Interview with Christian Romance Author Lori Copeland

Lori is a “best-selling” Christian author. She lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. They are quite involved in their church and support mission work in Mali, West Africa. Lori has three children, several grandchildren, a great grandchild, and over 95 books published. Whew! Those are quite the accomplishments. My personal favorites are: “Men of the Saddle” and “Brides of the West.”

Walker's Wedding: Jilted by his fiancée, Walker McKay is determined to never let a woman near his heart again, but he needs an heir. Courting someone new is out of the question, so he’ll have to find a wife another way. Wealthy heiress Sara Livingston wants to marry, but her suitors are deemed unsuitable by her unreasonable father. So she answers an ad for a mail-order bride and grabs onto it with both hands. Will Sara’s deception about her background and Walker’s wounded heart keep them from finding what they are looking for? Or are they truly meant for one another? 

Hello Lori. I’m so excited to have this opportunity to interview you. I have read several of your books and have enjoyed them immensely. I absolutely loved the “Men of the Saddle” series. Tell us about your new book, Walker’s Wedding. 

Walker's Wedding is the third book in my Western Sky Harvest series, and I have to say it's my favorite--of course all my books are like my babies. Actually, that isn't true; often a book will not turn out the way I envisioned and that always makes me sad. But there's the rare occasion that a book comes together exactly as I've planned and I rejoice. Walker's Wedding is one of those titles. This book was previously written for the ABA market and Harvest allowed me to refresh it the way I'd always envisioned the story. Without giving away the plot I'll just say that it's a book with strong emotions, a few laughs and always the message that through God all things are possible. 

I love your books because your characters are so well developed. Where do you get your ideas? Do you get some from real life experiences or your imagination?

Oh my---that's hard to say. I think every author draws on life experiences, though I have never experienced anything like what Sara Livingston does in this story! I usually mull the hero and heroine around in my mind for a while before I come up with the setting and situation. One of the fun parts of writing is that you never know where the story is going to lead. I am an author that has no problem veering from my original thoughts if I feel that the characters are suddenly taking the lead in the story. 

Lori began her writing career in 1982. "In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him." Lori, tell us about your journey from secular writing to writing Christian Novels.

I began my career in the ABA market. I wrote the short romances for Dell, Random House, Harlequin--just about every line going at that time. My heart was never in the secular romance. I was a Christian, but I wasn't serving God with my talent. I had prayed for fifteen years for Him to open a door to the Christian market, and He finally did. I began with Tyndale House with my Brides of the West series. Since then I've worked with Harlequin Steeple Hill, Zondervan and Harvest House. Please visit me at my web site: www.loricopeland.com and catch up with all my latest titles. I have so many older titles that I hope to refresh someday--great stories that I would love to tell with a Christian voice. 

What does your family think about your writing?

LOL. You have to understand that I come from a family comprised mostly of men. My husband is an only child; I have three sons, they have four boys among them and one girl. Yay Audrey! And we were blessed with a darling great-granddaughter Anabelle, 17 months ago. And now Mya is on the way! We're gaining on 'em, ladies. I am certain that my family is very proud of my success, but around home I'm just mom, grandma and taxi service, and that's the best occupation a woman can have. 

So true! Being a mom is a full time job. By the way, we're complete opposites 'cause I have all daughters and no sons. (Six daughters in all.) Okay, tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

The real Lori Copeland is a very lonely author. I sometimes feel that I sit in a small office and write to air. Writing is a solitary job--and it is a job. A writer gives up much of what other people take for granted. We give up close friends--because friendships take time. We give up small pleasures like days off--because a writer is never far away for his work. We give up our innocence because everything we write about is suspect; friends think we're writing about them, enemies are certain you've stolen their material. Writing is both a curse and blessing---never forget that when you read a book. 

Lori, always remember that you have many readers to whom you bring great joy, including myself. You don't know how many hearts you've touched. If you really think about it, you don’t write to air, but to an audience that loves Christian Romance. It’s difficult to find a beautifully written romance that is clean for all ages. You entertain, bring joy to your readers, and make us laugh. I love the humor you put in your books. I often wonder if making a person laugh is the best job of all. That’s why you’re an author. We need this kind of entertainment. Thank you for a fun interview.

Book Review for Walker's Wedding:

Walker’s Wedding is a refreshing and adorable romance with plenty of humor. The story begins with Sarah who, at the age of 25, is considered an old maid. Every man that comes courting… her wealthy father doesn’t approve of or they are fortune hunters. At this rate she’ll never find a husband. Sarah wants to marry and have children. She is also desperate to get away from her controlling father and have a life of her own. She wants to love and be loved and would do anything… even be a mail-order bride. Without her father’s knowledge, she heads for Wyoming on the train to meet her husband-to-be.

Walker McKay isn’t sure what to expect when he meets the beautiful red headed Sarah Livingston. He had been abandoned at the altar once before and was humiliated. Not wanting to be jilted a second time and disgraced, Walker McKay plans a barbeque, just in case his new fiancée might skip out. This way, if she doesn’t show up, then no one knows he’s been jilted again. Sarah is surprised when she walks down the steps in her wedding gown and finds the room full of guests having a barbeque. When she turns to Walker with a puzzled look, he just smiles. He did not forget to invite the preacher who doesn’t even know he is about to perform a wedding. “Got your bible with you?” Walker asks the preacher. Who ever heard of a Barbeque Wedding?

Most romances are about a couple who meets, he courts her, and they fall in love… but this story takes a different direction all together. It’s about a couple who marries, he courts her, and then they fall in love. The humor is delightful throughout the book, with one twist after another. When Walker finds out that she isn’t who she says she is, he flies off the handle and isn’t sure what to do. Author Lori Copeland has written an adorable novel about romance after the wedding. I highly recommend this book. It’s fun!

Review written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of Melinda and the Wild West, a Semi-finalist for the “Reviewers Choice Award.”