Jericha Kingston

Writing – they say – is a solitary occupation. But is it really? Let’s visit with author Kelly Klepfer and ask her about her constant companions.

JK: Welcome, Kelly! Introduce us to the Beagles you’re sharing with us today.

KK: Sweet mercy. You are giving me carte blanche to blab about my babies. Gertrude and Gladys are sweet (most of the time) little sisters we’ve had almost two years. Their mama died just hours after they were born from a urinary tract infection that went to her bloodstream. The babies all had to have antibiotics, too. A friend of a friend does wildlife rescue and since this was so sudden, the babies went to her for bottle feeding. At five weeks of age my friend (who has offered us pets for years including squirrels and raccoons) did her usual shout out. “Kelly, you want a sweet little Beagle pup?”

I said, “No, Rob wouldn’t want a Beagle.” (Rob is the husband, should you wonder.) But I didn’t know that he secretly did want a Beagle. His boss has one and Rob just can’t stop talking about it. So he said yes. When I told my friend she nearly wet her pants. (She’s of a certain age where one must be careful when jumping up and down.)

Then the gal sent a picture of our new baby. And there was another one in the picture and she referred to them as they. Rob said, “You know, if we’re potty training one, might as well get two.” And I said, “Yes!” Someone else had spoken for the other in the meantime. I actually prayed we could get both of them.  Yes. I did. The other person backed out because she was excited that the little sisters could stay together.

Can I just say I adore my girls? They are so ridiculously cute. Their personalities are night and day different, of course. I’m so glad we said yes. And they are pretty spoiled.

JK: They sound like sweethearts. I love their names! How did you come up with Gladys and Gertrude?

KK: My daughter has two sister dogs as well. Lilly and Lola. They came to live with her while she still lived at home with us. I fell in love with them and when they all moved out into their own place it got really quiet in our house. Lilly and Lola are much larger than my girls. They are boxer/lab mixes. I liked the alliteration of their names and I wanted a pair of names that made me smile. I considered flower names which was pretty cute. I kept going back to the older lady names though. We ran the name choices past a few friends. When it came down to it the alliteration won. The names fit them perfectly.

JK: You chose well! How do Gladys and Gertrude help you write?

KK: Very little. Seriously. Gladys loves to hop on my lap when I’m writing. She’s a solid 38 pounds and loves to wrap her arms around my neck and cuddle. There is very little writing that gets done when she’s in one of her snuggle moods. Gert cuddles up next to me if I’m on the couch, but she does this little dog-in-the-manger growl when her sister gets near. So I’m always a little leery of the forthcoming wrestling match. (True story, one leapt over my computer which was on my lap one day and snapped my period key right off the computer.)

JK: Of all the keys to lose! Have you ever written one of your pets into a story?

KK:  Out of the Frying Pan has a doggy character. Fifi, the Wonder Dog. I must tell you, Fifi’s title is full of sarcasm. See, Zula and Fern inherited Fifi when one of the residents moved on, and well… Fifi has some issues. However, Fifi, not based on my pups, is adorbs in her own way.

JK: Oh my. We’ll have to learn more about Fifi! Thank you so much for visiting today, Kelly. Final question: What are three things you and Gladys and Gertrude have in common?

KK: One, quirk. Gladys is a quirky gal. Two, Gertrude is pretty focused. Not that I am, but I’m stubborn and that’s kind of a focus. Three, both of them are pretty treat-motivated. Nuff said.  

Kelly Klepfer had ambitions to graduate from the school of life quite awhile ago, but alas . . . she still attends and is tested regularly. Her new, co-authored cozy/quirky mystery, Out of the Frying Pan, is the culmination of several of the failed/passed tests. Kelly lives with her husband and two Beagles in Iowa, and can also be found at Novel Rocket, Novel Reviews, Scrambled Dregs, Instagram, Pinterest,
Facebook and Twitter with flashes of brilliance (usually quotes), randomocities, and learned life lessons.

~ Jericha Kingston

Welcome, Friends! Each day is a blessing, but today we’re truly blessed to connect with Tracie Peterson.

Tracie is the best-selling, award winning author of over 100 books. Her work in historical romance garnered her the Best Western Romance Author of 2013 by True West Magazine. She was given the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book awards.

Tracie has been married to Jim for over 35 years and enjoys working with him on historical research for each of her books. They make their home in the mountains of Montana. They have three grown children and three grandchildren, one collie dog and three cats.

JK: Thank you for joining us, Tracie. Congratulations on your latest release, Steadfast Heart!

TP: Thank you. I’m really excited about this new book which starts a brand new series.

JK: Tell us where you grew up. Do you feel your formative years shaped your writing?

TP: I grew up in Kansas. My mother used to give me a piece of paper and a pencil at church in order to keep me quiet. She urged me to write a story and then after church she would listen to my story. I believe this really helped my creative process. I knew I’d get my mother’s undivided attention if I had a story to tell. Then when I got to high school I wanted to take creative writing, but it was a class you had to apply for with a sample of your work. The teacher rejected me as not showing enough talent or creativity. That only served to make me more determined to write, so I started studying books about writing and paying close attention to what I loved or hated about a specific story. It served me well and helped me to hone my skills.

JK: We’re so thankful you persevered. Did you know you were an author, or did it surprise you?

TP: I knew I was a storyteller. I loved to tell stories to my friends, to write stories and to share them wherever I could. I really didn’t hold out a lot of hope that I could write full-time, but then God opened the doors for this to be a ministry. I still find myself amazed that I get to do something I love so much and serve God all at the same time.

JK: You could write any genre. Why do you write Christian Fiction?

TP: It’s a ministry, as I said. I want my books to do three things. My 3E’s. I want the story to entertain. I also want it to educate, so I do all sorts of research to make the historical aspect as accurate as possible. Third, I want the story to encourage the reader in God’s love and hope. I share the Gospel message in each book and try to offer Biblical application for daily living, all while weaving it into the lives of my characters. The letters I get from the readers have proven to me that the books are changing lives. I’ve received letters that talk about the reader finding God or finding their way back to their faith. I’ve even had readers tell me that the books have given them the courage to face life and their problems. It’s amazing to me how God has used this passion of mine to better the lives of others, as well as my own.

JK: What a powerful testimony of God’s grace. He’s faithful. Tell us about your latest release, Steadfast Heart.

TP: Steadfast Heart is book one in the Brides of Seattle series. I wanted to create a story that dealt with a sort of mail-order bride, but with a twist. This series deals with three zany old ladies who run a bridal finishing school. The story focuses on Lenore who has a love at first sight experience with a man whose come looking for his sister. Kolbein Booth arrives in Seattle almost certain that the advertisement for young women to come to the bridal school is just a cover for a brothel. He ends up enlisting the help of Abrianna Cunningham, an on-going character in the series who happens to be the ward of the 3 old ladies. Through twists and turns Lenore and Kolbein manage to realize their love for each other, but not without great obstacles.

JK: What a predicament! Is Lenore an introvert or extrovert?

TP: She’s more of an introvert while her best friend Abrianna is definitely an extrovert and often drives her crazy. Lenore has been raised in a wealthy family and taught all the finer arts of being a woman of society. Being such she’s been talk to be quiet and obedient, but there’s a fire deep inside of her that won’t allow her to be passed over or taken for granted.

JK: Kolbein sounds impulsive. Is he?

TP: He’s not really impulsive. In fact, when he finds himself in love with Lenore, he doesn’t see the logic in it. He’s a lawyer so he likes the facts laid out and for everything to make sense. Falling in love at first sight is rather impulsive and doesn’t make any sense. It perplexes him to have come with one purpose to Seattle, only to find a entirely different situation to consider.

JK: Poor Kolbein! You’ve hooked us, Tracie. Where can we find Steadfast Heart?

TP: You can get this book from any local bookstore or online.

JK:  What else is up and coming in this series?

TP: Refining Fire is book two in the series and will be out next June. Book three, Love Everlasting, is slated to come out in October. The entire series is set in Seattle and will deal with the Great Fire that destroyed most of downtown Seattle in 1889, as well as follow the romances of three very special ladies.

JK: Where may readers find other books you’ve written?

TP: They can check out my website for information on all of my books and some of the upcoming titles as well. They may also find me on Facebook.

JK: One final question: Please tell us your favorite hobby.

TP: Reading is my favorite hobby and mainstay. I’ve always been a strong reader which I believe has definitely lent itself to stimulating my desire to write. I always appreciate a great story in both non-fiction and fiction. I hope heaven has a massive library and we get time to read.

JK: So do I, Tracie. Thank you for being my guest! I wish you continued success. God bless you!

~ Jericha Kingston

Christian Fiction. Because we’re in the world, not of it.

Welcome! I’m Jericha Kingston, and I’m delighted to host author Pegg Thomas on our maiden blog voyage. Her latest release, In Sheep’s Clothing, is now available and you don’t want to miss it. Take it away, Pegg!

It’s wonderful to be Jericha’s first guest blogger! I’ve been writing buddies with her for a number of years. Her Easter novella, Waiting for Lily Bloom, is still one of my all-time favorites.

I loved writing In Sheep’s Clothing. Yarrow Fenn has more of *me* in her than any of my other heroines. She’s a spinner and weaver – I’m a spinner and knitter, although I’ve also done some weaving. She raises an orphan lamb – I spent many years raising sheep and still keep a small flock of ewes for their wool. And she lives in Milford, Connecticut, where some of my ancestors settled when they arrived in the Puritan wave of the mid-to-late 1600s.

Peter Maltby is my favorite kind of hero. He’s loveably flawed, with some demons in his past that he struggles with, but deep down he’s got a heart of gold. All it takes is a talented spinster and an orphan lamb to dig deep enough to bring it out.

In honor of being Jericha Kingston’s first guest on her exciting new blog, I’d like to offer one copy of In Sheep’s Clothing to a reader who leaves a comment below. Tell me of your connection to sheep or knitting or weaving and get your name in the drawing twice. The drawing will be on Friday, March 19th. 

This story won the 2019 Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love Award. It was also a finalist for the 2019 American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Awards.

Get your copy of In Sheep’s Clothing, and comment to be entered in the drawing!

1. 

   Thank YOU for such a wonderful story!

2. 

   So glad you’re out of the hospital, Lisa! Enjoy the story as you continue recovering!

3. 

   Just had a panic seeing this! I have to have a review up for this but I just got out…

4. 

   Thanks for sharing, Jericha!

5. 

   Love Robin’s books!