Girls*Heart* Books: Katherine Lowry Logan

Hello there guys and gals, I was lucky enough to ask Katherine Lowry Logan, author of The Ruby Brooch a few questions for you guys! (By the way, The Ruby Brooch is FREE today on Amazon.com, so be sure to grab that!) And without further ado, I give you our Author Spotlight on Katherine Lowry Logan!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’ve been a widow since 1997 and for the last nine years, I’ve been my mom’s caregiver. She is 86 and visually impaired. She loves listening to romance novels on audiobooks. I’ll enter her room and step right into the middle of a love scene. It cracks me up.

I have five grandchildren (7, 6, 5, 4, and 3). Three live in New York City and two live in Northern Kentucky. I don’t see them as often as I’d like, but when I do, I spoil them as much as possible.

I am a distance runner and am currently training to run the Air Force Marathon on September 15, the day I intend to release my next book The Last MacKlenna. I didn’t start running until eight months ago, and I love it. I spend my days running and writing, and my evenings with my sweetie, who is Chief of Endocrinology and Fertility at the University of Kentucky. Our paths crossed in another lifetime, and it took Match.com to re-unite us. It’s a pretty cool love story.

What inspired you to write The Ruby Brooch?

In September 1996, I read my first Elizabeth Lowell’s book Winter Fire. I loved it. Over the next several weeks, I read her entire back list. Then I moved on to Linda Howard, Beatrice Small and several other romance authors. By September 1997, I had read over 250 romance novels and decided I wanted to write my own. I knew three things: I wanted to write a time travel romance set in the American west in the mid-1800s, and because I had read suspense and mystery stories for years, my story had to have a mystery element. The idea for using a ruby brooch as a method of time travel came about because of a piece of jewelry I have that has its own remarkable history, sort of like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Do you find yourself reflected in any of your characters?

There is a part of me in all the characters. Although I’m not a paramedic like Kit, I am a first responder. I jump at the call and am there to help during a crisis. I can’t whistle like Cullen, although I try, and I saunter, much the way he does. I butt in sometimes where I’m not needed, and I don’t take myself too seriously like Braham. I am faith-filled like Sarah and every once in a while will come out with some pearls of wisdom, probably not as profound as hers. I have Adam’s curiosity, and Frances’s penchant for occasionally blurting out something that should be filtered. And like Henry, I’m very protective of the ones I love. And then there’s Elliott, who is afraid to open his heart because he was hurt long ago and never fully recovered. Fortunately, I have!

If you could give an aspiring author one piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t quit! And then I’d add, grow a thick skin and don’t ever stop learning the craft of writing.

If you could spend a day with any literary character, who would it be and why?

That’s an easy one. Authors Preston Douglas and Lincoln Child www.prestonchild.com write action adventure stories. They created a character named Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast. Pendergast always wears black suits and looks like an undertaker. There are dozens of unanswered questions about him and his rather quirky behavior. He appears in twelve novels and several of them take place in New York City. I read, or inhale each book, hoping to learn something more about the man. If I met him, he’d be evasive, but interesting enough to enjoy his company.

What are you reading right now?

I’m always reading several books at the same time. At the top of my fiction Kindle list are Threads West, 11/23/63, Comeback Love, Heartbreaker, Timeless, Dating a Cougar, and Fast Lane. Non-fiction titles include: What I talk About When I talk About Running, Mile Markers, and Reading Like a Writer.

What is your favorite part of being a writer?

Or, why do I love my job? It’s my passion. It’s a challenge to put thoughts together and turn them into sentences, into paragraphs, into pages, and ultimately into a book. Writing makes me cry and laugh out loud. It makes me want to pick up the phone and call a friend and say, “What do you think of this idea?” It makes me smile when I see in my daughters’ eyes their love and excitement over my accomplishments. It’s a joy and a blessing. When I write, I’m in my sweet spot.

Will we see more of Kit & Cullen in the next books in The Celtic Brooch trilogy?

They will make appearances in the other two brooch books, and also in Frances and Elizabeth’s stories. Elliott’s story, The Last MacKlenna, is included at the end of The Ruby Brooch. It is not part of the trilogy. That story has two spin off characters. Since they are contemporary stories, Cullen and Kit will not make an appearance.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! Looking forward to the rest of the Brooch books!

For more information on Katerine Lowry Logan:

Website Facebook Twitter Blog

Buy NOW on Amazon.com

Can a 21st century paramedic find her true identity on the other side of the heather-scented mist?

From the white-plank fenced pastures of Lexington, Kentucky, to the beautiful Bay of San Francisco, The Ruby Brooch, a saga rich in detail and mystery, follows a young woman’s physical and emotional journey as she searches for the truth she believes will heal her wounds, restore her sense of self, and allow her to move on with her life.

As the lone survivor of a car crash that killed her parents, paramedic Kit MacKlenna makes a startling discovery that further alters her life. A faded letter and a well-worn journal reveal that she was abandoned on her father’s doorstep as a baby. The only clues to her identity are a blood-splattered shawl, a locket that bears a portrait of a nineteenth-century man, and a Celtic brooch with mystical powers. Following notes in her late father’s journal, Kit sets out on a quest to solve the murders of her birth parents and discover her true identity. Under the guise of the Widow MacKlenna, Kit calls on the power of the ruby brooch and is swept back in time to Independence, Missouri, in the year 1852.

Upon arriving in the past, she meets Cullen Montgomery, an egotistical Scotsman with a penchant for seducing widows. The San Francisco-bound lawyer happens to resemble the ghost who has haunted Kit since childhood. She quickly finds the Bach-humming, Shakespeare-quoting man to be over-bearing and his intolerance for liars threatens her quest.

If she can survive his accusations and resist his tempting and passionate embrace, she might be able to find the answers she seeks and return home to a new life without changing history or leaving her heart on the other side of time. (from Goodreads)

The Ruby Brooch is the first book in the Celtic Brooch Trilogy by Katherine Lowry Logan. When I was contacted by the author to read this book, I was instantly excited. It combines several of my favorite things; historical romance, time travel and a stubborn woman. I could not wait to read it. From modern day Kentucky to 1852 Independence, Missouri, this book brings you on a woman's journey through time that defies all the odds.

Kit, our main character is such a strong and determined woman, you can't help but love her as she tries to learn the truth about her parentage. Her loyalty and bravery are other traits that I really admired. She doesn't know how not to help people in need. I loved watching her story unfold. All the characters were vibrant and complex; no cardboard cut outs here. Cullen, Kit's love interest, is beyond swoon-worthy; he quotes Shakespeare, hums Bach and is overprotective in a non-control freak way. I adore him.

This was a fast read for me, probably because I couldn't put my kindle down. Instead I was carrying it from room to room so I could see what would happen next. It's fast paced, sweet and sad at times. I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster as I read. Laughing one moment and crying the next. It's an incredible story rich with detail. I could picture the wagon train in my mind so easily from the author's descriptions. The story is told from the third person perspective which I really love because you get to get inside all the characters' heads and see what makes them tick.

Amazing characters and great storytelling make this a real page turner. The Ruby Brooch is one of the best books I've read this year; it's a fantastically original and moving book that will make you believe in true love and soul mates.This book was breathtaking from beginning to end. A poignant tale of loss and love and hope. I cannot wait for the next installment! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance.

My Rating: