Kathleen E. Woodiwiss was an American novelist. She was born Kathleen Erin Hogg on June 3, 1939, and died on July 6, 2007. She helped start the historical romance genre when she published her book The Flame and the Flower in 1972.

Early life

Kathleen Erin Hogg was born in Alexandria, Louisiana. She was the youngest of eight children. Her father, Charles Wingrove Hogg, was a disabled veteran from World War I. Her mother was Gladys, whose maiden name was Coker. As a child, Kathleen enjoyed making up her own stories. By the time she was six years old, she would tell herself stories at night to help her fall asleep. When Kathleen was twelve, her father passed away suddenly. After that, she was raised by her mother and older sisters. Later in life, Kathleen said, "Every single one of us had strong minds even then; I was no exception. I think that helped me create heroines who were not weak or timid."

Career

At age 16, she met U.S. Air Force Second Lieutenant Ross Eugene Woodiwiss at a dance. They married the next year, on July 20, 1956. She went to school locally and graduated in 1957. Her husband’s job in the military caused the family to move to Japan, where she worked part-time as a fashion model for an American company. After living in Japan for more than three years, the family moved to Topeka, Kansas, and later settled in Minnesota. During these years, she tried to write a novel several times but often stopped because writing by hand was very slow. After giving her husband an electric typewriter as a Christmas gift, she used the machine to write her novel seriously.

Her first novel, The Flame and the Flower, was too long (600 pages) for some publishers, who refused to accept it. Instead of rewriting the book as some people suggested, Woodiwiss sent it to publishers who made paperback books. The first publisher she contacted, Avon, quickly agreed to publish it. Avon’s editor gave her a $1,500 payment and planned to print 500,000 copies of the book. The Flame and the Flower, published in 1972, was a new kind of romance story. It included a strong female character and scenes showing relationships. This book sold over 2.3 million copies in its first four years and is credited with helping start the modern romance genre. It was the first romance novel to include scenes showing characters in romantic situations. The success of this book led to new types of romance stories, focusing on historical settings and stories about heroines and heroes in long-term relationships. These stories often included longer plots, more complex situations, and more detailed romantic scenes.

Woodiwiss directly helped another writer, LaVyrle Spencer. After her own success, Woodiwiss read a manuscript by Spencer, who had not yet been published. Woodiwiss sent the manuscript to her editor at Avon, who bought it and started Spencer’s career. Many modern romance writers say Woodiwiss inspired them. Julia Quinn said, “Woodiwiss made women want to read. She gave them an alternative to Westerns and detective stories. When I was growing up, I saw my mother and grandmother reading and enjoying romances, and when I was old enough to read them myself, I felt as if I had been admitted into a special group of women who love reading.”

Woodiwiss wrote twelve popular romance novels, with over 36 million copies printed. She focused on writing high-quality books rather than writing many. She often took four to five years to complete one novel. She said the long time between books was sometimes because of personal problems or health issues, and other times because she needed time to rest and regain her interest in writing.

All of her books were historical romances set in different times and places, such as the American Civil War, 18th-century England, or Saxony during the time of William the Conqueror. The heroines in her stories were strong, determined young women. Woodiwiss described her books as “fairy tales.” She said they were a way for readers to escape, like watching an Errol Flynn movie.

Later life

Woodiwiss was a passionate horse rider who once lived in a large home on 55 acres (220,000 m²) in Minnesota. After her husband passed away in 1996, she returned to Louisiana. She died in a hospital in Princeton, Minnesota, at the age of 68 due to cancer.

She was survived by two sons, Sean and Heath, their spouses, and many grandchildren. A third son, Dorren, died before her. Her last book, Everlasting, was published on October 30, 2007.

Reception

In her essay "The Androgynous Reader" from Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, Laura Kinsale uses the heroine Shanna as an example to show that typical romance readers do not see themselves in the heroine. Instead, they imagine themselves in her place to think about being with the hero. Kinsale explains that readers do not adopt the traits of a heroine who is overly submissive or annoyingly independent. Instead, they consider what they would do if they were in the heroine's situation.

Selected works

• The Flame and the Flower, 1972
• "The Kiss" in THREE WEDDINGS AND A KISS, 1995 (with Catherine Anderson, Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas)
• "Beyond the Kiss" in MARRIED AT MIDNIGHT, 1996 (with Jo Beverley, Tanya Anne Crosby, Samantha James)
• The Elusive Flame, 1998
• A Season Beyond a Kiss, 2000

• Wolf and the Dove, 1974
• Shanna, 1977
• Ashes in the Wind, 1979
• A Rose in Winter, 1981
• Come Love a Stranger, 1984
• So Worthy My Love, 1989
• Forever in Your Embrace, 1992
• Petals on the River, 1997
• The Reluctant Suitor, 2002
• Everlasting, 2007