Welcome, Karla Stover

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

1: Thank you so much for being here Karla Stover, 

I see kids I went to school with from grade school on, and they say I was always writing. I do have some of my high school diaries, which are pretty funny reading.

2: Seems to be the standard answer for us authors. What or Who inspired you to write?

Anne (of Green Gables) Shirley, Jo (Little Women) March, and Betsy (Betsy-Tacy books) Ray. When I was lonesome, I read and reread these books and wanted to be just like the heroines.

3: Great books. What do you like the most and least about writing?

A while back, my husband and I went to Great Britain with my parents and one of the things we did was visit family in York. My mother just passed away and working on my historical novel, Wynters Way which takes place in York makes me feel close to her. What I don’t like is not having fellow writers to talk with.

4: I'm sorry about your mother.  Can you join a writing group to meet fellow authors?  Tell us what do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

My husband and I walk our dog every morning, have coffee with friends, and garden. I am president of my garden club. This year’s drought, however, has fried my yard,

5: Sounds like an interesting life. Which authors do you like to read?

Alexander McCall Smith, C.S. Harris—she does an amazing job of creating Regency England and, since my husband and I recently visited Alaska, memoirs of the Gold Rush.

6: Tell us  one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I’m a fun person. People think I’m super intelligent and I’m not. I just remember peculiar things. Actually it’s my gay friends who are the least intimidated.

7: Tell us about your current novel, where can we find it and your website/blog.

I am working on two books: I mentioned Wynters Way which Books We Love is publishing in late December. I already have the cover and it’s really evocative—all grays and gloomy. I am also working on a second non-fiction book of Tacoma, Washington (where I live) history. I can’t blog and keep up  website so I am at blogspot.

8: Sounds interesting. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Find a good critique group. It will keep you to deadlines and point out mistakes. Just don’t be thin skinned.

9: Definitely can't be thin skinned with a critique group. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

I don’t know where they come from; they’ve never told me.

10: Great answer. LOL Where do you get your ideas?

Usually from something I’ve read. For example, in Murder, When One Isn’t Enough, the idea came fromMadame of the House, an autobiography written by a famous San Francico madame, and things she wrote about Errol Flynn.

11: What’s one thing no one knows about you?

I prefer small parties to big ones.

12. What’s your favorite book?

Anybody Can do Anything, Betty McDonald’s memoir about being a single mom in Seattle during the Depression. Seattle hasn’t done right by her, as far as I’m concerned—too focused on Kurt Cobain L The book should be a must-read for teenagers.

The City of Destiny took shape where rails met sails on the shores of Commencement Bay. When Tacoma was chosen as the Northern Pacific Railroad's terminus, the city rose from the mudflats and took the lead as the Northwest's destination for opportunity. In this collection, discover the city's early notables and uncover the stories behind the historic landmarks. Why did city planners abandon Olmsted's vision? How many war bonds did Lana Turner's kisses buy? Why were vegetarians warned "Don t drink the water"? Who is the tiny figure with coal black hair and bound feet who haunts Old Tacoma? Local author and guide Karla Stover answers these questions and more as she spins stories from the tomes of Tacoma's past.
Available from Amazon