Author Interview - Kathi Oram Peterson

When and why did you begin writing? I've always liked to write, but it wasn't until after I'd had my first child and was suffering from the baby blues that I decided to try and write a book.
What inspired you to write River Whispers? I'd gone on a fishing trip with my sister. We were on our way home when she asked me what book I was going to write next. Kind of jokingly, I said, "About a woman, who while fishing finds a body in the willows." We laughed about it, but the idea took hold. I wanted to write a romantic suspense, so I continued to work on the story. My sister has taken me on cattle drives, to old-fashioned rodeos (where you sit on splintery bleachers outside in the sun or rain), and even panning for gold. So, of course, I had to have sisters as the main characters. And yes, there is a romance. :) Here's the link to the book trailer. http://youtu.be/jtd3yR8OeDE
Do you have a specific writing style? I do. For my YA time-travel novels I write in first-person. I think young adults identify more closely to characters written in that style. For my romantic suspense books I write in third person.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? All of my novels have themes that I hope readers will find. I don't like to tell what they are because for each person it might be different, but I definitely have a purpose for each book. I write the theme and tape it to my computer monitor so that each scene works towards it.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? Writing River Whispers was full of surprises. There were days even I was surprised by what happened. Honestly. I knew the beginning and ending, but the middle filled in as I wrote. This book is full of twists and unexpected turns. But that's why I love to write romantic suspense. So there was really no hardest part to write, unless you count running out of chocolate every once in a while.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Some of my fans might wonder if I've quit writing YA time-travels and I haven't. In fact, right now I'm working on one that sends a sister and brother back in time. The sister finds herself in the bottom of a Roman warship facing a Roman soldier, and her brother ends up with a shepherd family in Bethlehem. AND in case they are wondering if I have more romantic suspense book, yes! I'm nearly finished with another one with the working titled Raven Spirit. I love my fans and want to hear from them. They can find me at http://www.kathiswritingnook.com
and
http://www.kathiorampeterson.com.

Thank you, Becky for a wonderful interview.