Should authors update books before they're reissued?

I've struggled often with the question - should authors update their books when they're reissued?

The publisher usually gives a reissue a new cover, and sometimes a new title, so it doesn't look old.
But then, how can readers tell that it's an older book? How can readers know that the characters are using a giant car phone, or a pay phone, because cell phones weren't around when that book was written?

And actual keys to a motel room instead of a key card.

No internet. Or cordless phones, or microwaves...

And putting babies on their stomach to sleep, vs... however it is they tell new mommies to do it now. It is forever changing! (I had one furious reader write me because my heroine did it the wrong way. But... at the time I wrote that book, it was the right way! :-/ Honest!)
-- this was in "BEGUILED."

Also, I like to think I've become a better writer. Yeah, I know, all writers want to think that. We sure don't want to think we've become worse writers!

I look at my older books, and I groan. So much verbal rambling.
Such awkward dialogue.
And outdated stuff everywhere.

Authors are limited by the boundaries of her publishing house at the time she wrote the book. And of course, publishers base those boundaries off of society. Like the author, they want to sell books.

For instance, I remember when I first started writing Harlequins (this is going back 15 years!) we couldn't even say "Holy cow," because that was too religious. Seriously!
-- Something you might not know - my "Buckhorn Brothers" were originally in a town called Paragon. I guess they would have been the "Paragon Brothers." LOL
But Harlequin - more than a decade ago, mind you - felt that was too "biblical." And so the town became Buckhorn.

Words like ass? No way. I had to say butt, and the editor even frowned over that. Having male dialogue was way tricky. All the guys I know say ass! LOL.

Calling body parts what they are? Or even really talking about body parts? Not so much. Other than in a few historicals, the norm was to use euphemisms.

Luckily, right before my 2nd Harlequin got bought, they started the "Blaze" line, and that opened the door to a LOT more freedom. Anyone who's read me knows that I think any good romance deserves really hot sex. ;-) With "Blaze," the restrictions fell away, more and more over time.

Kudos to Harlequin for leading the way on that.

The "Buckhorn Brothers" will be reissued again soon.

See dates and such on my "Coming soon" page: http://lorifoster.com/coming/

To see the original covers, along with the reissued covers, look at my "Related Books and Series" page: http://www.lorifoster.com/books/relat...
(The much dreaded original cover for Sawyer is there. It's pretty awful though, so prepare yourself!)

Sawyer/Morgan - "BUCKHORN BEGINNINGS," Nov 2011.
Gabe/Jordan - "FOREVER BUCKHORN," Feb 2012.
Casey - "BUCKHORN LEGACY," Nov 2012.

I had wanted to go through each book and fix any typos, tighten up the wording, do a general update... but sadly, I ran out of time. I was so busy finishing up a current book, doing line edits on another, and promoting the new series, that I didn't get around to it.

So of course, I will worry now.
Are they too dated?
Is the writing style too stilted? Too flowery?
Will new-to-me readers pick those up and not like them, without ever realizing that they're a decade old?

So what do you think?
Should authors "spruce up" books before they're reissued? I don't mean a whole rewrite - content would stay the same - but what about an update?
Do YOU like that idea?

Lastly, I'll leave you with a review that spurred me to write this.
http://www.booksbeforeboys.com/2011/0...
I'd been thinking about those books for awhile, ever since the publisher told me they'd be reissued again.
This particular reader gave me a giant smile.
I hope, if you've read the books, or plan to read them, that you'll enjoy them as much as she did.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

Lori