Ask the Author: Kathleen Ernst
Answered Questions (6)
Kathleen Ernst
Hi Kara - please forgive the tardy response! For some reason I didn't see this until today.
Thank you for your kind words. Writing the books I did for American Girl was certainly a highlight of my career. I can't pick just one of my titles for young readers as a favorite, but here are three: Caroline's Battle, Betrayal at Cross Creek (a history mystery from Pleasant Company/AG), and a novel called Hearts of Stone (Dutton).
Most of my recent work has been focused on adult readers, including the Chloe Ellefson Mysteries, the Hanneke Bauer Mysteries, and others.
Happy reading!
Thank you for your kind words. Writing the books I did for American Girl was certainly a highlight of my career. I can't pick just one of my titles for young readers as a favorite, but here are three: Caroline's Battle, Betrayal at Cross Creek (a history mystery from Pleasant Company/AG), and a novel called Hearts of Stone (Dutton).
Most of my recent work has been focused on adult readers, including the Chloe Ellefson Mysteries, the Hanneke Bauer Mysteries, and others.
Happy reading!
Kathleen Ernst
Hi Jane - I'm so glad you enjoyed Lies of Omission! The second book in the series will be out in July, and I'm working on the third.
Kathleen Ernst
Hi Ashley -- would you like me to? (smile) I'm not sure yet exactly how she will figure into future books, but I do think that she's an intriguing character, and there are a lot of unanswered questions which translate to a lot of potential for future plotting! I love weaving different strands of Chloe's backstory into into new books as the series progresses, so we'll see where it goes.
Kathleen Ernst
Hi Elizabeth - excellent question! Choose a location has several components. First, a museum or historic site has to be large enough to accommodate the plot of a murder mystery. Sometimes I combined settings (such as the Belgian Farm at Heritage Hill and the Belgian Heritage Center, both featured in The Lacemaker's Secret) to give me enough landscape.
Second, it has to be a place I love, and want to recommend to readers. I only consider sites I've already visited for that reason. I do happily accept suggestions from readers, but I can't commit to featuring a place until I've explored it for myself.
Finally, I try to choose a site for each book that reflects the emotional journey that my main characters are taking. For example, I always knew I wanted to write about the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites, but I waited until Chloe and Roelke were facing a common theme in the Wilder books, that of finding a home. Chloe and Roelke are asking questions similar to those echoed by the Ingalls family: Am I ready to settle down? Where? Am I ready to settle down with this person? What happens when one partner wants to move on and the other doesn't? I like having that reflection back-and-forth between past and present.
Hope that's helpful! If you have a suggestion, feel free to let me know.
Second, it has to be a place I love, and want to recommend to readers. I only consider sites I've already visited for that reason. I do happily accept suggestions from readers, but I can't commit to featuring a place until I've explored it for myself.
Finally, I try to choose a site for each book that reflects the emotional journey that my main characters are taking. For example, I always knew I wanted to write about the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites, but I waited until Chloe and Roelke were facing a common theme in the Wilder books, that of finding a home. Chloe and Roelke are asking questions similar to those echoed by the Ingalls family: Am I ready to settle down? Where? Am I ready to settle down with this person? What happens when one partner wants to move on and the other doesn't? I like having that reflection back-and-forth between past and present.
Hope that's helpful! If you have a suggestion, feel free to let me know.
Kathleen Ernst
Hi Ashley - Thanks for connecting! I'm happy to report that I'm working now on the 9th Chloe book, which will be out in October 2018. I hope to continue the series indefinitely.
Kathleen Ernst
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more