I recently went through my bookshelf trying
to find and ‘oldie but goodie” to read. Even as my finger drifted across
cracked spines and the scent of my old books drifted up to me, I knew which
book I looked for. The title was The
Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
Kathleen Woodiwiss was my biggest influence
as far as finding an unending love for historical romance. She is the
one author who grabbed me by the heart and never let go. In the early days of
my actual foray into writing, I had a chance to visit with her and she was a
wonderfully articulate lady. Her debut novel was rejected by agents and
hardcover publishers as being too long. In typical Kathleen fashion, she refused
to rewrite her novel and sent it instead to paperback publishers. Avon had the
foresight to immediately purchase and the rest is history! I think she
singlehandedly changed the course of romantic novels.
I will never forget that phone call with
her. I sat on the edge of my chair, my palms sweating, my heart pounding, and
excitement like I’ve never known! She gave me so much encouragement to do the
thing I love. Hence my historical trilogy including my Keeper of the Spirit, Keeper of the Dream, and Keeper of the Heart.
Now I’m sitting here looking at my very worn
original copyright dated 1972, The Flame
and The Flower. Years have passed and I’m not sure I’ll ever shoot to the
top of the Best Seller list, but Kathleen’s encouragement still rings in my
ears.
Merry Christmas to all!
Ruby
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