Wow. You can get a copy of our new weekly author's~Kendra Warden~free novella! Just click that highlighted name. Violà! Free book!
Ooops, I spilled the beans on who's visiting this week. You guessed it, author Kendra Warden! She's a busy homeschooling mom who finds time to spin intriguing suspense novels. What to know more? Keep reading...
KW: First of all, thank
you so much for hosting me on The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction! I feel
like true book blogs are so rare these days and I absolutely love that you have
one. :) And that you invited me to chat with your readers!
To actually answer your
question, I chose to write Christian romantic suspense because I wanted to be a
part of the romance genre (and I read various subgenres within it!), but I also
wanted the freedom to tell certain kinds of stories that spoke to my heart.
Suspense allows for some
darker themes and more ‘grit’ than some other subgenres, in my experience. My
books are all 100% Christian and clean – no smut, no swearing, no glorification
of sin, active promotion of Christian values – but I also don’t shy away from
tough topics. That, and I love a story where I can write a cute first kiss
scene followed promptly by something exploding. Haha.
PT: I'm sure everyone want to know what region you hail from and if that setting finds its
way into your books? Or do you do a google search for the next book background?
KW: Ha! This is kind of
a funny question to me, because I’m from Ontario, Canada, and my current series
is all set in Texas. Maybe I’ll do a Canadian series one day… but in the
meantime, I really have to dig into researching my various locations. Often
when brainstorming a new book, the setting pops into my head first, even before
the characters! I try very hard to bring each locale to life. So far, the Forge
Brothers Security books are set in El Paso, San Antonio, and South Padre
Island… you’ll have to stay tuned for where my current project is going to
bring us. ;)
PT: Don't you just love researching a place virtually? It's almost like being there. So, tell us, what else occupies your time besides writing? Work? School?
Pets? Travel? Other?
KW: Being a wife and
homeschool mom takes up the rest of my life, for the most part! My husband and
I are blessed with three kids, and he works a lot, so my days are pretty crazy
most of the time. I do try to sneak in time to go to church, read (of course!),
chat with friends and readers, take long walks, and obsess over the latest
planner. As of late, my awesome assistant, Jennifer, got me hooked on diamond painting.
PT: Now, I want to focus a little on your series, Forge Brothers Security. How
did it begin and where is it going?
KW: I love this question
- like most authors, I have a plan for where it’s going, but my characters
sometimes like to mess it all up. Lol!
My series follows five brothers (plus their cousin, Reilly, who you can meet in my free prequel
novella, Forged in Darkness!)--Did I mention you can get this for free!-- who own a private security firm. They’re all
passionate about fighting for what’s right, and they keep finding love on the
way! I also explore their faith and how it impacts their lives throughout the
series. The books stand alone, but I always include those little details that
keep readers turning the pages and finding out how everything ultimately ties
together. :) I’m currently planning 3 more books in the main series, but who
knows where it may go after that…
PT: Your newest, Forged in Secrets, is set at the beach. Give us a little peek of Grace and Ben’s story.
KW: They were such a fun couple to write! The story kicks off right from the very beginning when sweet, bubbly Grace Hinton (who is a long-time friend of the Forge boys and works at their company) gets a phone call that one of her childhood friends has gone missing. She enlists the help of grumpy tech genius Ben Forge (who she may or may not have a crush on…) and they travel to South Padre Island together to figure out what happened to Katie Fairman, and why.
PT: What is next for Kendra for the next books/and
tell everyone how you find time to do both.
KW: I’m currently
working on Forged in Deception– Asher and Karlin’s story – and I’m really
hoping to be able to pull off a late 2024/early 2025 release! It’s taking me a
little longer to write this time, with a 9 month old baby in the mix and moving
across our province, but I am absolutely in love with the story.
Readers met Asher Forge
in book two, Forged in Secrets, and he’s such a fun guy to write about. He’s
kind of the Forge family goofball, and I’m excited to show everyone that his
character has more depth than they may have originally thought. I don’t want to
reveal too much, but I will say this: the topic of this book is pretty quirky
and I doubt you’ll have read a romantic suspense like it!
PT: Gotta know where your writing nook is—office? Dining room table? Recliner? She-shed? Kitchen counter? Other?
KW: We’re in the middle
of moving, so I am including a picture of my old ‘office’, which was just part of
our living room in our 2 bedroom apartment!
Now I’m working on a
real office of my very own, and I feel so unbelievably blessed to have it. :)
I’ll definitely be sharing the progress on social media.
I definitely am kind of
a boring, habit-driven kind of person, so I usually like to write in the same
place most of the time, with all of my pretty pens, planners, and copies of my
favorite writing craft/author business books close at hand.
PT: Pretty pens seems to make everything more fun! On to my favorite. Name 5 things fast about Kendra Warden that have nothing to do with writing.
- I’m really
passionate about classical education! Yes, my eight year old is learning
Latin. :P Our church uses Latin in worship, so it’s also very practical
for us!
- I enjoy gaming
from time to time, especially the point-and-click Nancy Drew computer
games!
- I love
politics, religion, culture, and history. I read just as much nonfiction
as fiction!
- My husband is
my best friend, and we’ve been married for four years. We got engaged less
than a month after talking to each other for the first time, and I have no
regrets.
- I’m really outgoing and talkative, but actually a HUGE introvert. I love time alone or just with my hubby to recharge.
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