Today it is my great pleasure to host debut author Keli Gwyn on my blog for a Victorian Tea. We would love for you to join in the conversation, no gown required. Don't forget to leave a comment ~ Keli is giving away a free copy of her novel, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California to one lucky commenter.
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| Gabrielle Meyer |
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| Keli Gwyn |
Keli, thank you so much for calling on me at my cyber home today! Ever since I was a guest at your blog, I've been eager to have you stop by mine. Before we start visiting, I'd love to offer you something to drink. Since this is a Light Tea, I have a variety of teas and sweets to offer. What would you prefer?
What a delight it is to be here, Gabrielle. You have such a lovely cyber home. I’ll take some peppermint tea if you have it. Oh, and a couple of those vanilla scones. They smell heavenly.
Of course I have peppermint tea and help yourself to as many scones as you’d like. I will have some white tea and a chocolate scone, because, as I always say, if it's not chocolate, it's not worth it!
Your dress is simply stunning, Keli! I love the vibrant purple - and the matching hat is a perfect addition. Where did you find it?
Thank you. I’ll admit to being quite smitten with my outfit. The seamstress I hired outdid herself. She designed the dress and the hat. The gown looks just like the one my heroine, Elenora Watkins, is wearing in the final scene of my debut novel.
By the way, did you know that when I began blogging in February of this year, your blog was one of the first I came across? Since then I've enjoyed getting to know you and watch you release your debut novel. I know you live near the setting of your book, but you haven't always lived in California. At one point you were in Germany. Can you tell us what brought you there?
Before my dear Gwynly became a teacher, he served as a missionary in Germany, working with American high school students whose parents were stationed there. Gwynly returned to the U.S., gave up his job as a research chemist, returned to college, and got his teaching credential. He wanted to work with teens instead of making plastic.
Gwynly became a high school science teacher and dreamed of returning to Germany and teaching the young people who’d captured his heart. He applied for several years, but it wasn’t until after we married that he was hired to teach at Nürnberg American High School. I like to say that the Lord knew Gwynly needed to meet me first. :-)
We spent four and a half years in Germany, living there from 1989-1993. We were there when the Wall came down and the Cold War ended, and when U.S. troops were sent to fight the first Gulf War. Watching history in the making was amazing.
That does sound amazing! I’m sure Gwynly was happy to return to Germany with a bride by his side. Your blog is full of little tidbits about your life and I feel like you do a great job sharing the real life romance you enjoy with him. I love how you weave it into your day to day living. As a wife, what have you discovered is the secret to a successful marriage?
I am definitely blessed. Gwynly is an amazing guy! I would say that what makes our marriage work so well is that we take the other person into consideration. We both put the other first much of the time, even when that means sacrificing what we want.
Putting your spouse first isn’t always easy, but I’ve also learned it is one of the most important things we can do for our marriage.
Another aspect of your blog that I enjoy is watching your writing journey unfold. A few weeks ago you had the privilege of seeing your book in print for the first time! I loved watching the video you made at the post office while you opened the box and pulled the book out. I was crying tears of joy with you.
My seven-year-old daughter sat by me as we watched the video and when you mentioned that you'd dreamed of writing since you were seven, my daughter looked up at me with a huge grin on her face, because she wants to be a writer, too. You've been dreaming of this moment for over forty years, in your opinion, what do you think is the most important thing you've done on the road to publication?
Oh Gabrielle, I love hearing about your daughter’s reaction. That is so precious.
I think the single most important thing I’ve done to get where I am today is to study craft. Like many newbie writers, I was eager to get an offer of representation and a publishing contract. I sent out a handful of queries a year and a half into my journey, received well-deserved rejections, and learned that I had much to learn.
At that point, I made a decision. I chose to stop writing for a year and learn all I could about how to craft a marketable story. That choice made a big difference. When I began rewriting the strongest of the five stories I’d completed at that point, I could tell my writing had improved.
To see how close I was to having a story that would attract the attention of publishing pros, I entered the new version of my story in several contests. It did well, garnering me several wins and requests for fulls from final round judges. One of the judges, Rachelle Gardner, offered me representation. I still had work to do on the story, but I was more than willing to do it. My work did end up resulting in my first sale, which was quite rewarding.
Putting your writing on hold must have been a hard thing to do, but it was a wise decision. I had to put my writing on hold when I learned we were expecting twins. My consolation was that, even though I wasn’t writing, I was still gaining insight and wisdom that I could add to my stories. As writers, our books are often birthed from our own life experiences, both the good and the bad. If you could go back to one moment of your life to relive, which one would it be and why?
My, what a thought-provoking question. I would go back to a day before my beloved mother-in-law learned that her cancer had returned for the third and final time. I would give her a hug and kiss and tell her how much I love her. She knew it, but to be able to see her before her decline and let her know how much she meant to me one more time would be a real blessing.
Your love for your mother-in-law is so evident in your answer, Keli. She was a blessed woman to have you as a daughter-in-law.
I recently saw your guest post on Jenny Blake's blog and she asked you a great question. She said: If you could have a meal with 3 living people, who would you choose and why? I want to know, if you could have a meal with three people who are no longer living, who would you choose and why?
This one is easy. I would dine with my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my maternal grandmother. They were all believers and showered me with unconditional love. It would be wonderful to let them know that their support and encouragement filled my cup and helped me fulfill my lifelong dream of being a published author.
I always hope that those people who go on before us, especially those who have furthered the Kingdom of God in our lives, have special access to see what we have done here on Earth. My grandfather passed on three years ago and I hope he can see how his faith has left a lasting legacy of believers on Earth.
Thank you for stopping by my blog home today, Keli. It's been an honor to have you visit. I've loved getting to know you better and I look forward to calling on you at your blog home again soon. I'm praying that your debut novel will be a great success and that we'll be seeing many more novels from you in the near future.
Thank you for having me, Gabrielle. What a gracious hostess you are. Spending time with you and your blog’s visitors is wonderful. I’d like to end by asking all of you a question. Who was one of the first people to believe in you and encourage you to follow your dream?
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Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Keli's novel. The drawing will close on Friday, August 3rd at 11:59 p.m.
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Widow Elenora Watkins looks forward to meeting her new business partner, Miles Rutledge, who owns a shop in 1870s El Dorado. But Miles is shocked to see a woman step off the stagecoach. His rude behavior forces Elenora to reconsider—so she becomes his competition across the street. Can Miles win her heart while destroying her business?
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Keli Gwyn writes stories that transport readers to the 1800s, where she brings historic towns to life, peoples them with colorful characters, and adds a hint of humor. A California native, she lives in the Gold Rush-era town of Placerville at the foot of the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains. Her debut novel, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California, set in the heart of the Gold Country where she lives is currently available.
When Keli’s fingers aren’t hovering over the keyboard of her newfangled laptop, she enjoys strolling past stately Victorian houses in her historic town, burying her nose in reference books as she unearths interesting facts to include in her stories, and interacting with other romance readers. Her favorite places to visit are her fictional worlds, the Coach factory outlet store, and Taco Bell.
You can find Keli at:
