Karen Witemeyer at Friday with Friends!

Please help me welcome back a favorite author of mine:

Karen Witemeyer!

I'm so excited to have Karen back with us today. She brings with her one of my favorite heroes - Crockett Archer in Stealing the Preacher! If you read Short Straw Bride, you'll understand how its possible for me to already love this guy, and after reading some excerpts I'm also in love with the lovely heroine, Joanna Robbins. Be sure to leave a comment and we'll enter you in a drawing for a copy of Stealing the Preacher!

A funny little side note... in my current WIP, Loving Tiffany, I introduce a future hero whom I created way before I knew about Joanna. His name is Christopher Robbins. How funny is that?

Now, without further adieu, I present to you my dear Karen Witemeyer:

Linnette asked me to share a little peek behind the scenes of the inspiration that sparked Stealing the Preacher, my newest book set to release June 1st. Not surprisingly, the inspiration for Stealing the Preacher sparked during the writing of Short-Straw Bride, the novel which introduced the reclusive Archer brothers. Crockett Archer played a key role in the book, 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. But amid the adventure and romance lies a heartrending tale of God's pursuit of a single lost soul. I hope you'll give it a try.

Here's a short excerpt to whet your appetite:

The horse whinnied at the rough treatment and thrashed about trying to gain his freedom. Crockett used the diversion to make a run for the trees. A building of some kind lay to the north. A building meant people. People meant help. He just prayed he'd been right about the bandits not wanting to lodge a bullet in him.

A shot rang out. Angry shouts demanding he stop followed. But no lead slammed into him, so Crockett kept running.

He ducked beneath post oak branches and zigzagged from one tree to another, taking advantage of any cover the terrain afforded.

The building was getting closer. A barn, maybe? He just had to keep his legs under him.

Hooves pounded into the earth behind him. Crockett's heart rate tripled. They were running him down. And he was running out of trees.

Open grassland lay between him and a fenced pasture. Keeping to the trees would only allow him to delay capture, not elude it. His only chance was to scale that fence and hope that Silas and his gang wouldn't risk discovery by pursuing him onto private property.

Lungs on fire, Crockett burst out of the woods and sprinted for the fence. The hoof beats behind him escalated.

A soft whirring caught his ear a second before a lariat dropped over his head and shoulders. Crockett made a desperate grab for the rope, but before he could get his thumbs hooked, the noose tightened around his chest and yanked him backward. In a flash he was flat on his back staring at the sky.

He'd just been lassoed like a new calf at branding time.

~

I like to describe Crockett Archer as a charmer with a hidden core of iron. What are your favorite types of romance heroes?

I'll be giving away one copy of Stealing the Preacher (US residents only) today, so be sure to leave a comment.

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.  

*To be entered into the drawing, please leave your email address in a comment which must be left by Sunday at midnight. Please leave a space on each side of @ in your email address in order to help avoid spammers. Winner will be notified via email. Thank you and have a wonderful day! :D

Lorna Kopp Visits Friday with Friends!

Friday with Friends welcomes author 

Lorna Kopp & her debut novel 

"Answering Annaveta"

I’m so excited to introduce to you all my very first book!  It’s been a few years in the making and there were many days that I wrestled with it and wondered if it would ever be published, but finally after at least five years of sweat and tears, we are here. First I’ll share a little description of the story and then I’ll give you a little background. Enjoy!

"AnsweringAnnaveta"

Annaveta Travotsky, a young girl in 1913 Russia, is poised at the dawn of womanhood.

In the span of a few short weeks, Annaveta finds her world turned upside down. Prevailing over trauma, tragedy and loss she moves on, but the guilt and rejection she carries from past abusive relationships, cause her to struggle with feelings of unworthiness.

Her heart holds her back from receiving the love of the one man who longs to protect her.

As her past catches up to her, Annaveta flees to St.Petersburg, a place where she seeks safety. However, unrest in Russia makes the country ripe for an uprising, where terrorist groups like the Black Hand are flourishing. In the middle of this city filled with turmoil and rebellion, Annaveta and Alex discover a murderous plot devised by members of the Black Hand.

When terrorists threaten their lives, Annaveta faces a choice:

                                               

                             Hold onto the lies of her past or

                                                Believe in the power of love.

The idea for this book came from a desire to learn more about my dad’s family and way of life in the Volga German colonies in Russia in the early 1900’s. His family was only one of many German Lutherans, who moved to Russia from Bavaria and Germany in 1763 in response to Catherine the Great’s offer of free land. However, the biggest drawing card for these immigrants was freedom to worship without fear of censure or ridicule.

So this story, begins in 1913 when Russia as a whole, was struggling with unrest. Within the German colonies, even though they worked hard and were prospering, they felt the conflict around them through tougher government regulations along with increasing discord with their Russian neighbours. In the bigger cities like St.Petersburg, many workers walked the streets, striking for fair wages and decent living conditions and many people were angry with how the Tsar was governing the country.

Terrorist groups like the Black Hand had gained the upper hand having connections in Serbia as well as Russia. (If you’re a die-hard Downton Abbey fan, you’ll remember the Black Hand was mentioned in one of the early episodes). It was this secret society that ended up planning and carrying out the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria. This single act of terrorism was the ‘fire-starter’ to WWI.

As I worked on the first draft of this story, one day it came to me. I had an ‘aha moment.’ I had been struggling with why I was writing about the horrible abuse, rejection and tragedy of a young girl and was frustrated with how the story was growing. So one day I stopped typing. Putting my head in my hands I cried out to God, asking Him why I was writing about this? I told Him I really didn’t want to write about such messy stuff, I wanted to write about something fun. In all my complaining, He stopped me in my tracks and  I remember to this day the words He whispered in my ear. He said, “When you were younger, your soul was raped because of the different trauma and life experiences you went through. So you need to tell this story just how it’s coming to your heart, because I’m using this story to heal you and others.”

I sat there and thought about what He said for a long while and somehow it all made sense why the story was evolving how it was.

In the story, when Annaveta is saved by Alex and it takes her a long time to trust him, this is a reflection of what happens to a lot of us in our own journey with God. As we go through the many chaotic and painful experiences in life, God is still  faithful and woos us even though sometimes it takes us quite a long time to get to the point where we trust Him. Also when Annaveta is haunted by the many memories and people from her past, those are like the lies of the enemy that get louder and louder in our minds trying to discourage and torment us. These lies try to get us to lose hope and to stop believing in God and in who He has created us to be.  Through angel-visits and dreams, Annaveta comes to understand what it means to fully love and trust.

Wow! Thanks, Lorna! I don't know about my readers, but "Answering Annaveta" is definitely on my wish list! 

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Friends, Lorna has graciously agreed to give away a copy of "Answering Annaveta". Please leave a comment with your email (I promise, no spamming!) so I can let you know if your name gets drawn from the hat. Also let me know if you want it in print or ebook. Thanks for visiting Friday with Friends!

Author Bio:  Lorna Faith loves all things romantic, historical and filled with adventure. As a farm girl and the youngest child of 11, she grew up hearing lots of stories and so a love of story-telling was born. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge with a degree in Music, Lorna teaches students by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Along with their two singing parakeets, Holly and Polly, Lorna and her husband have four teenagers and live in southern Alberta near the Rocky Mountains. You may visit her at www.lornafaith.com  or www.surfingforshoes.com.

Karen Witemeyer Visits Friday with Friends!

Hey, y'all! I'm letting my southern drawl crawl out today. Let's welcome 

Texas gal and one of my top ten favorite romance authors today:

Karen Witemeyer! 

We're going to do a fun little interview and GIVE-AWAY. Can you tell I'm excited?

Linnette: 

Karen's latest release and must have!

Karen, I'm so excited to have you here today. Time to pick that amazing writer's brain. I'm dying to know. Did your first completed novel ever get published?

Karen:

No. However, it did get my foot in the publishing door. I brought my first novel manuscript to the ACFW conference in 2007. I met Karen Schurrer from Bethany House and she invited me to send in the proposal. I did, and they requested the full. Hooray! But then I got the news they were rejecting the manuscript. Noooo!!! It was too similar in plot to another book they had recently published. But they liked my writing enough that they invited me to submit again. Hooray again!!! By the time the 2008 conference came around, they were hinting at a contract, and by January of 2009, I had a three book deal. So even though that first book will probably never see the light of day, it served a great purpose.

Linnette: 

Oooh! That's exciting! A nerve wracking ride to be sure, but exciting. How long did you write before you landed that three book deal?

Karen:

Six years. I started writing with intent to publish in 2003. Started attending the ACFW conference in 2005, and had my contract in 2009.

Linnette:

From all I've heard within the writing community over the years, that's a rather quick turn around. Now on to writing itself. How do story ideas come to you?

Karen:

I get inspiration from many different places. Movies, other novels, even the Bible can play a role. For example, Short-Straw Bride was inspired by the old Hollywood Musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. To Win Her Heart was inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son in the Bible, though I started at the end and asked the question, what was life like for the prodigal AFTER the celebration was over. We know the father loved him, but how did his brother and the other townspeople treat him? How did he deal with the consequences of his past choices? Then, Head in the Clouds was inspired by my love for both regency and western romances. I brought an English nobleman to Texas, blended in a little Jane Eyre (my favorite classic book), and ended up with a Texas fairy tale.
Linnette:
I love all your books, but I think Head in the Clouds might be my favorite. (It's also the one Karen is giving away today!) But back to writing... What is your writing process? How detailed are you in your planning when you write?

Karen:

I'm half plotter, half pantser. I need to know my characters and their motivations ahead of time, how the hero and heroine are thrown together, and what central conflicts they will face. Then I loosely outline the main plot points. I just focus on the big events (usually around three) that are the pillars shaping the story. I do my research to get a good handle on my time period, then I sit down and start to write, letting the characters and plot details develop naturally. I have a general road map that I stick to pretty faithfully, but I'm willing to take windy roads to get from point A to point B if that is what my characters want.

Linnette:
I can totally see that. That's a really cool balance to have. What’s your method for naming your characters? I love the Alamo theme in Short Straw Bride. Very creative!

Karen:

Thanks! I had so much fun with those Archer brothers. In Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, all the men were named alphabetically for Bible characters. I wanted to keep my Archer men linked as well, but I wanted it to be fun and focused on Texas. I thought of the Alamo and loved the name Travis. The rest just blossomed from there.

Coming June 1st!

Linnette:
That is so cool! I love it when things like that happen. I'm also looking forward to seeing what becomes of Travis Archer's brother, Crockett Archer, in Stealing the Preacher. 

Karen, it amazes me how you deal with serious and deep issues in such a beautiful way. How do you do that?

Karen:

My spiritual themes often stem from things I struggle with in my own spiritual walk. I wrote Head in the Clouds before I had a contract, and in that book by heroine struggles with waiting on the Lord's timing instead of rushing in to make things happen on her own. In To Win Her Heart, Eden is the young woman who has always been the good girl. She does what is right, what is expected, but it doesn't always translate to true sacrifice or love for others. She has to get past her outer shell of righteousness and let God's spirit truly change her heart. I struggle with that on a regular basis.

Linnette:

I loved Head in the Clouds! Did I say that already? I think I must have really identified somehow with Adelaide. ;-) Do you have a set time slot every day in which you write?

Karen:

I work full-time and have three kids at home, so writing time comes whenever I can find it. I have learned to be flexible and to hold myself to mini deadlines in order to get the pages written.

Linnette:

Wow! You're one busy lady. Do you have a reward system for when you reach certain goals in your writing? How do you motivate yourself to keep going?

Karen:

I set weekly goals. This works better for me than a daily word court because my days can get hectic fast, and I need the flexibility of a larger time frame to allow me to meet my goals without growing frustrated. My goal is to write one polished chapter a week. Sometimes if I have additional projects or approaching deadlines, I bump this up to 3 polished chapters every 2 weeks. And If I manage to get my deadline met by Friday, that means I get the weekend off – a HUGE reward for me.

Linnette:

I bet it is! I'm amazed you could ever have a weekend off with your schedule. I love the idea of writing a polished chapter a week! I tend to edit as I go, too, though I've loosened up on my self-expectations on that a bit with book two. Now. How about... comfort food, exercise, or other?

Karen:

My big weakness is chocolate chip ice cream, but I'm also a sucker for cookies (peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip). With that kind of weakness, I definitely need to exercise, so I usually get up at 5:00 a.m. and walk on my treadmill. My motivator is that I read while I walk, so if I'm in the middle of a good book, it's easier to get out of bed on a cold morning.

Linnette:

*Sigh* Maybe this time next year, my book will be your walking companion. ;-) Just for fun, what's your favorite color?

Karen:

Green

Linnette:

You'd love my heroine's eyes, then. They're a bright green. Do you have a favorite author?

Karen:

Too many to count. I really enjoy Mary Connealy and Deanne Gist in the CBA. In the general market, I'm a fan of Julia Quinn, Jodi Thomas, and the old historicals by Julie Garwood.

Linnette:

I love Deanne and Mary! And, yes. I often refer to my favorites as "my top ten", though I'm sure there are more than ten of you. What's your favorite beverage?

Karen:

Sprite – though I try to drink water most of the time and only splurge once in a while.

Linnette:

Coffee, hot tea, hot cocoa, or other?

Karen:

Hot tea (just plain Lipton) with honey.

Linnette:

Yes! I'm a hot tea girl, too! Black like you. Though I can't get past the strong taste of honey. I'm still on sugar. Are you a paper and pen writer or computer all the way?

Karen:

Definitely computer. I'm one of those odd ducks who edits as she writes, so paper and pen would be a mess.

Linnette:

If you're an odd duck, then so am I! If I'm out and about, I'll use paper and pen for notes and ideas, but I need my computer when I write! How do you manage to produce such near perfect novels? Seriously. Your writing amazes me.

Karen:

One of Linnette's favorites!

*Blush* You're such a sweetie. In truth, I think it has less to do with me than one might think. I pray over my writing every day and ask the Lord to guide my stories. I'm sure I get in his way more than I should, but my goal is to let him take the lead while I follow. I would have no stories to tell if it weren't for his influence.

Linnette:

Thank you for that! I need to be more diligent about praying as I work. Thanks for that needful reminder. Karen, I can't tell you how much it means to have you visit Friday with Friends. Thank you for coming!

Karen:

Thank you so much for having me here today, Linnette. It's been such fun!

~

There you have it folks! I hope you've enjoyed Karen's interview. Do you have anymore questions for her? Leave a comment or question, and if you wish to participate in the drawing leave us your email address (such as - lr.mullin at live .com). She's giving away a copy of one of my favorite books: Head in the Clouds! 

*To be entered into the drawing, please leave your email address in a comment which must be left before Monday. Please leave a space on each side of @ in your email address in order to help avoid spammers. Winner will be notified via email. Thank you! :D

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 May 31st, Karen will return to talk about AND give away a copy of her next novel, Stealing the Preacher. I'm SO looking forward to reading that book! Won't that be fun? In the mean time, go grab a copy of Short Straw Bride - a book you don't want to miss!