Interview with Sweet Romance Author Karey White

Karey White is the author of two novels. Her book, Gifted, was a 2011 Whitney Award Finalist. Besides writing, she enjoys baking, reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends. Before she started writing, she owned a wedding cake shop and designed and sold clothing. Her greatest joy comes from being a wife and mother. She has a wonderful husband and four fantastic children. Her favorite quote and the motto she tries to apply to her life is “faith and fear cannot co-exist.” Karey White is an author, a wife and a mother of four.

Welcome back to my blog, Karey. Please tell us about your new book, For What It's Worth.

It’s the story of 24-year-old Abby Benson. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make her dream of owning a wedding cake bakery a reality. She hires (and falls for) Dane, a handsome contractor who helps her renovate the bakery. Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customer decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?

Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

I owned my own wedding cake business for about a dozen years. When I delivered an especially interesting cake to a wedding, the mother told me she was surprised what a bargain it was. I started wondering what she’d have been willing to pay for the cake if it had been up to her. Pretty soon I had ideas for the book that I couldn’t wait to write.

Owning your own wedding cake shop must have been a fun experience. What kind of research did you do for this book?

There’s always the little things like researching restaurants and details about location, but for most of the story, my research had been done during the years I’d made wedding cakes.

I love it when authors add real life situations to their stories, such as your Wedding Cake Shop. Do you put real experiences in your books, too?

All the time. I don’t know how authors don’t. People who know me well will see little things about me in my writing. In For What It’s Worth, the setting is Seattle, Washington, a place I lived for awhile. A couple of the experiences Abby has with her cakes are things that really happened as I did cakes and I used a few of my favorite cakes as ideas for the cakes she makes. I never did the self-pricing idea, although I think it would have been fun to try. I was never that brave.

Thank you for this awesome interview, Karey. It was fun getting to know you. Everyone enjoys learning more about an author’s life and the inspiration behind the story. I know I do.