Karen Witemeyer ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 4 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Karen Witemeyer is telling us about her new book, To Win Her Heart (May 2011). She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can leave a comment on this post to find out the answer!

Welcome, Karen! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a deacon's wife and an incurable romantic who believes this world needs more happily-ever-afters. So, in order to help meet that need, I combine my fascination for bygone eras with my passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels full of love and laughter. I'm also an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bake a mean apple cobbler. I live in Abilene, TX with my hunky, computer nerd husband and three children who are kind enough to put up with Mom's imaginary friends.

Tell us about your salvation experience.
I grew up in a Christian family, so my faith developed rather organically. I was baptized into Christ when I was ten years old, but it was six years later, when my father died unexpectedly, that my personal faith really solidified. There's something about going through trials that refines us for eternity in a way everyday living cannot.

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
I tend to be very task-oriented. Give me a task, I work it till it's done, then move on to the next one. When things go wrong, however, emotions get thrown into the mix, and that can get rather messy. Not too long ago, I was working on a marketing questionnaire that my publisher asked me to complete. I had spent several hours crafting just the right answers only to have everything disappear from the computer when I accidentally closed the wrong window. Panic set in as I tried everything I could think of to get it back. Then desperation hit. I begged my computer savvy husband to work his magic, but there was nothing he could do. Then I became distraught. Tears pooled in my eyes followed by anger over the injustice of the situation. Four hours of work down the drain. Finally, I came to a point of acceptance, realizing I had no option but to recreate the entire document. This is where the task-orientation came back into play. I shoved aside the distracting emotions that threatened to draw me back into a pity party, and worked the problem. In an hour and a half the project was complete. And properly saved this time!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
This may not be all that surprising since I write historical romance, but I adore old Hollywood musicals. Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, The Harvey Girls, Summer Stock, My Fair Lady … I could go on and on. This past summer I joined Netflix just so that I could introduce my 12 year old daughter to several of these classics. I've had so much fun revisiting these favorites, and she seems to like them, too. Hooray!

What is one book that you recently read and would recommend to your readers?
Making Waves by Lorna Seilstad. This book would be a great summer read, but I read it in the cold of January and still loved it. The heroine. Marguerite, is feisty and independent and the hero, Trip, is dreamy and just stubborn enough to give our heroine a run for her money. The second in Lorna's series, A Great Catch, comes out May 1st. Should be another fun one.

What is your favorite time of day to write?
Because I work full-time and have three kids at home, by necessity, my favorite time to write is whenever I can find time. Ha! Usually early afternoon is a preferred time for me, but I can make anything work in a pinch. Except after around 9:30 p.m. That's when I turn into a pumpkin and start the steady downhill slide into sleepdom. My day starts early at 5:00 a.m., so by 10:00 I am tuckered out. One of my hubby's favorite hobbies is laughing at me when I fall asleep in my recliner while trying to watch television with him in the evening.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
My books are similar in style to Deeanne Gist with a little Cathy Marie Hake and Tamera Alexander mixed in. I would rate the level of romance in my books as PG. There is physical attraction, romantic thoughts, and kissing in my stories but the romantic love always grows out of a friendship, mutual respect, and common values between the characters to form a foundation for a love that is deep, lasting, and true.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I'm currently working on my fourth historical romance for Bethany House. The working title is Short-Straw Bride. Four brothers draw straws to see who will marry the heroine in this twist on a marriage of convenience story. All Travis Archer cares about is his brothers and his land, but when a good deed goes awry, he's stuck with a bride who endangers both.

One fun tidbit about the brothers in this story – they are all named for heroes from the Alamo. Travis is the main character, the next oldest is Crockett, the kid brother is Neill (for the Alamo's commander who missed being at the fight because of a family illness that called him away), and the third brother's given name is Bowie, but he refuses to answer to anything except Jim. I don't blame him. Poor guy. What we authors do to torture our characters.

Book’s back cover blurb:

A blacksmith with a criminal past. A librarian with pacifist ideals. Do they have a fighting chance at finding love?

Having completed his sentence for the unintentional crime that derailed his youthful plans for fame and fortune, Levi Grant looks to start over in the town of Spencer, Texas. Spencer needs a blacksmith, a trade he learned at his father’s knee, and he needs a place where no one knows his past. But small towns leave little room for secrets. . . .

Eden Spencer has sworn off men, choosing instead to devote her time to the lending library she runs. When a mountain-sized stranger walks through her door and asks to borrow a book, she steels herself against the attraction he provokes. His halting speech and hesitant manner leave her doubting his intelligence. Yet as the mysteries of the town’s new blacksmith unfold, Eden discovers hidden depths in him that tempt her heart.

Levi’s renewed commitment to his faith leads Eden to believe she’s finally found a man of honor and integrity, a man worthy of her love. But when the truth about his prodigal past comes to light, can this tarnished hero find a way to win back the librarian’s affections?

What research did you have to do for this book?
Any historical novel takes a great deal of research. This book was no exception. For my hero, I studied prison life and convict labor camps. I studied the craft of blacksmithing and limestone quarrying. For my heroine, I researched the Victorian art of flower pressing and 19th century literature. I strive to be as historically accurate as possible and really enjoy learning all the fun tidbits I can, even those that never make it into the book.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

Well, Hugh Jackman is one of my favorite Hollywood leading men. I'm a sucker for the dark hair and the reformed bad boy persona he affected in the X-Men movies, and with the muscle he put on as Wolverine, he'd make a right fine Levi Grant.

I did a search online for auburn-haired actresses, and the one who caught my eye as looking most like the Eden I had envisioned was Isla Fischer. I'm not familiar with the roles she's played, but she definitely has the sophisticated look I would want for my heroine.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter or an excerpt of this book?
http://www.fictionfinder.com/book/detail/1166 The link to the first chapter is under the book cover image.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I'd love to have you visit me at my website: http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/. I host a monthly giveaway of historical Christian novels from a variety of well-known authors as well as post interesting tidbits about my characters and the research behind their stories.

You can also find me on Facebook. Send me a message sometime. I'd be honored to chat with you.

Is there anything you would like to add, or tell your readers?
In March, I learned that my debut novel, A Tailor-Made Bride, was named a finalist for the Best First Book category in the RITA® contest. This is the coveted national award sponsored by Romance Writers of America, and I am still pinching myself over the honor.

~~~~~

**USA addresses only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of To Win Her Heart!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you do not want to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

+2 Read and leave a comment on my review of

**You can earn a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above entry options. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries. (You can put them on one comment if you want to, you don’t have to separate each entry into its own comment or anything like that.)**

*The contest will run from today (April 29) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (May 5). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner either directly after choosing him/her or on Friday the 6th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Karen Witemeyer ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 6 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Karen Witemeyer is telling us about her new book, Head in the Clouds (October 2010). She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Karen! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a deacon's wife and an incurable romantic who believes this world needs more happily-ever-afters. So, in order to help meet that need, I combine my fascination for bygone eras with my passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels full of love and laughter. I'm also an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bake a mean apple cobbler. I live in Abilene, TX with my hunky, computer nerd husband and three children who are kind enough to put up with Mom's imaginary friends.

Tell us about your salvation experience.
I grew up in a Christian family, so my faith developed rather organically. I was baptized into Christ when I was ten years old, but it was six years later, when my father died unexpectedly, that my personal faith really solidified. There's something about going through trials that refines us for eternity in a way everyday living cannot.

Are you:

A spontaneous writer or a scheduled writer?
I guess I fall somewhere in between. I'm scheduled in that I have consistent writing goals, such as completing one polished chapter a week. However, I have to be flexible because I work full-time and am a mother to three school-age kids. Interruptions happen all the time, so I have to be able to turn the creativity off and on at a moment's notice.

Stubborn, or compliant?
It depends who you ask. LOL I am definitely a follow-the-rules kind of girl, so in that sense, I am very compliant. But if you ask my husband about my tendency to keep doing things the old, comfortable way when there are new, faster ways to get them done, he would definitely vote for stubborn.

Organized or completely chaotic?
I am definitely organized. Clutter stresses me out. I don't need everything spotless, but I have to have things tidy and organized. I know exactly where to find my research books, my web links are categorized for easy access, and all of my writing files are organized into folders and sub-folders and more sub-folders.

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
I tend to be very task-oriented. Give me a task, I work it till it's done, then move on to the next one. When things go wrong, however, emotions get thrown into the mix, and that can get rather messy. Not too long ago, I was working on a marketing questionnaire that my publisher asked me to complete. I had spent several hours crafting just the right answers only to have everything disappear from the computer when I accidentally closed the wrong window. Panic set in as I tried everything I could think of to get it back. Then desperation hit. I begged my computer savvy husband to work his magic, but there was nothing he could do. Then I became distraught. Tears pooled in my eyes followed by anger over the injustice of the situation. Four hours of work down the drain. Finally, I came to a point of acceptance, realizing I had no option but to recreate the entire document. This is where the task-orientation came back into play. I shoved aside the distracting emotions that threatened to draw me back into a pity party, and worked the problem. In an hour and a half the project was complete. And properly saved this time!

In your opinion, what is your best trait? What is your worst?
I would say that my best trait is my optimism. Hope, and joy, love and laughter – these are the things that give my life meaning and make everything else bearable. I make it a point to spend my energy cultivating these blessings and letting the more discouraging aspects of life go.

My worst trait? Ummm…I am a horrible mingler. Small talk strangles me. So if you see me at a writing conference or book event and I stare at you with a blank look, please take pity instead of taking offense. I'm probably inwardly scrambling for something intelligent to say and not coming up with much. Help from a friendly source is always appreciated.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
This may not be all that surprising since I write historical romance, but I adore old Hollywood musicals. Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, The Harvey Girls, Summer Stock, My Fair Lady … I could go on and on. This summer I joined Netflix just so that I could introduce my 12 year old daughter to several of these classics. I've had so much fun revisiting these favorites, and she seems to like them, too. Hooray!

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
My books are similar in style to Deeanne Gist with a little Cathy Marie Hake and Tamera Alexander mixed in. I would rate the level of romance in my books as PG. There is physical attraction, romantic thoughts, and kissing in my stories but the romantic love always grows out of a friendship, mutual respect, and common value system between the characters to form a foundation for a love that is deep, lasting, and true.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I'm currently working on the rewrites for my next novel called To Win Her Heart which is supposed to release early summer, 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?

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love to hear from readers. You can find me online at www.karenwitemeyer.com. I have monthly contests, a free Bible study download based on the life of Rahab, and vignettes that give you a deeper look into the background of my characters for both Head in the Clouds and A Tailor-Made Bride.

You can also find me on Facebook or email me directly at karen@karenwitemeyer.com.

Book 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?

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

I chose Hugh Jackman for Gideon, because really – who didn’t love him in Kate & Leopold? His dimples aren't quite as pronounced as Gideon's but with his Aussie background, I bet he can manage an enchanting British accent.

For Adelaide, I selected Alyssa Milano. I needed someone petite to match Adelaide's stature, and I thought Alyssa could carry off the "girl next door" look that I always imagined for my heroine.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter or an excerpt of this book?
You can read the prologue and first chapter on my website at:
http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/excerpt_head.html

~~~~~

*USA or Canadian residents only, please*

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Head in the Clouds!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you would not like to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

Read and leave a comment on one or more of my recent book reviews.
+2 Don't Look Back
+2 Head in the Clouds

**You can earn a total of 6 entries if you do all of the above entry options. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (November 5) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (November 11). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner either directly after choosing him/her or on Friday the 12th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.

Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

Head in the Clouds

Karen Witemeyer

Bethany House

About the book:

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

Adelaide Proctor longs to find a real-life storybook hero to claim as her own. But when a husband-hunting debacle leaves her humiliated, she interviews for a governess position on a remote Texas sheep ranch and vows to leave her silly romantic yearnings behind.

Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, never expecting to end up with a child. To his dismay, 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.

When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the girl—and her inheritance—Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. 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?

My review:
This book had me hooked. From the first page to the last, I could barely put it down! Karen has a funny, witty writing style and does a great job of fleshing out the story and characters. I truly enjoyed reading every page. It also had more than a little adventure which was awesome! Suspenseful, with villains and plots, I kept waiting to see what would happen next. And it the heroine is an avid reader which was even better! I could totally relate to her. ;) This is a book that you need to read as soon as possible in my opinion!

Karen Witemeyer ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 6 entries in this giveaway. See below for details.*

Today author Karen Witemeyer is telling us about her new book, A Tailor-Made Bride. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Karen! Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a wife, mother, and Bible study leader who is also an incurable romantic. I'm addicted to happy endings, chocolate chip ice cream, and snuggling with my kids.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
I started writing with intent to publish in 2003. I sold a couple of short pieces to magazines and anthologies along the way, but my first contract for full-length novels came in January of 2009. A Tailor-Made Bride is my first novel. My second, Head in the Clouds, will be released in October.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
I think my writing style is similar to Cathy Marie Hake, Vickie McDonough, and Tamera Alexander. I try to incorporate humor, drama, adventure, and spiritual depth into my stories for an entertaining and uplifting read. I would say that the level of romance in my books could be considered PG. Romance is central to the plot, and you will find a couple kissing scenes. One reviewer recently described my romance as sizzling without sizzling. There is love and attraction, yet everything is kept very chaste.

In your own words tell us a little about A Tailor-Made Bride.
A Tailor-Made Bride is a fun-filled romp in which a feisty seamstress tangles with a set-in-his-ways livery owner in 1880s Texas. Hannah sees beauty as a gift to be shared while Jericho judges her fancy goods as nothing but vanity. However, when his sister befriends Hannah and solicits her help in catching a beau, Jericho discovers that Coventry's new dressmaker is far from the shallow creature he expected. But gaining her favor would require exposing his wounded heart. Can two stubborn people learn to stop judging and instead choose love?

Blurb:

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas's new dressmaker. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

What made you want to write this story?
It all started with a question: What happens when believers disagree about what the Christian life should look like?

Hannah Richards believes she is being a good steward of the talents the Lord has blessed her with by turning her needle to creating dresses that are pleasing to look upon. She is imitating the Creator God who designed wildflowers, rainbows, and sunsets.

Jericho Tucker, on the other hand, believes that fancy dress goods encourage women to focus their attention on vain, superficial beauty instead of the inner attributes of a gentle and quiet spirit that Scripture promotes as true loveliness.

Both are right. Yet both see the other as wrong. By throwing Jericho's sister Cordelia into the mix, I forced these two characters to face their differences and learn from each other, to mend those tears of condemnation with threads of grace.

What research did you have to do for this book?
As in any historical novel, there is a barrage of research that must be done. Since my heroine is a seamstress I researched a lot of fashion plates from that time period as well as sewing machines and fabrics. One specific are that required additional research was the calisthenic regimen Hannah engages in every morning.

You see, I wanted to create a Victorian-era makeover, but to do that, I first had to discover if people in the 1880s were aware of the health and weight loss benefits of physical exercise. As it turns out, the 19th century was a time of great social reform, and one such movement included the promotion of physical exercise for women and children.

I modeled Hannah's daily routine after exercises found in a manual published in 1862 entitled The New Gymnastics for Men, Women, and Children by Dio Lewis. It included the use of small wooden dumbbells, exercise rings, and Indian clubs (think bowling pins that you swing in large arcs), all of which make an appearance in A Tailor-Made Bride. Dr. Lewis was a pioneer in the fitness movement and is largely responsible for the inclusion of physical education in today's schools.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

This is a tough question for me. Many authors use celebrity photos to inspire their characters, but mine live fully in my imagination. I did a search on the Internet and here's what I came up with: Kate Bosworth would play Hannah and Christian Bale would play Jericho. What do you think? Pretty handsome couple.

What are you working on now or going to write next?

My second release, Head in the Clouds, will be hitting the shelves in October. 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. In Head in the Clouds, a recovering romantic takes a job as governess for the mute daughter of a sheep rancher and soon learns her heart is not the only thing in danger.

My current work in progress, recently titled To Win Her Heart is a story set in the late 1880s that 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 third book, 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 his secret is revealed will both their futures be shattered?

How can readers get in contact with you?
I would love to have readers visit my Web site at: http://karenwitemeyer.com. You can find fun information about the hobbies and interests of the characters featured in A Tailor-Made Bride as well as sign up for my monthly book giveaways and receive a free a download for a biblical fiction piece inspired by the life of Rahab.

You can also find me on Facebook. Come by and visit anytime. I'd love to hear from you!

What are you currently reading?
I recently finished reading Julie Klassen's The Silent Governess. This book received the coveted Christy award this year for Christian historical romance. It is an intriguing regency story full of mystery and rich in well-researched historical detail. A very pleasant read.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
Hmm…something readers may not know. Well, I sing with a local community chorus. I love roller coasters. And I hate peas. How about that? I also cross-stitch, administer collegiate tests for my day job, and love old Hollywood musicals. I could go on, but that was probably more than anybody wanted to know.

If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
This question makes me laugh. In grade school one of my close friends and I decided we would choose unique animals for our favorites. Most of the other girls chose horses or kittens or puppy dogs. We wanted no part in that. She selected the armadillo, and I latched onto the stately hippopotamus. I even traveled to Africa on a mission trip once and started a collection of carved hippo figurines. However, as a woman who will admit to being a tad self-conscious about her appearance, I can't quite manage to answer that I see myself as a hippopotamus. That doesn't paint a terribly flattering picture, does it?

So instead of a hippo, I'm going to say that I am a kangaroo. With three young children who love to have Mama carry them around (even though they're getting much too big for that), many times I feel like I have my own pouch. Or should. And since motherhood fills such a large part of my identity, I wanted to select an animal that emphasized that nurturing aspect. In the Hundred Acre Wood, I would definitely be Kanga.

FAVORITES:

Color?
Cranberry red.

Childhood memory?
The time it snowed in southern California where I grew up, and I got to take a sample to school for show and tell.

Era to write about?
1880's Texas

What is/was this book’s release date?
A Tailor-Made Bride released in June 2010.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/excerpt_tailor.html
(This is an excerpt, not the first chapter.)

~~~~~

**USA residents only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of A Tailor-Made Bride!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you would not like to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

Read and leave a comment on one of my recent book reviews.
+2 So Over It

+2 Enter my other giveaway of Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge.

**You can earn a total of 6 entries if you do all of the above entry options. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (July 30) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (August 5). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 6th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.