Colleen Hoover is an American author known for her contemporary romance novels. She was born on December 11, 1979, in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Her parents are Vannoy Fite and Eddie Fennel Hoover. She initially worked as a social worker and taught at a public school before self-publishing her debut novel, “Slammed,” in 2012.
“Slammed” gained popularity and led Hoover to sign a publishing deal with Atria Books. She continued to write and publish several successful romance novels, often exploring complex and emotional themes. Some of her notable works include “Point of Retreat,” “Hopeless,” “Maybe Someday,” “Ugly Love,” and “It Ends with Us.”
Colleen Hoover’s writing style often elicits strong emotions from readers, as her stories often deal with topics such as love, loss, and personal growth. Her books have received positive reviews and have been well-received by a large fan base.
There might be very less people in today’s generation who haven’t heard of Colleen Hoover yet. Let’s get to know her more with this article.
Hoover grew up in Texas
Eddie Fennell and Vannoy Fite welcomed Hoover into the world on December 11, 1979, in Sulphur Springs, Texas. She attended Saltillo High School until 1998, having grown up in Saltillo, Texas.
Colleen Hoover’s strong bonding with her parents
Colleen Hoover had a strong and loving relationship with her mother Vannoy Fite. However, during her upbringing, Colleen was exposed to the distressing reality of domestic violence as her mother, Vannoy, endured it at the hands of her father, Eddie. Eddie struggled with alcohol addiction and frequently mistreated his wife, causing immense pain and hardship.
Eddie eventually reached a breaking point and made the difficult decision to separate from Vannoy, unable to bear the intense suffering any longer.
Throughout his life, Vannoy carried the burden of guilt for his actions. Colleen has openly shared how her father genuinely loved her mother but fell short as a husband.
When Colleen was only three years old, her parents divorced, leaving Eddie to independently provide the best upbringing she could for her children.
Tragically, Vannoy, Colleen’s father, passed away in 2005 at Lake Tyler in Texas, when she was 25 years old.
Colleen Hoover is really close to her mother Vannoy Fite
Colleen Hoover shares an incredibly close bond with her mother, Vannoy Fite. Vannoy, an experienced herb gardener with over four decades of expertise, has dedicated herself to the field. She holds a certification as an aromatherapist and has been a dedicated student of Ayurvedic medicine. Vannoy’s passion lies in enhancing her overall well-being, including her mind, body, and soul, and she diligently engages in practices that promote personal growth on a daily basis.
She particularly enjoys the calming presence of water and takes delight in growing her own vegetables, fostering a strong connection with the Earth and its bountiful offerings.
“He wasn’t the best father. He certainly wasn’t the best husband” Colleen Hoover told about her father in her Book
‘My father passed away several years ago when I was twenty-five years old. He wasn’t the best father. He certainly wasn’t the best husband. But thanks to my mother, I was able to have a very close relationship with him because she took the necessary steps to break the pattern before it broke us. And it wasn’t easy. She left him right before I turned three and my older sister turned five. We lived off beans and macaroni and cheese for two solid years. She was a single mother without a college education, raising two daughters on her own with virtually no help. But her love for us gave her the strength she needed to take that terrifying step.’
‘My Father is handsome, compassionate, funny, and smart—but with moments of unforgivable behavior.’
Source: “It End With Us”
Colleen has a loving stepfather
Following her parents’ divorce, Colleen’s mother remarried two years later, and this time, Eddie’s experience was different. Her stepfather fulfilled all the roles and responsibilities that Vannoy had missed out on. He provided everything necessary for Colleen’s family and never once made her feel uncomfortable.
Colleen has always expressed her gratitude towards her stepfather for raising her well and supporting her through life’s ups and downs. In fact, on her wedding day, it was her stepfather who walked her down the aisle.
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While she initially discussed this topic with her father, he was the one who suggested that Colleen involve her stepfather, acknowledging that he played a significant role in her upbringing.
Colleen found it challenging to make the decision of having her stepfather walk her down the aisle while her father watched from the audience. However, she recognized that it was a reasonable choice, and even her father agreed, saying, “Colleen, he raised you. He deserves to give you away at your wedding. And you shouldn’t feel guilty about it because it’s the right thing to do.”
She is married to her Husband Heath and has 3 sons
In 2000, Colleen wed Heath Hoover, the couple has three sons. With a social work degree, Hoover left Texas A&M-Commerce.
Prior to beginning her career as an author, she held a variety of social work and teaching positions.
Colleen Hoover Career Overview
Hoover’s writing journey began in 2011 when she self-published her debut novel, “Slammed.” The book, which she initially wrote as a way to cope with personal hardships, quickly gained popularity among readers, eventually reaching the New York Times Best Seller list. This success motivated Hoover to continue writing, and she went on to publish several more novels in the following years.
In 2012, Hoover released “Point of Retreat,” the sequel to “Slammed,” and it also achieved considerable success. She then published “Hopeless” in the same year, which became a breakthrough hit for her, earning high praise from readers and critics alike. The book reached the number one spot on various bestseller lists, including The New York Times, and propelled Hoover to the forefront of the romance genre.
Over the years, Colleen Hoover has continued to captivate readers with her emotionally-charged storytelling, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes. She has written numerous bestselling novels, including “Maybe Someday,” “Ugly Love,” “Confess,” “It Ends with Us,” “Without Merit,” “All Your Perfects,” and “Verity,” among others. Many of her books have been translated into multiple languages and have garnered a dedicated fan base worldwide.
Hoover’s writing style often incorporates elements of romance, drama, and personal growth. Her stories frequently tackle complex and sensitive topics such as love, loss, trauma, mental health, and the complexities of human relationships. She has a knack for creating relatable characters that resonate with readers, and her narratives often evoke strong emotional responses.
Colleen Hoover’s work has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Goodreads Choice Awards and the Romance Writers of America (RWA) awards. In addition to her novels, Hoover has also written novellas and collaborated with other authors on anthologies.
She is the author of one of the best-selling books, ‘It Ends with Us
The book It Ends with Us by Hoover was released in 2016. It was, in Hoover’s words, “the hardest book I’ve ever written.” According to Hoover, the book is about domestic abuse and was produced with the goal of supporting those who have experienced it. The author, Hoover, was personally affected by domestic violence as a child and as an adult, which served as the basis for the novel. Lily, the protagonist of the story, witnesses her father’s abuse of her mother and experiences domestic violence herself as a small child. As an adult, she finds herself in a violent relationship. Due to the attention from the #BookTok community on TikTok, Hoover saw a rise in popularity in 2021.
It Ends with Us ranked one on The New York Times best sellers list in January 2022 as a result. Over a million copies of the book had been sold globally as of 2019; it has also been translated into more than twenty different languages.
It Starts with Us, the follow-up to It Ends with Us, was released by Atria Books on October 18, 2022. Simon and Schuster revealed the specifics of the comprehensive marketing strategy for the book, which ended up becoming the most pre-ordered title in publishing history.
