The Writers Life: An Author to aspire to, Karnia Bartow

Welcome Karina, please tell us about your books, genre, stand-alone or series.

Forgetting My Way Back to You, my newest novel coming out October 15, 2018, is a love story about high school sweethearts, Charlee and Hunter, who reconnect after a decade-long estrangement. Their reunion goes much better than expected, until Charlee falls off a horse and loses every memory she has of Hunter. The twist enables him to play a heroic stranger and make her fall back in love with him, but it turns out a bit more difficult than he anticipates.

Check out the Forgetting My Way Back to You book trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG26-Qn0hDA

I’ve also written mysteries. My debut novel, Husband in Hiding, was released in 2015 and was the first of a series that follows a deaf detective. None of its sequels have been published yet, but I hope they will be someday.

How long have you been writing?

10 years

Are you traditionally published, or self published?

Traditionally

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Most times, it energizes me, but if I’m writing a part I have several times before, that can be tiring.

How many hours a day do you write?

Usually two to three

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

In my short career, I haven’t received too many reviews yet. The ones that have come in have, thankfully, been good, but I always get nervous.

What was your hardest scene to write?

I struggle with the action-packed scenes, such as the final takedowns in my mysteries and the accident scene in Forgetting My Way Back to You. Even when I’m watching them in movies and shows, my mind just blanks out most of the details, so my brain must be wired that way. Once I get the right nudge from my writing coach or editor, though, I figure my way through.

What is your favorite childhood book?

I love the Raggedy Ann & Andy series and Winnie the Pooh.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

How connected it is with your emotions. It can be hard to motivate yourself to write a happy scene when you aren’t happy, or to write an argument when you are. Sometimes you just need to write what you’re feeling and save it for the appropriate time…or delete it during editing!

Who is your favorite author and have you ever tried to emulate them?

Nicholas Sparks. His style inspired me for sure. I love how simple it is, yet how it stirs your emotion, and I try to do that.

What book changed your life?

The Bible