Karen Tuft Interview

Today I pleased to welcome author Karen Tuft to Interviews & Reviews. Karen was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition & graduated from the University of Utah in music theory.

In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger. She has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions along the Wasatch Front. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel whether it's by car, plane, or paperback.

Karen is going to talk to us today about her latest book The Duke Meets His Match which comes out December 1, and she is giving away a print copy to one lucky winner in the U.S.!

Karen, welcome to Interviews & Reviews!

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How long have you been writing?

Ten years, so not as long as you might think, considering I went to high school with Methuselah. Twenty years ago, I had LASIK surgery but both eyes failed, resulting in large vision losses. I finally found I could see to write using large computer monitors and zoom, which fulfilled a creative need I struggled with for a decade.

Where there is a will, there is a way!  How many books have you written?

Eight. My first three novels were “learn as you go” experiences. Since then, I’ve written Regency novels, and The Duke Meets His Match will be the fifth. My Regencies are interrelated, too, which allows me to “visit” characters I created previously.

Do you travel to the places you write about? 

Oh, man, do I wish!! Sadly, I haven’t been able to travel to England and Continental Europe, but I haven’t given up hope yet. (“Curse you, Covid!” she cried, shaking her fist at the sky . . .”)

Which do you enjoy more, the research part for a book, or the writing?

BOTH!! I am one of those people who has to put a show on hold so I can Google a word or location or character or actor. I frequently go down rabbit holes when I’m doing a quick research check . . . that leads to something else . . . and something else . . . But both parts of the process are fun for me.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’m pretty good at matchmaking (I have a 75% success rate; no lie). While writing my other Regencies, I created a couple of secondary characters: an aloof (but honorable) duke used to intimidating people and a smart, sassy woman who grew up with five brothers—and thought, ooh, they’d be perfect for each other. So, blame my old matchmaker’s heart.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

I believe God wants us to be happy and gives us hardships to help us grow. My romances, including this one, are about people who overcome difficulties and grow as individuals and as a couple, providing my readers enjoyment, along with the promise of “happily-ever-after because we’ve learned the tools we need to go forward with faith and confidence.”

What is your favourite Scripture verse, and why?

There are so many! But if I have to choose one, it would be John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” In only two words we are able to grasp the depth of His compassion and love for His friends and for us all. He knew He had the power to raise Lazarus, and He did just that—but it didn’t stop Him from reacting to Mary and Martha’s grief. Also, as my daughter just pointed out to me, we’re criers, so it makes the Savior feel relatable to us.

Isn't it amazing how powerful two words can be? Thank you for stopping by Karen. I can't wait to read your book!

And now, Dear Readers, if you can't wait either (and you live in the U.S.) enter to win a copy of The Duke Meets His Match below! (This giveaway ends December 2. Winners will be contacted via email and announced here and on our Facebook page. Failure to claim your prize within three days of the announcement will result in another winner being chosen).

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Congratulations to Heather Hadlock! You are the winner of
The Duke Meets His Match.
​Watch for our email!

At thirty years of age, Susan Jennings has long been considered a spinster. Exceptionally intelligent, she has little tolerance for London and the dreaded Season—if that’s how one is expected to find love, it’s not for her. But when an invitation arrives that cannot be ignored, Susan leaves her comfortable life in the country and enters the fashion and frivolity she most despises. She quickly discovers, however, that there is more to loathe in London—and his name is George Kendall.

George, Duke of Aylesham, has learned to keep his distance from cloying females chasing the title of duchess. Susan Jennings, however, proves an entirely different challenge—a woman who has pushed him to the limit of his patience with their every encounter. But their simmering hostility is disrupted by a thoughtless slip-up: to avoid a marriage of political strategy, George claims he is already betrothed. And when pressed for the name of the lucky woman, only one name comes to mind: Susan’s. Their forced betrothal proves advantageous, but when their verbal sparring must change in order to be convincing, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred by something neither expected: love.

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Coming December 1, 2020!