First and Fourth Fridays Welcomes Karen (K.S.) Jones

First and Fourth Fridays is pleased to welcome Karen (K.S.) Jones. K.S. Jones, whose first name is Karen, has been writing most of her life, usually in stolen moments between raising children, caring for elderly parents, and working a real job. Her debut novel is Shadow of the Hawk.

Let’s put the First and Fourth Questions to Karen:

1) What was the first book that so captured your imagination that you felt a physical loss when you reached the last page?

For me, the first book to captivate my attention and imagination was CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London. I think I was about nine-years-old when I first read this book, and to this day, Mr. London is still one of my favorite writers.

2) What is the most romantic/loving thing you’ve ever done for someone else?

The man I married 35-plus years ago is still the love of my life, but how we’ve happily survived so long is still a mystery! Our early-married years were fraught with life’s little difficulties, so when our daughter and her husband had their first child, I wanted to help them get a better foothold. I decided to give them an “invisible me” for their first week home from the hospital with their precious baby. I cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and only made myself known when they had questions or needed help. I wanted to give them time to learn how to be a family without all the pressures of daily life. My daughter and her husband had time to bond with the baby, and bond to each other in their new mommy and daddy roles. It makes me happy to see the love and unity that exists today in their growing family.

3) What is the most romantic/sweet/loving thing someone has ever done for you?

Many years ago, as a young couple with two children, my husband and I struggled financially. We were not opposed to working several jobs at once to support our family on meager wages, but we often fell short in spite of our efforts. During one of our harder-than-most weeks, and still five days from the nearest payday, our pantry had scant food and our car barely had enough gas to get us to and from work that day. My mother had offered to watch our kids while we worked extra jobs, so I drove my kids to Grandma’s house for the day. As I was getting them settled in, my mother stood and quietly watched. When I turned to kiss her goodbye, she took my hand and led me into her kitchen. On the table was a quart-canning jar filled with silver coins. “I’ve been saving change, it’s not much, but I want you to have it.” And she handed me the jar. It was enough money to buy food for the week and gas for the car. By today’s standards, it wasn’t much. But to me, it was one of the most loving things ever done.

4) What do you think is the most romantic song?

Many romantic songs touch on a moment in time when love peaks. However, I believe we miss true love when we limit it. I want to feel its effects overall, not only in my heart, but also in my world. With that said, take a quiet moment and listen to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

Now that you’ve met Karen here’s the blurb from her debut novel:

It is May 1932 and life in the timbered rise and fall of Western Arkansas has just gotten harder for sixteen-year-old Sooze Williams. With debt mounting and both friends and family fleeing, Sooze is determined to “do the right thing.” She promises her heart to a well-to-do man believing true love is just another loss along the way.

But when her uncle is murdered and family is accused of the crime, Sooze vows not to be beaten. Is salvation within her grasp by relying solely on truth, or is it in the security of her intended’s money? Sooze must decide before it’s too late.

This sounds like a suspenseful read. Here are the buy links: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Hawk-K-S-Jones-ebook/dp/B00TEPXNOW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

And here is how to connect with Karen: http://ksjones.com

https://www.facebook.com/Karen.S.Jones.Author?ref=hl

https://www.pinterest.com/ksjones/shadow-of-the-hawk/

https://twitter.com/KSJones2011