Today, CLG catches up with Karen Siplin, an author she fell in love with when she read Karen’s debut novel, HIS INSIGNIFICANT OTHER (amazon.com link), and CLG knew Karen would stay one of her fave writers when she read her sophomore offering, SUCH A GIRL (amazon.com link). Now, Karen talks to CLG about her latest literary happenings!
What are the latest happenings in your writerly world?
I’m eagerly awaiting the publication of my third novel. It’s called Whiskey Road: A Love Story (pre-order @ amazon.com) and will be published in May 2008 as a trade paperback original by Washington Square Press. It’s a tale of unlikely love in small-town America.
There’s no cover yet, but I do have a GREAT description for you:
After one too many run-ins with irate A-List celebrities and their bodyguards on the streets of Los Angeles, paparazza Jimi Anne Hamilton has decided to throw in the towel. But when she planned to ride her BMW K 1200 motorcycle from California to New York, she didn’t count on having her cross-country adventure interrupted by a motorcycle thief. After the brutal attack, which sees both her motorcycle and camera equipment stolen, she finds herself left with only her helmet, a few clothes, and a bag of money she swiped from her attacker. Disillusioned and hurt, Jimi chooses to recuperate in a nearby town where she meets Caleb Atwood, a local contractor fighting his own demons.
Jimi and Caleb make a mismatched pair: black and white, highbrow and low. But in Caleb, Jimi believes she has found someone who is as much of an outsider as she feels. With Whiskey Road, Karen Siplin again succeeds in giving readers a story about opposites who manage to see what no one else can – that they’re right for each other.
What’s one thing you’ve learned about the writing industry over the last year?
It’s extremely important to connect with readers. I’ve been unwell most of 2007, and I really lost touch with my readers. I regret that enormously. I try to keep my web site updated so people know what’s going on with me and my work.