Katherine Kurtz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katherine Kurtz
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Katherine Kurtz, 2018
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| Born | October 18, 1944 Coral Gables, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Irish (dual citizenship) |
| Education | University of Miami (BS) University of California, Los Angeles (MA) |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Notable works | Deryni novels |
Katherine Irene Kurtz, born on October 18, 1944, is a well-known American writer. She writes exciting fantasy stories. She is famous for her Deryni series, which includes sixteen historical fantasy novels. She has also written books about magic and stories set in cities. Katherine Kurtz lived in Ireland for over twenty years before moving to Virginia in 2007.
Early Life and Learning
Katherine Kurtz was born on October 18, 1944, in Coral Gables, Florida. This is also where she grew up. She earned a scholarship to study chemistry at the University of Miami. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry.
After that, she spent a year in medical school. Later, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Medieval History from UCLA. While studying for her master's, she worked for the Los Angeles Police Academy. It was during this time that she started writing her first novels. She also worked in oceanography and television.
Writing Career and Famous Books
Katherine Kurtz is most famous for her Deryni novels and short stories. Her first book, Deryni Rising, came out in 1970. This book was special because it mixed fantasy with historical fiction. Before her, most fantasy books were more like myths or legends, similar to those by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Experts say Katherine Kurtz was one of the first writers to create "secondary-world historical fantasy". This means she built a new world but made it feel very real, like history. She showed how important faith was in older societies. She also wrote about magic as a formal, ritual practice. This was different from how magic was often shown in other fantasy books at the time.
She also wrote other series of books. Her Templar series tells alternate history stories with a touch of magic. Her Adept series features urban fantasy novels, which are fantasy stories set in modern cities.
Katherine Kurtz enjoys connecting with her readers. She has a weekly online chat where she talks about her writing. She also shares stories about her life, her cats, and many other interesting topics.
Personal Life and Family
Katherine Kurtz married Scott MacMillan in 1983. They have one son together. A few years after they married, they moved to Ireland. Both Katherine and Scott later became citizens of Ireland.
Until 2007, they lived in a historic building called Holybrooke Hall. This large building was divided into four homes. Their home was located between Kilmacanogue and Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland. Katherine continued to write her books there. Scott, who used to work in the film industry, took a job as a herald in the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland. In 2007, they moved back to the United States. They now live in a historic house in Virginia.
