Friends and Writers: One-on-One with Jill Kemerer

by Mindy Obenhaus

I’m thrilled to welcome Jill Kemerer back to Seekerville. Not only is she one of my favorite authors, she’s also one of my very best friends. And she has a brand-new book out, Reunited with the Bull Rider. (Stay tuned for a book giveaway!)

Jill and I met online in 2015 when she made a comment on an email loop referencing a particular place in Michigan. I emailed her privately, curious if she was from the Great Lakes State, since that’s where I grew up. Well, she was, and as it turns out, we didn’t live that far apart, right, Jill?

Jill: You grew up about half an hour from where I grew up in mid-Michigan. When we met you were living near Dallas, Texas and I was living in my current home southwest of Toledo, Ohio. How in the world did we find each other? And do you think we really could be long-lost sisters?

Mindy:  Well, we’ve shared clothes and we are both blonde, so we might be able to pull off the sister thing. But as for how we found each other, that was only by the grace of God. I mean, I probably scared you with all of my emails.

Jill: It feels like we’ve been friends since birth. And, no you didn’t scare me! I was very flattered that you would go out of your way to nurture a friendship with me. Since then, you’ve become a dear friend, someone I rely on for emotional support, writing encouragement and lots of giggles.

Mindy:  One thing I find interesting about our relationship is that, while we’re both authors, we rarely talk about our writing, other than stating “I’m working on this today.” We’ve never critiqued each other’s work, we’ve only been together in person once, yet we talk weekly, if not daily, thanks to Voxer, texts, emails and the occasional phone call. We discuss aging parents, teenager and college age woes... You let me whine and listen patiently as I ramble about who knows what. Then give me honest feedback or advice.

Jill: I appreciate you. One of my most vivid memories is of driving home after a tough day visiting my dad at the nursing home, stopping at Arby’s and calling you. I could not stop crying. You said exactly what I needed to hear, and you lent the shoulder I desperately needed to soak with my tears. What is one of your “big” memories of our friendship?

Mindy:  Oh, great. You get me all choked up, then ask me a question. Hand me the tissues. Sniff, sniff. So, this isn’t necessarily a “big” thing, but a lot of little things that are “big” to me. You always call/Vox to check on me when you know I’ve had a particularly rough day or am going through a difficult time. And somehow, we always end up laughing, which, as we know, is the best medicine.

Jill: Laughing makes just about anything better! We’ve talked about a girl’s weekend in Ouray, Colorado where all of your books are set. You’ve got me hooked on the quaint town. Since you’ve been there, where would we go and what would we do?

Mindy: First of all, we would need much more than just a weekend. And it would depend what time of year. But let’s say summer. I’d take you Jeeping in the mountains to some of the most beautiful places you could imagine. Then we’d grab some chocolate at Mouse’s, visit Cascade Falls, get more chocolate…

Enough about that, though. I want to talk about your new book. Reunited with the Bull Rider is the second book your Wyoming Cowboys series, right?

Jill: Yes. The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride was the first one.

Mindy: I read that book, and I have to say, I really like the premise for this series. Four cowboys who met as kids when they ended up in the same foster home. All bearing wounds from their past. How did you come up with the idea?

Jill: I’m not sure! I’d read several memoirs of men who had grown up in dysfunctional and abusive families. Each one had spent time in foster care, and some had lived in group homes. The idea of four strangers whose friendships developed into a brotherly bond through a group foster home really appealed to me. All of the heroes start out thinking they’ll never get married or have families, but I think we all know how that will turn out!

The third book in the series, Wyoming Christmas Quadruplets, releases in October!

Mindy:  Quadruplets? Wow! You’ll have to come back later and tell us about that one, but I want to hear about Reunited with the Bull Rider.

Jill: Sure! Reunited with the Bull Rider begins ten years after Nash Bolton left his girlfriend, Amy Deerson, without a goodbye or explanation. Amy was heartbroken, and she found solace in quilting, eventually owning her own quilt shop. Now Nash is back with his much younger sister, Ruby, whom Amy was paired with to mentor through the church mentoring program. Nash and Amy have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, and severely neglected Ruby provides the key for them to forgive each other. But will forgiveness be enough for them to try again?

Reunited with the Bull Rider

Goodbye rodeo, hello hometown. But is this Wyoming Cowboy ready to face his past?

Amy Deerson wanted to mentor a child. Her plan did not include former bull rider Nash Bolton—the little girl’s brother and guardian. It’s been a decade since Nash left town without a word, breaking Amy’s young heart. Now they must put their painful past aside to help fragile, traumatized Ruby. If only getting over their first love were that simple.

Buy Now: mybook.to/ReunitedBullRider

More purchase links: https://jillkemerer.com/books/reunited-with-the-bull-rider/

Mindy:  I have to admit, I started reading this book Friday and you had me hooked from page one. I have to force myself to put it down and do things like, oh, work and sleep.

Thank you so much for joining us here at Seekerville, Jill, and for being my friend. Oh, and you brought breakfast, right?

Jill: As long as you’re okay with bagels, donuts, and blueberry breakfast cake, then yes, breakfast is on me! Thanks for having me. Sending you a big hug for putting this together, Mindy!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Reunited with the Bull Rider, be sure to leave a comment. Jill will give away a paperback copy to a U.S. winner OR, if you live outside of the United States, an ebook version. 

Jill Kemerer is an author and freelance writer. A multi-published inspirational romance novelist with Harlequin Love Inspired, Jill also writes nonfiction books, blogs, and articles. Her essentials include coffee, M&Ms, a stack of books, her mini-doxie, and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two almost-grown children. Please visit her website, jillkemerer.com, and sign up for her newsletter.

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