(1939 - 2007) Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, creator of the modern
historical romance, died July 6, 2007 in Minnesota.She had just
turned 68. Her attorney, William Messerlie, said that she died
after a long illness.
Born on June 3, 1939 in Alexandria, Louisiana, Mrs. Woodiwiss
was the youngest of eight siblings.She long relished creating
original narratives, and by age six was telling herself stories at
night to help herself fall asleep. At age 16, she met U.S. Air
Force Second Lieutenant Ross Woodiwiss at a dance, and they married
the following year.She wrote her first book in longhand while
living at a military outpost in Japan.
Woodiwiss is credited with the invention of the modern
historical romance novel: in 1972, she released The Flame and
the Flower, an instant New York Times bestseller,
creating literary precedent. The Flame and the Flower
revolutionized mainstream publishing, featuring an epic historical
romance with a strong heroine and impassioned sex scenes.
"Kathleeen E. Woodiwiss is the founding mother of the historical
romance genre," says Carrie Feron, vice president/editorial
director of William Morrow and Avon Books, imprints of
HarperCollins Publishers. Feron, who has been Woodiwiss's editor
for 13 years, continues, "Avon Books is proud to have been
Kathleen's sole publishing partner for her paperbacks and hardcover
novels for more than three decades." Avon Books, a leader in the
historical romance genre to this day, remains Mrs. Woodiwiss's
original and only paperback publisher; William Morrow, Avon's
sister company, publishes Mrs. Woodiwiss's hardcovers.
The Flame and the Flower was rejected by agents and
hardcover publishers, who deemed it as "too long" at 600 pages.
Rather than follow the advice of the rejection letters and rewrite
the novel, Mrs. Woodiwiss instead submitted it to paperback
publishers. The first publisher on her list, Avon, quickly
purchased the novel and arranged an initial 500,000 print run. The
novel sold over 2.3 million copies in its first four years of
publication.
The success of this novel prompted a new style of writing
romance, concentrating primarily on historical fiction tracking the
monogamous relationship between a helpless heroines and the hero
who rescued her, even if he had been the one to place her in
danger. The romance novels which followed in her example featured
longer plots, more controversial situations and characters, and
more intimate and steamy sex scenes.
"Her words engendered an incredible passion among readers,"
notes Feron.Bestselling author Julia Quinn agrees, saying,
"Woodiwiss made women want to read. She gave them an alternative to
Westerns and hard-boiled police procedurals. 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 sisterhood of reading women."
New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth
Phillips, a leading voice in the women's fiction arena, says, "We
all owe our careers to her.She opened the world of romance to us as
readers.She created a career for us to go into."
The pioneering author has written 13 novels over the course of
35 years, all New York Times bestsellers.Kathleen E.
Woodiwiss's final literary work, the upcoming Everlasing,
will be published by William Morrow in October
2007."Everlasting is Kathleen's final gift to her fans,"
notes Feron.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, who was predeceased by her husband and
son Dorren, is survived by sons Sean and Heath, and numerous
grandchildren.