Welcome Kelly F. Barr

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing my current editor. Hi Kelly. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in writing?

Sure. I am a wife, and a mother who homeschooled our three boys all the way to graduation, beginning after our oldest son completed second grade in a private Christian school. I also taught creative writing in homeschool co-ops throughout our homeschooling years.

I began writing after a school assignment when I was in fifth grade, and when I was in seventh grade, my English teacher told my mom I had writing talent. That solidified my desire to become a published author one day. However, throughout our homeschooling years, I decided to give up on my dream of becoming an author until my oldest son had a conversation with me that convinced me I definitely needed to pursue writing, and that’s when I got serious about becoming an author, and I joined Lancaster Christian Writers, a local writers group. I am still a member of LCW.

Sounds like we have some similarities as I also homeschooled my sons through their high school graduations. I too started writing early in life. 🙂 Your new book is about the pony express. What is it about this topic that interests you?

I grew up in a household where we watched John Wayne movies all the time, as well as other T.V. shows set in the Old West. I used to attend local rodeos and have always loved cowboys. However, my fascination with the Pony Express began when I watched The Young Riders television show from 1989 to 1992. That fascination and interest were renewed when I read a book about the Pony Express to our youngest son for history during one of our homeschool years. I think it’s the freedom of riding across the open prairie in a land that still had lots of open area, and the natural beauty God gave it, that appeals to me.

Thanks for sharing. I understand your new book, Love by Pony Express, is part of a series. How many books are you planning, and will they all be about the pony express?

Good question. I am planning a total of four books in the series, so there are three more to come. No, they will not all be about the Pony Express. The first Pony Express run took place on April 3, 1860, like I write about in Love by Pony Express. However, the Pony Express suspended operations from May to late June 1860 due to Indian uprisings, then ran again from late June until it officially ceased operations when the transcontinental telegraph was completed on October 26, 1861. The Pony Express made its last run on November 20, 1861. Therefore, my upcoming second book is also about the Pony Express, but not as in depth as Love by Pony Express, for two reasons: 1) the Pony Express only ran for a year and a half, and 2) because the Civil War begins just five months after the Pony Express stops running. Therefore, the Civil War will begin in my second book. Book Three takes place after the Civil War, as will Book Four. Each book follows different main characters – all but one, having been introduced in the first book. The setting of the first book moves back and forth between St. Joseph, Missouri and Seneca, Kansas. The upcoming second book does the same, but with much less time spent in Seneca. The remaining two books will be completely set in St. Joseph.

It sounds like you have a plan. Do you have a potential date for when the next one will release?

I would like to have it released before Christmas, but, unfortunately, that’s not realistic for me, because I care for my elderly mother who has health issues. Therefore, I spend quite a bit of time taking her to medical appointments. In addition, I have my own household to care for. So, to be realistic, I would have to say the next book in the series will come out by the end of May 2025. But I encourage readers to follow my website or follow me on social media, just in case the Lord enables me to release it sometime between those two time frames.

I too have a book I’d like to release later this year although I’m not sure if it will happen or not. Can you give us a little bit of background about your new book?

This is a hard question because I don’t want to give any spoilers. I suppose I’ll share that Johnny’s had a very difficult life prior to arriving in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he begins riding for the Pony Express. A lot of what happened to him comes out in the story, but one thing I didn’t spell out in the book is that the nightmares, as well as many of the tensions and headaches Johnny experiences in the book are based on PTSD, which I believe Johnny would’ve dealt with because of things in his past. However, PTSD wasn’t recognized and diagnosed in the 1860s. Therefore, I don’t spell it out in the story and I’m not sure readers will recognize it, but some of the things that bother Johnny, especially in the first half of the book, are some of the symptoms of PTSD.

Thanks for giving us some behind the scenes information. 🙂 What do you do when you’re not writing?

I like to go for walks with my dog and read books. On weekends, my husband and I enjoy playing Pinochle with my mom and her neighbor. I also get together with friends, and I enjoy meeting my critique partners at local coffee shops, and, of course, on Sundays, we attend church and spend time with the Lord.

I love to walk too and always have a book on hand. What is your favorite part of writing?

I would say this is a toss-up between doing the research necessary for each book and actually writing the story of my characters’ lives.

Chuckle. I feel the same way. What is your least favorite part of writing?

Planning. I’m not much of a planner. I was raised in a family where one of my aunts and uncles, who had a cabin in the woods, would call us up on a Friday and invite us to go along to the cabin for the weekend, and give us only an hour or two to be ready. So, spontaneity has been ingrained in me. Therefore, I much prefer pantsing to planning. However, I do find it necessary to write my characters’ descriptions and some of their life facts and their back stories before actually writing my books because I want to really know my characters. That’s the best way to make them realistic for my readers. This may all seem odd because I said I enjoy doing the research needed, but, even my research isn’t something I do, completely, prior to beginning the writing of the story. I research what I know I need before writing, but something always comes up, forcing me to take a break from writing, to research during the writing of the story.

I know what you mean. Something always crops up while I’m writing that I need to research and then I often end up on a bunny trail. 🙂 What else would you like to share about your new book or writing?

I would like to let readers know that, since Love by Pony Express has been out since June, I’ve had people tell me how much they enjoy the story, and it hasn’t been just women. I anticipated women reading my book since it’s Historical Romance. However, I have found that many men are reading and enjoying it because of the history and action that the Pony Express brings to the story. So, Love by Pony Express isn’t just a book for women. Men enjoy it too.

That’s great! How can readers find you online?

Readers can visit my website: https://kellyfbarr.com/

They can also find me on Facebook, where I have a personal page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559843136102

a business page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560047580523

and, I have created a Facebook Group where I like to talk to readers about what they are reading as well as what I am reading: https://www.facebook.com/groups/864387979084345

I am on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49926844.Kelly_F_Barr

and Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kelly-Barr/author/B0D6HRWHQG?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-f-barr-4b9ab854/?profileId=ACoAAAuNq80BXY_gwsFq4evdoVdYJsSqXaKSFZc

Congrats on your new book, Kelly. I look forward to reading the next one in the series.