A WORTHY PURSUIT - Karen Witemeyer - One Free Book

Welcome back. Karen. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

There is usually a single spark that gets a book idea started. For A Worthy Pursuit, that spark was the idea of incorporating gifted children—child prodigies, each having a gift in a different field. And the one who doesn't consider himself gifted ends up being the one who saves the day, proving he is, in fact, remarkable.

I also wanted to play with the idea of opposites attracting. So I chose a refined, educated headmistress who doesn't trust men and paired her with a man of action and intrigue who practically walks off the pages of a dime novel. Charlotte has to learn to trust the man who was sent to destroy her in order to protect the children in her care, and Stone must dig deep to unearth the patience it will take to win the heart of the plucky woman he comes to admire.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Well, parties are always so much more fun when you are with people you know, so for my contemporary fiction party I'm going to invite some of my closest author friends – Becky Wade, Dani Pettrey, Lisa Wingate, and Kellie Coates Gilbert. Then I would also include a couple ladies who I know would keep things lively – Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren.

I’d love to peek into that party. That’s a group of some of my favorite people. Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Again I would go with my closest friends. Regina Jennings and I recently roomed together at the RT Booklovers Convention and had a fabulous time. She even got me line dancing at one of the sessions. Ha! In addition to Regina I would invite Mary Connealy – always a hoot to have around. Jody Hedlund – Jody and I started out at Bethany House together and have shared many facets of our publishing journey. Kristi Hunter – she's about to debut her first book with Bethany House. She and I met at the last ACFW conference and really hit it off. Next, I would invite Lorna Seilstad, another great buddy. And finally the irrepressible Jen Turano. There's going to be a lot of laughing at this gathering.

That sounds like fun. More of my favorite people. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

The most difficult part is finding the time to get everything done. I still work a full-time job in addition to writing full-time. I also have 3 teenagers at home. With all the marketing we are asked to do, blog writing, and social media interactions on top of family, church, and work responsibilities, it's hard to find the time needed to write the next project. Yet that is the most important commodity an author has. If you throw together a shoddy book, you're going to lose readers. Besides that, as Christians, we are called to always work as if working for the Lord and not for man. That means creating excellent work, which is something I continually strive to achieve. I write slowly and really have to guard my time. Not an easy task. 

Tell us about the featured book.

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the little girl entrusted to her care after her mother's death. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When the teacher he's after produces documentation that shows she's the little girl's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is Miss Atherton villain or victim? She acts more like a loving mother than an abductress, and the children in her care clearly adore her.

Then a new danger threatens, and Charlotte is forced to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone becomes determined to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

February 1891 - Austin, TX

Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths

"I'm closing the school, Miss Atherton, and that's my final word on the subject." Dr. Keith Sullivan closed the attendance ledger on his desk with an ominous snap and pushed to his feet, forcing Charlotte to stand as well. "I've sent wires to all the students' parents, informing them of the closure and offering to reimburse a percentage of the tuition to compensate them for the inconvenience of ending the school term earlier than expected."

A reimbursement of funds? From the man who'd refused to purchase a single new text in the last five years? It was all Charlotte could do to keep her jaw from coming unhinged. There must be another source of income—one large enough to overshadow the loss of tuition. Dr. Sullivan charged exorbitant fees for his exclusive school. Only the most noteworthy students were accepted into the small academy. Unless, of course, a particularly wealthy family sought entree for one of their children. In that case, a well-placed donation seemed to make up for any lack in giftedness. She could only imagine how large a donation would have to be to convince him to close the school entirely.

Backing out of the way as her employer strode around his desk, Charlotte fiddled with the cameo at her neck then marched after him. "What of Stephen Farley? His parents are in Europe. They couldn't possibly collect him before we close the doors. And John Chang is an orphan here on scholarship. He has no place to go."

I am looking forward to reading this one. How can readers find you on the Internet?

The best way to find me is on my website. I have an occasional newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on my newest releases, and everyone who subscribes will be automatically entering in my monthly drawings for 2 Christian Historical Romance Novels. I also love to connect on Facebook and Goodreads. Please find me on the links listed below.

Website: www.karenwitemeyer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenWitemeyersAuthorPage

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3114906.Karen_Witemeyer

Thank you, Karen, for sharing this new book with us. You know how much I love reading your stories. I'm sure my readers do, too.

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A Worthy Pursuit - Christiabook.com
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A Worthy Pursuit - Kindle

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