I am pleased to welcome guest blogger, Karen Rose Smith, to Happily Ever After Today.
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND WRITING FROM THE HEART
When I wrote HER SISTER, I knew it was a departure from the type of book I usually write. It's women's fiction with romance and mystery. But is it really so different? One element that has always characterized my romances is family relationships. Whether I'm writing the ultimate romance or adding a mystery or suspense plot, family trumps all.
There are many reasons for that. Although I was an only child, my extended family was large. My parents and I lived with my grandfather and aunt until I was five and then my parents built a house next door. I ran between the houses as if they were both "home." On summer mornings I can remember my aunt singing while she made breakfast. When I was home sick from school, I stayed with my aunt and my grandfather until my parents returned home.
In HER SISTER, I drew on memories of my uncle's farm where my dad and another uncle worked, too, raising tobacco. I remember going out into the tobacco field with them on a flatbed trailer being pulled by a tractor. I helped push the tobacco leaves onto lathes before they were hung in the barn. I can still remember the sun on my face, the smells of harvesting, the enjoyment of feeling free on that farm. In HER SISTER, this was Amanda's background. One summer she shared it with Max when they fell in love.
To write this book, I analyzed what happened when a family fell apart because their three-year-old was abducted. Then I imagined what could happen as they found their way back to each other in the midst of another crisis.
After writing romance for twenty years, my first mystery—STAGED TO DEATH—was released by Kensington Books in December. I found the genre fit perfectly and I love the challenge of devising puzzle pieces that fit together to weave a story. Family is a relevant theme in my mysteries, too. In HER SISTER, I decided to combine everything I like best about writing--an emotional plot with romance and mystery.
I hope you enjoy it.
©2014 Karen Rose Smith
When Clare Thaddeus' sister was abducted, she was five and her family fell apart. Now, twenty-seven years later, there's a chance Lynnie could still be alive! Divorced parents, a rebellious daughter, and a
devoted sister find their lives in turmoil once again. This time, will crisis tear them apart or will forgotten love knit them together once more?
Meet The Author
Award-winning author Karen Rose Smith was born in Pennsylvania. Although she was an only child, she remembers the bonds of an extended family. Since her father came from a family of ten and her
mother, a family of seven, there were always aunts, uncles and cousins visiting on weekends. Family is a strong theme in her books and she suspects her childhood memories are the reason.
In college, Karen began writing poetry and also met her husband to be. They both began married life as teachers, but when their son was born, Karen decided to try her hand at a home-decorating business. She returned to teaching for a while but changes in her life led her to writing romance fiction. Now she writes romances and mysteries full time. Her 84th novel will be published in 2014. She envisions herself writing relationship novels, both romance and mystery, for a long time to come!
How To Contact Karen
Christina--Thank so much for having me today! I hope readers enjoy HER SISTER, my first women's fiction novel.
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