes
  • Early draft
  • First draft
  • Copy-edited proof
  • M11:
  • Traveling Man (cont.) - 1994
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • English, Czech, Italian, French, Norwegian (2) and Greek editions in Box M24
  • I Will Find You - 1994
  • Dutch edition in Box M25
  • Isabelle Bartan - 1994
  • French edition in Box M25
  • House of Dreams (working title: The Christmas House) - 1995
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Japanese edition
  • English (3), German (2), Italian, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish editions in Box M24
  • Invitation to Love (working title: Lilac Hill) - 1995
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Japanese edition
  • English (3) and Turkish editions in Box M24
  • Taming a Tycoon (working title: The Inside Story) - 1995
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Page proofs
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Czech and Japanese editions
  • English (2), Korean, French, German, Czech, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek and Italian editions in Box M24
  • The Unlikely Santa - 1995
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Page proofs
  • English (2), Polish, Finnish, Italian, Dutch and Korean editions in Box M24
  • M12:
  • The Daddy Trap (working title: Loving Gibb) - 1996
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Page proofs
  • Hebrew edition
  • English (2), Norwegian, Polish and Korean editions in Box M25
  • Marrying the Boss (working title: Love Bytes) - 1996
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Page proofs
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Greek, Hungarian and Italian editions
  • English, Korean, Polish, French, Dutch and German editions in Box M25
  • The Only Man For Maggie (working title: Moving Towards Love) - 1996
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Second draft
  • Page proofs
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Spanish edition
  • English, French, Korean, German, Italian, Polish, Finnish, Czech and Greek editions in Box M25
  • Baby You're Mine - 1997
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • M13:
  • Baby You're Mine (cont.) - 1997
  • Typescript
  • English (2), Polish, Dutch and French editions in Box M25
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Author's proof
  • Czech, Hungarian and Italian editions
  • English (2), Italian, German, French and Korean editions in Box M25
  • The Perfect Divorce - 1997
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Page proofs
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Czech edition
  • English edition (2) in Box M25
  • The Billionaire Date (working title: How to Win a Millionaire) - 1998
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
    Titled All in a Good Cause and How to Win a Millionaire
  • Czech edition
  • English (2), German, Greek and Korean editions in Box M25
  • The Husband Project (working title: How to Handle a Husband) - 1998
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Author's proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Czech edition
  • English (3) and Greek editions in Box M25
  • M14:
  • The Playboy Assignment (working title: How to Catch a Playboy) - 1998
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Typescript
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Czech and Korean editions
  • English (2), German and Greek editions in Box M25
  • Finding Mr. Right (working titles: The Tryad Trilogy, Public Relationships) - 1998
    Trilogy including the titles: The Billionaire Date, The Husband Project and The Playboy Assignment
  • Correspondence, research and notes
  • The Billionaire Date, The Husband Project, The Playboy Assignment - 1998
  • Czech editions
  • The Boss and the Baby (working title: Coming Home) - 1999
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript draft with holographic corrections
  • Typescript proof
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • French, Indonesian and Korean editions
  • English edition in Box M25
  • Her Husband-To-Be (working title: The Merry Widow) - 1999
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript draft with holographic corrections
  • Author's proofs
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • French and Korean editions
  • English (2) edition in Box M23
  • The Tycoon's Baby (working title: Wrong For Each Other) - 1999
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • M15:
  • The Tycoon's Baby (cont.) - 1999
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Australian, French, Korean and US editions
  • Bride on Loan (working title: Rent-a-Wife #2 - Sabrina) - 2000
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • UK, US, Czech, French, Indonesian and Korean editions
  • The Corporate Wife - 2000
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • Cover art questionaire
  • Australian, Czech, Hungarian and Korean editions
  • Mills and Boon (UK) Anthology
  • Husband on Demand (working title: Rent-a-Wife #1 - Cassie) - 2000
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • M16:
  • Husband on Demand (cont.) - 2000
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Australian, Czech, German, Indonesian and UK editions
  • Wife on Approval (working title: Rent-a-Wife #3) - 2000
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Czech, Korean, Turkish and UK editions
  • Rent-a-Wife Trilogy - 2000
    Husband On Demand, Bride on Loan and Wife on Approval were worked out under the title Rent-a-Wife Trilogy.
  • Support materials
  • Bridal Swap - 2001
  • Research and notes
  • Typescript with holographic corrections
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Typescript
  • Czech, French, Korean, Australian and UK editions
  • Bridal Swap and Marriage Market combined into one book
    Danish and Swedish editions
  • A Convenient Affair (working title: Lover's Box) - 2001
  • TMS
  • Danish edition
  • M17:
  • A Convenient Affair (cont.) - 2001
  • Typescript with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • French, German, Italian, Korean, UK and US editions
  • His Trophy Wife - 2001
  • Typescript
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • UK and US editions
  • Backwards Honeymoon - 2002
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Hungarian, Korean and UK editions
  • The Boss's Daughter (working title: A Corporate Arrangement) - 2002
  • Author's copy
  • M18:
  • The Boss's Daughter (cont.) - 2002
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Australian and US editions
  • Bride by Design (working title: Marriage by Design) - 2002
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Italian, UK and US editions
  • The Billionaire Bid - 2003
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Australian, UK, US, German (2) and Italian editions
  • Swedish edition, part two of two (Julia)
  • The Bride Assignment (working title: Wanted: Wife) - 2003
  • TMS
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • Australian, UK, German, Korean, US, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, and Norwegian editions
  • The Marriage Market (working title: Bachelor Bazaar) - 2003
  • Typescript
  • M19:
  • The Marriage Market (cont.) - 2003
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • UK, US and Italian editions
  • Polish: Part of Romans Duo
  • Czech: Part of Romans Duo
  • Maybe Mariied - 2003
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Australian, German, Italian, Korean, UK and US editions
  • The Husband Sweepstake - 2004
  • Research and notes
  • Corrected manuscript
  • Typeset proof, author's copy with notations of corrections
  • French, German, Japanese, UK and US editions
  • Part-Time Fiance (working title: The Fiance Fix) - 2004
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • Italian and UK editions
  • M20:
  • The Takeover Bid - 2004
  • Author's copy with letter from production department
  • Support materials, working drafts and notes
  • First draft
  • German, Italian, South Korean, Swedish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish and UK editions
  • Assignment: Twins - 2005
  • Research and notes
  • Corrected manuscript
  • Author's copy
  • Greek, UK, German and Italian editions
  • Corporate Marriage Campaign - 2005
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Manuscript as submitted
  • Author's copy
  • Dutch, Italian and Spanish editions
  • The Tycoon's Proposal - 2006
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Second draft
  • Revision materials
  • UK editions
  • Sub-Series: UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS
  • U1:
  • Return to Amberly
  • Research and notes
  • First draft
  • Second draft
  • Manuscript as Submitted
  • U2:
  • Return to Amberly (cont.)
  • Manuscript returned as unpublishable
  • Series 3: MISCELLANEOUS, NEWSLETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS, PUBLICITY
  • N1:
  • Miscellaneous
  • About Romance
    Various items regarding the romance category
  • Audio tape of radio broadcast
    Reel-to-reel
  • Café Chat
    Discussion with Liz Fielding and Jessica Hart. From the author's website, Harlequin Romance Authors. Transcript
  • Iowa Romance Novelists: Christmas Awards Banquet program - 1994
  • Menu featuring Leigh Michaels salad
  • Newsletters
  • The Latest Chapter
  • Leigh Michaels Update
  • Pandora's Box
  • Publicity materials
  • Michaels publicity: Bookmarks
  • Michaels publicity: Miscellaneous
  • Other writers
  • Series 4: SCRAPBOOKS
  • S1: Scrapbooks
  • Series 5: TEACHING
  • T1:
  • And Then He Kissed Her…A Mills and Boon Guide to Writing Romantic Fiction
    Audio cassette
  • Conflict/Point of View, WisRWA Write Touch IX (May) - 1996
    Audio cassette
  • Leigh Michaels, Fiction Writing Workshop
  • Writing the Romance Novel with Leight Michaels, Iowa Summer Writing Festival packet
  • 1993
  • 1994
  • 1995
  • Second edition with floppy disc
  • Writing the Sweet Traditional, RWA, Dallas, Texas - 1996
    2 audio cassettes

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.


Corporate Names:
Iowa Summer Writing Festival

Topics:
Authors, American
Romance fiction
Women authors
Women authors, American

Geographic Names:
United States -- Iowa

Genre/Form of Materials:
Drafts (Documents)

Browse:
English & American Literature
Writers Archive at Iowa
Novelists, Story Writers, & Poets