Welcome, Laura. Tell us
how much of yourself you write into your characters.
Not
much. I want my characters to be more interesting than I am.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I
drove down the highway with a life-size cowboy mannequin (complete with Stetson
and boots) strapped into the passenger seat beside me. I bought him from a
resale shop after the store owner rescued him from a museum that was closing. I
named him Chuck. He sits in my office now and watches me write.
How fun. When did you
first discover that you were a writer?
Around
the time I read my first Nancy Drew book. Also, my family subscribed to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and I read it
every day. I began creating my own newspapers (with the help of my siblings)
which included advice columns, weather reports, comics, and even sports. Years
later, I would go on to write for several (small town) newspapers. Writing has
just always been a part of my life.
Tell us the range of the
kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I
love suspense, cozy mysteries, historicals, contemporary romance…well, you get
the picture. I just love to read.
So do I. How do you keep
your sanity in our run, run, run world?
Prayer,
regular church attendance, and spending time with my family.
That’s three of my
favorite things, too. How do you choose your characters’ names?
For
contemporary, I use whatever catches my eye—could be from a news story or even
a Facebook post. For historicals, I’ve used names from my ancestors, as well as
old news articles and historical documents.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Right
now, I’m still a bit over the moon about seeing Remember Texas in print.
If you were an animal,
which one would you be, and why?
A
rubber chicken. Because I like to laugh.
That’s a good one. What
is your favorite food?
It’s
a toss-up between enchiladas and pizza.
What is the problem with
writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
My
short attention span—and I haven’t really overcome it yet. Sometimes I write for
twenty minutes, then do some research, then write again, then wash dishes, and
then back to writing.
Sounds like a good plan
to me. Tell us about the featured book.
Abigail
Horton’s life is turned upside down during the last night of a week-long
revival when her father—believed dead—shows up in the custody of a Texas
Ranger. Abby is thrilled to see him, and equally devastated to learn he’s been
living the life of an outlaw. Texas Ranger Caleb Calhoun stops in Moccasin Rock
to let his prisoner, Bob Horton, visit briefly with family before transporting
him to Austin
As
Caleb searches for the missing outlaw, and Abby struggles to keep the man’s
whereabouts a secret, they also battle a growing attraction to each other.
Throw
in a Calhoun family mystery, an elderly preacher on a mission, an old flame of
Caleb’s, a secretive spinster, a team of surveyors, and Abby’s mother and
brother—and you have a compelling story of faith, family and forgiveness.
I can hardly wait to
read it. Please give us the first page of the book.
Moccasin Rock, Texas
July 1891
Abigail
Horton sighed as her younger brother Robby eased the sleeve of his best shirt
up over his wrist and deliberately scratched at a scabbed-over chigger bite
until it bled.
“That’s
not going to help you at all,” she whispered.
He
glanced at her, shrugged, then let his arm drop and waited for the blood to run
down onto his hand.
Abby
understood her brother’s frustration. She wasn’t desperate enough to start
clawing at her own skin yet, but she was more than ready to go home. They’d
been sitting in this tabernacle for almost two hours now, and Reverend
Wainright was still going strong.
Robby gave her a smug little grin when the
trickle of blood finally touched his fingers. He replaced the grin with a
frown, then reached around Abby and tugged their mother’s arm.
Mama,
who’d started the evening freshly starched, was now wilting in the heat and not
in the best of humor. She glanced his way, narrowed her eyes, and returned her
attention to the pulpit.
Abby
bit back a smile, then withdrew a linen handkerchief from the pocket of her
calico dress and passed it to her brother. His shoulders sagged and his lower
lip thrust out in a pout as he made a half-hearted swipe at his hand. Even
though Abby was twenty-two and Robby only eleven, he resented her attempts at
mothering. But Mama had more than enough to deal with. Abby tried to help as
much as she could, whether her brother liked it or not.
Robby
offered her the hanky when done. Abby waved it away. He shoved it into his own
pocket and laid his head back against the pew with a sigh loud enough to earn
him a sharp look of rebuke from Mama. No one else in the congregation seemed to
notice. All eyes were on Hamilton Wainright, the legendary traveling
evangelist.
How can readers find you
on the Internet?
On
my website: lauraconnerkestner.com
On
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/lauraconnerkestner/
On
Twitter: @LauraConnerKest
Thank you, Laura, for
sharing your book with my blog readers and me. I love historicals set in that
time period, and I love books set in Texas
Readers, here are links
to the book.
Remember Texas
- PaperbackRemember Texas - Kindle
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