When Love Inspires: Karin's story

When Love Inspires: Karin's story

For as long as I can remember, I’ve sought out love stories. Even when I was too young to read them, they were my favorites. Mary Anne was my favorite babysitter because she had Logan. Nancy had Ned. And I preferred Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield’s high school adventures because they could date and occasionally had boyfriends.

By the time I’d read all of the Babysitter’s Club, Nancy Drew, and Sweet Valley High books, I faced a dilemma—finding love stories appropriate for a teenaged girl. Growing up in a small town, my library provided limited options: the classics, Christian fiction, and Harlequin romances.

At fourteen years old, I didn’t particularly care for the classics. I tried though! I picked up Pride and Prejudice three times; I never made it past the second chapter. Christian fiction was okay, but my library only had Jeanette Oke and Lori Wick’s prairie romances. I read them, but I couldn’t relate to them. I wanted more exciting settings and situations. I was too embarrassed to check out a Harlequin romance (and I don’t think the librarian would have let me borrow one anyway), but a classmate’s mom had a collection that she let me borrow. Oh. My. I did not need that much detail.

I didn’t connect well with any of my options, but they were all I had. As I grew up, the Christian market expanded to include a variety of genres, but I always had to make the same decision when it came to reading: Victorian language and setting, a sermon, or sex. None of those appealed to me. I wanted the sweet romances of Mary Anne and Logan or Nancy and Ned. I wanted clean, contemporary romances that made me sigh, not blush. With limited options, I eventually settled on Christian romance.

When I started writing, it seemed natural to write Christian romance—I read them, and my faith is the most important aspect of my life. It took three manuscripts before I signed with an agent for my contemporary take on the historical concept of marriage-of-convenience. Publishers liked the story and my writing, but the Christian market wanted the story to be historical and the general market wanted less Christian content. I just wanted to write the types of books I had loved as a teen.

It didn’t take long for me to decide—I cut the Christian content. After making the changes I reread the manuscript and couldn’t believe it. I had produced a clean, contemporary romance that reflected my beliefs without preaching them! Without sex, swearing, or corsets, I’d created characters and a setting that produced the warm fuzzies I’d been looking for!

After that, I never looked back. I’m working on two clean, contemporary romances now with a third already planned out. Ideas are already swirling for more, but I need to finish these first.

It took several more years before a publisher printed my first book (ironically enough, the only other Christian manuscript I’ve pitched), but my next book—coming October 2019—will be my contemporary take on the marriage-of-convenience. I’m thrilled to be writing (and publishing!) those sweet stories I craved as a teen and still enjoy as an adult.

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Author Bio: 

Karin Beery grew up in a small, rural Michigan town where she wrote her first novel in high school. 

She’s still writing today, telling contemporary stories with a healthy dose of romance.

When she’s not writing fiction, she’s editing or teaching it. And when she’s not doing that, she enjoys time at home with her husband and fur babies, once again living in a small, rural Michigan town.

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Blurb for Karin’s book, Summer Plans and Other Disasters:

Elementary school music teacher Callie Stevens thinks she’s finally figured out God’s plan for her life—she even made a list to keep her on track. 

Moving in with her brother and reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend are at the top of the list. What ’s not on the list is running into her childhood crush, Ryan. God wanted her to connect with Kyle, right?

Trying to figure out God ’s plan is hard enough. But a dating-averse older brother, the young blonde who adores him, a pregnant best friend, and Callie ’s continual mishaps make her wonder whether her best-laid plans were truly God-inspired.

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Connect with Karin:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarinbeery
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/karinbeery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinbeery
Website (official): http://www.karinbeery.com
Group website: http://www.romancereaderscafe.com

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