Guest Post with Author Karen Ann Hopkins and Giveaway

Meet author Karen Ann Hopkins, author of Forever.

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Find Karen Ann at:

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What was your inspiration behind the book?
Six years ago I moved from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to a northern Kentucky Amish community. I brought twenty-four horses with me and set up my established horse-back riding business at the new farm. Within a few weeks a stream of Amish teens were coming to the arena to participate in riding activities with the non-Amish kids. Watching the interactions between the two groups, and observing some definite flirting going on, I began to wonder how a relationship between the two vastly different cultures could work out. It seemed impossible and incredibly intriguing at the same time. As the seed for Rose and Noah’s story grew in my mind, I dedicated two years to learning as much as I could about the Amish way of life. Besides my observations at the arena, my life was inundated with the Amish culture as Amish girls babysat my younger children, Amish teens hung out with my own teen sons, as I drove the Amish women to town to shop and even took a Tennessee vacation with an Amish family. I attended five Amish weddings and numerous schoolhouse benefits and private dinners with neighbors. When I’d gained enough experiential knowledge, I began writing and a year later, I had an agent and Harlequin Teen had purchased the forbidden love story.

Please share six fun facts about the book and or it's characters.

1. know two Amish teenagers who left their families to be with their ‘outsider’ boyfriends. One girl is now married and both girls seem happy with their decisions. They were ultimately shunned by the community, but their families do have limited contact with them.
2. Amish kids are finished with school in the eighth grade.
3. The Amish are not allowed to listen to music or play instruments.
4. The Amish in my community do not allow ‘Rumspringa.’ This is a time, usually after sixteen years old, when a teen is allowed more freedom in order to decide whether to remain Amish. Each Amish community has its own set of rules called its Ordnung.
5. The Amish are not allowed to drive cars, but they can hire others to drive them places when needed. There are many people making a living as Amish taxi drivers.
6. Amish men grow their beards when they marry and Amish girls are not allowed to cut their hair.

What are your favorite types of characters to read and write about?
Characters who face insurmountable challenges and rise to the challenge.

If Hollywood came calling, who would you cast in the roles of your characters?
Honestly, I think the best movies are the ones with unknown or lesser known actors portraying the characters. They become the characters in the viewer’s mind, whereas well-known Hollywood types never quite fit the vision. But, off the top of my mind, in looks and personality, Selena Gomez might be an all right choice for Rose and Liam Hemsworth would be interesting as Noah.

All I want is my happily-ever-after.

That's all I've wanted since meeting Noah Miller.

From the day we met, the world has tried to keep Noah and me from being together, but now that I'm carrying his child, no one will be able to tear us apart. Or so I hope. But Noah and I have made some mistakes along the way, and the consequences are impacting the people we love. Worse, there's a storm on the horizon, and it's sure to cause serious devastation.

If we can get through this, we'll finally be Rose and Noah; a family, forever.

But first we have to survive the road ahead. And happily-ever-after is a long way off.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

Check out the Temptation series:

 

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 $100 Amazon Gift Card
• 1 $50 Amazon Gift Card
• 1 copy of Heartbeat & Queen's Choice
• 1 copy of White Hot Kiss & Grim
• 1 copy of Anything to Have You & Secret Diamond Sisters

To Enter: 

• Please leave a comment or question for Karen Ann.
• US/Canada shipping ONLY.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Karen Ann Hopkins & Kismet Book Toursing for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.

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