KATHLEEN ALLEN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Authenticity and honesty are at the heart of building meaningful, lasting connections. In that spirit of transparency, Kathleen Allen wants readers to know that she writes under a pen name. She is not in witness protection, and her family is fully aware that she writes romance novels. For Kathleen, using a pen name provides the freedom and creative space to craft the stories she loves.

Kathleen married her college sweetheart, and together they have two wonderful daughters. They call North Carolina home, where they enjoy gathering around firepits with friends, relaxing by the pool, spending quality time as a family, and cuddling with their Goldendoodle. Kathleen and her husband also enjoy long-weekend getaways and cruises, while her career requires her to travel frequently. She loves sharing those adventures with readers through her social media platforms.

For years, Kathleen’s daughters encouraged her to read books by Meghan Quinn and Tessa Bailey. During a recent cruise, she decided it was finally time to try something new and picked up A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn. The story introduced her to a new genre and added a little extra spice to the vacation.

That cruise also inspired Kathleen to write a book of her own. With her daughters grown and out of the house, she was adjusting to life as an empty nester and searching for a new hobby. Her career was fulfilling, but she was ready to explore what might come next.

The storyline for Cruise Crush began taking shape before the ship had returned to port. Many of the destinations, adventures, and meals featured in the novel were inspired by experiences from that voyage. During the months that followed, Kathleen wrote on airplanes, in hotels, in airport lounges around the world, beside her pool, and in bed with her favorite editor—her husband—nearby. What began as a personal hobby quickly became something they both enjoyed, including the sometimes-entertaining process of testing the book’s spicier scenes.

Kathleen encourages everyone, regardless of their season of life, to surround themselves with people who support their dreams—people standing along the path with handmade signs, cheering for even the wildest ambitions. Just as importantly, she believes everyone should keep a few handmade signs ready to hold up for those same people when they need encouragement in return.