Why the downfall?

[easol.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm new here. ;) Please don't toast me.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask if anyone knows why the Anita Blake series crashed and burned so dramatically. I've seen basically two types of series crumbling: the slow, steady variety (Anne Rice, Patricia Cornwell), and the kind where the author keeps things interesting for maybe two books, then suddenly crashes down into tedium (Robert Jordan).

But I have NEVER, EVER seen an author continue more or less steadily, with some improvement, and then very dramatically change the entire GENRE of the storyline while crashing artistically. The authors I mentioned always more or less maintain their own style; even when they deteriorate, they are remaining within the original parameters of their series. But LKH didn't just descend into tedium or bad writing, she threw out the very bones of the series.

Did she have some sort of midlife crisis, or a mental illness, or something of the sort? Does anyone know why she changed everything but the character names?

(By the by, a little "hi" and wave to anyone who posts over at the LKH Harlequin board on amazon! Snark forever, luvvies!).

Kinda torn

[fashi0n-mistake.livejournal.com]

Alright I just read somewhere something that both makes me happy and upset so I need someone who has read The Harlequin to tell me if it's true or not.

( Question under the cut )