I have a very special guest today! My friend and fellow writer, Kara O'Neal! Kara and I have known each other quite a while and she is a delightful lady and a very talented writer. The people of Kara's Pike's Run Series are so warm and real, it's a treat whenever one of her books comes out and you get to return to that world! I highly recommend her!
Since Kara stopped in, let's get to know her a little better.
Do you have a job outside of writing? What is it and how
does it mesh with your writing?
I am the Academic Lead Teacher for the Special Education
department at a middle school in Texas. I am involved with the quality of life
for families, and my years with them have taught me so much about life and love
and what matters most. This has helped my storytelling so much.
Share with us a little about your family. Married? Kids?
Pets?
I am married to my hero. He is the perfect combination of
Jim Halpert, Captain Steve Rogers and Mr. Darcy. We’ve been married for
twenty-two years, and they have been wonderful. Sometimes painful. But
wonderful. We have three children, and they are growing up and making their
life decisions. It’s so amazing to watch them become the people they are meant
to be. Truly, they are gifts from God.
If you owned a CB radio what would your
"handle" be?
Ummm, probably “short stuff” or “tiny red”. (I’m five foot
two and have red hair.)
What CD is in your CD player right now? Or what was the
last song you listened to in your digital library?
I listen to Spotify, and I have many artists in my playlist.
My absolute favorite is Curtis Grimes, and I just saw him in concert! For the
first time! It was soooo great. The last song I played was “Sober Heart of
Mine” by Flatland Cavalry. (Another favorite)
Name your favorite children's story.
Oh…this is gonna be hard. Either Rikki Tikki Tavi or pretty
much anything by Shel Silverstein. Or Little House. Or Nancy Drew. (Ok. I
didn’t answer that very well.)
I'm with you with the Little House and Nancy Drew! What was your nickname growing up or now?
“Red”.
Who was your hero when you were a child, and what did you
do to be like them?
I had MANY role models growing up. My mom and dad
definitely, but also a couple ladies who were like second mothers to me, Trish
and Rhonda. They are kind and fun and faithful and strong and smart and giving.
I do everything I can to be like them.
What one thing (modern convenience) could you not live
without?
Well, it’s probably Netflix. (I’m blushing. Isn’t that
horrible?) I am a binger. My favorites are The Office, Once Upon A Time, Virgin
River…ok…I’m going to stop now.
Good choices! What are your three favorite smells?
I love the smell of baking bread, the earth after it rains
and Baby Magic baby wash.
Okay, I think that's the first time I've gotten Baby Magic as an answer! :)
Tell us about one of your books.
The Sheriff’s Gift
Texas Brides of Pike’s
Run Series, Book 2
Historical Romance
About:
The Sheriff’s Gift was a wonderful book to write. It allowed
me to delve into the lives of the people in the town I was creating. Alice
Parker, the heroine of the story, is the schoolteacher, and Conner Lonnigan,
the hero, is the sheriff. They are highly involved in the lives of the
townsfolk and are often called upon to help. Alice and Conner are strong-willed
people with caring hearts and no-nonsense attitudes. Not only are they perfect
for the town, they are perfect for each other.
The Sheriff’s Gift sets up several other books in the
series. Many of the students, once they are old enough, end up with their own
stories. It has been so much fun watching them grow and change and establish
their futures. Writing is a joy, and I’m so glad I get to spend time with these
wonderful characters!
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Sheriffs-Gift-Texas-Brides-Pikes-ebook/dp/B08CNFMZ41/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1TWSVIE338V04&dchild=1&keywords=kara+o%27neal&qid=1594413465&sprefix=kara+o%27neal%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-2
Barnes and Noble link: https://bit.ly/38juYvY
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-sheriff-s-gift-3
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1521104564
Blurb:
Strong-willed and independent, Alice Parker is certain she’s
meant to be a school teacher. She accepts her first position in Pikes Run,
ready to mold the minds of young children, but unprepared to deal with her
attraction to Sheriff Conner Lonnigan. If the board finds out she’s
tumbled into his embrace more than once, she would be fired.
Sheriff Conner Lonnigan is awed by Alice Parker. He falls for her almost
immediately, but the demands at home forbid him from marrying. Conner’s
duties as sheriff control his days, and his mother’s panic attacks control his
nights. He doesn’t have the freedom to devote himself to Alice, but that
can’t stop him from pursuing her anyway.
Alice and Conner fight their love for each other, but the wants of the heart
become too much to ignore. As they battle the demands of their jobs, the couple
finds that ultimate fulfillment can only be found in each other's arms.
Excerpt:
“What is it?” Alice asked.
He didn’t reply until she was outside. “I have somethin’ for
you.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “I hope it isn’t another
complaint from Beulah.”
He grinned down at her. “Nope.” He jerked his head in the
direction of the yard. “Come on.”
She followed him into the yard and toward the barn. When
they entered the building, the cows lowing and the horses swishing their tails,
he stopped and pulled her into an empty stall.
They were alone except for the animals. This was what she’d
tried to avoid, and here she was, despite her usual unflinching self-control,
in the wrong situation. Though her heart exalted, her mind raced for ways to
get this over with quickly.
He smiled down at her, his hand still at her elbow from when
he’d pulled her over. “You look pretty today.”
“Only today?” she heard herself ask. Oh, dear! She was flirting.
He chuckled low and deep. “Every day. You’re always pretty.”
In her wildest dreams, she’d never thought to hear a man say
such a thing. “What did you want to show me?”
He flushed beneath his confident smile. “A present. I
ordered it for you.”
Alice’s heart stopped then sped like a locomotive. “Truly?”
she whispered.
He nodded.
“But…but I didn’t get you anything,” she protested.
His smile turned soft, and her knees went to jelly. “Just
havin’ you here is present enough.”
If he said anything else as tender and beautiful, she might
faint from want of him. “Oh,” she murmured.
He gazed at her for a few moments more before reaching into
his coat and pulling out a box wrapped in brown paper. He handed it to her.
Gingerly, she took it and unwrapped it slowly, wanting to
savor the moment. Once the paper was gone, she sprung the latch on the box and
lifted the lid. Her throat ached with emotion when she saw what sat in the
velvet casing.
A small ceramic house, the rooftop covered in snow, stared
up at her. It was beautiful. She ran a finger over its smoothness. “Thank you,”
she rasped.
“There’s more.” He took it from her and lifted it out of its
case. “It’s open in the back. You can put a candle here and since the windows
are cut out, it’ll look like there’s—”
“Firelight,” she breathed. Awed and deeply touched, she
gazed up at him. He’d remembered her memory of her mother and bought her a gift
to commemorate the time. “Oh, Conner. How wonderful.”
He swallowed. “You like it?”
She closed her eyes in disbelief then opened them once more
to look up into his handsome, dear face. “I adore it.”
And in that moment, everything she’d ever wanted changed
forever. She loved Conner Lonnigan with all her heart. The emotion stampeded
through her, causing her to tremble with its force. She couldn’t stop herself
from rising up and taking his lips with hers.
Bio:
Born and raised in Texas, the state had to be the setting
for my first series. From the food to the fun, like floating the rivers, it is
the fire in my blood that inspires me. My family and friends take center stage
in my books. My sisters and best friends are my heroines, and my husband
created my favorite hero. Love and family are the point of my stories, and I
seek to entertain, relieve stress, and inspire people. Books can take one on a
journey that one can relive over and over. I am extremely grateful to those
authors who did that very thing for me. I learned and I fell in love with their
words and characters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. To get all my
book news, sign up for my newsletter Love and Lone Stars!
Social Media:
Website – www.karaoneal.com
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kara-o-neal
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Kara-ONeal/e/B00FL19TH8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1465007993&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/kara+o'neal?_requestid=845025
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KaraONeal84/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KaraONealAuthor
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/karaoneal7/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278350.Kara_O_Neal
Blog -- http://www.karaoneal.com/blog
Blog – The Story Continues -- http://www.karaoneal.com/the-story-continues
