Laurie Kingery Interview

I'm so glad to have Laurie Kingery as my guest today. Laurie lives in Ohio and is an emergency room nurse. She is the proud grandma of six, plus three step-grandchildren.At present she writes tales of 1800's Texas and the Old West for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historicals. To find out more about Laurie go to her website at http://www.lauriekingery.com/

Welcome, Laurie. Let's jump right into the interview by asking what made you want to become a writer?

Reading both the very best books and the worst books I read. As an avid reader, I aspired to create the same sort of experience reading the best books created in me. After reading those that were not so good, I thought, I can do better than this.

Did you encounter rejection on your writing journey? If so, how did you handle it?

Of course. Doesn't everyone who even tries seriously to get published? I sold my first book, but I've had books rejected after that. After sixteen books in the secular historical romance field, suddenly I couldn't sell anything in that area. I tried a medical romantic suspense. That never sold, nor did a medical romance I tried. Then my agent suggested I try to sell to the new Love Inspired Historical line that was about to open.

What are some highlights of your professional journey toward that first sale and how did you feel when you found out about it?

I started writing the book on a dare the night before my 30th birthday. I wrote longhand, in between the demands of childcare and my job, and then I typed it up. The first personal computers hadn't come out then, so it took forever. A friend with publishing contacts helped me find my first agent. After shopping the book around, she finally sold it to Leisure (Dorchester), who paid a pitifully low advance, but it sold.

What is the title of your current book?

MAIL ORDER COWBOY. It's the first book in the start of my series called Brides of Simpson Creek, published by Love Inspired Historicals, about single ladies in a fictional Texas town who advertise for bachelors (see next question).

Give us a short blurb about the book.

An enterprising young lady, determined not to be an old maid in a bachelorless Texas town after the Civil War, organizes the other single ladies to advertise for marriage-minded men. The very first man who arrives, a disgraced British cavalry officer lately from India, becomes her unlikely love.

Which character in the book is your favorite? Why?

I like them both, but having met my true love through eHarmony, I have a soft spot for Milly, who did the 1800's version of an online matchup.

What is the last book you read that impacted you?

I'm always reading great fiction, and it would be hard to single out any one book, but I just finished James Scott Bell's THE ART OF WAR FOR WRITERS. I sure wish that book had been out when I was starting to write. It's a must for beginning as well as experienced writers. All the information is there in compact form.

What do you learn from reading other writers’ work?

Each book teaches me at least one thing, and usually more, about characterization, pacing, use of language, creating suspense. Sometimes a book will teach me what doesn't work, too.

What are you currently writing?

I'm working on the fourth book in the Brides of Simpson Creek series, tentatively titled COURTING CARO.

Do you have any other advice for a beginning writer?

Read, read, read. Go to conferences. Hang out with other writers—there are plenty of organizations, like ACFW and RWA, that help you do that now. Be an officer in those organizations if—and only if—you can do that and get the writing done too. Don't become overly concerned about setting up a website and a blog before you even have a book to promote. Most importantly, write. Nothing teaches you about the writing but writing.

Thank you for dropping by today for an interview. I know there are readers out there who would love to have a copy of your book.

To receive a copy of Laurie's book, you must leave a comment. One winner will be chosen at the end of the week. So if you want an autographed copy of Mail Order Cowboy, leave a comment.