▁University ▁library ▁system . ▁Kr ent z ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁later ▁moved ▁to ▁Seattle , ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Kr ent z ▁has ▁been ▁gener ous ▁in ▁sharing ▁her ▁wealth ▁with ▁libraries . ▁She ▁established ▁the ▁Castle ▁Human ities ▁Fund ▁at ▁U C SC ' s ▁University ▁Library ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁library ▁to ▁purchase ▁additional ▁books ▁and ▁has ▁given ▁money ▁to ▁ 1 5 ▁Seattle - area ▁elementary ▁schools ▁to ▁enh ance ▁their ▁library ▁bud gets . ▁She ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ad vis ory ▁Board ▁for ▁the ▁Writ ers ▁Program s ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington ▁extension ▁program . ▁ ▁Writing ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁While ▁working ▁at ▁Duke , ▁Kr ent z ▁began ▁writing ▁stories ▁her ▁way , ▁combining ▁elements ▁of ▁rom ance ▁nov els ▁with ▁par an ormal ▁tw ists . ▁For ▁six ▁years ▁she ▁wrote ▁and ▁ma iled ▁propos als ▁for ▁new ▁nov els , ▁consist ently ▁receiving ▁re jection ▁letters . ▁She ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁tried ▁to ▁stop ▁writing ▁several ▁times ▁during ▁that ▁period , ▁but ▁that ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁" comp ulsion ". ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Seattle , ▁Washington ▁to ▁further ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁a eros pace ▁career . ▁ ▁Pseud onym s ▁and ▁gen res ▁Kr ent z ▁continued ▁writing , ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁she ▁sold ▁her ▁first ▁novel , ▁Gent le ▁Pir ate . ▁That ▁novel ▁and ▁several ▁that ▁followed ▁were ▁published ▁within ▁various ▁category ▁rom ance ▁lines , ▁as ▁that