Interview With Karen Lenfestey, Author

 

Karen Lenfestey’s novel, A Sister's Promise, is the top selling book in the siblings category on amazon.com. Karen, who has a B.A. in advertising from Purdue University and an M.S. in counseling from Indiana University, received the Midwest Writers Fellowship for this novel about two sisters whose lives become intimately intertwined over the question of motherhood.

A Sister's Promise is available for purchase from amazon.com ($2.99) at http://www.amazon.com/A-Sisters-Promise-ebook/dp/B004C44P38.   In addition to Kindle, her book can also be read on an iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, PC or Mac.

      1. How long have you been writing?

I have been writing off and on all of my life. When I was a kid, sometimes my parents would send me to my room as a punishment (probably for something my brother did :)). While I was in there, I would often write stories to entertain myself.

2. You tackle an intriguing subject that many won't--the idea that not
all women want to be mothers. Can you tell us a little more about that
and about the overall plot of A Sister's Promise?

The truth is, women in our generation are often torn between their careers and motherhood. It is fairly accepted that one might delay motherhood, but rarely is skipping motherhood openly discussed.

I wanted to write about an event that would cause a woman to reconsider her choice not to have children. In “A Sister’s Promise”, Joely, who has always longed to be a mother, needs a lupus treatment that will probably leave her infertile. She refuses treatment unless her sister, Kate, promises to have a baby. In a rash moment, Kate agrees, even though she committed herself to a childless marriage. A sister’s promise and a wife’s promise: Kate must break one.

3. I love the relationship between Kate and Joely in this book. How
did you come up with these two characters?
 

I tried to create characters that I could relate to, then made them more interesting. Like Kate, I was a high school counselor who cared for her students like they were her own children. Joely embodies personality traits I would like to have more of—optimism and spontaneity.

4. Who are some of your favorite writers/your influences/etc.?
Basically, just tell us a little about what you like to read.

I enjoy reading Emily Giffin, Elizabeth Berg and Kristin Hannah. I aspire to write like Anna Quinlen or Marisa de los Santos. Shirley Jump is a New York Times bestselling author who lives nearby and has been very generous in sharing her writing secrets with me.

5. What comes first for you, plot or characters?
 

I toy with both plot and characters in my mind for a long time. I ultimately need to figure out what story I want to tell, then create characters that would learn something from that situation. Characters are critical, though, because people only read an entire novel if they care about the characters.

6. Tell us about projects you currently have in the works.
 

I’m working on another piece of women’s fiction called “What Happy Looks Like”. This one is about Lisa, a woman in her thirties who realizes she doesn’t have real friends like she did when she was younger. When a childhood friend passes away, Lisa feels compelled to track down another old friend with whom she had a terrible falling out.

7. What excites you most about the future of publishing? (E-books,
iPad, whatever comes to mind.)
 

What excites me about publishing today is how much easier it is for good writers to get their work to the public. Who would’ve thought a blog could turn into a book and movie deal like “Julie & Julia”? It’s amazing.

8. What is your favorite/least favorite thing about the writing process?
 

My favorite thing about writing is how I can get so wrapped up in my story that I forget to eat. (Ask my husband how rare that is). I love food and get hungry every 3 to 4 hours. In fact, I think I could use a snack right now. :)

I suppose my least favorite thing about writing is that I want to talk to people about the characters in my head, but no one knows who they are. It was incredibly satisfying after my friends read “A Sister’s Promise” and we could discuss what surprised them about Kate’s husband’s reaction and how they felt about the ending.

9. What's one thing that you know about writing now that you wish
you'd known a year ago?
 

I wish I would’ve known many years ago that I needed a critique group in order to write well. For years I kept my writing to myself, but only when I dared to ask for feedback did I achieve my best work.

10. How do you choose names for your characters?

I love choosing character names. Kate and Mitch were baby names that I had considered when I was pregnant (I liked Kate and my husband liked Mitch). Joely came from the credits of a tv show.

11. Anything else you wish to add?

I welcome feedback about this interview or about “A Sister’s Promise”. E-mail me at karenlenfestey@gmail.com.