According to the message boards of her website, Kathleen Woodiwiss passed away on July 6th.
For those of you who are romance fans, you will mourn her the way I am. Ms. Woodiwiss defined romance for me. Her books were moving, evocative, and well-written. I have read and re-read them so many times that I have memorized the words.
I remember being in those wonderfully ridiculous years of adolescence and reading The Flame and the Flower and The Wolf and the Dove thinking about how absolutely romantic life would be. If you would ask me which of her books is my favorite, I would change my answer often. The way she took the story of Beauty and the Beast and adapted it in A Rose in Winter, I often think that story is my favorite. But then again, Shanna is a wonderfully rich adventerous story much like the original Pirates of the Caribbean.
For those of us who write romance, we could greatly benefit from having the same dedication to the craft as she showed. Ms. Woodiwiss’s books were strong on plot, rich in characters, and always a joy to read. I could think of no greater compliment to my work than to have just one person feel about my stories the way I feel about all of hers.
I am greatly saddened by her passing, and I send out my thoughts and prayers to her family.
*Bows head* Very saddened here, too.
~Mel