Interview with Kathleen Y'Barbo and book giveaway

Narelle here. I'm delighted to welcome Kathleen Y'Barbo to our blog. Today we're giving away a copy of Kathleen's book, The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck. The book giveaway will be limited to US and Canadian residents.

RITA and Carol award nominee Kathleen Y’Barbo is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than forty novels, novellas, and young adult books. In all, more than one million copies of her books are currently in print in the US and abroad, and her books have been translated into Dutch, German, and Spanish, to name a few.

Her newest historical novel, The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck (Waterbrook) released in June 2011, and in 2012 she debuts a contemporary Texas beach series for Love Inspired.

Kathleen is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, and the Public Relations Society of America. She holds a BBA from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School and a certification in Paralegal Studies, and is a member of the Texas Bar Association’s Paralegal Division. In addition, Kathleen also served exclusive publicist for Books & Such Literary Agency.

A tenth-generation Texan, Kathleen Y’Barbo has a daughter and three grown sons. She recently married her own hero in combat boots (read about their real-life romance here!) and is proud to be a military wife, even if it did mean giving up her Texas drivers license.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is Book 3 in Kathleen's Women of the West series.

Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away.

Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.

Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.

But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?

Narelle: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is set in 1887 in England and America. What do you find interesting about this historical time period?

Kathleen: I love the contrast between the Gilded Age going on in the more civilized parts of the world and the Old West which was still being settled by hardy pioneers who never considered the excesses of the wealthy. The irony in all this is that many of the wealthy, especially in Britain, were fascinated with the Old West, as witnessed by the popularity of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Narelle: Do any real life historical figures play a role in your story?

Kathleen: Yes, Buffalo Bill Cody figures prominently, as does one of his performers, the esteemed Native American horseman and shootist named Red Shirt. I also make mention of real people such as the Astronomer Royal as well as a few prominent architects and painters.

Narelle: Please share with us a few of your research tips. Have you visited England?

Kathleen: Thanks to my children, I was gifted with a trip to visit London and Paris last year. Using my cousin's flat in Kensington as home base, my son - who has lived in London for several years - and I toured extensively in London. I was able to walk through Hyde Park, visit palaces and other places where the book is set. The rest of my research was done by Internet, research books, and through a wonderful Londoner named Vanessa who is a history buff like me.

Narelle: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck is Book 3 in your Women of the West series. How is this story connected to the other books in the series?

Kathleen: Charlotte Beck, the heroine of this tale, is the daughter of Daniel Beck, hero of The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper (Book 1). She appears in this novel as a wayward ten-year-old with a talent for trouble and picking pockets. In the second book, Anna Finch and the Hired Gun, she is a spirited teenager on the brink of adulthood.

Narelle: Please tell us about your upcoming releases.

Kathleen: My next book, a contemporary romance set on a Texas beach that I'm writing for Love Inspired called Daddy's Little Matchmakers, the tale of three little girls who decide their widowed veterinarian dad is ready for love in spite of his claims never to marry again, releases January 2012.

Kathleen, thanks for joining us today. By commenting on today’s post, US and Canadian residents can enter the drawing to win a copy of The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck. The drawing will take place on Friday, July 15 and the winner announced on Sunday, July 17. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

To learn more about Kathleen Y'Barbo, please visit her website.

Narelle Atkins writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. She can also be found at the new Christian Writers Downunder blog. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.