Ken Willig

• 
  940NEWS - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/16/2005    Last Visited: 3/17/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard law school, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's bestseller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age nine, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was six and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blond, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing Pink Carnation until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of Pink Carnation, Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year - she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to Pink Carnation, called Masque of the Black Tulip.
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savouring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Bodice-Ripping Author Shakes Up Harvard - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/16/2005    Last Visited: 3/16/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard Law School, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation," a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's best seller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age 9, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was 6 and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blonde, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing "Pink Carnation" until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of "Pink Carnation," Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Bodice-Ripping Author Shakes Up Harvard... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/16/2005    Last Visited: 3/17/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard Law School, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation," a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's best seller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age 9, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was 6 and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blonde, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing "Pink Carnation" until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of "Pink Carnation," Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year - she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Bodice-Ripping Author Shakes Up Harvard - WTOP Radio - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/3/2005    Last Visited: 3/17/2005  

  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Boston.com / News / Education / K-12 / Bodice-ripping... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/16/2005    Last Visited: 3/16/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard Law School, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation," a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's best seller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age 9, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was 6 and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blonde, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing "Pink Carnation" until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of "Pink Carnation," Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year -- she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  CBS4: Massachusetts News - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/12/2005    Last Visited: 3/13/2005  

  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school.
  
  "Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year.She only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  Willig isn't wedded to romance novels.She is thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddy feeling of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she said.

• 
  Harvard-Romance-Novelist, - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/17/2005    Last Visited: 3/17/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard law school, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's bestseller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age nine, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was six and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blond, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing Pink Carnation until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of Pink Carnation, Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year - she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to Pink Carnation, called Masque of the Black Tulip.
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savouring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Las Vegas SUN: Bodice-Ripping Author Shakes Up Harvard - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/16/2005    Last Visited: 3/16/2005  

  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year - she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - A&E: Bodice-ripping... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/3/2005    Last Visited: 3/16/2005  

  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year - she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

• 
  The Ledger Independent - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 3/17/2005    Last Visited: 3/17/2005  

  Willig, in her second year at Harvard Law School, is finishing her doctoral dissertation on the Royalists during England's 17th-century civil war.She's also the author of "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation," a "bodice-ripper" that's been climbing Barnes & Noble's best seller list less than a month after its release.
  
  It seems a natural progression for a woman who got in trouble in the third grade for bringing a trashy romance novel to school.Then, at age 9, she mailed her manuscript to a publisher.Willig traces her infatuation with the romance genre to when she was 6 and her father, also a historian-turned-lawyer, gave her a book about Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
  
  "I was utterly hooked," says the slender blonde, who looks younger than her 27 years."Every young girl wants to be a princess.Then, when you find a real-life one, it's very easy to imagine yourself in that role."
  
  Willig has been juggling ideas for a romance novel since childhood, but she didn't start writing "Pink Carnation" until the summer after her second year of graduate school.It was a reward to herself for passing her exams.The work carried over to the following summer.She had a job in the history department's library, where she spent time writing dialogue for her book.
  
  She mined her academic research for her novel's plot.
  ...
  The book bounces back and forth between 19th-century and present-day England, allowing Willig to mix in aristocratic courtship rituals with modern dating observations.
  ...
  "As everyone knows, lipids are fats, and fats are bad for you, and therefore ex-boyfriends must be avoided at all costs," Willig writes.
  
  Willig didn't have to wait long to get her book published.Two years ago, a friend gave her manuscript to an agent at Carlisle & Company, who shopped the book around to publishers.Less than two months later, it was snapped up by Dutton, a division of Penguin Group, Inc.
  
  Laurie Chittenden, Willig's editor at Dutton, said the novel is a unique marriage of "chick lit" and serious fiction.
  ...
  "The field seems to be undergoing an expansion," Willig says.
  ...
  Despite the success of "Pink Carnation," Willig has no plans to become a full-time novelist.She is interviewing for summer law jobs in her native New York City and plans to become a litigator once she graduates from law school.
  
  Willig calls her dizzying career path a "family curse."Her parents both traded in doctorates to practice law, and her mother also is an author.
  
  Her father, Ken Willig, said he didn't hesitate to feed his daughter's thirst for romance novels as far back as elementary school."Our theory is that if a child reads even toilet paper, it's great," he said."I'm not a history snob.I will read anything with a historical context."
  
  Willig's next novel is scheduled to be published later this year she only has three more chapters to write for the sequel to "Pink Carnation," called "Masque of the Black Tulip."
  
  She's also thinking about writing a murder mystery set at Yale University, her alma mater, or a "Nancy Mitford-like" social satire.
  
  For now, though, she is savoring the giddiness of being a newly published writer.She still does a double-take when she sees her novel on the shelves of Harvard Square bookstores.
  
  "It still feels fake," she says.

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