Kathleen E. Woodiwiss Books In Order

Publication Order of Birmingham Family Saga Books

Publication Order of Kathleen E. Woodwiss Standalone Novels

Publication Order of The Gamblers Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Kathleen E. Woodiwiss was an American author of fiction. She was born on June 3, 1939, and passed away in 2007. Her full name was Kathleen Erin Hogg before she got married. She wrote in the historical romance novel genre and was considered to be a pioneer of the romance genre, greatly influencing a lot of romance authors that came after her for some time.

She was born in Alexandria, Louisiana to her parents Gladys and Charles Wingrove Hogg. She had seven siblings and was the youngest of eight. Her father was a veteran of W.W.I. and was disabled. She has always enjoyed creating original stories and narratives and would tell herself stories at night at age six to help herself go to sleep.

She met Ross Eugene Woodiwiss, a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force when she was sixteen at a dance. They fell for each other and were married the next year. While living with him at a military outpost located in Japan, Kathleen was able to write her first book and did so longhand.

She settled down with her husband in Minnesota. During that time, Kathleen tried to write a novel but failed. She was able to get started at last when she finally got an electric typewriter after she was unable to get anything out longhand. Her manuscripts were 600 pages and while they were initially turned down by hardcover publishers and ended up finding a home in paperback.

Her novels have had several explicit scenes including sex scenes and monogamous relationships that take place in historical settings, of course. Her career started off when she officially became a published author in 1972 with the release of the debut novel The Flame and the Flower. The book was the first in the Birmingham Family Saga series

The Birmingham Family Saga series features the sequel The Kiss, Beyond the Kiss, and A Season Beyond a Kiss. The last of the series was published after she died in 2007 and was titled Everlasting. This popular fiction series was considered by many the invention of the modern historical romance book.

Flower became an instant bestseller on the New York Times and in its success created a literary precedent that led to mainstream publishing putting out more books with female heroines that are strong and also hot sex scenes. Publishers would write romance focusing on historical fiction and monogamous relationships between helpless heroines and the male hero that rescued her and had longer plots, more controversial characters, and sex scenes that were intimate and steamy.

This novel was rejected by hardcover publishers that thought it was too long. Woodiwiss did not agree and instead submitted it to paperback publishers that might be able to handle the many pages (over 600). Avon purchased the novel and then gave it a print run of half of a million copies. It was a good run as the novel would go on to sell above 2.3 million copies during its publication in the first four years.

Kathleen Woodiwiss is an avid equestrian. She loves to ride horses and at one point lived on a large Minnesota home set on 55 acres. When her husband passed away in 1996, Kathleen decided to move back to Louisiana. However, she passed away years later in Princeton, Minnesota in a hospital. Kathleen passed away on July 6, 2007, at the age of 68 from cancer. She had three sons, one that predeceased her and her two living sons Sean and Heath, who are both married. Woodiwiss also has several grandchildren.

The Flame and the Flower is the first book by Kathleen Woodiwiss in the Birmingham Family Saga. The main character in this novel is Heather Simmons. She fears that she is going to be doomed to a life that is full of hard work and fears that her innocence will be forever lost. But when a desperate and shocking act causes her to leave and seek refuge in the arms of a beautiful but dangerous stranger, will she be safe?

Captain Brandon Birmingham has always been an adventurer that has been married to the sea. He can’t get enough of the life out there on the waves. But he may be facing open scorn as well as further danger when he kidnaps a beautiful fugitive from a dockside in London. Nothing is ever going to make him give over his prize, and he thinks that the blue-eyed woman would be the perfect woman for him. He is going to do whatever he has to do to carry her off and for them to fall in love and then journey through the strange and sensuous realms of being in love.

The Kiss is featured in the omnibus Three Weddings and a Kiss by Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas, Catherine Anderson, and Kathleen Woodiwiss. This romance anthology is inclusive of the beginning of the sequel to her best-selling novel The Flame and the Flower.

Readers will have fun turning the pages on this delightful omnibus from talented writers. Everyone on Earth loves a wedding, don’t they? There’s something that is so lively and joyous about wedding bells ringing or people cheering on a couple that just got married. Some of the most exciting names in romance fiction come together in this collection to bring you some romance tales like you’ve never seen before.

Woodiwiss brings inventive romance novels that will make you laugh and sigh as the characters from her bestselling debut novel return once more. They are just as passionate and impetuous as before, and their impulses may get them into some trouble this time too. Can your entire life be turned around with the event of just one kiss?

Find out what happens and who ends up falling in love, walking down the aisle, or just having a steamy romance by picking up Three Weddings and a Kiss and reading Woodiwiss’s The Kiss! There is a reason why this author has been held up as the queen of the romance novel for so long. Pick up some of her works to find out why this woman was romance fiction royalty!

9 Responses to “Kathleen E. Woodiwiss”

1. Cristina Tabunan: 3 years ago

   I fell in love with her writing, I felt so lucky to find her novels Mrs.Woodiwiss is a blessing for readers like me, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for the joy she brought and introducing another world through every novels she have written. Thank you so much for being born ahead of me so I could enjoy your writing.

   Reply
2. Bonnie: 3 years ago

   My mother absolutely loved all of Mrs. Woodwiss books and now she has vision issues and is unable to read and enjoy books any longer. I am looking to see if any of Mrs. Woodwiss books are available on audio cd.

   Thank you.

   Reply
   • Graeme: 3 years ago

     Quite a few of them appear to be available on Audible.

     Reply
     • Doris: 2 years ago

       I bought the Flame and the Flower when it came out and couldn’t wait for her next book. I collected them all and reread them often I miss Ms Woodiweiss and her writing and I’m sorry she’s gone at such a young age.

       Reply
       • Jackie: 1 year ago

         I bought her books and I have reread them and reread them and reread them. I am right now re-reading the only author that I like as much as her is Christine Feehan

         Reply
         • Linda: 4 weeks ago

           Thanks for recommending Christine Feehan…have you read Jayne Ann Krentz’s books? She is my very favorite. And Jennifer Crusie. 😍

           Reply
   • Gloria Whipple: 3 years ago

     Hello,

     I am totally blind and I also love Kathleen E. Books.

     Does your mom get library service for the blind and physical handcap? If so, she can find them there.

     This library service is the NLS program.

     She can call the local library for the blind and physically candycap where she is located.

     I hope this helps.

     Reply
   • SeenaBeckman: 8 months ago

     They are on Hoopla for free through your library. Hoopla is an Apple app.

     Reply
3. Patricia Totzer: 4 years ago

   I have loved everything I have ever read, and would like to find somewhere to go some of her first books

   Reply