Awesome Romance Author April Kihlstrom
April Kihlstrom: A Regency Author to Discover
Please welcome awesome romance author April Kihlstrom, writer of over thirty Regency romances. April is probably best known as the Book In A Week maven. She’s been teaching a course on BIAW for many many years. She also writes children’s books about her dog Sophy.
Take it alway, April…
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I always wanted to be a writer, but my family insisted I go to college and get a practical degree so I did. I earned a B.S. In Honors Math and a Masters in Operations Research. Then life happened. My husband got a fellowship to do research in France so we moved to Paris for a year. That’s where I wrote my first romance novel.
I was so sure no one was going to publish it that I didn’t even finish writing the book until Avalon said they wanted to see the entire manuscript! After that year, we moved to Hawaii, and it was published the same month my son was born—with Down syndrome. I knew I wanted to give him the best possible start in life so we decided I’d stay home and write for a couple of years—except, of course, it turned out to be my full time career. The rest, as they say, is history.
Any especially interesting experiences you’ve had as a writer?
Well, I negotiated the contract for my first Regency romance while I was in labor with my second child. Does that count? It feels really appropriate that I was able to re-edit and re-release that book—A Choice of Cousins—a year ago when my daughter was pregnant with her daughter.
Are there certain characters or a theme or idea you love to work with?
My books will always be about people trying very hard to live their lives with courage and honor—even if the characters don’t always agree on what that means. They will always be trying to balance their responsibility to others with their responsibility to themselves and trying to figure out what to hold onto of the old as well as what to embrace with the new as the world changes around them. This is one of the reasons I love the Regency time period. Things were changing just as fast then—politically, scientifically, socially, etc—as they have in my lifetime, so I can relate to the challenges they faced.
What project are you working on now?
I’ve just finished the first book of the Wayward Widows series which features three widows who band together and try to balance their desire to be respectable with the need to support themselves after being left penniless by their husbands’ deaths.
Book 1—Harriet Tangles With The Earl—involves a duel of wits between an enterprising young widow and a disapproving earl. Each turns the other’s world upside down. Ultimately, they must join together to defeat an enemy who is determined to force Harriet to become his mistress and destroy the Earl of Darrowfieldl—as well as everything and everyone he values. Together, they discover love, laughter, adventure and that their differences matter far less than the happiness they could create together.
It’s been a lot of fun to write and I hope will make readers laugh out loud as well as feel a great deal of empathy for my characters.
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Yes. First of all, never give up! Persistence often is the difference between becoming (or remaining) a published author and not being one. This business changes all the time, and there are more options than there ever were. What editors, agents and/or readers want one day might be totally different the next.
Second, I believe that we writers help to shape the world in which we live by what we choose to write. That’s why I write books about hope and love, honor and commitment, and people triumphing over challenges in their lives. Think about how you would like to help shape the world and never underestimate the power of the stories you may have to tell.
Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
To my readers and fans I would say: I hope my books leave you believing in your power to triumph over the challenges in your life and that you deserve to be loved for who you truly are. I wish for each of you love that empowers and people in your life who treat you with kindness and respect.
I also want to say I am so very grateful you exist and that you want to read my books.
Harriet Tangles With The Earl
Historical Romance — Escape to the Pleasures of the Past
Harriet Tangles with the Earl involves a duel of wits between an enterprising young widow and a disapproving earl. Each turns the other’s world upside down. They must join together to defeat an enemy who is determined to force Harriet to become his mistress and destroy the Earl of Darrowfield—as well as everything and everyone he values. Together, they discover love, laughter, adventure and that their differences matter far less than the happiness they could create together.
Buy Links
Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Learn more about April Kihlstrom
Website: www.aprilkihlstrom.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AprilKihlstromauthor/
Twitter: @AprilKihlstrom
Blog http://www.aprilkihlstrom.com
April Kihlstrom’s Book in a Week Workbook
I love the idea for your new series. I just downloaded your book. Talking about theme, made me really think. Not only about the themes in my own writing, but about the world and the way we wish it to be – portraying some of that every time we set words to the page. I look forward to reading this book and the series. Love the premise!
Thank you, Delsora–you’ve made my day! I hope you have as much fun reading the book as I did writing it.
Thank you for being my guest, April. Your experience and knowledge is amazing. And good luck with your new series.
Zara, Thank you so much for having me! And thank you for the good wishes. I had fun answering the questions and hope I inspire other authors to keep writing and to know the stories they have to tell matter, too.
It sounds like you’ve had a long, fruitful and interesting career! I love your emphasis on holding to your values in your stories.
Judy, It’s definitely been an interesting journey and I have been lucky enough to be doing this a while. One of the reasons this latest book took so long to come to life is that I started with the first line but then had to figure out how I could possibly write a book that would be true both to what I believe and to that first line. It was fun–if a bit scary at times–taking up the challenge!
As a proud brother of an awesome sister, I can add before she wrote romance stories, she wrote a science fiction novel (a post apocalyptic story) called Into the Mist which I found riveting. She has a gift for bring worlds to life with words.
Ah, Ken, thank you for those kind words. I’m amazed you still remember Into The Mist! Had things gone just a little different when I queried various publishers, I might have ended up writing lots of science fiction instead of romance. I’m kind of glad, though, that it turned out the way it did.
Love the sound of the Wayward Widows series. Bound to be lots of fun, and I’m looking forward to reading this first one. Best of luck!
Barbara, You’ve made my day! I do think the books will be lots of fun and hope you love reading Harriet’s book as much as I loved writing it. I know I laughed out loud as well as had poignant moments reading over the final manuscript–and I wrote the darned thing! But that’s what I hope for whenever I write–that my books will make people laugh as well as feel a tug at their heartstrings.
April you are truly inspiring and an amazing person and author! Love books that deliver uplifting messages that are at once historical and contemporary. . . keep them coming.
Elizabeth, Bless you for saying so! And there will be more books. I can’t wait to get started on the next book in the series plus the earl in this one has a brother and sister who may, some day, get their own books, too. 😉
Your characters! “People trying very hard to live their lives with courage and honor.” What a great example you set with your books and teaching. Thank you for making the world a little brighter!
Ah, thank you, Sandra! You’ve made my day!
I truly appreciate the theme of your books. You certainly have an interesting life-story. I love the cover of Harriet Tangles With The Earl. Wishing you the best with the new series.
Thank you so much Linda! So glad you like the cover and thanks for the good wishes.