Interview with author Karen Witemeyer

Karen, welcome to Patti’s Porch. Hope you brought
a light sweater. You might find the air a little cooler
here in Colorado than you are used to in Texas.

Being near the glorious mountains is worth a few goose bumps. Thanks for having me over.


Tell us about your book, Head in the Clouds.

Since I enjoy Regency romances as well as those set in the American West, I thought it would be fun to blend the two by bringing an English nobleman to Texas.

Here's the official blurb:

When a recovering romantic goes to work for a handsome ranch owner, her heart’s not the only thing in danger.

Adelaide Proctor is a young woman with her head in the clouds, longing for a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a staid governess position on a central Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her romantic yearnings behind.

When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--
and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford
distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee,
and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.

When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide
be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her
heart on the line?

On your web site, you describe your journey to publication as “bumpy”. Share your ups and downs to publishing success.

It doesn't take new writers long to learn that rejection is an inevitable part of this journey. But deep inside, we all hope we'll prove to be the exception to the rule. I had been attending the ACFW conference for several years and meeting with agents and editors on other projects with no success. However, in 2007, I was sure that God was opening doors for me. I met Karen Schurrer, a Bethany House editor, while volunteering in the preconference set-up room. There was no doubt in my mind that this was a "divine appointment." Then I sat at her table for lunch later in the week, and after we all gave her our pitches, one brave lady (not me) asked if we could send our proposals. Another divine intervention. After conference, I sent in my proposal, and miracle of miracles, they asked for the full manuscript! God was definitely at work. I was certain an offer was right around the corner. Instead, I found a rejection. This couldn't be right? God had opened all the doors. What had gone wrong?

As it turns out, there is such a thing as a good rejection. My first novel was turned down because the plot was too similar to something they had recently published. However, they liked the writing enough, they asked to see more. They also mentioned that they liked the dress shop I had introduced. Could I make another story centered around a dress shop. Now, you have to understand, the dress shop in the original manuscript burned to the ground in the prologue. It wasn't exactly a pivotal ingredient. But I wasn't about to tell them no. So I worked up another proposal focused on a dress shop.

In the meantime, I was more than halfway through writing my second novel, so I took a chance and sent them a synopsis for it and asked if they would like to see it when it was finished. They agreed to take a look at it. So by conference time in 2008, I had a completed manuscript in addition to the single chapter I had put together for the new dress shop book.

By January 2009, I had a three-book contract set to release with the dress shop book first. That book became A Tailor-Made Bride, my debut release in June 2010. The second completed manuscript became my latest book, Head in the Clouds.

You love to write about the American west, which brings to mind a cattle rancher hero. Yet, you chose a British sheepherder. What precipitated your choice?

I read a lot of historical romances, and while I love a rugged, hard-working, no-nonsense cowboy hero, my heart also pitter-patters over those dashing charmers that grace the pages of Regency novels. So I thought it would be fun to find a way to combine the two. They raise a lot of sheep in England, so sheep ranching made more sense than cattle ranching, and the area of Texas where I chose to set my story historically ran more sheep than cattle. Believe it or not, the wool industry was big business in Texas in the 1880s.

Why did you choose to inflict little Bella with the handicap that you did? Have you had experience in dealing with a mute child?

No, I have not had direct experience with a mute child, although sometimes I wish my three children came with a remote that had that option wired in.

In graduate school, I studied school psychology and learned about the various ways trauma can manifest itself in children. Isabella had suffered dramatic grief and loss and was haunted by the possibility of future danger. She reacted by withdrawing into herself. She withdrew to such an extent that she stopped talking. Elective mutism is rare, but I thought it fit well with her situation


Head in the Clouds is your second book. Tell us about your first novel, A Tailor-Made Bride.

Tailor-Made is a fun story that pairs
a seamstress that values beauty with a
livery owner that condemns vanity.
He thinks she's shallow. She think he's
arrogant. But both couldn't be more wrong –
or more right for each other.


Tell us what part Crown Fiction Marketing has played in the promotion of your books.

CROWN is a marketing group geared toward Christian historical fiction authors who write stories set in 19th century America. We support one another and help promote each other's books by writing reviews, handing out bookmarks, spreading the word about new releases, anything we can think of to help. We are also great at simply cheering one another on – something I always need. I would highly recommend the group to anyone who writes for this specific genre.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I'm a combination. I need to have a general idea of where I'm going before I start. I need to know my characters and their background, I need to know the major plot points and have a clear idea of the beginning and the end. After that, I just sit down and see where each chapter takes me. I usually stick pretty close to the synopsis, but I'm always surprised at the character nuances that emerge or how an unplanned scene fits so perfectly into the spiritual thread. God definitely gets all the credit for the creativity.

What does your writing schedule look like?

I work full-time outside the home and have three school-aged kids who keep me busy with soccer games, band practices, and Math meets so my schedule is crazy to say the least. What seems to work best for me is to set weekly writing goals instead of daily word count goals. That way, I have the flexibility to make up for lost time if a family or work event takes me away from the computer. I'm also one of those odd ducks who loves to edit as I write. This makes my pace much slower, but once I finish the manuscript, I'm actually finished. My goal is to write one polished chapter a week. My books tend to be about 40 chapters long, so this pace works well for me in getting out a new book every year. I still have to find time to do rewrites, marketing, and all that other fun stuff, but somehow it all manages to get done.

What do you like most about the writing process? Least?

Editing is my strength. I have a strong perfectionist streak, so I love to tinker with things to make them better. Plotting is what makes me pull my hair out. I don't consider myself to be a naturally creative person, so coming up with new story ideas is a struggle. I pray a lot, read a lot, and daydream just enough to keep the inspiration percolating until an idea develops that is publication-worthy. Brainstorming with editors and other writers is also a great way to get my creative juices flowing.

Do you have a new project in mind?

I'm currently working on the rewrites for my next novel called To Win Her Heart which is supposed to release in May, 2011. It is set in Texas in the late 1880s and asks the question – what happens after the prodigal son returns? So many times, we focus on the wonderful homecoming the lost son received from his father, but have you ever asked what life was like for him after the celebration was over? How did he relate to his bitter older brother or the servants and townspeople who were only too aware of his past arrogance and wild living?

In my story, I play on those very questions. My hero is a man recently released from prison who has returned to his faith roots and rededicated his life to the Lord. The heroine is a woman who has been disappointed by men in the past and has little tolerance of those who don't meet her high standards. In an effort to make a clean start, Levi hides his past and Eden believes she has finally found a man of honor and integrity. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back her affections?


If you could give only one piece of advice to new writers, what would it be?
Be committed to mastering the craft, tenacious in submitting your work, flexible enough to move when the industry moves, and grounded enough in who you are as a person and as a child of God not to lose heart when rejection comes. Accept the lessons of humility you learn now, for you will need them later when you find success.

Thank you for visiting Patti’s Porch today, Karen. It’s been a pleasure to spend some time with you. I wish you much success with your writing career.

Thank you. It's been a joy to be here.


To learn more about Karen and her work, be sure to visit her web site.

Thanks for reading my blog!