Author Interview - Laurie Kingery

The camera zooms in on the Blog Studio Band as they play "Desperado." Then the camera pans the audience where many are singing along and swaying in their seats. As the song ends, the curtain rises and Carol Ann Erhardt walks on stage waving.

"Good morning! It's thrilling to be back in the studio with you again. Today, I'll be interviewing one of my dear friends, Laurie Kingery. Laurie is a central Ohio author and veteran E.R. RN who has written twenty-two  historical romances, first as Laurie Grant and now writing Christian historicals under her own name for Love Inspired Historicals. She won the Reader's Choice for short historicals in 1994 and was a finalist in the 2010 Carol Awards in short historicals by the American Christian Fiction Writers for THE OUTLAW'S LADY.  Please put your hands together and welcome to the stage, the one and only...Laurie...Kingery!"

The audience applauds as Laurie walks forward and joins Carol Ann in the burgundy leather chairs center stage.

"Laurie, you look lovely today! Thank you for joining me here in the Blog Studio this morning."

"You're welcome, and thanks for inviting me."

"Did you notice the band played the song you like to hear when you are writing your western heroes?"

"I did! Thank you."  Laurie leans forward and applauds the band. The band leader smiles and bows.

"You've been writing historical romances for quite a while now. How did you decide to make a change to writing inspirational historical romances?"

"The Lord decided for me. I had written 16 historical romances with 3 publishers, and suddenly couldn't sell anything. I tried medical suspense and medical romance—no luck there either. I was ready to quit. Then my wonderful agent Elaine English suggested I try to write a book for Love Inspired Historicals, which was just about to launch. I did and it sold to them. I think it's a natural fit since I am a born-again Christian."

"I think it's a perfect fit, too. I love your voice and I'm very excited about your new series. I understand you are giving away a copy of your upcoming release "Mail Order Cowboy" to one lucky audience member. Thank you so much for doing that. Audience members, please leave your comment and Laurie will pick one person as the winner to be announced on my blog tomorrow. It will be up to you to provide Laurie with the information to get the book to you."

Carol Ann settles back into her chair as the audience applauds.

"Let's get to some questions I've been dying to ask you. First, you have a great success record. Have you ever experienced writer’s block?"

"Oh, yeah, almost every day, especially in the middle of the book as I am now. The only way to overcome it for me is just to slog through it until the log jam in my head breaks. Brainstorming with a writing friend helps."

"Speaking of friends, you’ve probably heard the term BFF, meaning best friend forever. What do you believe are the qualities that make someone a best friend?"


"Loyalty, forgiveness, sense of humor, common interests. I think one has different bff's in different fields, too. I have an overall bff and a writing bff, because only another writer truly understands a writer."


"I'm very lucky in having a bff who is also my writing bff. We can talk about anything and everything, and we also support each other in our writing. Sounds like you've been lucky with bff's, too. I know that I spend a lot of time laughing when my daughters come to visit. Who can make you laugh?"

"My husband, my dogs, my friends at work, and some of my favorite writers."


"Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How does that play into your writing life?

"I'm an introvert, as I think most writers are. We seek refuge with our characters and in the pages of the books we read. We chatter manically at conferences, but then we go home drained. I think the few writers who are extroverts have an easier time "schmoozing" at conferences. They're energized by contact with the outside world, rather than drained. I wish I could be like that."

"Oh, you captured exactly how I feel after a conference or a day-long workshop! I am mentally exhausted and emotionally drained. It's from putting on a happy face and trying hard to say the right things and not sound like a total idiot. I'm glad I'm not the only one like that. Okay, a serious question. If you knew you only had 30 days to live, what would you do with the remaining days?"


"I would spend my time with my spouse, children, and grandchildren, and take one big last trip to Texas, my soul's home on earth."


"Ah, Texas. I have a brother and sister who live in Texas. The only thing I dislike about Texas is that everything is bigger, including the spiders. I am terrified of spiders. Do you have any phobias?"

"Spiders! I'm ridiculously terrified of them, which makes this time of the year tough because all the big ones are trying to get in. =:O I'm not that fond of heights, either."


"I guess we are more alike than I knew. What is the first thing you do each morning and the last thing you do each night?"

"Spend time with the Lord in prayer and reading my Bible."

"Awesome. That is the way I center myself for the day and go to bed in peace. I do sometimes dream though. Some people say we do not dream in color. When I remember my dreams, they seem to be in color, but that could be because we live in color. How about you? Do you dream in black and white or vivid color?"

"I have no idea."


"Hmm. Okay, that's an honest answer. I guess we can't really know. One question that readers often ask me is 'why do you write?' So, I'm asking you...why do you write?"
"I think the ability to write is the gift God has given me and I use it to tell others about Him. My characters are on a faith journey, and readers may be able to find encouragement on their own journeys in seeing how my characters and the characters of other writers writing Christian fiction have coped."


"The director is telling me that our time is up. I'm so happy that you visited us today. Before we leave, would you please give us a little info on your soon to be released MAIL ORDER COWBOY?"

"Sure! Let me read the back page blurb.

With beaux scarce in post-Civil War Texas, practical Milly Matthews and her "Spinster Society" friends have their hands full protecting their ranches. Their only hope: advertising for mail-order grooms. But aristocratic British cavalry officer Nicholas Brookfield isn't exactly Milly's idea of a cowboy--or a man she can trust. And the more Nick proves himself as a ranch hand, the more he must hide his past from the woman he longs to make his own. Now Milly and Nick will need all their courage to face hidden dangers...and believe in a love that can answer all their prayers."

Laurie, thank you again for visiting with us and allowing me to interview you. Folks you can learn more about Laurie by stopping by her website. at http://www.lauriekingery.com. Her next release from Steeple Hill is MAIL ORDER COWBOY will be available in bookstores in November 2010.

Book Review - Mail Order Cowboy by Laurie Kingery

I'm not usually drawn to historicals, but Laurie Kingery is one of my favorite authors in the inspirational historical romance genre. I adored Hill Country Christmas and The Outlaw's Lady, so when I had the opportunity to pick up her latest book at a conference, I couldn't pass it up. Mail Order Cowboy is the first in a series called "Brides of Simpson Creek."

In Mail Order Cowboy, Laurie takes an old theme of mail order brides and gives it a twist. The small Texas town of Simpson Creek is left with no single young men after the Civil War. So, enterprising Milly Matthews comes up with an idea to run an ad in the Houston Telegraph, a larger city newspaper for which her uncle is the editor. She gathers the young unmarried ladies of the town together and they form The Simpson Creek Society for Promotion of Marriage.

When aristocratic British cavalry officer Nicholas Brookfield rides into town to check out the society, he is quite taken by Miss Milly Matthews. However, Nicholas isn't exactly Milly's idea of a cowboy. She's looking for a nice southern gentleman who knows his way around a ranch, since she and her sister Sarah have been struggling to keep their ranch going after their father's death. Only moments after meeting Nicholas at a meeting of the newly formed spinster's society, Milly is summoned back to the ranch. A band of raiding comanches has burned their barn and most likely killed her ranch manager.

Milly soon learns Nick is much more than he appears to be. Although he isn't privy to how a ranch is run, he offers to stay and help until her ranch hand recuperates from his near-fatal injuries inflicted by the comanches. The story of how Nick sets about to win Milly's heart amidst distrust of his foreign roots, small-town bigotry, comanche threats, and a secret he must hide, is a joy to read. Both must face dangers and search for a faith deep enough to overcome their doubts to find the answers to their prayers.

I loved this book and am anxiously awaiting the next release in the series.