Saturday's Blurbs - Books by Karen Phelps #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #YA #Horses #Wyoming

Maryann's Appaloosa

When fifteen-year-old Maryann Madigan’s parents are killed in a plane crash, she’s uprooted from a
privileged Boston lifestyle to a Wyoming horse ranch. Living with an aunt she barely knows, the young
woman struggles with her grief until a spirited appaloosa stallion captures her heart. There’s just one
problem, she’s terrified of horses.

Determined to learn how to ride, she enlists the help of Rick Ferguson, a charismatic, dark-haired
cowboy who falls hard for the shy but resilient beauty. Clandestine riding lessons conquer her fear of
horses and kindle their young love. When a vindictive ranch hand goes too far, Maryann must fight to
save her beloved horse, her hero, and the place she now calls home


http://www.bookswelove.com/authors/phelps-karen-l-young-adult-romance-mystery/

I Loved Them First, a memoir in poetry and photographs about the horses and dogs I've shared my life with.

It won a Dog Writers Assn. of America award in 2013, my third DWAA AWARD. It is available on Amazon.

Friday's Guest - Karen Phelps - What Was She Before #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLoveLTD #Young adult #Horses

1. What were you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve written  written since I could hold a pencil and still have the short story I wrote in the second grade. I published my first article at age 16 in a national magazine about beloved author Albert Payson Terhune’s home, Sunnybank. The article led to making his New Jersey home an historic site.

My “day job” for many years was an admin in Corporate America. The organization skills I learned there were helpful in organizing my writing.

For three decades I also bred and showed purebred collies on the weekend under the kennel name Karenthia. This led to writing many dog-related articles. One national collie magazine traded free advertising for my kennel in exchange for me writing articles. The kennel taught me to market myself and my dogs. I’ve won three Dog Writers Association of America awards. The latest was for I Loved Them First, a memoir in poems and photography about the horses and dogs I’ve shared my life with.

2. Are you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery, fantasy etc. There are many subgenres of the above. 

My first novel, Maryann’s Appaloosa, is young adult but I’d classify it as a young adult western romance. Many of the themes in the book (coping with grief, redemption, discovering who you are as a person, falling in love) are classic and transcend any genre.

The sequel I’m writing now is an adult western romance which is one of my favorite genres.

3. Did your reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres? 

Absolutely. A horse-mad child, I grew up in the 50’s when westerns abounded on TV. I read every horse book I could get my hands on. One of my favorites was Mary O’Hara’s trilogy: My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead, and The Green Grass of Wyoming. Another favorite author, Craig Johnson, has a TV series based on his character Longmire, who a sheriff in Wyoming. Both of these authors influenced the setting of my first book.

4. What's your latest release? 

Maryann’s Appaloosa

5. What are you working on now? 

I’m writing the sequel to Maryann’s Appaloosa. This book is an adult western romance set on the same ranch with the same characters — and a few new ones.

6. Where can we find you? 

My book is available on amazon.com

I am on Facebook and LinkedIn.

I am also in the process of updating my website:  karenthia.com