The fledgling writer
At a very early age, Barbara began to tell stories. She recalls lining up her numerous dolls in a row and they became her captive audience. Before Barbara could write, she drew her books in the form of picture books. Barbara considered herself a mediocre student. Her schoolwork suffered, especially in High School when all she wanted to do was write stories. At age 16, Barbara wrote her first book. It was a 300 page, hand-written romance set in Ancient Egypt and by her own admission, was truly terrible!! To Top
Continuing Education
After graduating from High School, Barbara enrolled at the University of California at Santa Barbara as a French major with a minor in Anthropology. She dropped out after the first year to travel and see the World. To Top
Out in the work place
Before Barbara became the international best selling author that we know today, she held many different jobs. They included: waitress, secretary, switchboard operator, and dog walker !! Barbara's career path took a more serious direction when she became an Operating Room technician. She worked in Santa Monica for 10 years before she quit to become a full time writer in 1980. To Top
First Book Published
When Barbara submitted her first manuscript, Hounds & Jackals to a publisher in 1976, the editor rejected it, but recommended Barbara to an agent who was taking on new authors. The agent was Harvey Klinger and he and Barbara have been together ever since. That same year Barbara sold three of her manuscripts, Hounds & Jackals, The Magdalene Scrolls, and Curse This House. To Top
Alter ego
Barbara also writes under a pen name, Kathryn Harvey. "Butterfly" and "Stars" continue to be huge successes. These books are quite different from the Barbara Wood novels and Barbara, her agent and editor agreed that a pen name would serve to indicate the difference. To Top
Research
Barbara's research for her books extends far and wide. She has visited every country she has written about and in fact does not feel comfortable writing about a country that she has not walked on or breathed its air. Sometimes it is the visit itself that inspires the book (as was the case in Green City in the Sun). In addition, she feels that the country of origin is by far the best source for research information. But research for a book does not end there. Barbara immerses herself completely into the subject at hand this includes extensive reading of books, newspapers, and magazines, internet research, as well as first hand interviews and contacting experts in the various subjects relevant to Barbara's current project. To Top
Characters
Inspiration: Barbara's many characters are fictional, but some are based on people she knows and people who are in the news and in history. Interwoven throughout Barbara's books are elements of herself in the main characters. While the majority of events that take place in her books are fiction, some of the characters' experiences are her own. Also, Barbara's Catholic background crops up from time to time (Childsong and Prophetess for example). To Top
A typical Writer's Day
Barbara rises at 5:00 each morning, exercises, makes a cup of strong coffee and then steadily writes and conducts research until late afternoon. To Top
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