Farewell to One-Half of Laura London
Sharon Curtis (nee Blakslee), one half of the duo who wrote as Laura London, passed away on September 4, 2022, at the age of 71. She was the beloved wife of Thomas Curtis, her writing partner from 1976 to 1986, and her husband of more than forty years.
Early Life
Sharon Curtis was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia daughter of Kathleen and George Blakslee. Her father, George, was a petroleum geologist who worked for Getty Oil and traveled extensively. Her mother, Kathleen, was employed by the American government overseas. She also had a career working as a historian and magazine editor. Both her parents served with honor in WWII.
Curtis spent her childhood traveling and grew up all over the world. She lived in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Canary Islands, Canada, and England. Curtis received her early education at the Tehran American School in Iran. Later, she attended high school at Marymount International School in London, England.
Sharon And Tom Curtis
After marrying Tom Curtis, she and her husband decided to write books together. Along with Tom, Sharon co-authored 11 award-winning romance novels. Published in 13 languages, they sold over 2 million copies. The Curtises wrote traditional Regency, historical and contemporary romances from 1977 to 1986.
Many readers consider their romance novels classics in the genre. Of their books, The Windflower, Lightning That Lingers, and Sunshine and Shadows are among the most acclaimed.
Of her life with Tom and their experience writing together, Curtis said:
Tom and I married in our teens and began our first novel together in our early twenties. Tom regards the world with a kind of ironic pessimism; I’m optimistic and introspective. We are so impractical ourselves that our children were forced to rebel by developing common sense. Tom thinks the glass is half empty; I think the glass is half full; our kids think the glass ought to be washed, dried, and put away.
In essence, Tom and I began collaborating because we didn’t have the raw common sense to realize it would be a complex or challenging process.
We’ve often been asked if we run into male/female differences in perspective as we write I have to admit, in all honesty, we don’t.
We both bring a human perspective. If a gender-based conflict has ever occurred, it’s been so minimal I can’t recall a single example.
Sharon Curtis, All About Romance: Writing As a Team
Goodbye Sharon Curtis
After writing, Curtis then worked for 26 years as a bookstore manager for 5 Waldenbooks stores in Southeastern WI.
Sharon Curtis was survived by two children, four grandchildren, friends, and many relatives, and of course, her loving husband, Tom.
An author brings to a novel her individual imagination, sense of time and place, quest for social justice, and values.
A reader brings to a novel her individual imagination, sense of time and place, quest for social justice, and values.
The same novel must exist in a different form in the mind of everyone who reads it because it is received each time uniquely, individually.
Sharon Curtis, All About Romance: Riffs on PC