Meet author Wendy Klopfenstein
Wendy Klopfenstein enjoys sunshine, sweet tea, and a good book, preferably all at the same time. Having always loved creating stories as much as reading them, she now puts the ones wandering around in her head on paper for others to enjoy. When she’s not sitting on the porch reading, you can find her working on her next novel.
Tell us about your newest book.
A Secret Heart (Wind River Mail-Order Brides Book 3) is part of a series about the McGraw brothers and their mail-order bride adventures. Middle brother Ed McGraw is tasked with finding a mail-order bride for his black-sheep brother. But he finds himself intrigued by the woman who writes back. Rebekah Edwards works for the local newspaper, running matrimonial advertisements, when one day an ad appears for the rancher she’s pined for her entire life. But as she strikes up a correspondence, Rebekah finds herself drawn to Ed—the wrong McGraw brother for her. It’s perfect for fans of mistaken identity, love letters and matchmaking gone wrong.
What inspired you to write your story?
This particular book was a joint project with Lacy Williams. I auditioned with Sunrise Publishing for the chance to write with her as a mentor. The premise I auditioned with had to be set in 1890s Wyoming. As a lover of romcoms, I wanted a hint of humor in the story. Why not have a woman working at the newspaper, taking care of the mail-order bride ads, when she sees an ad for the man she’s always pined for? But…he’s not the one writing back to her. Unknown to her, it’s the brother that she’s had a long-standing feud with.
What genre do you focus on.
Historical Romance with a Western setting is my favorite genre to write. The simpler times fascinate me. I enjoy mail-order bride stories, especially with a twist. There’s something about the tenacity and willingness to set out for new lands and a new life that intrigues me. It’s fun to explore these times and the people who lived through them.
Why do you write?
Stories have always been a part of my life. I can’t remember when I wasn’t reading, which fueled my imagination to create stories of my own. The dream of holding my own book in my hands was always in the back of my mind. It’s been a great blessing to do so. Even better is reading the reviews of readers and getting emails from them about what they enjoyed in the story. Giving other readers the joy of reading is the greatest feeling in the world.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I also work in our family business, so I have to schedule around my work there. I take the number of chapters I’m writing for the book, then figure out how many chapters a week I need to complete the manuscript, while still leaving time to self-edit it before turning it in to the publisher. I prefer writing in long stretches of time, so I try to build blocks of uninterrupted time into my week.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
This is such a hard question. There are so many aspects I enjoy—connecting with readers, the friendships with other authors, brainstorming new ideas, and holding that published book in my hands.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
When I started writing I did very little pre-planning on paper. I’d have a vague outline of the characters and the story in my head. Now, I do more planning ahead of time than I used to, but that is a personal preference. I once heard someone say that neither method is better nor correct. You will do the work at one end or the other. I’ve discovered that I enjoy doing more planning upfront, although I still discover plot pieces while I’m writing.
What is your favorite pastime?
Spending time with my family is one of my favorite pastimes, especially time with my grandbaby. I also find it very relaxing to take time at some point in my day to go outside and take a walk or read a few pages of a book on the porch (weather permitting).
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have a novella “Her Gingerbread Refuge” in the Snowbound at Christmas collection. The hero and heroine are snowed in at a bakery with half a dozen matchmaking children at Christmastime. It’s also set in the Wind River Mail-Order Brides world and was a delight to write. You can get a copy of my other novella, A Surprise Harvest Bride, when you sign up for my newsletter at wendyklopfenstein.com.
What are you working on now?
My next novel is the beginning of a new series and is set in 1890s Texas. The heroine is desperately trying to save her family’s ranch when she unknowingly hires a runaway prince. It’s scheduled to be released in the spring of 2027. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter for all the latest updates as we get closer to the release date.
Website: wendyklopfenstein.com
Link to book: https://a.co/d/a6M4T8N
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