Ask the Author: Karen Witemeyer
Answered Questions (91)
Karen Witemeyer
Hi, Claudia. Yes! If the Boot Fits is a Cinderella retelling. It's more of a Cinder-fella story with the cowboy hero leaving his boot behind at the ball. :-) It is book 2 in the Texas Ever After series. Hope you enjoy it!
Karen Witemeyer
I'm a slow writer, so I'm still quite a ways away. I hope to publish it summer 2026.
Karen Witemeyer
Very true. That seems to be a theme in the original fairy tales as well. Orphaned children, lost children, those with step-parents, or those with only one parent. Callista in To Love a Beast lost her mother early in life and lives with only her father.
Karen Witemeyer
I'm sure there are some common threads between them. What commonalities have you noticed?
Karen Witemeyer
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
Karen Witemeyer
Thank you for asking. Yes, we are fine. The flooding was mostly south of us. Please pray for the families of those who have missing children and other loved ones unaccounted for and for the first responders and volunteers doing the searching. Such a heartbreaking time!
Karen Witemeyer
Thanks for the love, Katarina! :-) I do collaborate with other authors in different ways, critique partners, brainstorming help, emotional support, learning from what they are doing, etc. I've also collaborated with other authors in novella collections and multi-author series. However, I don't collaborate with other authors on individual story writing. That's not a process I'm interested in at this time. Who knows what the future might hold, though. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
That's a hard questions to answer. Ha! Each one is special to me in some way. I think i'm going to pick my latest book - To Love a Beast - because it is a western retelling of my favorite fairy tale, Beauty & the Beast. A wounded hero, a giant library, and bookish heroine, and lots of fun nods to the Disney animated movie I grew up with. It made me smile often.
Karen Witemeyer
I'm so sorry to hear this news. Saying goodbye to those we love is so hard. I'm thankful you will be surrounded by family. May God's comforting presence ease your sorrow and may you be blessed with many happy memories of time spent with your dad.
Karen Witemeyer
I'm glad you like it. Taming Lady Temperance will release in February 2026. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed Everett and Callista's story. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
Congratulations! May God bless you as you move into the world of adulting.
Karen Witemeyer
Great question! I do a lot of my research at the plotting stage, before I start writing the story. I need to know my setting and any specifics that will help me create an authentic historical picture of that place. I need to research my characters occupations. Many times this research turns up interesting tidbits that actually help shape the plot of the story. Once I have a good idea about setting, characters, and a plausible historical plot, then I start writing. I will often stop to fact check details along the way as I write, but the big research is done at the beginning.
I wish you all the best with your writing!
I wish you all the best with your writing!
Karen Witemeyer
No, sorry. It will likely be next year before I have the story written. Thanks for your patience. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
I hope too, yes, but that is about a year in the future, so it will be a while before I start working on that one. So glad you are enjoying these stories!
Karen Witemeyer
Happy Birthday!
Karen Witemeyer
Yes, it will be available in print, e-book, and audio book. Because of the way Amazon sets up their independent books, the print will not show up as available for preorder. It will be there on release day, though. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
Not yet. The new series won't release until February 2026, so it will be a little while. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
Yes! Those are actually my next two fairy tale projects! I will be independently publishing a Beauty & the Beast story this June called To Love a Beast. And I am in the plotting stages for a Little Mermaid retelling set in Galveston, TX in 1886. That one should be out summer 2026. :-)
Karen Witemeyer
I'm delighted that you enjoyed my Texas Ever After series so well, ESH. I admit that I've always been a sap for a good fairy tale. Ha! As a matter of fact, I will be publishing more fairy tale retellings. While I'll be moving on to a new series with Bethany House, I will be independently publishing additional fairy tale stories. The first one, To Love a Beast (a Beauty & the Beast retelling), will release on June 10, 2025. These independent stories will be published under a new series name - Once Upon a Time in Texas. I hope you'll give it a try. :-)
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