Q&A with Karen Kingsbury
Q: What motivated the story of JUST ONCE? Is this your first book about the WW2? If so, why did you choose that era?
A: Just Once is my first book set against the backdrop of World War II. I chose this era because I wanted to tell the love story of Irvel Myers, who was twenty-one when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Irvel has long been one of my favorite characters, though she played a relatively minor role in previous Baxter family books. This story is definitely a stand-alone title, giving not just context but the most beautiful back story to Irvel’s life and love.
Q: What makes this new book unique to your previous titles?
A: The fact that Just Once is anchored against true events makes it different from other novels I’ve written. For this story, I did extensive World War II research, needing to know which battles happened when and where and how my characters would most likely have navigated those events. Because Irvel was a spy with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), I needed a strong knowledge of that organization, as well.
Q: Will we need tissues nearby for this story?
A: Tissues are a must for Just Once. I think this story is one of my most gripping, probably because of the very real nature of the events of World War II. Irvel and Sam and his brother Hank feel real, like they represent actual young people from that terrible time in our nation’s history. The loss and impossibility of the situations these three faced had me reaching for tissues often as I wrote this book.
Q: Tell us about any other new ventures coming down the pike?
A: SOMEONE LIKE YOU will be the first offering from Karen Kingsbury Productions. The movie is based on my bestselling book by the same name, starring Sarah Fisher. It is coming to theaters April 2, 2024! (View the movie trailer here: https://youtu.be/wie1GDo7jbg?si=RdJMVw7ghaVRYxCw)
Q: Will faith-based readers enjoy JUST ONCE and if so, why?
A: Faith-based readers will definitely love Just Once, as it will affirm their worldview. But just as importantly, fiction readers and fans of World War II literature will also find a home in Just Once.
A: Just Once is my first book set against the backdrop of World War II. I chose this era because I wanted to tell the love story of Irvel Myers, who was twenty-one when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Irvel has long been one of my favorite characters, though she played a relatively minor role in previous Baxter family books. This story is definitely a stand-alone title, giving not just context but the most beautiful back story to Irvel’s life and love.
Q: What makes this new book unique to your previous titles?
A: The fact that Just Once is anchored against true events makes it different from other novels I’ve written. For this story, I did extensive World War II research, needing to know which battles happened when and where and how my characters would most likely have navigated those events. Because Irvel was a spy with the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), I needed a strong knowledge of that organization, as well.
Q: Will we need tissues nearby for this story?
A: Tissues are a must for Just Once. I think this story is one of my most gripping, probably because of the very real nature of the events of World War II. Irvel and Sam and his brother Hank feel real, like they represent actual young people from that terrible time in our nation’s history. The loss and impossibility of the situations these three faced had me reaching for tissues often as I wrote this book.
Q: Tell us about any other new ventures coming down the pike?
A: SOMEONE LIKE YOU will be the first offering from Karen Kingsbury Productions. The movie is based on my bestselling book by the same name, starring Sarah Fisher. It is coming to theaters April 2, 2024! (View the movie trailer here: https://youtu.be/wie1GDo7jbg?si=RdJMVw7ghaVRYxCw)
Q: Will faith-based readers enjoy JUST ONCE and if so, why?
A: Faith-based readers will definitely love Just Once, as it will affirm their worldview. But just as importantly, fiction readers and fans of World War II literature will also find a home in Just Once.
About the book:
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author “known for her deeply heartfelt novels” (Woman’s World magazine) brings a sweeping and unforgettable World War II love story about a young female spy torn between two brothers.
In 1941, beautiful Irvel Holland is too focused on her secret to take much notice of the war raging overseas. She’s dating Sam but in love with his younger brother, Hank—her longtime best friend—and Irvel has no idea how to break the news. Then the unthinkable happens—Pearl Harbor is attacked. With their lives turned upside down overnight, Sam is drafted, and Hank wants to enlist. But Sam insists Hank stay home, where he and Irvel take up the battle on the home front. While Sam fights in Europe, an undeniable chemistry builds between Irvel and Hank but neither would dare cross that line. Then two military leaders pay Irvel a visit at the classroom where she teaches. The men have plans for her, plans that will take her into the spy world of World War II. One catch. She can tell no one. Then a telegram comes, and the news is devastating. Hank enlists the next day and just two weeks remain until he and Irvel ship out. Will any of them make it home alive? Or will Irvel lose everything? And can love find a way, even from the ashes of the greatest heartbreak? |
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About Karen Kingsbury:
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Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling
novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with 30 million copies of her award-winning books in print. Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time Magazine, Kingsbury's last dozen titles have topped national bestseller lists and many of her novels have been developed into movies and TV shows. An announcement is pending as to when and where the soon-to-be-hit show, “The Baxters” will debut. “The Baxters” is based on more than twenty popular Kingsbury novels about the Baxter Family. Three seasons are filmed and awaiting release. Kingsbury is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University and a public speaker, appearing before groups of 10,000 or more throughout the year. In August, 2022, Kingsbury opened Karen Kingsbury Productions, to begin creating theatrical features based on her much-loved stories. She and her husband live in Tennessee near their adult children and grandchildren. |