Karen Witemeyer joins us for a chat about naming horses, writer quirks, fairytales, and her latest release book. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this brilliant book! 

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master’s degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late 1800s.

A life-long bookworm, Karen is living her dream by writing novels. Her books have consistently hit bestseller lists and have garnered numerous awards. When not writing, she loves to pester her adult children, play board games, and cross-stitch intricate patterns reminiscent of the historical eras present in her stories.

Karen, welcome to the Historical Bookworm Show.

1. 
   
2. If you didn’t live in Texas, where would you like to make your home?
   
3. A long-time reader has a question for you: The character’s horses almost always have names. Where do you draw inspiration for their names? (Bexar in Short Straw Bride, Goliath in A Worthy Pursuit, Ulysses in No Other Will Do, Phineas in At Love’s Command, for instance)
   
4. What is quintessentially autumn in Texas?
   
5. Is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us or perhaps there is something God has laid on your heart that you would like to share with your readers? (What would you like to share about this book that we didn’t think to ask?)
   

In the heart of the Piney Woods of Texas, Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to Letty grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping her out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

“Little Red Riding Hood” and “Sleeping Beauty” entwine for a romantic fairy tale retelling that explores the power of true love conquering even the darkest of nights.

We always love a good fairy tale retelling, and this story draws inspiration from two! Judging by the previous two books in this series, readers are in for a treat!

1. 
   
2. How do you approach keeping details from the original stories with creating a completely new tale?
   
3. What led Philip to being a Pinkerton agent?
   
4. How does Letty feel about being raised in such seclusion, and about now coming into such a prestigious inheritance?
   
5. What’s next for your writing?
   

Connect with  Karen Witemeyer: Newsletter, Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub.