About Kathy Keller

I am frequently asked two questions: why did I decide to start writing books, and where do I get my ideas for stories?

Simply put, I love history. I have always had a fascination with how people lived in different time periods, particularly women. And, I am a romantic at heart. When the genre historical romance burst upon the literary scene with Kathleen Woodiwiss, I thought I was in heaven. More authors jumped into the mix and after reading many books, I decided I could write one, too. I had a degree in journalism and enjoyed writing, so why not? And it gave me a reason to spend hours researching history.

To get an idea for a book, I pick a time period and location that I want to know more about. As I research the laws and norms of the day, I look for little-known facts around which to weave a story. Over the course, I have found that there have been critical inflection points for the United States since the Revolutionary War that have been largely overlooked or ignored by history books. And I try to use these facts to provide teachable moments in my stories.    

In structuring a book, I have come to the realization that it is not the main plot but the subplots that drive a good story. Thus, my stories

tend to be multilayered and the characters complicated with an infusion of psychology and intrigue. I strive to make each story as unique and as historically accurate as possible. Occasionally, I come across conflicting historical details and have to choose, or new information comes to light at a later date, so please bear with me. In any case, it is important to me that my books not insult the reader.

My first two books—The Homeward Heart and A Love Too Proud—were originally published by a traditional New York publisher, but I didn’t like having to write to a formula. It stifled my creativity, and I felt it lowered the bar. So, I was grateful when Smashwords came on the scene with eBooks, which gave me the opportunity to re-edit my old books and make them mine. Since then, I have written several more books.

All of my novels are offered as eBooks wherever eBooks are sold, but for those readers who prefer to have a printed book in their hands, I have converted my books to print, as well, to be made available through Amazon and other booksellers.

I hope you enjoy reading my novels as much as I have enjoyed writing them, and I welcome your input.

Disambiguation:  Please note that there are other writers named Kathy Keller. I am not the same Kathy Keller who has published numerous books of a religious nature nor is that Kathy Keller the author of historical and historical romance novels. The inability or unwillingness of many online booksellers to disambiguate between the two of us has been a source of confusion and frustration for many readers. You will always find a list of all of my books here on my website and you can then search for them at your favorite online bookseller by including both the book name and my name, i.e.  “The Homeward Heart Kathy Keller.”