A Warm Welcome To Tamera Kraft
Hi Tamera, Lots of writers loved to read as children. Did you? If so, what did you enjoy reading?
Yes, I read everything I could get my hands on. I always had my nose in a book and would take my flashlight to bed so I could read when I should have been sleeping. Whenever I got my Scholastic Book order form from school. I would pour over the list for hours trying to decide which books I wanted for the money I was allowed. Then I would beg my mom for more money. My earliest memories of books I read were Black Beauty, A Wrinkle in Time, and all of the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries I could get my hands on.
Let's talk about your writing. Why do you do it?
I love books, and I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Life interrupted my plans, but God brought me full circle back to what I love to do.
Tell us about your latest book.
My new book is Alice’s Notions and is just out. It’s an historical romantic suspense.
What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?
I love the setting and time period. It’s set in a sleepy village in West Virginia, where my mother was raised. The story takes place right after World War 2 so I was able to put in a lot of cultural references from that time. I wanted to get the feel of some of the movies in the 1940s and 1950s. The movie Alice’s Notions most reminds me of is Charade starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Where do you get ideas for your books?
I get my ideas from history. I love reading about American history. Often, I’ll read about an event and wonder what it was like for the people living at that time. That’s where most of my stories come from.
In three words describe your style of writing.
Faith-filled historical adventures. Even the historical romances I write have a sense of adventure in them.
What themes do you write about? All of my novels seem to revolve around three themes: redemption, risking everything to do the right thing or carry out a noble quest, or carrying on through great difficulty to confront fears and learn to trust God through it. Some of my novels have more than one of these. Alice’s Notions is more about carrying on through great difficulty, but it does have a bit of risking everything to carry out a noble quest in it too.
Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
I’m a bit of both. I do research the history for my book and have a my characters planned out before I start. I also know certain signpost plot points along the novel’s journey before I start writing, but I never plan it out beyond that. I know where the characters are going, but I’m not always sure how they will get there.
Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?
My faith does affect my writing but not on purpose. I don’t intend or start out writing faith-filled novels necessarily, but because God is my life, it always is interwoven throughout my writing.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently writing the first book for a three books series on Jamestown Brides. These brides came to Jamestown from England, facing adversity and harsh conditions and leaving everything behind, to create a new colony in a new land. They are every bit the adventurers their husbands and sons were.
Introduce us to the main character in your new book.
Alice Brighton married her childhood sweetheart and moved to New York City before the war. She was devastated when she found out her husband Joe had died in the war. She returned home to Burning Bush, West Virginia where she could feel safe and opened a fabric shop. Her plan was to support herself so she’d never risk losing someone she loved again. Throughout the novel, Alice finds out her sleepy hometown village isn’t so safe after all.
Thanks for inviting me.
Having you is my pleasure.
About Alice's Notions
In this quaint mountain town, things aren't always what they seem.
World War 2 widow Alice Brighton returns to the safety of her home town to open a fabric shop. She decides to start a barn quilt tour to bring business to the shop and the town, but what she doesn't know is sinister forces are using the tour for their own nefarious reasons
Between her mysterious landlord, her German immigrant employee, her neighbors who are acting strange, and a dreamboat security expert who is trying to romance her, Alice doesn't know who she can trust.
Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’s been married for 38 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren. Tamera has two novellas in print: A Christmas Promise and Resurrection of Hope. Her first full length novel is Alice’s Notions.
Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.
You can contact Tamera online at these sites.
Website
Word Sharpeners Blog
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