I’m excited to announce a new feature here at the blog.  A once-a-month opportunity to get to know a very special romance or women’s fiction author, in a fun and hopefully interactive way.   We all like to get to know our favorite authors a little better, and I want to make that fun for everyone.

And who better to kick this off with a bang, than the fabulous Karen White!!  I had the honor of meeting Karen in person at the RWA National Conference in California a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the great highlights of the week for me.  I found out that we both have teenagers destined to appear on “Hoarders”, and it was a relief to know I’m not alone in that boat. LOL.   I will tell you that photos don’t do her justice–Karen is even more gorgeous in person.

And yes, I could have used her author photo, but once again, this is supposed to be fun, so I chose a picture from her website of her and her dog, Quincy.  🙂 

Karen, I’m so happy you are visiting today.  I so enjoyed chatting with you in Anaheim, and I know everyone here is anxious to do the same.

We want to know what really makes you tick. And me being me, I love to use food comparisons. The top ingredients on any food product are the primary make up of that food. What top three words would you use to describe yourself?   And you can’t use “writer”, because we all know that one. 😉

        – Musical

        – Professional daydreamer

        – Practical joker

I love candles and burn them year-round, and my family knows my preferences with candles, lotions, or whatever when it comes to scents. What are yours?

I must have been a bloodhound or a shark in a previous life because my sense of smell is incredible! I think my kids are good kids because they could never get away with anything because I could smell them 3 miles away!

I’m also a perfume ADDICT. Favorite scent right now: Tom Ford’s BLACK ORCHID. Love candles, too, especially the fall-scented ones like pumpkin and spice.

Ooooh, I love the spicy ones, too! Now here’s one to put you out there… We all have our odd and quirky traits that usually only our inner circle gets to snicker over. What is something about you we would never guess?

I carry a set of plastic “Bubba teeth” that I will put on when people least expect it.  That’s always a nice surprise.

Now there’s a picture you need to put on your website!! LOL!

I cry at sad movies…especially animal ones. What type of movies take you down?

I cry watching the Olympics, so it’s no surprise that I cry at movies. Sure, I’ll cry at the expected tear-jerkers, but I also cry at the “discovery” movies—where nobody dies or gets hurt, but where the protagonist overcomes great odds to find success or his/her own way in the world (ie The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith). Those are my favorites. And I really, REALLY cried in Toy Story III since my eldest child was going away to college at the same time as the little boy, Andy, was.

If you could go back and tell your younger self one important thing, what would it be?

That everything always works out—although not always in the way I’d imagined them to, but in ways that ended up to be so much better than I dreamed. And that those little things that I used to obsess over don’t matter at all in the grand scheme of my life.

Starbucks is like the mother ship to me, as well as a tall glass of sweet tea. What is your favorite beverage?

That’s too easy: Diet Dr. Pepper! I keep the mini-fridge in my sitting room (where I write) fully stocked at all times just in case there’s a snowstorm in Georgia and I can’t get to the store!

You have grown and nearly grown children like I do, and I have joked with my daughter about grandparent names one day. Emphasis on the “one day”. Do you have family nicknames for grandparents that get passed down and what do you plan to go by?

My beloved maternal grandmother was always called MoMo. I want to be the grandmother she was to me and would be honored to have my grandchildren call me that.

On that note, if you could visit a deceased loved one, for fifteen minutes, who would it be and why?

My MoMo. I’d want her to tell me the stories that she used to tell me when I was younger, that I never paid a lot of attention to because I always thought there would be more time when I was older.

If you could pick a dream vacation where money was no object, what would it be?

A private island with 24-hour concierge service where I didn’t have to do ANYTHING!!!

Is there anyone you would be a total crazy fan girl over if you met them in person?

Sara Blakely (the founder of Spanx). She’s amazing! So smart and talented, but so down to earth according to all of her interviews. And her products are life-changing. I even have my characters wearing them.

I love that!!   Okay, now here’s an important question that really tells alot about a person. What is your favorite curl-up-on-the-couch-and-hibernate comfort food?

Pancakes. With lots of butter and syrup. Carb city!!

I’m a DVR and Netflix addict. Love my shows. Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show? Do tell!!

Every show I get addicted to gets canceled (Pan Am, GCB) so I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m head over heels about ABC Family’s BUNHEADS! I’m also an HGTV addict—–all of their real estate shows!

And finally, I know that I can still remember teachers that changed the course of events for me. Do you have a favorite teacher or mentor from your childhood that shaped you in some way?

My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson, who always made me feel brilliant, and who was the first to tell me I should be a writer when I grew up.

And thank God for Mrs. Anderson! We all her a debt of gratitude!! 🙂

Karen, you have been so gracious to share these fun and genuine pieces of your life with us today, thank you!

Now, to add to the YAY factor–Karen is giving away a signed copy of her new book, SEA CHANGE, to one lucky commenter!

So curl up with your favorite comfort food and beverage, and feel free to visit with Karen. The winner will be drawn this evening and announced tomorrow.

Have fun!

Karen hails from a long line of Southerners but spent most of her growing up years in London, England and is a graduate of the American School in London and has a BS degree from Tulane University. She currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two children, and a spoiled Havanese dog (who appears in several of her books), Quincy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking.  She can be found at her website, www.karen-white.com.

I’m excited to announce a new feature here at the blog.  A once-a-month showcase of a very special romance or women’s fiction author, but not in your normal run of the mill Q&A.  When I did a blog tour, I got many of the same questions over and over, and quickly tired of talking about myself…lol.  I want to make this a fun experience both for the readers and for the author.

It’s called “Off The Beaten Path”, and will be fun posts or a different kind of interview.  Something to help us get to know our favorite authors, outside just talking about their books, their writing process, what they’re working on, etc., etc.

This Wednesday, August 8th, I’m happy to announce the fabulous author kicking it off! 

Karen White!

Come back on Wednesday to engage in some fun questions with her, and have a chance to win a signed copy of her latest book, SEA CHANGE.

See you on Wednesday!  Let’s have some fun.