Arkansas Author Kathleen Fuller Has Written More Than 60 Romance Novels

Ever since New Year’s Day of 2000, Kathleen Fuller has written bales of romantic literature — 60 published novels to go along with numerous novellas collected for romance anthologies. Her books, characters and settings invoke a cozy, welcoming feeling, and millions of readers have curled up with her prose as if it were a well-loved family blanket.

 

Do not get too carried away with the romance angle — Fuller’s life is not one of flowers and paper hearts.

 

“In real life, I’m the most unromantic person on the planet,” Fuller said. “Fortunately my husband picks up the slack.”

 

Fuller has carved out a life for herself unlike anyone else in Arkansas. Her books have hit bestseller lists and inspired millions of followers in the Natural State and beyond. Along with her indefatigable writing schedule, Fuller also shares her love for crocheting via her website, introducing her fans to something she has loved since she was a small child.

 

Her career now represents something so grand that Fuller could never have predicted how thoroughly it has changed her life. After decades as a teacher working in special education, Fuller initially considered writing as something new to stalk her attention after her retirement. Finding a mega-sized audience was not in the plans, since Fuller’s earlier attempts at fiction had proven, well, a little uneven.

 

 

“Back in the late ‘90s, I was reading a lot of Christian fiction,” Fuller said, “and it inspired me to try my hand at writing a book. I did, and it was terrible. I definitely needed to learn how to write fiction.”

 

Today, it is hard to imagine Fuller ever needing an assist with building worlds and capturing characters. One of her latest, Autumn at the Cat Café, tells the story of Via Dalton, owner of a feline-centric cafe in a picturesque Ohio town whose life is thrown into chaos after meeting Leo Brewster, the heir to the neighboring bookstore she hopes to buy. Another recent release, Tabitha’s September Homecoming, tells the story of a young woman in an Amish community torn between two romantic interests.

 

 

Fuller said it did not take her long to realize she would need guidance and support en route to completing her first novel. Unsatisfied with her own early attempts, she reached out to Romance Writers of America, a nonprofit organization that provides career guidance, networking and community for budding romance novelists. After taking a correspondence course on the nuts and bolts of book-crafting, Fuller found a supportive “critique group” that allowed her to evolve her craft and workshop her early ideas.

 

She published her first book in 2003 and quickly took off from there. In 2009, her novella “A Place of His Own” was published in the collection An Amish Gathering, and she continued to contribute her short stories to anthologies while producing novels at a brisk pace. Her 2017 novel, Written in Love, won the 2018 Romantic Times Inspirational Romance of the Year award.

 

Fuller’s work speaks to her inspiration. She is a lifelong fan of John Hughes, director of classic coming-of-age films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Her reading tastes have always slanted toward Christian fiction, historical novels and what she calls “cozy romances.” All of those influences come together and make themselves known in her writing and the plots of her stories.

 

Fuller also carries the increasingly rare — and admirable — status of an author who promoted her books before the takeoff of social media. She did not find an audience overnight, and those early days of promotion were both challenging and proof positive that she believed in her work. Once she figured out the business aspect of writing, Fuller became a one-woman whirlwind, finding a publisher and making sure bookmarks and postcards promoting her books were sent to bookstores. When not doing that, Fuller reached out to friends and family.

 

“Word of mouth was king back then, and it still is,” Fuller said. “Now I have a newsletter, which is my primary marketing tool. I also have a YouTube channel where I do a Read and Crochet Along project featuring granny square tutorials inspired by my book covers, and I’m currently on a statewide book tour to promote Autumn at the Cat Café.”

 

 

About the crocheting — Fuller was taught the art of crafting with yarn at a young age, watching her mother and grandmother. Like many childhood interests, it would take a backseat in adulthood until circumstances led to a rediscovery later in life.

 

“About 10 years ago, I picked it up again when I injured my back and needed something to keep myself busy other than writing,” Fuller said. “I realized that it was a terrific creative complement to writing, and I’ve rarely gone a day without crocheting something. Even when I had surgery on my right hand, I crocheted with my left. You could say I’m obsessed. I’ve also passed the craft down to my two daughters, who make beautiful things. Since I’m a retired teacher, helping people learn to crochet was a natural thing to do.”

 

Today, Fuller includes downloadable crochet patterns and instructional YouTube videos on her website, kathleenfuller.com, along with specialized designs related to specific books she has written, part of a “Fiction and Fiber Arts” series in which she invites readers to crochet along as they read.

 

With more than 60 books to her name, Fuller is a woman of unflagging industry, and she comes by it honestly. Even in the realm of teaching, where no job is an easy job, working in special education is truly a pedal-to-the-metal calling. When not working with students in the classroom and lesson planning, special education teachers face a mountain of paperwork that must be filled out and kept current for each and every student. It is rarely a 9-to-5 experience, and savvy teachers learn how to keep up with the workload whenever a spare moment arises.

 

Fuller has taken the same approach to her writing.

 

“Developing a schedule did help, but a lot of times, I would write when I was in the car, on my lunch break at school, in the wee hours of the morning, during dance lessons, etc.,” Fuller said. “After I retired, I put myself on a more structured schedule, but I also leave room for writing on the fly when inspiration strikes.”

 

Fuller is quick to give credit where it is due. She said her faith and her family sustained her in those early days when she was still figuring out her craft, and that support continues as she works to keep up with the demands of an ever-growing fanbase.

 

“My husband, James, is the MVP,” Fuller said. “He’s been extremely supportive throughout the ups and downs of both my careers, and I couldn’t do what I do without him.”

 

Sounds like the sort of devotion taken straight from her novels.

 

“Hmm,” Fuller said. “That sounds almost romantic.”

 

Additional Kathleen Fuller titles:

 

PRINT HEADLINE: Turning a New Page: Kathleen Fuller did not set out to become a prolific novelist. Now her romance novels capture hearts across the country.

 

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