Oct 23, 2026
By Brad Hundt5 min read
Katherine Center’s novels sometimes fall into that broad category of what are called beach reads – breezy, easily digestible books that are perfect to devour when you smell of suntan lotion, you have your sunglasses on and your feet planted in the sand.
Ironically enough, many of Center’s books have come alive at the beach.
When the prolific Center needs to get moving on a new novel, the 54-year-old Texan packs up her car, leaves the distractions of Houston behind, and drives a little more than an hour south to Galveston Island. Known for its miles of beaches and Victorian architecture, Center settles in at a beach house, opens up her laptop and gets to work.
“I’ll sit down and start writing,” Center explained over the phone from her Houston abode earlier this month. “I’ll just get lost in the story.”
Those journeys to Galveston Island have paid big
Those journeys to Galveston Island have paid big dividends for Center. In the 20 years since her debut novel “The Bright Side of Disaster,” she has become a consistent presence on The New York Times’ bestseller list, and three of her works have been adapted for Netflix, including 2022’s “The Bodyguard,” a romantic comedy which turns the tables and has a tough female bodyguard protecting an A-list actor from a tenacious stalker. It has been renamed “Guarding Stars” for Netflix, more than likely so it is not confused with the 1992 movie “The Bodyguard” that starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, and will premiere Nov. 18.
Before then, Center will be coming to Peters Township High School for its annual Novel November event Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. There will be a Q&A session after Center discusses her life and work and a book signing.
And don’t worry – Center noted that she is not one of those nose-in-the-air authors who will refuse to personalize the autograph or only stay for a set amount of time.
Every author is a little different in what
“Every author is a little different in what they do,” Center said. “I will do anything. I’ll stay until 2 in the morning.”
Such authors as Patrick Radden Keefe and Anna Quindlen have been guests for previous Novel November events. It is sponsored by the Peters Township Library Foundation, and the library’s director, “Katherine’s books offer relatable characters, sweet romance, and witty dialogue. Her romance novels are bestsellers for a reason – they’re fresh, funny and heartfelt!”
Some credit must go to the British rock band Duran Duran for launching Center’s writing career. Like many an MTV-hooked preteen back in the 1980s, Center was mightily infatuated with Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and the other members of group, so she started penning fan fiction about them. Her interest in writing didn’t end there, and she went on to get creative writing degrees from Vassar College in New York and the University of Houston.
Her diplomas and academic honors in hand, Center
Her diplomas and academic honors in hand, Center initially set out to write the kind of serious fiction that can win critical praise but can struggle to find an audience. Center’s sister, Lizzie Fletcher, who is now in Congress, suggested that Center should instead look on the bright side and write a funny novel about being a mom. “The Bright Side of Disaster” came from that.
The books that have followed include a story about a 32-year-old woman who goes on a wilderness survival course after a divorce (“Happiness for Beginners”), a portrait artist struggling with face blindness (“Hello Stranger”) and a woman relocating to a goat farm after her husband’s death (“The Lost Husband”). Center says she has a list of ideas on a Microsoft Word document that she draws from when it’s time to start another book.
“I get ideas all the time,” she explained, comparing the process to catching butterflies. “I’m not always great at remembering them. A lot of them floated out the window and I didn’t catch them.”
Getting the books adapted for movies
Getting the books adapted for movies is an obvious boon, but Center said she doesn’t think about a novel’s potential afterlife when she is writing it.
“It’s so essential to get the right characters into the story and create the right energy,” she said. “My whole focus is trying to make it work as a book. And if it makes it as a movie, that’s great.”
Center counsels “self encouragement” when writing, and stands up for the value of creative writing programs in colleges and universities.
Writing is a way to make your soul
“Writing is a way to make your soul good,” she said. “Anything creative is good for the soul. … I encourage people to find something they are passionate about.”
A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for Center’s visit to Peters Township, which include a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m in the Peters Township Middle School cafeteria. VIP ticket holders will receive a hardback copy of “The Shippers,” Center’s most recent book, and attend a pre-event book signing by Center.
Pittsburgh-area bookseller Riverstone Books will sell Center’s books before and after the program.
For more information on Center and the Novel November event, go online to ptlib.org/katherinecenter.
