Christian authors have a hard time getting the press they need to promote their books. I recently joined a number of other authors in pledging support in this realm. This offer means that we “cross blog” and exchange interviews when book releases come around. I get to inflict myself on Karla’s readers down the road when I get published.

I met Karla at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference this past year. I’ve been saving this interview since then because I wanted to kick it out when her book was released. That takes place tomorrow. If you’d like to purchase The Pastor’s Wife Wears Biker Boots it’s available now on Amazon.com. Head on over and get a copy today.

Where do you write?

I’d like to say I write in a neatly organized office, and I may do that someday, but right now my office is filled with hundreds of books from my teaching years. Now that I’m sure I like reading digitally on my iPad, I’m arranging to give many of them away. For now, I usually write from my comfy chair in the living room in the middle of the chaos. I’m pretty good at tuning noise out or I use my headphones.

What is your process?

I usually start with an idea that has to do with a unique or unsuspecting character in an unusual situation. And I may write a little synopsis or just start writing and then brainstorm on paper. I always keep a notebook with me so I can write down ideas or work on chapters. I have limited time to write, so I do it every chance I get.

Describe your book.

A pastor’s wife decides to learn to ride a motorcycle and when she does, she creates all kinds of hilarious drama between the women she recruits to ride with her and the church board.

Why should readers pick it up?

If they’ve ever been involved in church leadership or like a good laugh about women aged 40+ doing crazy things, I think they’ll enjoy the adventure. Kirstie, the pastor’s wife, also has an autistic son, and two boys who are just regular kids with their own dramas. Kirstie is a homeschool Mom, too. Homeschooling and autism are two causes dear to my heart.

How did your book come to life?

I learned to ride a motorcycle at the tender age of 47. And so many funny things happened to me, I thought the same concept would make a good book. I also wanted to give a little insight into what it’s like being a pastor’s family, what it’s like to live with autism, and how it feels to go through some of the things Kirstie goes through.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?

This is a tough one! There are many quirky characters in the book. Of course Kirstie is my first favorite because she’s a pastor’s wife like me. I guess my second favorites would be Opal and Atticus. Opal is someone in her 60s who’s never married and scared of her own shadow. You’ll have to read the book to find out who Atticus is.

How did you name your characters?

I did web searches for popular names of the year they were born on baby name sites.

Are the characters based on people you know?

There may be some character qualities that are like people I know, but I didn’t base the character on an individual but more on a single type of person.

Why will readers enjoy your book?

If they like reading about how people relate to one another in hilarious and unexpected ways, they’ll love it.

Is anything in the book based on your own life?

The fact that I’m a pastor’s wife who rides a motorcycle, of course, is something like me, but Kirstie isn’t like me at all. She has a lot more energy! Ironically, when I wrote the book, a couple of things that are in the book did happen to me later. I write about Alzheimer’s and had no idea at the time that my mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s would come to live with us. I write about the preacher’s son’s trouble with the law, and had no idea we, too, would be experiencing some of the same heartbreak. You can read about that on my Prison Ministry page on my website. It’s almost as if the Lord was preparing me well for what we were to go through. Sort of a foreshadowing. God is so good that way.

What is your favorite scene in the book?

Oh my goodness, that’s so hard because there are so many that I love. I love the scene with the pastor’s family’s pet bull mastiff when he interrupts a church meeting after a swim in the pond. I also love the part where the women get locked in a Harley Davidson dealership after hours. But perhaps the best part is when they all go to jail. Then again there is that love scene…

Why Christian fiction?

I was a voracious reader as a child. I read anything I could get my hands on and I was blessed to have a mother and father who loved to read. From the time I was small my mother read to us out of the classics. By the time I was in 5th grade I’d read classics such as David Copperfield, Treasure Island, and The Yearling. I also read all those Reader’s Digest condensed books my parents got every month. Every one of them. But in Jr. High or High School, I read the book, Christy, by Catherine Marshall. That book impressed me so much that I felt the call into what our little church called “full time Christian service.” I knew I would serve Jesus with my life and that included my writing. I could never compare myself to Catherine Marshall, but I do hope that my books will touch people’s hearts and draw them closer to God the way that book and other Christian books did and still do. I write hoping that someone will draw closer to God.

Karla is represented by literary agent, Linda Glaz, of Hartline Literary Agency.

Contact Info:

Email: Karla.Akins@KarlaAkins.com

Snail Mail address: PO Box 61; North Manchester, IN 46962

Twitter: @KarlaAkins

Website: KarlaAkins.com

Blog: KarlaAkins.com/blog

Facebook author page: facebook.com/karlakakins

If you need more information, please contact Karla directly by any of the means above.