AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Keli Gwyn

What a FABULOUS opportunity I have today!

I get to interview the wonderful, famous, uber cool KELI GWYN!!!

If you don't know Keli, you're missing out, I have to tell you. Not only is she a fabulous author, but she also possesses a heart of complete gold! (She doesn't know I was going to gush at the beginning of this... but she deserves it!)

And I'm just tickled pink to be able to interview her on The Writer's Alley today, as well as giveaway a super special item to one lucky commentor! (see below!)

Without further adue or gush, I introduce to you, Keli Gwyn!

Krista: AHHH!!! As of July 1st, you are officially, no questions asked, without a doubt, a PUBLISHED AUTHOR! Did you feel different when you woke up that morning?? What did you do to celebrate???

Keli: I awoke to the sounds of Kool and the Gang belting out “Celebration,” leaped out of bed, donned a tiara, and boogied BIG time. What? You don’t believe me. Well, you’re right. It wasn’t quite like that.

Gwynly greeted me when I got up, grinning and congratulating me on my release day. Since it fell on a Sunday, we went to church, where I got to show my church family the book for the first time. They were quite excited for me, and a group of dear people joined me after the benediction for a time of prayer as I dedicated the book to the Lord and we asked Him use the book for His glory.

The rest of the day was pretty normal. We went to our traditional Sunday lunch at Panda Express with a couple from church, and then Gwynly and I walked the trail. I do recall talking just a wee bit about the fact that my book was out. OK, I talked about little else, but Gwynly didn’t care. My guy’s very happy for me and doesn’t mind me gushing a bit. It’s wonderful to be sharing this amazing experience with my staunchest supporter.

Krista: That sounds like a perfectly wonderful day, Panda Express and all! 

Your debut novel, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, CA, has a wee bit of a "matchmaker" theme in it, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE! Have you ever played "matchmaker" for anyone? Would you ever be tempted to do so for a friend who obviously couldn't see a grand match if it bit him/her in the nose?

Keli: Ah, yes. Miles’s mother, Maude, and Elenora’s daughter, Tildy, are guilty of matchmaking. But they mean well. Really they do.

Gwynly and I did play matchmaker once. When we were serving as short-term missionaries in Germany the summer after we’d married, we met a young soldier who is a godly guy. When a kind-hearted chaplain’s daughter came to visit her parents while on vacation from her teaching job, we noticed that certain spark. Months went by, the gal went back to the States, and so did we.

A year later, Gwynly and I were living in Germany. We’d resumed our friendship with the soldier and rejoiced when the chaplain’s daughter came to live with her parents and teach in a military school. We arranged to get the guy and the gal together again, and things took off from there. Twenty-two years later, this couple and their three children live in Germany, where they are missionaries to the German people. The couple gives us credit—and thanks—for helping get them together.

Krista:  Very nice! Yeah for (kind) matchmakers!!! Love a good romance:-)

Next, we have twitter-worthy questions! Since your hero/heroine own completing mercantiles... I thought we'd have some fun "brand" competition questions:

Colgate or Crest? Keli: Crest. It’s what I used as a child.

Jiff or Peter Pan? Keli: Jiff—extra crunchy

Pillsbury or Duncan Hines? Keli: Pillsbury. The Dough Boy is too cute to resist.

General Mills or Kellogg's? Keli: General Mills. I liked their old (really old—like me) advertisement: “Big G; little o; Go with Cheerios!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj2q8em2yPA

 Walmart or Target? Keli: Oh, no! This one’s gonna get me in trouble, because our daughter is a cashier at the Target in her college town, but I’m going with Walmart. I rejoiced the day Walmart came to town. We live half an hour from the nearest city, so it was great to have a store with such a large selection of products locally.

Suave or the expensive stuff? Keli: Suave. I’m a teacher’s wife used to watching our pennies, although I did splurge on some good stuff the last time I was at Costco.

Krista:  Yeah for a little splurge now and again! RIVETING stuff, Keli! :-) 

Now, back to writing. What was the hardest step of the journey to publication for you?

Keli: The hardest step for me is duking it out with the Doubt Dragon. He and his pals Perfectionism and Rule Monitor team up to try and convince me I can’t write. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve had to send this troublesome trio packing.

Krista:  Man, if you find a secret for sending them on your way (or something you can like hang out to repel them...) LET ME KNOW!

What sparked the idea for A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, CA? How long did it take you to write the book from first spark to typing THE END?

Keli: I read about a mercantile owner in El Dorado who had the most successful business in town in the most impressive building in town. I found out the real man, James B. Wetherwax, was well liked, but I could find little else about him. I’m a writer, though, so I could imagine such a man—and I did. That man is mercantile owner Miles Rutledge. Like Mr. Wetherwax, Miles has the most successful business in town in the most impressive building. He’s also well liked. The rest is pure fiction.

Miles needs a woman in life, so along comes Elenora Watkins and her shop across the street. When I learned that women in California could own businesses from the early days, I knew just how to make sure there was conflict between Miles and Ellie. They became competitors.

I wrote the first version of Miles and Ellie’s story in three months. That was back in my florescent green newbie writer days. Once I discovered the wonderful world of writers online, I learned how much I had to learn about writing a marketable story, spent a year studying craft, and rewrote the story twice. When Rachelle Gardner offered me representation, I learned I wasn’t quite there yet. Nine months, another major rewrite, and a revision later, she was ready to submit, did just that, and here I am with my book in readers’ hands.

Krista: I LOVE your agent story, always have, and especially now that we have the same one! *grin*

Ohhhhh, it's that time, Keli!!

KRISTA’S POP PLOT BRAINSTORMING QUIZ: 

Here are the rules: I give you three things and a genre. You think of a quick story plot in that genre that features each of the three things integral in the plot, and give it to us in back-cover-copy synopsis form. *rubs hands together* Here we go....

A pencil with smiley-faces on it.

Neon Pink Roses

Super Mario Stuffed Animal

Genre: Romantic Suspense

GO!

Keli: Wow, Krista! Do you ever know how to issue a challenge! I took the quiz and hope I “passed.” Here’s my attempt, goofy as it is. :-)

When a rare Super Mario Stuffed Animal is stolen from the world’s largest toy museum, Inspector Barry Bright vows to find the plush princess before any harm comes to her. Barry doesn’t count on a certain pesky reporter, Penelope Gwyn, whose smiley face pencil produces overly revealing reports sure to thwart his every attempt at locating the villain.

Penelope’s prized pencil is stolen and she begins receiving threats delivered with neon pink roses that put her to sleep with one whiff, forcing Barry to protect her—and keep her from sabotaging the case. Can he ensure her safety and find the priceless animal before it’s too late? Or will the attraction he feels for Pen Gwyn cause him to lose the treasured toy, the culprit–and his heart?

Krista: Confession. I'd read that before and laughed. But as I'm posting this... it hit me. Pen Gwyn. Penguin. Nice. Very nice!

• • •

Keli: Thanks so much for having me here at the Alley, Krista. I love spending time with you Alley Cats and your blog’s faithful followers. You asked me some great questions. I’d like to turn the tables and ask one for all of you to answer.

I have fond memories of that “Big G, little o” Cheerios commercial featuring the Munsters. What old-time commercial still brings a smile to your face when you take a trip down Memory Lane?

(Krista's note: All those who enter a comment will be entered to win a SUPER special prize!

Your choice between:

A copy of Keli's debut novel, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California

-or-

A DVD of The Young Victoria

The winner will be announced on Saturday in the Weekend edition!

Let's show Keli some love!! And I'm SUPER curious what commercials y'all will come up with!!!)

Find out more about Keli at her website, http://www.keligwyn.com

And to order her SUPER fabulous book, you can go to one of these super cool retailers... or visit your local bookstore!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million!
Christianbook