Pages of Passion: Unveiling the Literary Tapestry of Kathryn Haueisen

From Faith to Fiction, Discovering Stories that Shape Lives and Communities

Kathryn Haueisen (Kathy), is an author, workshop leader, speaker, and an ELCA pastor. Prior to retirement, she served several congregations and as Executive Director of a church outdoor ministry site in LaGrange, Texas. She continues to serve as a consultant for congregational capital campaigns with Capital Campaign Services Net, work she’s been doing since 2007. During that time she’s worked with dozens of congregations around the country to raise funds for building a first unit, expanding existing facilities, repairing a roof, installing an elevator, remodeling outdated facilities, retiring debt, and even installing a new geothermal heating system.

As an author, she’s published six books (My Writing) and numerous articles for print and online publications. She writes about family, travel, faith and inspiration, and good people doing great things.

Author Haueisen earned her bachelor’s degree at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, majoring in journalism. Pastor earned her Master of Divinity at Wartburg Theological Seminary through the Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest in Austin. She was named the Alumni of the Year in 2017.

After decades of enjoying the very warm Texas hospitality, she returned to Ohio where she grew up to be near family and friends, old and new. With the staff at the retirement community where she now lives taking care of most household tasks, she has more time to reading historical fiction, mysteries, romance, and inspirational books. She often manages to convince others in the family that traveling is a great investment of both time and funds and enjoys exploring new places or revisiting some of her favorites again.

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time? Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I actually read when I was 10, because the librarian in charge of the summer youth reading program told me I was too young to read it. She was right. So now I’m reading it again since I love Les Mis and know a great deal more about world events than I did then.

You’re organizing a party. Which two authors, dead or alive, do you invite?

Pearl S. Buck and Jodi Picoult.

Which writers — working today do you admire most?

John Grisham. I admire how he keeps cranking out pager turners that address social issues.

Who are your favorite writers? Are there any who aren’t as widely known as they should be, whom you’d recommend in particular?

I am fortunate to meet many fine contemporary authors that don’t make the New York Times best seller list. Elizabeth Splaine and Mary Hamilton are two of them.

What do you read when you’re working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?

I usually have one for fun book going, one research related book in the stack, and one non-fiction informative book on hand.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

I look for relatable main characters who use grit and determination to survive and thrive.

What genres do you especially enjoy reading?

Historical fiction and social justice issue books – in fiction and non-fiction format.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine?

Mrs. Entwhistle, in books by Doris Reidy. She’s a laugh-out-loud woman in her 70’s who will try anything.

What book are you planning to read next?

I was just gifted a copy of “Thrive” by Arianna Huffington. I’ll dive into that next.

What books and authors have impacted your writing career?

Pearl S. Buck, Erma Bombeck, Somerset Maugham, James Mitchner, Charles Dickens

What kind of reader were you as a child?

Voracious. I was the only girl on my street and raised by a librarian mother. I had plenty of time to read and spend many hours in libraries.

Have you ever changed your opinion of a book based on information about the author, or anything else?

I’ve been disappointed a couple of times to learn about an author’s personal life, but good writing is good writing.

If you could meet any writer, dead or alive, who would it be?

And what would you want to know?

Pearl S. Buck. I greatly admire her writing and her dedication to helping others. I’d want to know how she pulled it off.

Which writer would you want to write your life story?

Elizabeth Splaine. We met at a writer’s competition which she won and I lost; but she was so gracious about it that it did’t feel like a loss. She did the audio of my first historical fiction.

What books do you find yourself returning to again and again?

Historical fiction and anything by Jodi Picoult, John Grisham, or Elizabeth Splaine.

What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

None. There are only so many hours in any given day and I spend some of them doing other things without regret.

How did you decide to write about the Mayflower?

My reference librarian mother did the tedious work of connecting our family to one of the families on the ship. Decades later one of my daughters married into a family with significant Native American heritage, which introduced me to a view of our traditional American Thanksgiving story I’d not considered. Once I started researching the back story I was hooked.

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