Nance, Kathleen

PERSONAL:

Born in MI; married; children: three.

ADDRESSES:

Home—MI. E-mail—[email protected]

CAREER:

Held various positions in the field of pharmacy.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Colorado Ward of Excellence; Golden Heart; SARA Rising Star Grand Prize; Holt Medallion; PRISM Award; National Reader's Choice Award, 2001, for The Warrior.

WRITINGS:

ROMANCE NOVELS

Wishes Come True, Love Spell (New York, NY), 1998.

More Than Magic, Love Spell (New York, NY), 1999.

The Trickster, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2000.

The Warrior, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2001.

Enchantment, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2002.

The Seeker, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2002.

Spellbound, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2003.

Day of Fire, Love Spell (New York, NY), 2004.

Jigsaw, Leisure Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Contributor to Celebrations, Leisure Books (New York, NY), 1998; The Magic of Christmas, Love Spell (New York, NY), 1998; and Paradise, Leisure Books (New York, NY), 1999.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kathleen Nance's romances often have an otherworldly twist. Wishes Come True and others pair mortals with genies, while The Seeker, The Warrior, and The Trickster deal with descendants of Greek gods and also see the gods intervening in modern human affairs. Some other titles have science-fiction aspects. "Paranormal elements add a unique flair to the stories," Nance told Martina Bexte in an interview for the Web site BookLoons. "You get to let your imagination fly and can do so many things with them that just can't happen in real life."

In Wishes Come True, for instance, an overworked, skeptical single mother, Zoe, manages to summon a handsome male genie named Simon who needs her help to lift a curse, and mutual attraction develops. Some critics praised Nance's story and characters as ingenious and engaging. Louisa Brown, reviewing the book for her Magical Romance Reading Website, called it "fantastic and very original." Cathy Sova, a contributor to Romance Reader, deemed the tale "fresh" and the protagonists "lively," also noting that Zoe and Simon "make a couple worth rooting for" in this "worthy first effort."

More Than Magic centers on a supporting character from Wishes Come True, Simon's genie friend Darius. He meets a human woman named Isis who can help him regain mastery of his powers by marrying him, but both are hesitant. Brown, on her Web site, described the novel as "a worthy sequel" that offers "plenty of humour" in "a strong story line with some good twists." Enchantment deals with Isis's brother Jack, a scientist whose distaste for magic is challenged when he becomes involved with a female genie. Best Reviews commentator Kelley A. Hartsell, pronounced the book "an enjoyable read" with "charming" characters.

In Spellbound, genie Zayne, whose magical music keeps the genies' realm in order, seeks out his reluctant mortal soul mate to assist him. Again, some reviewers described Nance's work as creative and entertaining. She has crafted "an imaginative world of magic filled with lusty encounters," reported Patty Engelmann in Booklist. A Publishers Weekly, critic found Spellbound "cute and comic at its best and predictable and absurd at its worst," but recommended it as "a fun, facile read."

In The Seeker and other books in Nance's mythology-linked series, Greek gods and goddesses act as matchmakers for humans, seeking to improve the lives of mortals descended from those they previously wronged. In The Seeker, they work to unite Dia Trelawny, a descendant of Leda, and Hugh Pendragon, whose ancestry traces back to Hades. The result is "a breezy, fun read," noted Judi McKee in Romance Reader.

With Day of Fire, Nance offers a futuristic tale, set in Canada in 2176. The nation has recovered from a devastating epidemic, and mounted policewoman Day and physician Lian try to prevent a new one while falling in love. Several reviewers deemed it suspenseful and steamy. The protagonists' relationship is "sizzling with sexual and ideological tension," observed Engelmann in Booklist. A Publishers Weekly contributor remarked on the "inventiveness" of the romantic scenes and the excitement of the "numerous adrenaline-laced chases."

Jigsaw is also in the vein of suspense and science fiction. Daniel, a government agent, reunites with former lover Bella, a computer scientist, while hunting cyber-terrorists. Some critics found Nance adept with this type of story. Engelmann, again writing in Booklist, called Jigsaw "an engaging romance filled with dark undertones." Harriet Klausner, reviewing for MBR Bookwatch, dubbed it an "action-packed" tale enhanced by the exploration of relationships.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 15, 1999, Patty Engelmann, review of More Than Magic, p. 1047; June 1, 2003, Patty Engelmann, review of Spellbound, p. 1753; May 1, 2004, Patty Engelmann, review of Day of Fire, p. 1551; April, 2005, Patty Engelmann, review of Jigsaw, p. 1350.

Publishers Weekly, April 28, 2003, review of Spellbound, p. 55; November 30, 2006, review of Day of Fire, p. 47.

ONLINE

Best Reviews,http://thebestreviews.com/ (May 5, 2003), DeborahAnne MacGillivray, review of Spellbound; (July 31, 2003), Kelley A. Hartsell, review of Enchantment; (April 14, 2004), Tanzey Cutter, review of Day of Fire.

BookLoons,http://www.bookloons.com (January 15, 2007), Martina Bexte, interview with Kathleen Nance.

Kathleen Nance Home Page,http://www.kathleennance.com (January 4, 2007).

Magical Romance Reading Website,http://louisabrown.net/ (January 4, 2007), Louisa Brown, reviews of Wishes Come True and More Than Magic.

MBR Bookwatch,http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ (January 15, 2007), Harriet Klausner, review of Jigsaw.

ParaNormal Romance,http://paranormalromance.org/ (January 15, 2007), Barbara Sheridan, four interviews with Kathleen Nance.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (February 4, 1998), Cathy Sova, review of Wishes Come True; (June 2, 2001) Irene Williams, review of The Warrior; (January 8, 2002) Judi McKee, review of The Seeker; (October 27, 2002), Judith Flavell, review of Enchantment.