Romance at Heart Magazine Author Interview: Karen Wiesner

Interview with Karen Wiesner:

Hi Karen, it is wonderful to meet you. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so let's get started...

- How many books have you written, how many have been published?

So far, 24 of my books have been published. My 25th book will be released at the end of September 2005. I write romance novels covering such subgenres as mainstream romance, contemporary/traditional romance, romantic suspense, romantic psychological thriller, romantic comedy, paranormal romance and contemporary gothic. I’ve also written the first 2 books (plus proposals for the 3rd and 4th) books in an action/adventure romance series called the Incognito Series that I hope to announce sales of soon. I have a futuristic romance novella coming out in Tales From The Treasure Trove, Volume II, A Jewels of the Quill Anthology (“The Amethyst Star”, September 2006). I do plan to write more futuristic romances. I also have a couple of romantic horrors I’m also playing with in my mind. More information about my romance releases can be found here: Karen's Website (Fiction). In addition to romance novels, I write a police procedural/mystery series with German author Chris Spindler—the Falcon’s Bend Series. The first book was Degrees Of Separation, published by Quiet Storm Publishing in hardcover. We’ve since pulled the series and it’ll be coming out from Hard Shell Word Factory with a novella collection leading: Falcon's Bend Case Files, Volume I. Degrees Of Separation will be reissued in trade paperback and electronic formats in January 2006, with Book 2, Tears On Stone, released in July of 2006. For more information about the Falcon’s Bend Series, visit Falcon's Bend . I also write poetry, children’s books, award-winning articles, and writing reference titles, including my bestselling Writer’s Digest Book First Draft In 30 Days. More information about that can be found here: firstdraftin30days.com.

- Please tell us about your latest book.

I guess without realizing it myself until the past year, I’ve been moving toward writing inspirational romance novels. My first inspirational will be a contemporary inspirational novella in Small Gifts, the first Jewels of the Quill Christmas anthology (October 2005). It’s titled “A Home for Christmas.” Wayward Angels is a full-length inspirational women’s fiction, the fourth novel in my Wounded Warriors Series.

It’s actually my first inspirational in this varied series. The 6th book in the series will also be inspirational women’s fiction. Wayward Angels tells the story of a woman—a new Christian—with bipolar. The hero of the story has spent years struggling with addictions, but he’s given his life to Christ and his life has become his work at a shelter for troubled youth. It’s a gritty story that will probably cause a few waves because I didn’t follow CBA guidelines in writing it. I was more concerned with capturing reality than making sure no one was shocked. But I do hope Christians and those who just love a gripping, emotional story will embrace it. I’m also close to completing the first book in an inspirational series (Family Heirlooms), which my agent is shopping around. I hope to sell it soon! I also had a story (“The Amethyst Angel”) in the recently released Jewels of the Quill Anthology, Tales From The Treasure Trove, Volume I.

- What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Oddly enough, considering how much research, precision, and exact details were involved, the easiest to write was Degrees Of Separation and basically all the books in the Falcon’s Bend Series. Working with a partner has a lot of perks.

My hardest book has hands down been Mirror Mirror, Book 3 of the Wounded Warriors Series—a romantic paranormal thriller. Creating a story that had a plot cohesive with the characters’ strengths and weaknesses and backgrounds, cohesive with the romance…required a bloodshedding amount of work. It is the book I’m most proud of though.

The most fun to write: I’d have to say there are quite a few that I enjoyed writing so immensely that they didn’t feel like work. Fire & Ice, Vows & The Vagabond, Forever Man (with a hero many have described as psychotic—but undeniably sexy). I also had a blast writing the novellas for Falcon's Bend Case Files. It really taught me that I have a skill for writing novellas. Also, I had so much fun writing “A Rose for Romeo” (for TREASURES OF THE HEART, the 1st Jewels of the Quill Valentine’s Day anthology, coming February 2006), that it spawned my new Adventures in Amethyst “mini” series.

- What are the elements of a great romance for you?

I’m not a romantic at all. It’s probably not what most readers want to hear, but romance embarrasses me in real life. What makes a great romance for me, and what I really incorporate into my stories, is a man and a woman who come through a painful situation together better for it—yes, more wounded, less trusting—but stronger. I love reality so gritty, you spend most of the time you’re reading with a box of tissues in reach. Add a good sprinkle of humor in with that, and you’ve got the ideal elements of an immortal romance in my mind.

- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

It’s the strangest thing. I’ve been hearing people talk about what a marvelous, growth experience it is to journal every day. Well, I finally gave in and started my own journal a couple weeks ago. It quickly became a misery to me, and I realized that I don’t like to write about myself, even just in a journal. Too much of a mirror of myself, and I’m not self-oriented.

Which isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy taking little pieces of my personality, the personalities of the people around me, and my own and others’ life experiencesto put into my writing. That’s what creates the authenticity that I think is such a vital part of my success as a writer.

- What truly motivates you in general? In your writing?

I’m a life-long learner. Every experience in my life—whether happy, painful, sad or horrible—leads me to the question of what I’ll learn from it. But I’m not an adventurer. I’m not an explorer. I prefer to live vicariously through my characters. Too much excitement makes me completely insane. And I can’t stand to hear real stories, horror upon horror. I shut down completely if I open myself up to it too much. I can’t function that way. I really was designed to be a writer for those reasons.

In my writing, many things inspire me. People watching. Listening to people talk. The faces of some people—though maybe not beautiful or perfect—inspire me. Unusual stories. I was in church yesterday and a family had gone on a missionary trip for a week to help build a house for a needy family in Mexico. They shared their experiences, and I was instantly captivated. A story I’d had in mind took shape so quickly based on this show and tell, I ended up writing pages and pages of notes on it.

- Fill in the blank favorites:

Dessert: Toss-up between cheesecake and tiramisu.
City: I’m a small-town girl and a homebody . Wherever my family is is my home, and so the town I live is my favorite.
Season: Autumn. Temperature is perfect for me, and I love to see the trees change just before we get snow.
Type of hero: A larger-than-life wounded warrior who never gives up.
Type of heroine: A kick-ass wounded warrior who fights tooth and nail to keep her pain buried, her secrets and identity intact.

- What are some of your favorite things to do?

I’m a simple person, so my favorite things to do are also extremely simple and probably boring to most. Take walks in the woods with my family. Read all day. Relax with my family and watch movies. Watch the snow fall. Shop. Make someone else’s day easier in whatever way I can think of.

- If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

Designing book covers or promotional items for authors. Designing websites and graphics for them. Basically things I do now but as a secondary element to my writing.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

You can find a list of my upcoming releases and giveaways on my website. What I’m currently working on is Baby Baby (Book 1 of the Family Heirloom Series); the outline for Book 5 of my Wounded Warriors Series, Until It's Gone; the revision of The Bloodmoon Curse (my agent is shopping this contemporary gothic romance around); brainstorming on a second volume of Falcon's Bend Case Files, along with writing The Fifteenth Letter, the 3rd book in the Falcon’s Bend Series. Jewels of the Quill www.JewelsoftheQuill.com will be putting together proposals for 2007 group anthologies, including the third volume of TALES FROM THE TREASURE TROVE and our first Halloween anthology. I plan to have novellas in both. So the rest of my year should be busy!

It really sounds like you will be very busy in the weeks and months to come, Karen. Thank you very much for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to your busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

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