She Was A Voracious Reader Growing Up!

Karen White

I grew up being a voracious reader and it was a natural step to turn my interest to writing. I have published 28 award-winning and bestselling novels including my latest release, THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET, published by Penguin Random House in October, 2019. This is the 6th book in the Tradd Street series, and was followed by the final book, THE ATTIC ON QUEEN STREET,  published on November 2, 2021. THE LAST NIGHT IN LONDON, was published on April 20, 2021.

I write what others have termed "grit-lit"—southern women's fiction, as well as a contemporary paranormal mystery series (The House on Tradd Street is the 1st book in the series) set in Charleston, South Carolina.

I have also written three collaborations with bestselling authors Lauren Willig and Beatriz Williams.  ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE, was published my William Morrow in January, 2012. We are hard at work on book #4, scheduled for publication in September, 2022.

This March my book The Shop on Royal Street was published. It's about Nola Trenholm who is hopeful for a fresh start in the Big Easy but must deal with ghosts from her past—as well as new ones— this is the first book in a spin-off series.

After a difficult detour on her road to adulthood, Nola Trenholm is looking to begin anew in New Orleans, and what better way to start her future than with her first house? But the historic fixer-upper she buys comes with even more work than she anticipated when the house’s previous occupants don’t seem to be ready to depart.

Although she can’t communicate with ghosts like her stepmother can, luckily Nola knows someone in New Orleans who is able to—even if he’s the last person on earth she wants anything to do with ever again. Beau Ryan comes with his own dark past—a past that involves the disappearance of his sister and parents during Hurricane Katrina—and he’s connected to the unsolved murder of a woman who once lived in the old Creole cottage Nola is determined to make her own...whether the resident restless spirits agree or not.

Karen White has two grown children (one of whom appears in several of her books under the alias of Meghan Black), and lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two cute Havanese dogs, Quincy and Sophie Belle. Readers may recognize Quincy as General Lee in the Tradd Street series.

Visit Karen's website at www.karen-white.com or connect on social media: Facebook: Facebook.com/karenwhiteauthor, Twitter: @KarenWhiteWrite 

My Writing Non-Process -Part 2

Karen White

Part 2

A famous writer once said that writing was like driving through fog at night (or something like that). The headlights can only illuminate a few feet ahead as you move forward, but only blackness lies beyond until you cover more ground. I’m sure I’ve butchered that somewhat, but the gist is there. Pantsers can’t see more than a few scenes ahead—oftentimes even less. We might even relish that feeling of something exciting and unseen lurking in the darkness. It’s similar to the feeling of reading a good book, of turning each page with the expectation of being surprised. Of not knowing what a character will do or say.

So what is my process? I do try to schedule as many hours as possible to devote to just writing—with my phone on silent to prevent distractions. I also schedule the “other” parts of my life as much as possible. If I know I have to take my dad to the dentist at two o’clock, I know that I will still have an hour of writing time after I get home before my workout at four-thirty and I make sure I’m with my laptop writing instead of flipping through emails. I research as I go along so I know exactly what I need to look up, understanding the temptation of easily falling into the rabbit hole of interesting factoids that can easily suck up an entire day. These are the parts of my writing I can more or less “control.” The rest of it—not so much.

When beginning a new manuscript, I always start with my protagonist and her inner and outer conflicts. And then I add setting, which is always another character in my books. I’ll have a general and very fluid idea of what the overarching theme of a novel will be, and what is supposed to happen, but the end product is guaranteed to be much different than what I’d originally envisioned. I don’t even tell my editor what my current work-in-progress is about because (her words) it’s always a different book when I turn it in.

My only exception is with my Tradd Street series. I just finished writing book number seven—The Attic on Queen Street (out in November 2021)—and since the first book came out in 2008, there are a lot of details that I simply can’t remember. I barely recall my name most days, much less the name of the main character’s childhood dog that appeared in book two. So, I hired someone to prepare a family tree for all the families mentioned in the series, as well as a Bible of sorts listing all the characters (in alphabetical order) and all the previous plot lines as a prompt for me. Not exactly an outline for my current work-in-progress, but a great start for my spin-of series to follow the final Tradd Street book.

The moral of this story is to do what feels right for you. There is never a wrong method (unless that involves never writing a word). And no right method for everybody. There are as many techniques to getting a novel written as there are writers. Sometimes you have to experiment to find what works for you.

Maybe the real answer as to what my process is should be a simple one: butt in chair. The more time you spend at your desk or wherever you choose to write, the more words will be written. And that, dear writers, is what it’s all about in the end. 

Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of 27 books, including the Tradd Street series, Dreams of Falling, The Night the Lights Went Out, Flight Patterns, The Sound of Glass, A Long Time Gone, and The Time Between. She is the coauthor of All the Ways We Said Goodbye, The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room with New York Times bestselling authors Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband near Atlanta, Georgia.


With almost two million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 27 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series. 

Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance. Visit Karen at https://www.karen-white.com/

My Writing Non-Process - Part 1

Karen White

If I weren’t the shy type that I am, I might share with you a photo of my desk right now. It’s stacked high with two desk calendars (for current year and next—this last because I remain hopeful that things will actually happen next year), research books for three separate works in progress (final edits for one, beginning of another, and rewrites for a third), itineraries for an April 2021 book tour, a never-ending to-do list that starts with a call to the vet for not just one, but two dogs with different ailments, a book I’m reading for another author for a cover blurb, and a stack of insurance and financial paperwork regarding the care of my elderly parents. Oh, and my laptop.

I’m not trying to impress anyone with my juggling abilities (notice how I didn’t mention the endless stream of texts from my children requesting advice on every subject from boyfriend communication to my laundry expertise or the hours of answering emails or creating Insta stories and witty Tweets required of any published author).

Thanks a Million

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

It seems like just yesterday when Annette Cole Mastron, our Communications Director, notified us that Suite T was getting more than a thousand visitors a day.  Only a couple of months later, we got excited when that number doubled to over two thousand each day.  Having just checked the stats, I'm proud to report that your Southern Writers blog is now attracting between five and seven thousand views daily, a number that continues to grow weekly.

And here's the coolest part: This week you gave us our ONE MILLIONTH HIT on Suite T!

Besides reaching the marvelous milestone itself, this tells us a couple of things:

1) Social media works.
2) There are a ton of online users interested in the writing craft.
 
Sure, there are blogs with even more impressive numbers, but for a magazine that's only been in publication for three years, and one that relies largely on word-of-mouth and social media to generate buzz, we're mighty happy—and grateful to you—for those numbers.

So grateful are we, in fact, that we want to give you a free gift.  In honor of our millionth blog hit, we're giving you the complete set of all three anniversary issues of Southern Writers Magazine!

 Visit http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/millionbonus.html to get your free online editions of our July 2012, July 2013, and July 2014 anniversary issues featuring interviews with best-selling authors Tamera Alexander, Karen White, DiAnn Mills, and many others. If you're a follower of the blog but have yet to see the magazine that spawned it, here's your chance to experience all of the interviews, insights and special features we pack into each issue for you.

Over a million pageviews represents a lot of writers coming to see what other writers have to say about their craft, but it includes a great many non-writing readers as well.  If you're an author, consider guest blogging on Suite T and connecting with thousands of fellow authors and potential new readers (submission info is found here under Guest Posting).

In my next post on Tuesday September 9th, I'll share some of the interesting observations we've made during these three years of blogging, along with which posts have gotten the most attention, and why.  Meanwhile, be sure to check out your three free issues of Southern Writers (for a limited time) at this link:

http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/millionbonus.html

All of us at Southern Writers want to thank you for following Suite T and helping us reach this milestone.  We think you're one in a million!

Cover Stories

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


COVER STORY #1

The new July / August issue of Southern Writers is out, and it's a special one for our second anniversary! All of us at the mag are grateful to you, and what a pleasure it is to work with every one of the great authors, poets, songwriters, publishers and agents who share their voices of experience with our readers, from cover to colorful cover.

Hmm, covers.  Actually, one of my favorite articles in this issue was written by author and artist Natasha Brown, who shares tips on designing effective book covers. Visit www.southernwritersmagazine.com to see all that's waiting for you in the new July edition.

Speaking of covers, the front of our commemorative issue is graced by none other than Karen White, the author of 16 bestselling and award-winning novels, including her latest summer getaway, The Time Between.  Which brings us to...

COVER STORY #2

You can win an autographed copy of The Time Between!  Karen White has graciously offered to give two of our readers signed copies of her new June release (there's the cover for you). What do you have to do to win one?  Simply visit www.southernwritersmagazine.com/karen-white-contest.html and submit your email address by July 14th. A random drawing on the 15th will determine the two lucky winners.

And that's not all! As part of our second anniversary celebration, we'll follow that giveaway with additional giveaways during July!  Stay tuned to win even more books autographed by authors who appear in our anniversary issue.

COVER STORY #3
While we're talking giveaways, here's not only a chance to win a free online subscription to Southern Writers, but your opportunity to give us your opinion on your favorite book covers. What book covers have grabbed you even before you saw the title?  Which ones have that "wow" factor that you can't take your eyes off of?  We want your opinion, and in the November issue we'll show the book covers you chose as the best of the bookshelf, plus we'll talk to the authors and artists who made them.

To cast your vote (for up to five different book covers — and yes, you can vote for your own), be sure and visit http://covers.southernwritersmagazine.com. We'll be taking your suggestions through August 30. After that we'll draw for ten winners of year-long subscriptions to Southern Writers Magazine.  If you already have a subscription (and you do, right?) we'll extend it, of course. Then in November we'll share the secrets of book cover success in our very special "cover" story.

So run for cover!  Enter our newest contests and dive into the 2nd anniversary issue of Southern Writers.   If it's summer writing inspiration you're looking for, we've got you covered.