Export Canadian Paperback Originals Part II

In an earlier post I began the discussion of Canadian paperback originals (PBO) by noting how few were published by Harlequin Books and Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Canada Ltd (White Circle) - 4.0% and 2.3% respectively.

I also noted how many PBOs Export Publishing Enterprises Ltd published - 55 of 166 (33%.) Here we'll look at three PBOs from an author who has no biography - Rose Carrol (sometimes Carroll). This is not uncommon for Export authors as a surprising number exist only as names on Export books, very likely unacknowledged pseudonyms. 

The Restless Dead is a collection of 14 stories advertised as "true". The fact that one of the stories is Charlotte Perkins Gilman's famous "The Yellow Wallpaper" makes that claim a bit suspect. Export has "The Yellow Wall Paper" by Charlotte Perkin [sic].

News Stand Library 112 - June 1950

News Stand Library 112 back

Sex Life Among Savage People has a "prelude" by T. L. Kennedy (no hint who he/she is) and a bibliography, the only Export book to have one. Some chapter titles are "Orgiastic Licence", "Course of Savage Romance", "Love Magic".

News Stand Library 124 - August 1950

News Stand Library 124 back

Tawny Witch is the only novel by Ms. Carrol.

News Stand Library 146 - October 1950

News Stand Library 146 back

Hard Case Crime Part I

Departure time. My favourite current mass market paperback series is no more. The 66th and last book in the Hard Case Crime series has just been published - Murder Is My Business by Brett Halliday. The series lasted six years, publishing both reprints and PBOs. Here are a couple of the Lawrence Block HCC reprints with the PBOs. The titles for both books have been changed to the author's preferred. The second book has the pseudonym replaced.

HCC-001 September 2004

HCC-001 back

Fawcett Gold Medal s1085 - February 1961

Fawcett Gold Medal s1085 back

HCC-028 February 2007

HCC-028 back

Universal Publishing Beacon B757X - 1964

Universal Publishing Beacon B757X back

Harlequin's Historical Novels Part II

The July 2010 books from Harlequin Historical, one of 19 series in the Harlequin imprint, include numbers 287, 288 and 999 through 1002. I don't know why the series has two numbering sequences but number 1000 is here and I like milestones. Books 999-1002 are from the following sub series: Western, Regency, 1830s and Medieval.

I thought it would be fun to find early Harlequin ancestors for these books. Here are two.

999 is the western, Alaska Bride on the Run by Kate Bridges. Harlequin published 74 western titles but few with a woman at the centre of the story. Hostage by Archie Joscelyn is a very good fit with two women on the cover and a bride to be.

Harlequin 244 - August 1953

Harlequin 244 back

1002 is the medieval, Mercenary's Bride by Terri Brisbin, and takes place in 1067. The Firebrand by George Challis (Frederick Faust) will work nicely. The time period is unclear (15th to 17th century) but it has a medieval look about it.

Harlequin 193 - October 1952

Harlequin 193 back

Thomas P. Kelley - Modernist?

"It is indeed getting more and more difficult, even pointless, for me to write in formal English. ... Grammar and style! To me they have become ... irrelevant."

The Letters of Samuel Beckett, Volume One: 1929 - 1940, Cambridge University Press, 2009

From Thomas P. Kelley's The Gorilla's Daughter (Toronto: Export Publishing Enterprises, 1950). 

"Naked and defenceless, the blond and beautiful Diana Lynn was now at the complete mercy of the shaggy one! And that shaggy one was none other than Bontu – the giant gorilla!"

Was Kelley a modernist?

Beaver Publications Part II

In an early post I discussed Beaver Publications of Hamilton. At the time I had nothing more to add. Recently I came across a bit more information on the company - in the Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries of all places.

Two separate entries note that Rendezvous in Vienna was published in 16 chapters Dec 4, 11, 18 1940, January 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, February 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 1941. The only detail is "Beaver feature services, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada". Perhaps a weekly local newspaper? The book is dated May 1941.

I'm still looking for the four issues of Beaver's three books with illustrated covers. Rendezvous in Vienna has two and Cherchez la femme? and Modern Shorts have one each. They have to be among the most uncommon Canadian paperbacks.