RITA WATCH: To Win Her Heart

Blacksmith Meets… Town Librarian?

Interview by Lacy Williams, on RITA WATCH

Meet TO WIN HER HEART, one of the finalists for the RITA in the Inspirational Romance category.

When were you born?

May 2011

Where were you born?

My creator is Karen Witemeyer, who lives in Abilene, Texas. I think her Texas connections helped create the setting in this book, which is very authentic. Karen is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Tailor-Made Bride (June 2010) – a 2011 RITA finalist for Best First Book
Head in the Clouds (October 2010)
Short-Straw Bride (June 2012)

What do you think made you a RITA finalist?

The poignant love story, of course. First you’ve got a spinster librarian who is influential in the town, and a blacksmith newly out of prison for an unintentional crime that he committed. She’s waaaaaaay out of his league, and he knows it, but neither one can help the feelings that develop between them. The hero has overcome so much, but can he really WIN HER HEART?

Plus, Karen’s unique author voice just seems to drag readers into the story and not let them go.

Tell us your story.

Levi Grant arrives in Spencer, Texas, looking for a new start. A blacksmith and a big, burly guy, he actually likes reading (and there’s a good reason for it, too!) so is drawn to the town library, where he meets and begins to fall for Eden Spencer, one beautiful gal and the town librarian. Sparks fly, but when Eden finds out about Levi’s past, will she be able to love him anyway?

Good luck to Karen with TO WIN HER HEART!

Rita Watch: The Measure of Katie Calloway

Hello there, Miss The Measure of Katie Calloway. Let me start by giving you a big, Craftie-Lady welcome, and thank you for interviewing with us today. It's always fun to have new books stop by. 

So Miss Measure of KC, when were you born? The Measure of Katie Calloway  was born October 1, 2011

Ah, October would be a lovely birthday month,  with all those beautiful tree leaves changing colors. Where were you born?

I was born to author Serena Miller, who’s a pastor’s wife living in southern Ohio, which makes sense, as this story is set only one state away, in Michigan.

Well, there's certainly lots of trees with colorful leaves to greet you in Michigan and Ohio. Do you have any brothers and sisters?

I do, though I’m a bit different from either of my siblings. I’m related to Love Finds You in Sugar Creek Ohio and An Uncommon Grace. Both of my siblings are contemporary Amish stories. And here I am, the lone, non-Amish historical. Maybe I was adopted at birth? 

Just kidding. I enjoy my siblings . . . um, as much as any sister can. And I similar sister will be born again this October. So won’t be the only child with a story about Michigan’s logging days any more.


What do you think made you a RITA finalist?

I’m set in an interesting time period: the logging boom that hit the Midwest, particularly Michigan and Wisconsin, after the Civil War. While my mother grew up knowing about Michigan’s logging era and the giant pine forests that were completely clear cut to fuel the Industrial Revolution, I imagine many people probably aren’t all that familiar with this part of America’s history.

Furthermore, I deal with some very real issues, like spousal abuse and fidelity, which probably resonate with a lot of readers. And then I’ve got this wonderfully delightful cast of smaller, interesting characters that make life in a Northwoods lumber camp far from boring!

Here’s the cover blurb:

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cookstove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.

Thank you for being with us today, Miss The Measure of Katie Calloway. And congratulations on being a Rita Finalist. You must be thrilled!

To learn more about The Measure of Katie Calloway and her siblings, visit the author’s website at http://serenabmiller.com/

RITA WATCH: The Christmas Child

A Christmas Story to Cherish
Interview by Lacy Williams, on RITA WATCH

 

Meet THE CHRISTMAS CHILD, one of the finalists for the RITA in the Inspirational Romance category.

When were you born?

September 2011. Which is kind of funny, since I’m a Christmas story.

Where were you born?

My creator, Linda Goodnight, is from Oklahoma, from a small town much like the fictional one featured in my pages. This gives her special insight to creating the small-town feel that my readers seem to like so much.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

I’m one of about forty other books Linda Goodnight has written, and some of my “siblings” have won a RITA, two ACFW Book of the Year Awards, a Booksellers’ Best, and a Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews.

I’m not gonna lie. It’s a lot to live up to. But if I can touch one reader’s heart, then I guess I’ll be satisfied.  

Watch for the repackage of A Season for Grace and The Heart of Grace coming July 2012—if you haven’t read these books before, you’ll love them.

What do you think made you a RITA finalist?

Definitely my hero, Kade McKendrick. ::whistles:: There is something about reluctant heroes… good guys with something hard in their past that they have to overcome… yup, get’s the ladies drooling every time. AND he has a dog. And stubble. Did I mention he’s a cop?

And if I had to make a second guess to the answer for this question, I’d say little Davey, the child pictured on my cover. He’s a boy in need of a lot of love, and between Kade and Sophie, they end up giving him a Christmas to remember. Some of my readers really love the kids that Linda seems to write so well, and Davey is no exception.

Briefly tell us your story.

It’s Christmastime and Kade’s home in Redemption, Oklahoma, nursing a deep, dark hurt from his job as an undercover cop. He and some dumpster divers find little Davey huddled in a trash dumpster and Kade sort of becomes his protector. With the help of schoolteacher Sophie Bartholomew, who is a Christmas junkie, of course. Between Sophie and Davey, Kade can’t keep his heart protected for long and then he has to decide whether to leave town or stay and try to mend what’s been eating him for so long.

Good luck to Linda with THE CHRISTMAS CHILD!