I have always been fascinated with the art of knitting. As a child, I would
watch in awe as my mother would create beautiful afghans and colorful scarves.
She always seemed so relaxed and at ease while masterfully designing her next
creation. When the time finally came for me to join in on the fun, it didn’t
take long for the "ooh" and "ahh" factor to quickly fade away. Knit one. Purl
two. Whatever! Let it suffice to say that it’s not as easy as it looks!
The lead character in this month’s Jen's Jewels feature title can relate well to my knitting nightmare
since she, too, is
knitting-challenged! In THE
SWEETHEARTS’ KNITTING CLUB, romance writer extraordinaire Lori Wilde takes the
reader to the quaint, small town of Twilight, Texas in her new series sure to
please her fans. Without a doubt, this delightful story is the perfect read for
the holiday season.
As part of this interview, Avon Books has generously donated five copies
for you, my lucky readers, to win. So, don’t forget to check for the trivia
question at the end. And who knows? Perhaps you may be inspired to try to learn
how to knit when you’re done! Better yet...maybe you could even teach me!
Jen: It’s always a treat being able to catch a glimpse into the life of
a favorite author such as you. So that my readers may have a better
understanding of the woman behind the words, please share with us your
educational and professional background.
Lori: I went to school to become a license practical
nurse the week I
turned 17. At the time, I was the youngest student ever enrolled in the LVN
program in the state of Texas. I didn’t want to be a nurse. I always wanted to
be a writer, but my parents told me I had to get out and make my own way
because they had four other kids to raise. They offered to pay for LVN school.
There were one hundred students vying for 20 slots. I prayed that I wouldn’t
get in, but I did. Later, I put myself through R.N. school while working full
time as an LVN. I didn’t write in the six years that it took to get my
bachelors degree from Texas Christian University, but the minute I graduated, I
started writing short stories. I wrote sixty short stories and didn’t sell a
single one. I decided I needed to take writing classes and because I’d already
written so much, I was at the head of the class. The teacher told me I needed
to write a book. That was scary to me, so I looked around to see what books
were short and that’s when I discovered Harlequin. I’m also a library school
dropout. I have 18 hours toward a master’s degree in Library Science. I was a
nurse for 22 years before I was able to retire and write full time.
Jen: Describe for us your “Ah! Ha!” moment when you knew that becoming
an author would be your destiny.
Lori: When my writing teacher told me I was more talented than Fern
Michaels. I decided right then that no matter what it took, I was going to
become a published author or die in the process.
Jen: For those readers unfamiliar with your work, let’s talk about your
prior releases. You have penned over fifty books for three major publishing
houses and have received numerous nominations for your work. If you had to
recommend one book that best exemplifies your talent, which title would you
choose and why?
Lori: Actually, I have now sold 52 books to four major publishers. I
have to say my latest book best exemplifies my talent because it’s an
accumulation of 20 years worth of writing practice. My personal favorite of all
my books is probably SAVING
ALLEGHENY GREEN because it’s written in first person. I love first person
and the heroine is the most like me of any of my heroines. But I wrote that
book in 1998, (even though it didn’t get published until 2005), and I’ve
improved a great deal as a writer since then.
Jen: What is the most valuable piece of advice about the business that
you have learned from working with more than one publisher?
Lori: That you’re never as good or as bad as you think you are.
Jen: In your latest release, THE SWEETHEARTS’ KNITTING CLUB, you combine, love, lust, and
knitting into a delightful read filled with colorful characters and a
captivating storyline. (I couldn’t put it down!) How did you arrive at the
premise?
Lori: I came up with the basic romance plot—a love triangle between a
good boy who’s not so good, a bad boy who’s not so bad and a woman who loves
them both—while spending hours on the road driving forty miles one way to my
mother-in-law’s house every day for six weeks to take her to radiation
treatment for breast cancer. I plotted the whole book in my head during those
drives. At the time I was with a different publisher, working on the last book
in my Wedding Veil Wishes series, but I knew that THE SWEETHEARTS’ KNITTING
CLUB would be my next contemporary.
Jen: A question I just have to ask, are you a knitter? Why or why not?
Lori: I am now. I wasn’t a knitter when I came up with the idea of the
knitting club, and neither is my heroine. But I knew that in order to do
justice to the book, I had to learn. My mother and I took knitting classes
together and now I’m obsessed with knitting. I’m still a rank beginner, but I
love it!
Jen: Your lead character Flynn McGregor has many crosses to bear.
Flynn’s mother died during her teen years, her father is a recovering
alcoholic, and her sister depends on her wisdom as the mother figure in her
life. In what ways has the stress of all this responsibility at such a young
age affected Flynn’s own desires for happiness?
Lori: Flynn has shuffled her own desires to the background while making
sure everyone else in her life is okay. I had a lot of responsibility as a
teen, both my parents worked two jobs and I was the oldest of five with my
sister being twelve years younger, so it was easy to understand how Flynn puts
the needs of others ahead of her own happiness. It just seemed normal to me.
Jen: Flynn’s fiancé Beau holds a tight grip on “his woman," if you will.
In his eyes, being the sheriff in town gives him the authority to throw his
weight around quite easily, even with Flynn. What makes him so attractive to
Flynn? And conversely, what does Beau see in her that makes him stick around
for ten years despite her obvious fear of commitment?
Lori: Even though she doesn't realize it, Beau is sort of her crutch.
She knows she can count on him to be there and he does put up with a lot from
Flynn. In a way, she takes advantage of his loyalty. Beau doesn’t see himself
as a bad guy at all. Because of what happened to Beau’s first love, he sees
himself as Flynn's protector. That’s an important identity to him and I guess
you could say Flynn makes him feel good about himself. And he does love her in
his twisted fashion.
Jen: No romance novel is complete without a bad boy! Soothingly sexy
Jesse Calloway strolls into town upsetting its order and civility by vying for
the sheriff’s girl. Having spent the last ten years in prison for a crime he
did not commit, this "hottie" has an axe to grind with the man responsible for
stealing his life away. Why does he allow his ego to get the better of him as
he tries to win back his former lover Flynn?
Lori: Hmm, I don’t see that Jesse did let his ego get the better of him.
I saw him as being really hurt because she didn’t trust him. Maybe that is
letting his ego get the better of him, but I didn't think of it that way. He’s
been hurt so much in his life that I saw it more as his vulnerability.
Jen: From the get-go, Flynn does not believe that Beau’s marriage
proposal is the answer to her future. Why then does she choose to go ahead and
accept it? In the back of her mind, what does she fear the most?
Lori: She sees Beau as safe. Flynn has always chosen the safe path.
Jen: Secondary characters have a way of stealing the show, and in this
book Hondo is no exception. Without giving too much away, how are he and Jesse
similar in their primal need to love and be loved?
Lori: They’re both proud men who were hurt deeply by the women they
loved.
Jen: Would you agree that Flynn’s decision to open a knitting store is
an attempt to gain a sense of acceptance from her deceased mom? Even from the
grave, what influence does she have over her daughter and why?
Lori: Oh absolutely. Flynn is a people pleaser and in essences, she took
over the parent role when he mother became ill. She loves her mother deeply and
wants to honor her.
Jen: Let’s switch gears and talk about your promotional plan for the
book. Please tell us about your website. Do you have e-mail notification of
upcoming releases? Do you participate in author phone chats? And if so, how
would my readers go about scheduling one?
Lori: I’m having a new website built by Wax Creative. Not sure yet when
it will be up and running. I do have email notification of upcoming releases to
readers on my newsletter list and through Fresh Fiction where I’m advertising.
I haven’t yet participated in author phone chats. My schedule is pretty hectic.
I write five books a year and teach monthly online writing classes through 1600
colleges and universities internationally.
Jen: Readers, here is a link to one of her on-line classes!
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next project? If so, what can you
share with us?
Lori: I’m working on the third book in the series about Twilight, Texas.
This time the ladies of the knitting club are involved in a Christmas cookie
swap.
Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. I
absolutely loved the book! Many wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!
Lori: Thank you so much. It was a delight to be here. Happy holidays to
all the readers out there. Thank you so much for continuing to read.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Lori. Please stop by your local
library branch or favorite bookstore and pick up a copy today. Better yet, how
would you like to win one? Answer the following triva question correctly and
you could be one of five winners.
Name
the title of Lori’s personal favorite book?
Later this month, I will be bringing to you my interview with Lynne Hinton, author of
the inspirational book CHRISTMAS CAKE. You won’t want to miss it!
Until next time...Jen
10 comments posted.
Saving Aleengheny Green. My daughter wants to write books so I'll show her this. When she wrote her stories for school she always managed to kill off her family, saving me for last. The teachers thought there was a problem, but I thought it was better she just wrote about it and not acted on it. I liked reading about Lori. Thanks.
(Lena Lee 1:08pm December 1, 2009)
SAVING ALLEGHENY GREEN is the book that Lori thinks is probably her personal favorite. She too enjoys it being in first person like I do. What I didn't know, however, was that the heroine was most like her. Interesting. Very interesting.
(Linda Epstein 7:51pm December 2, 2009)
SAVING ALLEGHENY GREEN. It sounds like it is a very good story. Thanks for all the fantastic books that you write. I enjoy reading them.
(Gayle Oreluk 11:22pm December 2, 2009)
Nice to see you here Lori, I just received my copy from B/N today and will start on it tomorrow. Lovely blog today,
Happy Holidays!
Penney
(Penney Wilfort 4:45am December 3, 2009)
I've read Allegheny Green as well as most of Lori's books and taken her classes as well. I have enjoyed them all. I'm still amazed at how she accomplishes all she does. Great interview.
(Barbara Leland 10:11am December 3, 2009)
SAVING ALLEGHENY GREEN. This was the first book of Lori's that I read, which turned me into a BIG fan of hers!
(Karen Barnett 2:22pm December 3, 2009)
My personal favorite is Addicted to Love. I loooooved that book. Maybe I have thing for battered heroes. Or I just can't resist sexy sherifs who can't help but falling in love... Anyway, this book is very special for me. I'll have to check out Saving Alleghany Green though because it really seems to be must-reed ;-)
(Joeelle Jappissont 4:19am December 4, 2009)
I was looking at Lori's book list and have most of her books even License to Thrill.
I have been a fan of Lori's writing for many years.
(Gigi Hicks 4:22pm December 11, 2009)
I have read many of Lori's books and have enjoyed them very much. It is interesting to know which is her personal favorite (SAVING ALLEGHENY GREEN).
(Rosemary Krejsa 9:10pm December 15, 2009)