FINDING HER FAMILY'S LOVE - Kayla Kensington - One Free book

Welcome, Kayla. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters? I don’t include a great deal of myself within my characters. I always have the goal of making my characters able to stand up to all the obstacles they face. Other than sharing Kendra’s Christian faith in Finding her Family’s Love, I’m not like her character. She is an accomplished athlete and a talented knitter, both of which I am not.

I place my characters in small towns because small towns fascinate me. I live in a large suburb of Chicago.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? “Quirky” would not be an adjective anyone would use to describe me. However, for a Girl Scout book discussion I replicated the Arctic within my house by blasting the air conditioner as high as it could go. Everyone shivered and had to don parkas and mittens. I covered the furniture with white sheets making it look like mounds of snow surrounded us. The book included some physical trials for the main character, so I also created obstacle courses and competitions.

When did you first discover that you were a writer? I discovered that I was a writer in spring of third grade in Ms. Eaton’s classroom. We all wrote a story, which I enjoyed doing. Then, our teacher explained that authors write for a living. Although I read voraciously, I never thought of who wrote the books I devoured. I remember everything about that moment, including my teacher’s sleeveless green dress, the way the breeze rattled the window blinds, and how my heart leapt at the idea of crafting my own stories.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I work as a middle school librarian. My goal is to read a book a day, and I read in multiple genres to support my students. In my reading of books for adult, I turn the           pages of inspirational romance, romantic suspense, contemporary fiction, mystery, historical, select memoirs, and some nonfiction. I don’t like horror books.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? I spend time with my family, and I love to exercise, which includes a brisk walk, a dip in the park district pool, or stationary bike ride when I feel stressed.

How do you choose your characters’ names? I look up names’ meanings. In addition, I consider the sounds of names. For example, I liked how the name “Kendra,” brought to mind for me a strong person. The “Old English meaning: bold power.”

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? I am proud that my husband of thirty-two years and I have raised three happy and kind daughters who all strive to make our world a better place.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? I’d be a dog because canines rank as my favorite animal. Specifically, I would be a Standard poodle, therapy dog so that I would not provoke anyone’s allergies, and I could help others.

What is your favorite food? I love fresh salmon cooked any possible way, and of course a salmon dinner would include chocolate for dessert.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? I used to write a great deal of nonfiction. I had an article assignment while I was on bed rest while pregnant with my second daughter. I wrote the article while lying down and met my deadline. In hindsight, I wished I told the editor my situation. 

Tell us about the featured book. Pregnant, widowed, and alone, thirty-year-old Kendra McFarland yearns for family for herself and her unborn baby. She strives to put the pain of her emotionally abusive marriage behind her. With her strong faith and optimism leading her forward, she works to regain her self-confidence and open her heart to love.

Kendra visits the small town of Shallow Stream thrilled to meet her late husband’s family for the first time. To her shock, her grieving mother-in-law accuses Kendra of  being a gold digger and rejects her. Will Pierce, her late husband’s cousin, offers her the love and family she seeks, or will the relationship create new heartbreak?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Heart thrumming, Kendra McFarland stood outside the farmhouse    and waited for the rest of her life to begin.

“We’re here, little one.” She gave her still-flat belly a pat. Kendra

couldn’t wait to tell her mother-in-law the news about the baby. She

imagined the woman’s delight would equal hers. Mrs. McFarland

deserved to be the first one to hear about Kendra’s pregnancy and

warmly welcome her and the baby into the family.

 Soon, she’d meet her Shallow Stream, Illinois, relatives. Instead of the McFarlands’ vehicles crackling across the gravel driveway, only the chirps of robins greeted Kendra. Her mother-in-law, Mrs. MerylMcFarland, had scheduled the extended family to gather at 3p.m., exactly when Kendra arrived for this first-time meet up. Where was everybody? No cars lined Hickory Road, a remote street that her GPS had difficulty locating.

Her stomach fluttered. Perhaps, the family would stop by later that Sunday afternoon, clutching steaming chicken casseroles and chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven. Her mouth watered. Even more, she craved the idea of sharing a meal. Family. She rolled that delicious word around her tongue.

Strolling along the cobblestone path, crimson rose bushes edged both sides of the curved pathway. Rosebuds leaked their sweet scent, and, overhead, the leaves rustled. A hint of a summer storm sliced  through the 90-degree air, but Kendra still shivered. On the freshly painted front porch, a new-looking mat proclaimed, “Welcome.”

She smiled at the simple word.

Before she reached the doorbell, a man in his thirties, clutching a water bottle, flung open the front door. Placing the bottle on the front porch's wicker chair, he bent to tighten his athletic shoe’s laces. Then he looked up and gazed right at her. His gray-blue eyes sparkled under his thick brows. Her heart quickened. His stance reminded her of the way her late husband stood. She bit her lip at the memory of her David, gone from her life only two months ago.

The guy on the wraparound porch stood taller. Wind ruffled his dark, wavy hair, but he didn’t bother to smooth it back. Unlike her late husband, he didn’t shout or scowl.

“Hi, I’m Kendra.” She took a deep breath and held out her shaking hand to accompany her trembling voice. “Uh, David’s wife. I’m happy to be able to meet the whole family today. I...I guess I should’ve said I’m David’s widow.” She’d never get used to that term, especially being widowed at age thirty.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Twitter:                  https://twitter.com/KaylaKensington    

 Instagram:      @kayla_kensington/

Web site:              https://kaylakensington.wordpress.com/

Facebook:            https://www.facebook.com/Kayla-Kensington-Writes-112240217205129

Thank you, Kayla, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=finding+her+family%27s+love&i=digital-text&crid=1V61VJKFGRNBT&sprefix=Finding+Her+FAmily%27s+Love%2Cdigital-text%2C193&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_25

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