By Linda Voss
A media storm erupted at Nancy Richards-Akers’ death at the hands of her husband in 1999. It was the kind of fame you do not want to be remembered for. It was a romance cliché, the battle-decorated warrior and the beautiful heroine, but it was not the happy ending. That’s not what those who loved Nancy remember. Those at the WRW retreat in Harpers Ferry witnessed a different legacy when Laurin Wittig announced that WRW is donating $1,000 to the Center for Women and Families in Nancy’s name to fight domestic abuse. WRW also remembers Nancy with an annual award honoring a member for supporting and mentoring other writers (Nora Roberts was this year’s recipient.) Each year a WRW member attends the retreat on a full scholarship that is named in Nancy’s honor.
Former WRW member Judy Yoder remembers that Nancy “was very active in WRW from the start.” Nancy joined the organization in l984 and planned and chaired the first WRW Retreat in l985 and, as a result, was one of the first people to receive the Magic Crystal the following year. In l989 she conceived and organized the first Retreat Raffle. She also gave a number of workshops for the group. Following the birth of her third child, she became less active in the group, but remained a loyal member.
“She was beautiful, vibrant, alive, and she wore dramatic clothing,” said Binnie Braunstein. “She was known for mentoring other writers.” Many in WRW remember with appreciation her influence, including former WRW President Beth Fedorko. Julie Halperson remembers Nancy from a program. “She epitomized to me what a romance writer should be. She was very businesslike talking about what the editors wanted and the industry demanded.” Good friend Anne Marie Rogers remembers Nancy as an idea person, “you could suggest something and she would give you 50 ways you could do it,” but she was very organized to follow up and accomplish the thing as well.
Nancy tasted what life had to offer and kept her sense of humor about her. Karen Smith remembers one outing on the San Antonio River Walk after an RT conference with an RT cover model and some other writers. According to Karen, they drank him under the table doing raw oysters on the half shell and belting down shooters. Nancy was also a founding member of the RT conference spin-off, the Society of Purple Prose. “She was always available to help and an incredibly generous person.”
We’d all like to be remembered for the good in our lives, and those who love us remember the joy we brought to others. Nancy’s life has left a legacy. The year she died, WRW worked with RWA at the national conference in Chicago to donate children’s books to a local shelter in her name. WRW keeps a link on its website to the Akers Children Education Fund for friends who want to contribute to Nancy’s children’s education.
The year after Nancy died, author Pamela Johnson, who knew Nancy through one of the chat groups she participated in, was inspired to undertake the Crumbs anthology dedicated to Nancy. She collected essays on balancing writing and domestic life from over 75 writers and published them as Crumbs in the Keyboard through Echelon Press. With a generous donation from author Fern Michaels, over $1,500 has been donated to the Center for Women and Families in Nancy’s name. The essay authors donated all royalties, and Echelon Press matches it.
Possibly only in a romance crowd can you talk about a legacy of kindness, generosity, and love. Nancy Richards-Akers’ legacy continues to grow, furthered through those she touched and touching those who will never know her, but only the power of the qualities she personified.
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WRW member Linda Voss authored, “The Muse as Puppy” in the Crumbs in The Keyboard anthology. Linda, writing as Kaitlyn Merlot, is busy sending out partials on her first completed manuscript, a New Orleans historical, titled, “Kiss Me Again”.
