Being Karen (Witemeyer, That Is)

Today, The Borrowed Book interviews historical romance author Karen Witemeyer about what it's like to be Karen.

1)    Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. You've been at this writing thing for a little while, and, based on your track record, you're pretty good at it! Have you always wanted to be an author? If not, what made you decide to write, and how long have you been at it?

I'd always been a bookworm, but for years I never even dared to dream about being a writer. It seemed so mysterious and far removed from normal life. After college, though, I began keeping a journal of story ideas inspired by my daydreams, thinking maybe someday I'd give writing a try. Then, when I was a stay-at-home mom with three kids under the age of five, my husband learned his position was being eliminated. Suddenly I was faced with needing to find a way to contribute to the family income. The time had come to take that writing dream off the shelf and try to make it a reality. Little did I know that it would be years before I saw any significant income from my efforts. Six months later, I reentered the workforce and claimed a "normal" day job, but by then the writing bug had bitten so hard I continued pursuing that dream in my off time. Six years later, in January 2009, I signed my first 3-book contract, and the following year I saw my first book hit the shelves.

2)    Have you ever had a funny experience connected with being an author? For instance, has someone ever overheard you discussing the merits of one murder weapon over another or caught you shooting at a can of gasoline to see if you could make it explode?

About a year ago, my family and I were eating out at the local Cotton Patch restaurant. Nothing fancy, just some good ol' chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. My husband's parents were with us, along with our three kids. Then out of the blue, a lovely lady walks up to the table and asks, "Are you Karen Witemeyer, the author?" How she recognized me, I have no idea. She must have already been familiar with my website or Facebook page more because none of my books have my picture on them. I smiled and chatted with her for several minutes, letting her know how glad I was she stopped by our table. Once she left, my kids couldn't quit grinning. It was their first "celebrity" moment with mom. Their awe lasted for all of about 2 minutes before they were back to their normal teasing and bickering, however.

3) What do your kids think about your being a writer?

My kids are proud of me and excited about asking their teachers if I can come speak to their classes, but they also see writing as an activity that keeps Mom closed up in her room for hours at a time. When they grow bored or hungry or get in a squabble with a sibling, my writing becomes a terrible inconvenience. I must say it's a thrill to have my daughter read my books and tell me how much she enjoys them. My boys just look at the covers and wonder why the people on them have no heads. Ha!

3)    How do you get your best ideas?

My ideas come from a variety of sources. Movies, television, other books, even the Bible. Short-Straw Bride was inspired by the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. To Win Her Heart was inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son and asking the question, what would life have been like for the prodigal after the celebration was over?

Stealing the Preacher, my current release, was inspired by a character – Crockett Archer, one of the Archer brothers from Short-Straw Bride. 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. Not to mention an outlaw's daughter with the soul of a missionary. I had so much fun creating a heroine worthy of the man I had come to admire in Short-Straw Bride.

4) Do you like to listen to music when you write?

Nope. I prefer the quiet.

5) Writing is a sedentary occupation. What do you do for exercise?

I get up at 5 M-F to walk two miles on my treadmill before getting ready for work. Well, when I don't roll over and go back to sleep, that is.

6) What fun fact would you like your readers to know about you?

I live next door to my in-laws and actually love it!

 That is a fun fact! You and your mother-in-law must both be wonderful people.

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.

Come back tomorrow, when you can enter to win a copy of Karen's latest release, Stealing the Preacher. 

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Author Interview with Karen Witemeyer

All right, I admit it. I'm one of those weird writers who actually prefers to write with her internal editor turned on. Most authors believe the editing side of their brain impedes their creativity, but not me. Editing is actually my strength. Without it, I flounder. I don't write multiple drafts of my novels. I edit as I go, polishing each chapter before moving on to the next, and when I get to "The End," it's actually the end.

Knowing this about me, you'll understand why my writing pace is slow. My perfectionistic tendencies will not be ignored. I might work for an hour just to craft the perfect analogy to describe how my hero crosses the street. I might re-write a sentence a dozen times to smooth out the flow or search four different thesauruses/dictionaries to uncover the perfect verb to use in portraying my heroine's emotions. The right word can make all the difference.

Words not only reflect the action, but the personalities of the characters. For example, in Stealing the Preacher, Crockett Archer is a minister. The heroine calls him Brother Archer. Respectful, polite, proper. Her ex-outlaw father, however, calls him a sermonizer. Can't you hear the disdain dripping from that word? It paints a completely different picture.

While I believe selecting strong words helps an author create vivid images in her fiction, I also think we have to be careful not to take our words too seriously. This was brought home to me a few weeks ago when I was sitting in church with my kids. I usually sit between my two boys (ages 11 and 13), and we all sing together. My older children sing with enthusiasm, while my youngest is much more timid. This particular day, however, Peter was eagerly getting involved in the singing. Not so much with his voice, but with his hands. You see, he was acting out the words as he sang them. His hands were close to his lap, so I did nothing to stop him. In fact, I was thrilled that he was paying close enough attention to the words to be able to pantomime them.

We sing classic hymns at our church, and on this day we were singing Victory in Jesus.

I heard an old, old story, (Peter held his hands together like an open book.)

How a Savior came from glory (Peter pointed a finger up toward heaven.)

How he gave his life on Calvary (He shaped his fingers into a cross.)

To save a wretch like me (Peter pointed to himself.) 

The pattern continued through the rest of the verse and on to the chorus. Like the proud mother I was, I smiled at him and sang out strong. "Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever, He sought me and bo't me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him, He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood."

I glanced over to Peter as we neared the end of the chorus, and I saw this thoughtful look come over his face followed by a click of satisfaction as an idea formed. Have you guessed it? Oh, yes, he did. When we sang about how Jesus plunged us to victory, my son pantomimed a toilet plunger. With gusto.

Oh, my word. I was horrified and yet found it so hilarious I burst into quiet laughter while grabbing his hands at the same time to get him to quit. I tried to explain to him later that there were different meaning for the word plunge and this one had nothing to do with plumbing, but he was so proud of getting me to laugh, that I don't think he cared about the semantics.

This episode served to remind me that in my search for the perfect word, I should never take myself so seriously that I forget to have a good time. Authors get paid to play with words, after all, and the results should be fun for everyone. 

Come back Friday for a chance to win a copy of Karen's newest book, "Stealing the Preacher."

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. 

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Historical Romance Book Review ~ Stealing the Preacher

About the Book

"A cowboy who wants to be a preacher. An outlaw’s daughter who wants to change his mind.

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can’t believe it when he’s forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He’s determined to escape–which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

With her signature blend of humor, history, and lively western romance, two-time RITA Award finalist and bestselling author Karen Witemeyer delivers a Texas love story sure to steal your heart."

Amber's Review

Karen Witemeyer's books are as comforting as chocolate - her writing silky smooth, the romance delicious, and the heart of it all too good to resist. She has the Christian Historical Romance genre down to a sweet science. And might I add that the covers her stories are "wrapped" in are so lovely and enticing? (I'm glad that Bethany House went with this cover - with the pretty pink and chocolate dress, the soft background colors, and the connection with a piece of the plot, which is always fun!)

I love the mixture of humor and seriousness, cute situations and sobering ones - all tied together with a ribbon of faith throughout the pages. Stealing the Preacher is signature Witemeyer in that way, with another quirky premise that leads to a heartwarming story.

This particular book might come across as a tad more "preachy" than some of her other books because of its premise (the hero is a preacher and the heroine has a certain loved one's salvation weighing on her heart), but the compassion and passion evident in the pages are touching. I think what kept me from loving it quite as much as some of her other books was the plot... Not to say that there weren't exciting elements, but it felt like the basic storyline was stretched out to fill up the pages. I just didn't think the stakes were high enough throughout the entire book to keep me completely enthralled. Everything felt rather soft and slow - from Crockett's decision-making, to the building up and breaking down of relationships, to the passing of events. (And I confess that I generally prefer my love triangles a little heavier on the "male" than the "female" elements.)

But for a gentle story in the Witemeyer tradition, with enough tension in parts to keep the story moving, Stealing the Preacher is an enjoyable read. I'm definitely curious to see whether Witemeyer writes a story for another Archer brother, or whether she introduces an entirely new cast. Her characters are great and her storytelling delectable, so I'm eager for more of her sweet stuff!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

Extras

• Stealing the Preacher is available on Amazon.com!

• This review was posted at Seasons of Humility in May for the Litfuse Publicity blog tour. Click HERE to read that post and view the book trailer and author bio. (Please note that the giveaway has ended.)

• Check back later this week to learn more about the author!

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Author Karen Witemeyer: Using Fresh Comparisons to Deepen POV

Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion, 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.   

There are many craft techniques that go into the art of writing in deep POV. One of my favorite, however, is one that doesn't get much press—writing fresh comparisons.

When an author writes in deep POV, the narrative is no longer in her voice but in the voice of the POV character. So it only makes sense that when a comparison is used for descriptive flair, it should relate to something that would naturally occur to the POV character, something unique to his personality and background. 

If your hero is a western cowboy, the comparisons that mean something to him will be far different from those of a British nobleman. Similes, metaphors, analogies—all can be given a fresh spin that enhance your character's voice.

This takes work and creativity. Clichés are nearly always the first comparisons to come to mind when we write. Don't accept that lazy road. Work to make your analogies unique to your POV character. In doing so, you will deepen the POV and create memorable moments for your reader.

Examples:

I've chosen some examples from my latest release, Short-Straw Bride, to demonstrate. Note the differences between the hero and heroine's choice of comparisons. They both draw from their personal knowledge, Travis from his ranching background and Meredith from her more feminine perspective. 

Travis:

The curves she sported now were definitely new, but the determination and bravery he remembered clung to her bearing like a grass burr to a pant leg. 

All through dinner, Everett Hayes's demand hung over the Archer table like a boulder perched on an eroding precipice.

Meredith's words came back to him, flaying his defenses like a skinning knife cutting away a hide.

His wet trousers made the going slower than he would have liked, though, clinging to him like a bunch of woolen leeches.

Meredith:

Hiram's face scrunched up like a pumpkin that had started to rot.

Guilt pricked at Meredith like a row of sewing pins protruding through her corset seam.

An odd gesture for a man who wore authority like a well broken in hat.

Then he laced his fingers through hers and tugged her into his side in a motion so natural, it felt like a well-rehearsed dance instead of a spontaneous improvisation.

The way you craft your comparisons flavors the narrative in a way that will help your reader more deeply relate to your characters and keep your author voice from intruding. It will give your writing a freshness that will make it stand out from the crowd.

In my current work in progress, I have three POV characters: the hero, the heroine, and the heroine's father. In one scene, the heroine is racing on horseback to reach her father who is out with the cattle. We are in the father's POV, and as he notes her racing in, he makes a comparison.

Now, as I wrote this scene, the first comparison that came to mind was that she rode as if a pack of wild dogs were on her tail. This, of course, is a cliché. I searched and searched for a better simile. I came up blank. Finally, I dug deeper into who my POV character was. He is an ex-outlaw who's eluded the law for two decades. He's gone straight, but that outlaw blood still runs through his veins. As I pondered this character trait, the perfect comparison finally came to mind.

He twisted his neck to the side to work out a kink, and caught sight of his daughter riding down upon them as if a hangin' posse were in pursuit.

Not only does this analogy capture the POV character's personality, but it deepens the POV because that isn't something I as the author would say in narration. But it is exactly what an ex-outlaw would use as a descriptor were he relating the story.

You can practice this on your own. Take a clichéd comparison and rework it with your own character in mind. Here are some to choose from:

Light as a feather

Strong as an ox

Melted like butter

Stubborn as a mule

Leave a comment with a short descriptor of your character and your reworked cliché. The one I like best will win a copy of Short-Straw Bride.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! 


Website:http://www.karenwitemeyer.com 
Blog: http://petticoatsandpistols.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karen.witemeyer
 

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