Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, also known as Kathleen Erin Hogg, was born on June 3, 1939, and passed away on July 6, 2007. She was an American novelist who helped create the historical romance genre. Her book The Flame and the Flower, published in 1972, was the first of its kind in this genre.

Early life

Kathleen Erin Hogg was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the youngest of eight children to Charles Wingrove Hogg, a disabled veteran of World War I, and his wife, Gladys, whose maiden name was Coker. As a child, she enjoyed making up her own stories, and by the age of six, she would tell herself stories at night to help her fall asleep. Her father passed away suddenly when she was 12 years old, and she was raised by her mother and older sisters. Later in life, Woodiwiss said, "Each of us had our own thoughts even then, and I was no different. This probably influenced the strong, independent heroines I created in my stories."

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 studied at a local school 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 modeling 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 for some publishers, who rejected it. Instead of changing the book as they suggested, Woodiwiss sent it to paperback publishers. The first publisher she contacted, Avon, quickly agreed to publish it. Editor Nancy Coffey offered a $1,500 advance and arranged for the first print run of 500,000 copies. The Flame and the Flower, published in 1972, was unusual because it included a long historical love story with a strong female character and detailed romantic scenes. The book sold over 2.3 million copies in its first four years and is considered the first romance novel to include scenes showing relationships in private. This success led to a new style of romance writing, focusing on historical stories about women and men in romantic relationships, even if the men had caused the women harm. Later romance novels included longer stories, more complex situations, and more detailed romantic scenes.

Woodiwiss helped another writer, LaVyrle Spencer, begin her career. 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 with the novel The Fulfillment. Many modern romance writers say Woodiwiss inspired them. Julia Quinn said, “Woodiwiss made women want to read. She gave them an option besides Westerns or 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 like I had joined a special group of readers.”

Woodiwiss wrote twelve popular romance novels, with over 36 million copies printed. She was known for the quality of her work rather than how many books she wrote. She usually took four to five years to complete a single novel. Sometimes, she said the long time between books was because of personal or health problems. Other times, she admitted she needed rest to 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 novels as “fairy tales.” She said they were a way for readers to escape, like watching an Errol Flynn movie.

Later life

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

She was survived by two sons, Sean and Heath, their wives, 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 character of Shanna as an example to show that typical romance readers do not see themselves in the heroine. Instead, readers use the heroine as a stand-in to imagine being with the hero. Kinsale writes that it would be hard to imagine a heroine more silly or misguided than Shanna. She also explains that feminists do not need to worry about readers adopting the traits of a heroine who is overly submissive or annoyingly independent. Instead, readers think about 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 (co-authored by Catherine Anderson, Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas)
• "Beyond the Kiss" in MARRIED AT MIDNIGHT, 1996 (co-authored by 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