FAMILY OF HER DREAMS - Keli Gwyn - One Free Book

Bio: Award-winning author Keli Gwyn writes stories that transport readers to the 1800s, where she brings historic towns to life, peoples them with colorful characters, and adds a hint of humor. A California native, she lives in the Gold Rush-era town of Placerville at the foot of the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains.

When Keli’s fingers aren’t hovering over the keyboard of her newfangled laptop, she enjoys strolling past stately Victorian houses in her historic town, burying her nose in reference books as she unearths interesting facts to include in her stories, and interacting with other romance readers. Her favorite places to visit are her fictional worlds, other Gold Rush-era towns, and historical museums.

Welcome, Keli. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

It seems each of my characters has at least one of my attributes. Tess, the heroine in Family of Her Dreams, loves to record her innermost thoughts in writing. Like Tess, I’ve often kept journals. Becky, the heroine in my second Love Inspired Historical, has a fondness for words and is quite attached to her dictionary, as am I. Callie, whose story I’m currently working on, names inanimate objects. If you were to visit my house, you’d find the Monster lurking in the hall closet, which is what I call our vacuum cleaner when I warn our skittish cats that it’s coming out of hiding.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I have several quirks, but one that draws attention is my ability to engage in Cat Speak. When people visit our house and hear our two cat brothers with their distinct voices and personalities carrying on lively conversations, they have varied reactions. The more reserved try to hide their surprise but are given away by the widening of their eyes. Some grin. Others laugh outright. I simply remind our guests that they’re in the company of a writer who’s in the habit of creating characters, so what can they expect?

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

At the age of seven, I had a light bulb moment when I realized that the books I loved to read were written by writers. My dream of being a writer was born that memorable day. Forty years later, I dusted off that dream and began writing my first romance.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

Historical romance is by far my favorite genre. I’m partial to stories set in the American West during the Victorian Era. Sound familiar? Yup. That’s what I write. My favorite tropes are mail-order bride and marriage of convenience stories. I do read some contemporary romances, and thanks to Sarah Sundin, I read the occasional WWII story. Hers are a must read.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

My sanity has done run out on me. At least there are days I feel like it’s left. Snicker!

Seriously, though, I have learned to embrace that itty bitty word “no.” I’ve come to realize I can’t do it all. I carefully evaluate how much I put on my plate. Even so, there are times when I take on too much, end up with an overflowing platter and have to do some paring. I suspect I’m not alone in this. Please, tell me I’m not.

I think all authors have to do that, probably more than once in their writing life. How do you choose your characters’ names?

I peruse lists of Victorian names, look in past issues of our newspaper, which dates back to California’s Gold Rush, and keep my ears open when people talk about their ancestors. My goal is to give a hero a strong, solid-sounding name. I tend to choose names for my heroines that have a dated feel but flow nicely off the tongue. If a name can be shortened, I consider that a bonus. That way my heroine can have a nickname. Since I’m a romance writer, I make sure to try my heroine’s first name with my hero’s last name. For example, Penelope (Penny) Baxter and Garrett Gwyn would never do.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

In regards to an accomplishment that involves others, I would say I’m proud of helping my husband raise a daughter who loves the Lord and is confident enough to be pursuing her dream of working in Europe. When it comes to a personal accomplishment, I would say seeing my first book released has made me the proudest. That milestone was the culmination of a lifelong dream.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A chihuahua. I’m small, but I have plenty of energy. I’m also a big Taco Bell fan.

What is your favorite food?

I love Mexican food! During college, I often put away Taco Bell for both lunch and dinner. These days, I often make myself a bean burrito smothered in green sauce for lunch.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Without a doubt it was—and is—self-doubt. While there are times when the words flow and I feel like I’ve written something halfway decent, there are others when I’m sure what I’ve splashed on the page is complete and utter dreck.

Tell us about the featured book.

Family of Her Dreams, my first Love Inspired Historical, takes place in a Gold Rush-era town not far from where I live in the Sierra Foothills. Here is the back cover copy.

A Family to Cherish

Headstrong Tess Grimsby loves her new job caring for the children of a recently widowed man. But she never imagined that she’d fall for her handsome employer. Yet Spencer Abbott is as caring as he is attractive, and Tess can’t help but feel for him and his family. Though, for the sake of her job, she’ll keep any emotions about her boss to herself.

Between his stationmaster responsibilities in a gold-rush town and trying to put his family back together, Spencer has his hands full. He soon finds his new hire’s kind personality warming his frosty exterior. But could he ever admit to seeing her as more than just an employee?

Please give us the first page of the book.

The pages of my book are small, so I’ll give you a wee bit more than that, since I’m eager for your blog’s readers to meet my handsome but hurting hero, Spencer Abbott.

July 1866

Shingle Springs, California

“Look out, ma’am!”

Tess Grimsby jumped back to avoid a fellow about fifteen pulling a baggage cart with far too much speed for the bustling rail station. She collided with a mother herding her four youngsters, causing the weary-looking woman to drop her wicker basket. Several children’s books slid across the wooden platform.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to bump into you.” Tess stooped to pick up the books that had landed at her feet.

The woman made sure her children were all right, dropped to her knees and reached for a copy of Little Bo-Peep. “It wasn’t your fault.” She scowled at the baggage handler. “He needs to watch where he’s going.”

The young man parked his cart beside the baggage car and sprinted over to them. “Sorry ’bout that. It’s my first day on the job, and my boss said to hurry. I’ve got to make a good impression.” He grinned, reminding Tess of one of the many boys she’d befriended when she lived at the orphanage.

She smiled. “No harm was done.”

A man with a voice as rich as Belgian chocolate addressed the teen. “Be more careful next time. Getting the baggage moved quickly is important, but Mr. Flynn wouldn’t want you to endanger our passengers, nor would I.”

“Right, sir.” The lad left.

“Come, children. We need to get home.” The mother took the books Tess had gathered, muttered something about troublesome teens and hustled her children across the crowded platform.

Tess slid her satchel back on her shoulder, straightened and found herself face-to-face with a broad-shouldered, golden-haired gentleman. He was younger than any of the men she’d worked for—and far more handsome with his strong chin and arresting sky-blue eyes, currently clouded with sadness. If he was Mr. Abbott—the widower she’d come to see—she could understand.

He held out her journal and said nothing for several seconds as he gazed at her, his expression unreadable. No doubt the tall man wasn’t used to looking a woman in the eye.

“Sir?”

The frown he’d worn faded, giving way to a hint of a smile that caused her breath to hitch. “I believe this is yours. It fell out of your bag during the commotion.”

“Thank you.” She took the diary from him, its pages so full of her hopes and dreams—as well as the mementos she’d tucked between the pages—that she had to grip it tightly to keep items from falling out. She would add her train ticket to the collection of memorabilia, a symbol of the new chapter in her life she was eager to embrace. “You must be Mr. Abbott, the stationmaster.”

Copyright © 2015 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Cover, cover copy text and excerpt used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
or its affiliated companies, used under license.

I love it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to visit my Victorian-style cyber home at www.keligwyn.com, where they can find my contact information and social media links.

Thanks for hosting me, Lena. Your questions were a lot of fun to answer.

I’d like to end by asking your blog visitor’s a question. I admitted to naming my vacuum cleaner. What is an inanimate object you’ve named, and why did you give it that name?

Thank you, Keli, for the fun interview.

Dear Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Keli's novel. Be sure to answer her question, and we'd like to know where you live, at least the state or territory.

Here are links where you can purchase a copy of Family of Her Dreams:
Family of Her Dreams - Christianbook.com
Family of Her Dreams (Love Inspired Historical) - Amazon
Family of Her Dreams (Love Inspired Historical) - Kindle

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

A BRIDE OPENS SHOP IN EL DORADO, CALIFORNIA - Keli Gwyn - One Free Book

Welcome, Keli. I'm thrilled to feature you with your debut novel, which I loved. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I like to think my characters are much better people than I am, but my heroines do seem to end up with a few traits they got from me. Elenora, the heroine of A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado California, is a lousy cook. I don’t like to cook, although I’m not quite as bad at it as Ellie.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I create voices for our cats. Sometimes our only child felt the need to talk to someone other than her dad or me when she was young, so her cat brother became her confidant. Now, I know I’m not the only one to voice a pet, but I took my feline vocalization to extremes when we were on a vacation in Europe. Our daughter, eight at the time, was feeling particularly homesick one day and missing our furry fellow something fierce. She wanted desperately wanted to talk to Snuggles, so I invented the tailular phone. Yes, a phone that uses a cat’s tail as an antenna. If our daughter wanted to communicate with Snuggs, she could. All he had to do was raise his tail, and voilà. The connection was made. What we mothers will do for our children. :-)

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I dreamed of being a writer since I was seven. My earliest efforts were letters to my grandparents. As I got older, I added friends to my list of correspondents. It wasn’t long before they started saying I should be a writer. I didn’t tell them my dream, but I did treasure their words of encouragement. Some of the very people who encouraged me are now sharing in my excitement, as my first book is about to hit the shelves.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I read some contemporary romance and a rare women’s fiction work, but inspirational historical romance has long been my favorite genre. There are many talented historical authors out there, such as you, Lena.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Great question. Getting out of the house each day for my Curves workout or a walk helps me clear my head and gives me a much-needed break and a relief from stress. I return home ready to get back to the tasks at hand.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

Finding a photo, one of the small carte de visite with the image mounted on cardboard, is my first step. Once I have that, I study the person in the picture until a character begins to take shape in my mind. Often the name is one of the first aspects I choose. I check to make sure it’s period appropriate. If it is, I let the name sit for a few days and see if it matches the character I’ve envisioned. Most of the time the name sticks, but I have changed a few as I got into a story.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

After raising our daughter, getting a book published with a traditional publisher would be next on the list. I’m also proud of putting myself through college. It took me eleven years to get my bachelor’s degree, but I did it.

I also worked my way through college, but it took me only five years. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

My dad used to say I was like a banty hen because I’m small and I go after what I want no matter how big the obstacles in my path appear to be. This particular trait served me well as I pursued publication. :-)

What is your favorite food?

I’m a Taco Bell addict, but I enjoy Mexican food and Tex-Mex, too.

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Poor plotting was my biggest problem. I overcame it by admitting that my pantser method wasn’t working for me. These days, I don’t start a story until I have an outline with the major turning points, black moment, conclusion, character arcs, and faith elements figured out. Knowing what’s going to happen when helps me keep the story moving in the right direction and avoid the dreaded sagging middle.

Tell us about the featured book.

Love Is Gold in El Dorado, California

Widow Elenora Watkins heads to California with her nine-year-old daughter, Tildy, eager to become a partner in a mercantile. When the mulish owner withdraws his offer because she’s a woman, she opens her own shop. She’s determined to prove herself capable of running a successful business without the help of anyone—including her controlling father, her seemingly distant heavenly Father, and one Miles Rutledge.


Widower Miles Rutledge is not about to get involved with another willful woman like his late wife, especially when she’s his competition. But the beautiful Elenora may be too hard to resist. When another man appears out to claim Elenora’s heart, Miles searches for a way to win her back. . .while putting her out of business.


Meanwhile, Maude Rutledge, Miles’s meddling mother, longs to see her son make a good match. And Tildy is just as bent on gaining a loving papa.


The battle of wills begins, but can anyone win when the competition is more than they bargained for?

Please give us the first page of the book.

April 1870

The Sierra Foothills of California

The stagecoach lurched to a stop, throwing Elenora and Matilda Watkins against a damask-covered sidewall.

Elenora clutched her nine-year-old daughter to her side. “Are you all right, Tildy?”

“Oh Mama. You don’t have to be so skittery.” Tildy shrugged out of the protective embrace, scooted across the bench seat, and shoved the leather window shade aside. “I want to see what’s going on.” She peeked out, whirled around with wide eyes and an enormous grin, and let the dust shield fall with a thwap. “It’s an outlaw, and he’s pointing a gun at the driver.”

Where did her daughter get those wild notions of hers? Elenora shot Tildy a reassuring smile and leaned over the center jump seat to have a look. “Lord, help us.”

A shudder ripped through her. The horrid man atop the big black horse was, in fact, aiming a gun at the coachman, but he was aiming a look of sheer evil at her. One of his eyes bored into her while the other seemed to roam. His sneer made her skin crawl.

How could this be happening? They’d ridden all the way from Omaha on that snorting beast of a train and made the line changes in Ogden and Sacramento City without incident. Why did something have to go wrong on the final five miles between Shingle Springs and

El Dorado?

The outlaw’s deep voice boomed. “Hand it over.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I invite readers to visit me at my cyber home, www.keligwyn.com, with its parlor, library, study, carriage house, and more. My blog and social media links are there as well.

Thanks for having me as a guest on your great site, Lena. What fun to spend time with you and your visitors. I have a question for y’all. (My mom was raised in Texas, so I figure I can use that word even though I’m a California gal. :-)) Have any of your pets ever talked?

Thank you, Keli, for visiting my blog, but also for allowing me to read the book for endorsement. As you know, I loved it.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California - paperback
A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California - Kindle


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com