INTERVIEW WITH KEITH

By Caroline Clemmons

Welcome, Friends.

Our special guest today is Keith Martin, hero of the historical western romance KEITH AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, book 5 of the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. Come in, Keith, and have a seat. [Keith takes a seat facing me. He’s wearing a business suit, has blue eyes and dark brown hair and a short beard. He’s probably a little over six feet tall and is a strikingly handsome man.]

CC: Tell us about yourself, Keith.

KM: I’m a banker in Harrigan Springs in what’s called the Hill Country of Texas. It’s a real nice community. Let’s see, what else can I tell you? Oh, I recently bought a house there, a place so fancy I can’t believe I own it.

CC: How did you come to own your home?

KM: The previous owner was a wealthy politician who decided to move back to Washington D.C. Levi, who often buys property, alerted me the place was for sale.

CC: Tell us about your friends there.

KM: Sheriff Jesse Cameron and Levi Iverson, the blacksmith, are my two best friends. Ed Ferguson, the attorney, and Reverend Isaac Wood, and Sid Garton at Garton’s Mercantile are also good friends. In fact, I guess most people in town consider me a friend.

CC: Surely there are people in town you don’t care for.

KM: Well, I don’t like to gossip about people, but since you asked a direct question, I’ll admit I don’t care for the precious owner of the bank or his wife, the Worthingtons. Let’s change the subject please.

CC: Tell us your age and about your background. Where did you grow up and what was your family like? Siblings?

KM: I’m thirty-one and I’m an only child. [He flashes a charming grin] My favorite relative was my great-grandmother, Nonna. She raised my father and uncle after my grandparents died when my dad was just a toddler. Nonna was an amazing woman who lived to be ninety-nine.

CC: Living that long is unusual. What about the rest of your family?

KM: [shifting in his chair and looking down] Um, I’d rather not talk about them.

CC: Are there any special difficulties in your job? Any problems fitting in when you first arrived?

KM: Harrigan Springs is a friendly community. Gradually, I’ve increased the number of bank depositors. One problem was I didn’t know anything about the manners needed for formal social situations. Mrs. Alice Pickard, a local widow and the church pianist, has been secretly teaching me things like which fork to use. She’s another of my favorite people here. Oh, man, she makes the best pies I’ve ever eaten.

CC: What are your plans for the future?

KM: [He leans forward and his eyes sparkle] I intend to sink roots here for life. I want my children and grandchildren to grow up here. Now that I have a fancy house, I’m going to send for a mail order bride.

Italianate Home similar to Keith's

[He leans back and shakes his head, frowning slightly] I hope she won’t be disappointed. My house is empty except for a few pieces of furniture, so I expect she’ll want to start furnishing our home—a little at a time because I used all my cash to make the down payment on the house. I hope she starts with the parlor.

CC: I’m sure she won’t mind since she’ll have a beautiful place to live. Thank you for coming, Keith, and good luck with your bride.

KM: Thank you for having me, ma’am. [He stands and leaves the room}

Friends, read about Keith’s adventures and misadventures in KEITH AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. You can find it at Amazon in e-book and in print. Of course, it’s also in Kindle Unlimited.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Bride-Texas-Country-Brides-ebook/dp/B0BZDT6Q1J/

Take care and keep reading.