Welcome Kendall Evans

My guest today is Kendall Evans who is a fellow author from Astraea Press. Kendall, welcome to the blog. For the benefit of those who may not know you, would you share a bit about yourself and your work?

I am a romance writer who enjoys writing Christian romance, sweet romance, and occasionally, non-fiction.

Though I'm relatively new to this side of the publishing realm, I've been writing for years under another pseudonym. I've written everything from poetry to epic novels, but my first release as Kendall Evans is my very first foray in 1800's historical.

I live near the beach and consider myself blessed to be able to smell the salt of the ocean air and hear the waves crashing over the shore. And watching the sun setting at night over the shoreline is truly breathtaking.

I work from home, mostly business consulting and freelance writing (website copy, ads, and the like), and I'm surrounded by wonderful friends and family who continually bless my life.

That's lovely bio. How much of yourself, your personality, or your experiences is in your book?

I think every book I write has a little bit of me in it, but as for personality, surprisingly, not much. Since most of what I’ve written so far has been historical, the heroines suit the time frame. My personality is a lot stronger than Anna’s was in Anna’s Shattered Faith. As far as experiences go, so far I’ve not been able to include any of my experiences in my books as they are historical. Maybe one day, I’ll shoot for a contemporary!

Most people think authors live glamorous lives. Describe a typical writing day.

My glamorous life begins with coffee, checking and responding to e-mails, then settling down to work on my day job. Then it’s errands, cleaning house, and back to work until around six or seven. I take a break for at least an hour or two to keep from burning out. I usually don’t start writing until late in the evening, and I write for about an hour or two until I’ve reached the word count I’ve set for myself that day. That varies depending on how close I am to the end of the book, how tired I am, etc. Once I reach my word count, I relax with a book until lights out. I know a lot of people must envy me now.


LOL. My life sounds very much like yours. When writing a new book, how do you decide on a theme, genre, or topic?

Writing as Kendall Evans, I will only focus on sweet/inspirational romances, and I really like the idea of all of my books being historical. So that’s pretty much decided. I was just offered a contract for another book that is set in the 1950s during the Korean War so the historical aspect greatly varies.

I don’t really decide on a topic or theme until the idea strikes me. It’s all a very quick decision process.

That's true of me as well, the deciding on a theme part. If you could meet two authors, who would you pick and why?

L.M. Montgomery because she wrote my favorite books—the Anne of Green Gables series.

Jane Austen because I have yet to read a book of hers I didn’t like, and she left such a legacy. To be remembered for your work long after your death is quite an achievement.

I love Anne of Green Gables! One day I'd like to take a trip to Prince Edward Island and see the house that was the inspiration for Green Gables. Would you share your links with us?

Sure. Right now, I have two:

www.kendallevans.weebly.com
www.facebook.com/kendallevans2010

We’d love to read an excerpt from one of your books. Don’t forget to leave us a buy link.

Every syllable dripped with the woman's pain, and Daniel resisted the urge to reach out to her, knowing she didn't want anything but a truthful answer to her question. He hitched one hip on the corner of his desk. “Not if I can help it.”

“But the odds are he will.”

Daniel shook his head slowly. “I'm not a betting man, Mrs. Hampton.” He folded his arms across his chest. “You look like you could use a cup of coffee.” Without giving her a chance to respond, he walked over to the spindly-legged table next to the only cell in the office and poured a cup of steaming black coffee into a tin cup.

He heard Anna sigh. Anna. When had he started calling her that in his mind? She'd certainly never give him permission to do so aloud. “Here you go.” He handed her the cup and pulled a wooden chair closer.

Anna surprised him by sitting down and accepting the coffee. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to take this out on you, Sheriff.”

“You're angry, scared, and confused. You need some place where you can express those feelings, and I reckon I'm as good a place as any.” His lips tilted in a smile.

Her light blue eyes watched him. Stray tendrils of pale blonde hair had escaped her bun and now hung around her face, giving her a disheveled appearance. Daniel still thought she was about the prettiest woman he'd seen since, well, he couldn't remember when.

She shifted in the chair, and the movement snagged his attention. She continued to look at him, awaiting information or maybe a kernel of hope, something to keep her from falling apart.

“Around seven this evening, Barnaby'll let us know his terms for releasing Sam.”

“How will he contact you? I’m sure he’s not just going to come knocking on the door.” She sounded tired...and tearful.

Her emotion tugged at his heart. The urge to comfort her grew stronger. “One shot. The mayor should be telling everyone to return to their homes now.”

“Beth!” Anna surged to her feet, but Daniel stepped in her path, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Mary’s mother will be taking Beth home with her and her family. It's best that she not be here.”

Anna sank back down onto the chair. “How can you be sure Barnaby will keep his word?”

“I can't, but right now, waiting is about all we can do. He's going to need to pass through Strawberry Junction, and he's not getting through with your son.” Daniel squatted down beside her, listening to her struggles for breath. “I promise you I will do everything I can to save him.”

“I feel like I should be doing something.”

“All you can do now is pray.”

The words might as well have been a gunshot for the effect they had. Anna jumped back to her feet, coffee sloshing over the rim of the cup. “That's all everyone wants to do is pray! What makes you so sure God is listening? If hundreds, no, thousands, of people are all praying at one time, how can you be so sure He can keep up?”

Anna’s Shattered Faith
Kendall Evans
Available now from Astraea Press
http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662255&mode=product&product=2626103

Kendall, that's a great excerpt. I can't wait to see what happens with Anna. Come back and visit me again, and good luck with your book.