Author Interview With Karen E. Ingle
Hello Karen E. Ingle!
Thanks for letting me interview you!
Which of your Published or Unpublished books is your favorite, and why?
With Me in the Storm is my first published book, and it ranks at the top of my list, far above the historical fiction work I drafted and then set aside years ago. This story catches my heart because on some level I can relate to each one of the characters. We find pockets of arrogance in our hearts that need to be eradicated; and we have dealt with shame that clings like a permanent stain. We have exhibited daring faith and painful doubt. We have needed to love difficult people, and we have been those difficult people. I just love the power of a redemptive story!
How do you pick your character’s personalities or looks?
My characters’ looks usually pop into my head. Then I go thumbing through magazines, online articles, or websites hunting for faces I can stick on the wall in front of my desk, so I can keep studying them.
Personalities get shaped by the characters’ backstories, influenced by the part they play in the story, and molded by their arc. Maddie, for instance, needed to be a somewhat timid woman with flashes of stubborn assertiveness. In her past, that got her into trouble. But in the end it is part of what saves her.
With Chris, I held an imaginary interview late one sleepless night. He emerged from that conversation a much fuller, richer character than I originally created. That mental meet-up helped me write with his voice and from his point of view with confidence.
Maddie’s friend Tanisha sprang to life with looks and personality in place. But after I read Donald Maas’s Emotional Craft of Fiction, she developed a depth of conflicting desires and motivations that completely changed her role within the book.
What is your favorite genre to read? What is your favorite genre to write? And why are they your favorites?
I’m fascinated by history and the context it provides. But I also value a mysterious or dangerous conflict, especially when fraught with romantic tension. So, historical fiction and romantic suspense are neck-and-neck in the race to the top of my reading list.
After my first historical fiction efforts, I surprised myself by making a foray into the romantic suspense genre. Commonly, those stories involve protagonists active in law enforcement, the military, or some other field endowed with power. In With Me in the Storm, I explore what happens when the key characters are “ordinary people” who seem powerless in a dangerous situation.
What inspires you the most?
Heroes unaware. People who commit to doing what’s right no matter the personal cost, sometimes without even realizing the enormity of their actions. I believe all of us need to know that even while we live what seem like ordinary lives, we can hugely impact the future of others.
Once an idea takes root, how long does it take you to write it down? Do you use outlines?
I have a little “what if” file, where I jot down ideas like “What if a school teacher discovered a hole in the ceiling and someone dead in her classroom one morning?” (I know. Maybe I watch too many mystery shows?) Some of those turn into what a screenwriter might call a treatment: an abbreviated outline of the key events of a story. Then begins the dance of fitting fiction writing in around all the nonfiction writing jobs I have. That’s a process I can’t predict. However, with a treatment in mind, I know where the story ought to end up, then the fun comes in figuring out how everyone will get there.
Do you have a favorite author? Or someone whom you would say has influenced your writing style?
I find Charles Martin’s books fascinating. I’m two books in to his Keeper series now, and have read multiple others before. He does a great job wearving spiritual truth, action, and sensory detail together into books I can’t put down. After hearing him speak at a writers conference, I also have great respect for him as a man of faith.
I also appreciate DiAnn Mills—not only for her fast-paced storytelling, but also for her generosity toward other writers. DiAnn is not afraid to share what has worked for her, and that builds community rather than competition among writers. In fact, she provided a model for the fun book club kits I offer free to readers on my website. (https://kareningleauthor.com/books/with-me-in-the-storm/ )
What are your hobbies other than writing?
Camping and canoeing in the Boundary Waters is one adventure I’d like to repeat soon. Gardening—especially weeding—brings me joy. (The mosquitos, not so much.) Plus, I have very imaginative grandkids, and playing with them is a pursuit like no other.
Do you have a genre that you would never write?
Horror. I hate being scared and I would hate scaring a reader.
What is one thing you would say has had the greatest impact on your writing?
Reading great books. Thank God for libraries!
Lastly, what was your favorite book growing up?
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. I love symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. I may have read this book dozens of times.
Welcome to the Blog Tour for With Me in the Storm by Karen E. Ingle, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: With Me in the Storm
If she escapes her past, can she survive the storm to come?
Maddie’s California dream-turned-nightmare is a perfect storm of abuse, trafficking, and unwanted pregnancy. She sees only one way out, until a network of strangers offers a solution that could save her life and her baby’s.
About the Author
Karen Ingle admires women’s resilience and courage that emerge when faced with a pregnancy that rocks their world. As a freelance writer, she has interviewed such women, met them, and served them. She’s also rubbed elbows with the gutsy people who care deeply enough to support women in their journeys out of dark despair into bright hope. Now Karen is weaving those true stories into the compelling novel, With Me in the Storm, and others still to come in her Rumors of Light series.
Connect with Karen by visiting kareningleauthor.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of With Me in the Storm, $10 Amazon gift card, notecard, sticker, handmade bookmark, and a packet of “Maddie’s favorite hot cocoa mix”!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 20, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 27, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
This looks like a good book. Thanks for the giveaway.
Great interview!
Great interview. Sounds good.
I enjoyed the interview.