Who is Catherine Anderson? I discovered this author this past year. I picked up a copy of one of her newest releases and fell in love with her writing. After finishing that book I set out to find all of the available contemporary romances authored by this woman. She is that good. What did it take for Catherine Anderson to become the masterful storyteller we know today?
As a child, Catherine would play at her mother’s feet as she typed away at an old keyboard. Catherine’s mother was a writer, and she would read those stories aloud when finished. Perhaps the writing gene was passed down from mother to daughter. Catherine began writing at an early age. As a teenager she wrote stories in notebooks and on paper sacks. She described it as a compulsion. “Writing was never a choice,” according to Mrs. Anderson. Even so, and with the support of those around her, a career in writing was not Catherine’s immediate plan.
Catherine Anderson wrote for herself early on. She would steal time to write and then hide her work away. She felt that becoming a published author was an impossible dream. Instead of publishing her work, Catherine decided to attend college. She also married a wonderful man named Sid. When she took her entrance exam for admittance the dean actually called her to remark on her excellent grasp of English. While at college she chose to major in accounting since her husband Sid was an entrepreneur. She excelled but was extremely bored with her choice. Nothing the university offered excited her as much as writing, but she didn’t want to quit since a lot of money was invested in her education. But then a teacher used one of her writing samples as a teaching tool and the praise he offered sent her home asking her husband if he would be upset if she quit school. He was extremely supportive and her writing career took off.
It wasn’t an easy process but Catherine was able to sell her first book to Harlequin. She went on to write several historical titles and then moved in the direction of contemporary once again. She is the author of more than twenty bestselling and award-winning historical and contemporary romances and has no plans to stop writing any time soon.
As for her writing, she tries to create real people that are struggling with real issues. In all of the books I’ve read by this author the love story isn’t perfect. She does this on purpose since life itself is not perfect. Addressing real life hurdles gives readers something to relate to and learn from. She has written about characters that are deaf, disabled, mentally challenged and wounded, and each and every time the story touches your heart. She also researches her subjects so that the “hurdles” can be represented correctly. Reading her books is not only entertaining but also eye opening. Her books are a mixture of sorrow and laughter and that makes them all the more realistic.
