ANSWERS to Questions From Karyn Witmer

Contemporary author Karyn Witmer asked me about my writing and I've answered below. She is a mentor to all of us in Missouri RWA, as well as one of my favorite historical romance authors, Elizabeth Grayson. Please visit her website to view her answers to these same questions.

What is the title of your book? Holly & Ivey, Christmas in Stilton 2

Where did the idea come from for this book? Holly & Ivey came about due to a publisher's call for a holiday story. Three friends helped me brainstorm it one night in a hotel. I believe wine was involved. Since I'd planned a vacation already which overlapped the publisher's deadline date, I chose to publish it myself instead of rushing the writing. I learned so much during the process, but it never would have come together so well without the help from my friends. As stated in disclaimers in the front of books: all screwed up parts are my fault (or words to that effect).

What genre does your book fall under? It's a contemporary romance, much like my Harlequin American Romances. It has the same small town feel, the humor and of course, the love story.

How long did it take to write the first draft? I started out feeling strong, having more of a story plotted than I usually do (which is nil). I finished about a chapter or so. Then I set it aside to work on a proposal for my Harlequin editor. Then I worked on it for another two months. From brainstorming to publication took six months.

What actors would you use for a movie rendition of your book? Oooh. I'm not great at visualizing real people. The characters are in my head as "people" already, if that makes sense.

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book? Holly must stop a wedding of her best friend to a cheating groom but her childhood best friend, now the best man, Luke Ivey blocks her interference.

Will it be self published or represented by an agency? I have self-published this book (see below for buy links).

Who or what inspired you to write this book? The call from the publisher revved up the idea, then my friends helped me cement it into a plan. I wanted a book for my readers in 2012, and this seemed the most likely path.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? The easy answer is, this is like Santa Dear, which I published last year. As a matter of fact, the settings of these two are adjacent towns with much overlap. Other than my own books, I'd say any humorous romance books would match up.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? Readers will hopefully like the small town and the Christmas season I depict. I had so much fun writing this book, I can't wait to "visit" Stilton again.

Thanks for asking, Karyn. Thinking up answers was fun.