Lori asked Karen Witemeyer:

Karen I loved your book More than Words Can Say. How do you think of the titles for your books and how much research do you put into them. I also love your sense of humor in your books and what is the next title to come out?

Karen Witemeyer Hi, Lori. I so glad you enjoyed Zach and Abby's story. Titles are usually a cooperative effort between me and my editors. I have a working title that I use while I write the story, then my editors usually ask me for a couple other options to take to committee to see what marketing and sales think will be effective in the marketplace. With More Than Words Can Say - I already had a published book in the series with the title, More Than Meets the Eye. I thought it would be fun to keep the "More Than" theme, so I brainstormed ideas that all started with More Than. The one I used as my working title was "More Than She Bargained For." This played into the idea that the marriage of convenience she signed up turned into more than she originally bargained for when love began to develop. My editor, however, suggested the title of More Than Words Can Say as a more romantic option. I immediately got on board because my hero was the strong silent type who avoided talking about feelings, so it worked equally well.

I'm so glad you enjoy the humor. I love to laugh, and I love to create stories that bring smiles to my readers' faces.

I do extensive research for each of my books. With More Than Words Can Say, I found a wonderful site developed by the Preservation League of Honey Grove, TX (yes, it was set in a real place). I found so many historical photos, newspaper articles, lists of government officials, descriptions of town events - the history of the town just came to life for me. Those finds are rare but such a joy to uncover.

My next title will be a novella collection that focuses on Harvey Girls. My story is the conclusion to the Patchwork Family series, so you will find another More Than title - More Than A Pretty Face. The collection title is Serving Up Love and it will release this November.

Thanks for asking!

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