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

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 creating 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, leaving her to be raised by her mother and older sisters. Later in life, Woodiwiss said, "every single one of us had our own thoughts even then; I was no exception. I suppose that influenced the characters I created, who were strong and independent."

Career

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

Her first novel, The Flame and the Flower, was too long for agents and hardcover publishers, who rejected it. Instead of rewriting it as some had suggested, Woodiwiss sent it to paperback publishers. The first publisher she contacted, Avon, quickly agreed to publish the book. 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 groundbreaking because it included a long historical romance with a strong female character and realistic descriptions of 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 of romantic intimacy. This success led to a new style of romance writing, focusing on historical stories about strong heroines and their relationships with heroes, even if the heroes had caused the heroines’ problems. Later romance novels followed this style, featuring longer stories, more complex situations, and more detailed romantic scenes.

Woodiwiss helped launch the career of 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 the book, The Fulfillment, starting Spencer’s career. Many modern romance writers also credit Woodiwiss as an inspiration. Julia Quinn said, “Woodiwiss made women want to read. She gave them an option other than 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 women who love reading.”

Woodiwiss wrote twelve popular romance novels, with over 36 million copies printed. She was known for the quality of her writing rather than the number of books she published. She often took four to five years to write a single novel. In some cases, she said the delays were due to personal or health challenges, while in others, she admitted she needed time to rest and regain her interest in writing.

All of her novels 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 determined young women with strong wills. Woodiwiss described her books as “fairy tales” that offer readers an escape, similar to an Errol Flynn movie.

Later life

Woodiwiss was a passionate horse rider who once lived in a large house on 55 acres 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 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 heroine Shanna as an example to show that typical romance readers do not see themselves in the heroine. Instead, readers imagine themselves in her place to connect with the hero. Kinsale writes that Shanna is a character who is not smart or strong, and that readers do not admire or take in the traits of a heroine who is either 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 with Catherine Anderson, Loretta Chase, and Lisa Kleypas
• "Beyond the Kiss" in MARRIED AT MIDNIGHT (1996), co-authored with Jo Beverley, Tanya Anne Crosby, and 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)