I may not get my red hair/pink dress wish BUT I do get the fun of hosting Karen on the blog today! Her latest release is a bunch of fun, and I was excited to get to help promote it. I love the humor in Karen't books!
Plus, I am just a teensy bit partial to Bethany House authors...for no apparent reason at all, of course. (J/K...I love all the CBA publishers and have author faves from every house!) But seriously, I hope you enjoy the Q&A with Karen today and be sure to check out Stealing the Preacher!
Crockett originated in Short-Straw Bride with the four Archer brothers. Each brother was named for a different hero from the Alamo. Travis, Crockett, Bowie (who goes by Jim because no man wants to be called Boo-ie), and Neill. Crockett was named for famed frontiersman and Alamo legend, Davy Crockett.
2) I love the whole premise of this book...a preacher on his way to "audition" at a church gets kidnapped by an ex-outlaw whose daughter just wants a preacher for the church! Can you give us a glimpse at what sparked this book?
The inspiration for Stealing the Preacher actually sparked during the writing of Short-Straw Bride, the book which introduced the reclusive Archer brothers. Crockett Archer played a key role in the story, his smooth, teasing charm a balance to older brother Travis's gruff, over-protective nature. I knew in my heart that this man deserved a story of his own.
When the Archer brothers were children, growing up alone on their ranch and defending it from those who wanted to take advantage of their youth, Crockett's niche in the family evolved into that of spiritual mentor and healer. He was in charge of the family devotionals the Archers conducted in lieu of attending a church service, and whenever an injury occurred on the ranch, Crockett was the one to tend it. For years, the Archers never left their land, yet as he grew to manhood, Crockett felt God's call deepen within him—a call to not only minister to his brothers, but to a congregation of his own.
So what kind of heroine could I create for this noble preacher-to-be? Well, she had to be someone who shared his values and his calling to ministry. But if I left it at that, we'd have an awfully dull story. So to liven things up, I made Joanna Robbins the daughter of a retired outlaw, one who despises "sermonizers" and their hypocritical ways.
Since Crockett is no ordinary preacher, but a gun-toting rancher with a gift for doctoring . . . well, that meant a plot full of scrapes, trouble, and shenanigans. And what could be better than a good old-fashioned train robbery? However, amid the adventure and romance lies a heartrending tale of God's pursuit of a single lost soul.
3) One of the things I loved about your characters in Stealing the Preacher is that they both had dreams--Crockett to preach, Joanna to see the church revived and her father changed. And since I love talking about the dreams God gives us--and since a lot of the readers of this blog are writers--do you have any advice for people pursuing the writing dream?
Dig in for the long haul. Publishing is a slow moving business. Whether you are waiting for a response on a proposal or waiting for a book to finally release or even waiting for your royalty check to come in the mail, patience is definitely a virtue you'll need.
You also need to develop a thick skin. Rejection is a big part of this career path. Even after you are published. Whether it's from an editor who is rejecting your next story idea or a reviewer who really didn't like your latest book, rejection isn't something that goes away after you sign that publishing contract. So, work hard, do all you can to learn and perfect the craft of fiction writing, persevere through all the waiting and rejection, and rejoice in the victories you collect along the way. It's a hard path, but when you get that reader letter telling you that something you wrote changed her life and brought her closer to God, everything is worth it.
4) We're introduced to Crockett's brother Neill in this story. Do we get to hear his story next? If so, can we get a sneak peek at what his story might involve?
Neill's story is indeed coming next. And you won't have to wait a full year for it, either. Yay! His story will be a novella arriving this January. I just couldn't let him go without giving him his own happily ever after. Away from the Archer ranch for two years to earn the money needed to start up his own spread with his childhood friend, Josiah, Neill takes a job repairing a little old widow's roof. Only the widow isn't old nor is she little. She's nine months pregnant with her deceased husband's child, and she meets Neill with a shotgun aimed at his chest.
Neill's story, A Cowboy Unmatched, will be part of a collection entitled A Match Made in Texas. It releases January 2014 and includes novellas by three other wonderful historical authors: Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox. Should be a fun one!
5) Just for fun, what are your writing must-haves? (Coffee? Soda? Comfy clothes? Music?)
I work full time and have three kids at home, so all I really have to have is my computer and some quiet, not a particularly easy commodity to come by. Interruptions are a fact of my life, so I've learned to be fairly flexible. I don't have to be in a certain place at a certain time with certain atmosphere or edibles around me to write - although I often indulge in a cup of hot tea sweetened with honey to stave off the afternoon sleepies.
4) We're introduced to Crockett's brother Neill in this story. Do we get to hear his story next? If so, can we get a sneak peek at what his story might involve?
Neill's story is indeed coming next. And you won't have to wait a full year for it, either. Yay! His story will be a novella arriving this January. I just couldn't let him go without giving him his own happily ever after. Away from the Archer ranch for two years to earn the money needed to start up his own spread with his childhood friend, Josiah, Neill takes a job repairing a little old widow's roof. Only the widow isn't old nor is she little. She's nine months pregnant with her deceased husband's child, and she meets Neill with a shotgun aimed at his chest.
Neill's story, A Cowboy Unmatched, will be part of a collection entitled A Match Made in Texas. It releases January 2014 and includes novellas by three other wonderful historical authors: Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox. Should be a fun one!
5) Just for fun, what are your writing must-haves? (Coffee? Soda? Comfy clothes? Music?)
I work full time and have three kids at home, so all I really have to have is my computer and some quiet, not a particularly easy commodity to come by. Interruptions are a fact of my life, so I've learned to be fairly flexible. I don't have to be in a certain place at a certain time with certain atmosphere or edibles around me to write - although I often indulge in a cup of hot tea sweetened with honey to stave off the afternoon sleepies.
*****
Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at:www.karenwitemeyer.com.
Readers, let's talk names. I love how Karen came up with the names for her Archer brothers series. So just for fun...what Alamo, frontiersman or western hero would you name a character (or hey, a kid!) after?
