Welcome to Karola

Yes, this is Lebo's sign, shamelessly photoshopped to become the welcome to the fictional town of Karola. 

Karola, Kansas is a fictional place inspired by my own Kansas hometown of Lebo. Like the character of Lydia in The Children Are Tender, I married into a wonderful community. Neither Lydia or I were born and bred in the towns we eventually came to call home.

With just three exceptions, there are no Leboites in Karola; Anna and Bob Williamson do bear a startling resemblance to my parents, and there will be quite a few people who recognize Farmer John Birn as my husband, John Born. The other inhabitants of Karola came to life for me in a very real way, as though they were new friends I was meeting for the first time. Before long I began to feel I was writing a story that already existed, a story the Lord wanted told.

The Children Are Tender is scheduled to be published in late spring or early summer. I hope you'll stop by this blog often in the next few months for an introduction to the Karola community and school.