Author & Writer, Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a graduate of Prescott College in Arizona and lives and writes in the desert Southwest, an aficionado of American and Western history. She loves being able to immerse herself in the lives of her characters, especially bringing to life the charismatic and capable women of the West, both real and imaginary. Her debut novel, The Lily of the West, the story of “Big Nose Kate” Haroney, was published in 2019 to critical acclaim and was awarded “Best First Western Novel” from Western Fictioneers. She is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West.
“Life takes many turns.”
Meet Chastity James, the newly arrived schoolteacher. She’s got a lot to learn about how things are in Dodge City, Kansas but the denizens of Dodge are about to learn a few things in return, including Charlie Bassett and Wyatt Earp. Chastity is as familiar with a horse and a gun as she is with Shakespeare. The Transformation of Chastity James is a wild ride you won’t want to put down until the last page is turned.
“A vivid and engrossing Western with a strong hero.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Kathleen Morris is a gifted writer and storyteller, as well as a meticulous researcher. Historical details shine through her writing as she describes places such as Dodge City, Topeka, and Chicago. Even her description of everyday things like clothing and food ring true to the era. This book is a page-turner that is full of fast action and humor as well as heartwarming personal relationships.”
– Michael Ritt, author of “The Sons of Philo Gaines”
“To do a great right, do a little wrong.”
Kathleen Morris has created a masterpiece with her novel “The Wind at Her Back”. The reader is swept into late 1880s New York where Fiona, an Irish immigrant, has found a safe haven from her troubled past. Fiona is a strong gutsy resourceful protagonist and Morris’s rich descriptive sentences pay homage to her meticulous research. Morris has a true gift of storytelling creating a novel of intrigue and suspense.
-Ever Ready Book Reviews
“THE LILY OF THE WEST shines the spotlight on a character mostly known as a background character in the telling of the gunfight at the OK Corral. Mary Katherine Haroney is best known as the on-again, off-again companion of Doc Holliday.
“Kathleen Morris masterfully gives a first-person account of a well-educated, independent woman’s journey from the royal courts of Hungary and Mexico to the dance halls of the American West.
“This book is filled with sumptuous language and an interesting cast of characters. If you like historical fiction, you’ll love this book.”
News and Articles
A little Christmas Gift: “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”, a short western story
This story was included in the Five Star’s 2019 anthology “Contention and Other Frontier Stories” and I was proud to be included with some well-known wonderful authors. Hope you enjoy it. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Kansas, 1876 If they came back tonight, I’d kill them both. I brushed the hair off my face, dirt mingling
Long Hot (Chilling) Summer Reading
Most of us have gotten pretty familiar with our back yards this year, along with the interiors of our dwellings, especially if you live in Arizona where a hammock comes into play only until June unless you’ve a dedicated interest in sunstroke. Besides the worry and paranoia and being in quarantine, we’ve had the hottest
Book Review: The Sons of Philo Gaines by Michael R. Ritt
Every once in a while, you pick up a book and within a few pages, you realize you’re in the hands of a master. Your worries disappear. You settle in, get comfortable and don’t have to do a thing but immerse yourself in the world he’s created, just read and enjoy. So it is with
A little Christmas Gift: “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”, a short western story
This story was included in the Five Star’s 2019 anthology “Contention and Other Frontier Stories” and I was proud to be included with some well-known wonderful authors. Hope you enjoy it. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Kansas, 1876 If they came back tonight, I’d kill them both. I brushed the hair off my face, dirt mingling
Long Hot (Chilling) Summer Reading
Most of us have gotten pretty familiar with our back yards this year, along with the interiors of our dwellings, especially if you live in Arizona where a hammock comes into play only until June unless you’ve a dedicated interest in sunstroke. Besides the worry and paranoia and being in quarantine, we’ve had the hottest
