Thursday Book Interviews - Kara & Anna

Welcome Kara. Tell us about your holiday release.

Finding Joy is the final installment in the Orchard Hill Romance series. In this series, a pair of small town matchmakers compete to see who can make the most matches in a year. The last story centers around the attempt to bring together Pastor Isaac, an expert at avoiding matchmakers and Joy, the church's painfully shy organist.

I love titles. How did you come up with this one?

It follows the pattern of the series which includes titles such as Entertaining Angel, Considering Lily and Keeping Faith. I thought Finding Joy was a great title to end the series with.

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Not really. I did do some research on social anxiety, which Joy is afflicted with, but not what you would call in-depth research. I also did a little research on attracting birds to feeders. Joy was raised by her grandfather who refused to let her have a pet. Instead she began feeding the birds and years later, her backyard is filled with feeders and she's spent so much time outdoors with the birds that a few will even eat from her hands.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I wanted to do a series with each story highlighting one of the Fruits of the Spirit. That didn't work out, but I loved the titles and developed other stories around them.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I really enjoyed writing about Joy. I have myself suffered from shyness, but not to the extreme that Joy does. For her, social anxiety is a crippling condition. I admired her courage in her attempts to overcome her problem.

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?

I'd love to invite everyone to visit my website - www.karalynnrussell.googlepages.com and/or my blog - www.orchardhill.blogspot.com. You can find my books, including my other Christmas titles Saving Gracie and Nick and Noelle at The Wild Rose Press (http://www.thewildrosepress.com/whiterosesbooks/). Nick and Noelle is available in print from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble as well. The Orchard Hill Romance series will be out in print, hopefully in late 2009.


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Hi Anna Kathryn. Tell us about your holiday release.

A Cowboy's Dream is the first story I had printed. It was with a local writer's group in their annual anthology. I've since revised it, more than doubled the word count and made the hero a cowboy as well as a pro baseball player.

Author Leah Smith has fantasized about her neighbor, Houston’s pro baseball player Marcus Slade, for years, but thinks it’s unlikely she’d catch the cowboy’s interest since her IQ is bigger than her bra size. Having already been hurt by a man who wanted size over substance, she’s not in a hurry to play in that ball field again.

When an unexpected opportunity gets Marcus inside his favorite author’s apartment, he’s not about to let a second chance at love pass him by. Their attraction is quick and electric and has him instantly thinking about something more long-term. But when a woman from his past intrudes, his hopes of a cozy Christmas with Leah are buried beneath her cold shoulder. Risking a strikeout, Marcus has one chance left...go for the grand slam of his life and crash Leah's annual Christmas Eve party in hopes of convincing her she’s this Cowboy’s Dream.

I love titles. How did you come up with this one?

It was originally called Happily Ever After, but when I sold it to The Wild Rose Press, they had a story by that title all ready, so I had to come up with a new name. The heroine in the story is a romance writer, and I actually have her newest book called "A Cowboy's Dream." I also asked a friend for help, because I am really bad with titles. Unknown to her about the heroine's book, she suggested "A Cowboy's Dream." Well, what else could I do but call it that?

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book?

Not really. I did have to research what a high-priced condominium would look like...lol. I really wrote this story by the seat of my pants and for fun....breaking the rules of having an author and a pro athlete as the main characters.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I wanted to write for my local writer's group anthology and decided to make it fun. I set it in Houston, because that's the area I live in.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

Between the two, Leah and Marcus.....I think Leah. Making her a writer was fun.

Where can we get in touch with you and purchase your book?

You can contact me through my website at www.aklanier.com.
A Cowboy's Dream will be available on December 17th through The Wild Rose Press, www.thewildrosepress.com.