Stone, Katherine 1949-

PERSONAL:

Born 1949, in Seattle, WA; married Jack Chase (a novelist). Education: Stanford University, B.A.; University of Washington, M.D.

ADDRESSES:

Home—WA.

CAREER:

Romance and mystery writer. Physician.

WRITINGS:

Roommates, 1987, reprinted, Five Star (Unity, ME), 1997.

Twins (also see below), Kensington (New York, NY), 1989.

Bel Air, Kensington (New York, NY), 1990.

Love Songs, Kensington (New York, NY), 1991.

Rainbows (also see below), Kensington (New York, NY) 1992.

Promises (also see below), Kensington (New York, NY), 1993.

Happy Endings, Kensington (New York, NY), 1994.

Illusions, Kensington (New York, NY), 1994.

Pearl Moon, Fawcett Columbine (New York, NY), 1995.

A New Collection of Three Complete Novels (contains Promises, Rainbows, and Twins), Wings Books (New York, NY), 1995.

Imagine Love, Fawcett Columbine (New York, NY), 1996.

The Carlton Club, Wheeler (Rockland, MD), 1997.

Bed of Roses, Warner (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Anne Stuart, Donna Julian, and Jodie Larsen; and editor) Sisters & Secrets: A Novel in Four Parts, Onyx Books, 1998.

Home at Last, Warner (New York, NY), 1999.

A Midnight Clear, Warner (New York, NY), 1999.

Thief of Hearts, Warner (New York, NY), 1999.

Island of Dreams, Warner (New York, NY), 2000.

Star Light, Star Bright, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2002.

The Other Twin, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Another Man's Son, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2004.

The Cinderella Hour, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Caroline's Journal, Mira (Don Mills, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

A physician by training, Katherine Stone has become a prolific writer of romances that often combine elements of the mystery novel. Her style has been compared to that of authors Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, and Sandra Brown. Most of her novels take place in glamorous settings and are peopled with accomplished, beautiful characters. Critics often praise her lavish prose and intricate plots, and her fans have made her a best-selling author.

Among her early novels are Twins, Bel Air, and Love Songs. The first title is about feuding twin sisters who are forced to mend their relationship in order to fix other problems in their lives. A Publishers Weekly critic deemed the book to be "absorbing" and concluded that if some plot elements are artificial, "for the most part, the twists and turns … are devilishly realistic and true to human nature." Publishers Weekly contributor Penny Kaganoff reviewed Bel Air less kindly, calling this story of six rich and talented characters who are drawn into a potential murder case "overstuffed" and "more atmospheric glitz than plot." Kaganoff also reviewed Love Songs, noting that the characters are "handsome or successful, but also confused." The article concluded that "realism is not a prime factor" in the novel.

Stone's hardcover debut came with Rainbows, the story of a pianist named Catherine Taylor and her movie-actress sister, Alexa. Their lives are turned upside down when Catherine learns she is adopted, having been given to her mother—along with a stunning sapphire necklace that ultimately links her to the royal family of a small island kingdom—by a mysterious woman. A Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked that "Stone keeps the reader pleasantly off guard, and her finale is a veritable torrent of cataclysms and revelations." A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented, "Fairy-tale elements mix with those of a present-day romance—for wholly improbable yet thoroughly enjoyable results."

Stone has involved multiple central characters in several of her romances. Her novel Promises has three heroines: one a model, another a surgeon, and the third a dress designer. Each woman has a love life turned upside down by violence, distrust, or death. A critic for Publishers Weekly found the book entertaining and noted it had a "slick tension that will please fans," but considered Stone's prose "pedestrian" and declared that her plots lean "heavily on misunderstandings and coincidences."

Booklist's Melanie Duncan responded favorably to Stone's Happy Endings, noting that it is "not without suspense"; this book ultimately lives up to its title after following the (separate) romantic ups and downs of Hollywood lawyer Raven Winter and writer Holly Elliot. Both women are fighting with demons from their pasts as they form promising but troubled romantic relationships. Similarly, a Library Journal critic recommended the book to "devotees" as "a delightful read."

In 1995's Pearl Moon, Stone departed from her typically ritzy American settings and placed her story in Hong Kong. In addition, she gave a twist to the sisters theme used earlier in a story of two women—one American, one Chinese—who find they have the same father, a deceased Vietnam War veteran. A critic for Kirkus Reviews cast a cynical eye on the novel, commenting that "the bang of romantic cymbals never drowns out the steady hum of predictable cliches." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly, however, maintained that "Stone's vivid narrative and glamorous settings energize this melodramatic tale," and a Library Journal contributor recommended the book for fans of Steel and Brown as "light and fluffy formula reading."

Stone more markedly changed her pace in 1996 with Imagine Love, a romance combined with mystery set in the Louisiana bayou. Famous singer Cole Taylor returns to his small hometown to discover that his childhood sweetheart, Claire, was blinded on her wedding day and abandoned before her marriage was ever consummated. When Cole takes Claire to London, they are caught up in a serial murderer's web. Library Journal reviewer Kristin Ramsdell described the novel as "lushly worded, somewhat reflective," and, as a mystery, "chillingly done." A contributor to Publishers Weekly characterized the book's writing and plot as "overheated," while a Kirkus Reviews critic called it "soap at its most operatic, though the playing on the heartstrings occasionally strikes an affecting emotional note."

Returning to the rich and famous of California in Bed of Roses, Stone crafts a crime story about a winemaker named Chase and his estranged wife, Cassandra, an actress who is nearly killed in a brutal attack. Chase is drawn to Cassandra's bedside and also assists in solving the crime. A Publishers Weekly contributor expressed disappointment in Stone's treatment of a promising premise, describing the novel as "a haphazard mishmash of abuse, murder, unrequited love, dead babies, pop psychology and mistaken identities." A Booklist reviewer judged that the mystery-romance was just the stuff to satisfy Stone's fans: "an easy read about an unrealistic, fantasy-based relationship."

With her 2002 title Star Light, Star Bright, Stone left Warner Books for Mira, a Canadian-based publisher. In her first romance for the new publisher, the author follows Rafe McClure, a Mexican immigrant who is the sole survivor when a mudslide destroys his village. After spending a stint at a Texas ranch, Rafe ends up at a horse farm in Virginia, where he befriends the teenage sisters Brooke and Lily. After their parents are murdered, Lily inherits the farm and Brooke leaves for the West Coast. Only when Brooke returns twelve years later will the mysteries surrounding the women's pasts be solved. Star Light, Star Bright caught the attention of several reviewers, including one for Publishers Weekly, who believed that Stone tried to pack too much into a single novel, making it a "confusing read." On the other hand, Maria Hatton, writing in Booklist faulted what she considered underdeveloped characters, yet predicted that because of its "fast-paced" plot, the novel would be welcomed by Stone's fans.

In several novels, Stone has used the existence of twins as a plot device. Such is the case in Illusions, a novel that focuses on Chase Carlton, a clairvoyant who assists the police and the FBI in tracking down serial killers. When Carlton learns that movie mogul Victor Chase Kincaid has been murdered, he surmises that Victor was his twin brother and determines to solve the crime. Using self-induced amnesia, Carlton assumes his brother's identity and quickly becomes suspicious of Victor's widow. "Only the question of Kincaid's death holds the reader to the end," noted a critic in Publishers Weekly. Thief of Hearts, dubbed a "high-quality romance" by Booklist reviewer Melanie Duncan, concerns heart surgeon Caitlyn Taylor. When Taylor tries to save her best friend, Patrick Falconer, from a fatal illness, the solution involves trying to reconcile Falconer with his estranged twin brother. As the title suggests, The Other Twin, Stone's 2003 novel, also features twins, this time women. In this "moving story of family love," to quote Maria Hatton, writing in Booklist, Gwen St. James and Claire Forrester share a rare friendship, one that they discover means much more than they could imagine.

Island of Dreams follows Pierce Rourke, an architect whose love of music is rekindled when he hears librarian Ana Finch sing at a wedding. Pierce and Ana begin a relationship that is complicated by Ana's health issues as well as an old murder case. According to Booklist contributor Patty Engelmann, Island of Dreams "is deeply moving, and its mystical overtones are sure to thrill readers."

A couple overcome tragedy and separation to find love in The Cinderella Hour. The novel concerns Snow Ashley Gable and her childhood sweetheart, Luke Kilcannon, whose troubled past includes the mysterious death of his father. "Stone's poetically expressive tale of intriguing characters and tough dilemmas is truly poignant and heartrending," remarked Maria Hatton in Booklist. In Caroline's Journal, a woman chronicles her harrowing efforts to conceive a child despite a life-threatening illness. "Haul out the tissues for this genuine tearjerker, which makes up in sentimentality what it lacks in drama," observed a critic in Publishers Weekly.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 1992, Cynthia Ogorek, review of Rainbows, p. 812; August, 1994, Melanie Duncan, review of Happy Endings, pp. 2024-2025; February 1, 1995, Mary Carroll, review of Pearl Moon, p. 971; April 15, 1996, Melanie Duncan, review of Imagine Love, p. 1423; January 1, 1998, Kathleen Hughes, review of Bed of Roses, p. 744; February 1, 1999, Melanie Duncan, review of Thief of Hearts, p. 966; August 1, 2000, Patty Engelmann, review of Island of Dreams, p. 2124; December 15, 2001, Maria Hatton, review of Star Light, Star Bright, p. 709; January 1, 2003, Maria Hatton, review of The Other Twin, p. 852; September 1, 2005, Maria Hatton, review of The Cinderella Hour, p. 73.

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 1991, review of Rainbows, pp. 1432-1433; February 1, 1995, review of Pearl Moon, p. 101; February 1, 1996, review of Imagine Love, p. 170.

Library Journal, November 15, 1991, Marilyn Jordan, review of Rainbows, p. 108; August, 1994, Margaret Hanes, review of Happy Endings, p. 134; February 1, 1995, Dawn L. Anderson, review of Pearl Moon, p. 101; February 15, 1996, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Imagine Love, p. 139.

Publishers Weekly, March 24, 1989, review of Twins, p. 63; April 6, 1990, Penny Kaganoff, review of Bel Air, p. 112; March 22, 1991, Penny Kaganoff, review of Love Songs, p. 76; November 29, 1991, review of Rainbows, p. 44; January 18, 1993, review of Promises, p. 452; January 10, 1994, review of Illusions, p. 46; January 23, 1995, review of Pearl Moon, p. 58; January 29, 1996, review of Imagine Love, p. 83; January 26, 1998, review of Bed of Roses, p. 71; November 26, 2001, review of Star Light, Star Bright, p. 40; June 5, 2006, review of Caroline's Journal, p. 37.