Spinsters, An Excerpt, and a Giveaway

ByKaren Witemeyer
54 Comments


In less than two weeks, Taming Lady Temperance will release and introduce you to the Secret Society of Spinsters. I’ve always been drawn to the spinster trope and the idea that it’s never too late to fall in love. I also love feisty, independent heroines, and while not all spinsters fit that bill, most have some level of eccentricity that lends itself well to quirkiness, and I do enjoy quirky characters.

Noreen, Jane, and Martha are as different as can be in temperment, yet they share a strong bond of friendship, spinsterhood, and a passion for bettering their community. Jane is the bookish wallflower who is painfully shy yet a woman of great spiritual depth. Martha is confident and a natural leader, of both her pupils and the Society. Noreen is bold, fearless, and a tad reckless in her pursuit of temperance, a habit that causes the town deputy to get involved on several occasions. An interaction that eventually leads to something more than a town rivalry.

I thought you might enjoy a sneak peek of one of Noreen and James’s interactions as their attraction begins to blossom. Enjoy!


Temperance Rally Set for End of Month

Support the betterment of the Albany community by participating in a Temperance Parade and Rally on Saturday, April 28 at 4:00 pm. Event is open to everyone. Supporters may gather at the Albany Baptist Church at 2:00 pm to make signs, practice temperance hymns, and discuss the parade route. Light refreshments will be served. A short prayer meeting near the corner of Main and First Streets will follow the conclusion of the parade. Players of musical instruments are particularly encouraged to attend.

Questions may be addressed to Miss Noreen O’Sullivan.

—

“What do you think?” Noreen chewed on the edge of her tongue as she waited impatiently for James to finish reading through the draft of her newspaper article.

Last week, the Society voted 9-2 in favor of her service project. A fact that still set Noreen to reeling six days later, if she stopped to consider it for more than a moment at a time. Yet despite the show of acceptance from her spinster sisters, a part of her craved acceptance from another quarter. Hence why she’d brought her newspaper announcement to James tonight after Martha and Jane had proofread it for her during their Tuesday tea.

His mouth turned up at one corner, and her heart did a ridiculous series of flips at his small show of approval.

“Clever,” he murmured before looking up and sharing those beautiful blue eyes with her. Eyes twinkling with good humor.

Heavens, but those twinkles set her insides to dancing. One would think she’d be used to them by now, as often as they appeared, but they tickled her belly every time. She’d even started seeking them out, developing a craving for them probably not too dissimilar from the lure of liquor to a drunkard.

The dancing in her midsection halted abruptly. Goodness. Was she experiencing an addiction? To a man’s smile? What a horrendous thought. It couldn’t possibly be the same. James’s smiles might be habit-forming, but they certainly weren’t unhealthy. They induced no stupidity or hangovers. Well, unless one counted that dinner debacle last week and the mental moping that occurred on days when she didn’t see him. But never mind that. There was nothing wrong with enjoying something that lifted her spirits and lightened her mood. Except that was exactly the type of argument her father used to make.

She gave her head a little shake. It was not the same. James was all that was kind and gentle and peace-loving. Being addicted to his smile and his company encouraged her. It didn’t eat away at her insides like poison, turning her into a cruel, unfeeling monster.

His smile flattened as his brows arched. “Why are you shaking your head? This is great.”

And she was overthinking everything. Again.

“Do you think so?” She nudged aside the empty plate left over from the beef dinner she’d brought to the jailhouse. “I wanted it to sound like any other community event. Like the Founder’s Day parade or the community picnic on the Fourth of July.”

That wonderful, tummy-tickling smile returned. “You succeeded. That is exactly the impression I received as I read it. I liked the addition of the instruments, too. Makes it feel fun and festive.”

“The temperance movement in England has been using brass bands in their cause for decades.” She shrugged. “I thought it might help draw attention to the parade.”

“I think it’s a brilliant idea. Hard to resist a band.”

Hard to resist you when you look at me as if you respect and appreciate my ideas.

Stars and garters. If she didn’t get control of her mind—and fast—something embarrassing was going to slip out of her mouth and make a fool of her.


Giveaway


I am giving away 2 autographed copies of Taming Lady Temperance today (US addresses only). Leave a comment to be entered.

Do you enjoy the spinster trope?
Which of the three spinster heroines in this series do you relate to most –
fiery, passionate Noreen, shy, bookish Jane, or take-charge, competent Martha?
What did you think of the excerpt?

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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and gospel hymn singer who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she's on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

54 Comments

  1. I like stories with Spinsters. A friend in her 40’s just got married
    for the first time. She’s an incredible person. It’s never too late to find love.

  2. Loved this except! I’m probably more like Jane, quieter, and a behind the scenes worker. And of course I’m bookish.

    Excited for this to come out. I have already ordered mine from Baker, so don’t include me in the giveaway.

  4. When I believe in something, I’m passionate about it, but I’m not much of a take-charge person. Guess that makes me a blend of Noreen and Martha.
    TAMING LADY TEMPERANCE is already on my Amazon wish list and my Goodreads want to read list. The sneak peek just adds to that desire to read it. I can’t wait for the opportunity to read and review this amazing sounding story.
    Thank you so much for the awesome chance to win an autographed copy!

  5. I don’t love crowds so I’ve never participated in a demonstration like this; I am so looking forward to this series!

    1. The closest I ever came was marching in parades back when I was in high school band. Like you, though, I tend to avoided large groups of people when possible.

  6. I think the spinster trope is a lot of fun, and I am definitely shy, bookish Jane. Loved the excerpt. So glad I ordered the book so I can read the rest of the story soon!

  7. Oh my goodness I can’t wait to be able to read this book! I’m looking forward to it so much. And that teaser makes me more impatient. lol I think I relate most to Jane since I’m not very outgoing.

  8. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity! Your book sounds fun. I am definitely bookish, though thankfully less shy than I used to be when I was younger. The Lord has helped me grow more comfortable in my own skin. 😊 I love the spinster trope. As a single in my forties, it gives a little hope that the Lord can still bring someone. I also like it when there’s a second chance at love added to it, too. Like Jane Austen’s Persuasion, for instance.
    Thanks again and best wishes for the book’s launch!

    1. Thanks, Amy! I’m still on the shy side, myself, but I’ve learned how to be almost extraverted when the situation calls for it. It takes a few hours for me to recover afterward, but I can do it. 🙂

  9. As someone who also didn’t get married until I was 40+, I can relate to the spinster trope. And Jane definitely sounds more like me than the other two!

  10. Another single reader in her 40s!

    I enjoyed reading the excerpt of your soon to be released novel following the end of “To Love a Beast” last year. I’m glad your publisher made that happen. I’ve pre-ordered “Taming Lady Temperance” with the bonus goodies through Baker House and look forward to reading.

    1. Thanks, Becky. It’s been fun so far. Only, by the end of my series, the Society will be down three members due to ineligibility since they won’t be spinsters any longer. 🙂

  12. Probably bookish Jane who doesn’t mind taking charge if necessary- like Martha. So maybe, both? 🤷🏻‍♀️

  13. The excerpt sounds so stinking good! I can not wait to read it! I feel like I definitely relate to all three in different aspects. Never read the spinster trope so I’m excited to read it!

  14. I like the spinster trope because by the old days standings I would be one. I think you are never too old for love. I am kinda the booky shy one. Most of the time I would much rather have my nose in a book or my hands creating crotchet items.

  15. I have not had the pleasure of reading this series yet. I just recently discovered Karen Witemeyer and have been reading as many of her books as possible via the local library. This series looks amazing. Definitely will add it to my inventory.

  16. I would say I relate more to shy bookish Jane, never been very social, prefer books over social gatherings. I haven’t read many spinster tropes in books though I probably would be one in the olden days, never have been married, though by God’s grace I’ve had the blessing of motherhood, in the form of raising my niece since she was 1 yrs old. She’s turning 15 this year!

  17. I was that shy, bookish spinster who was about to give up on online dating. After 7 years (including a broken engagement), I was convinced there was no one out there looking for what I had to offer. I had specifically told God that I was not going to marry a farmer and go live in some tiny little town in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. I felt the urge to try one more time. OK, God, one more time. I sat down at my laptop with the dating website open. I sneezed once with my hand on the mouse. My eyes closed as my body lurched forward and my hand clicked on the mouse. I opened my eyes and there was his photo. Cute guy, nice smile. I went on to read his profile. No spelling errors. No grammatical errors. As an avid reader and romance writer, good English skills is a big “must have”. When we got married in 2014, He was 36. I was 37 (a week away from turning 38). God has a great sense of humour. My husband is a 5th generation sugar beet farmer living just outside Bathgate, North Dakota – population 42.

    1. Living the farming fairy tale, Erin! Love that. 🙂 Just goes to show that we are better off trusting Gos than our own judgment. So glad you had that providential sneeze. LOL.

  19. I’m a take charge…not always competent spinster. 🤪 I don’t mind leading or making sure everyone is included. I was sad to finish your fairytale retellings…such GREAT reads. But, this new series sounds A-mazing!! Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us!

    1. So glad you enjoyed the fairy tales, Becky. I indie pubbed an extra one last summer called To Love a Beast and have another indie book coming this June called Part of Your World – The Little Mermaid in Galveston, TX. 🙂 (Hopefully will have that one up for preorder in March.) So if you want more fairy tales, those are still going, just not with Bethany House.

      1. I’m so excited to start this new series with you! I love the excerpt. I’m very much like you, introvert at heart but can be forced (usually kicking and screaming) into a more extrovert mode when I must. Lol. Since I almost exclusively read on my Kindle, I will be ordering an ebook (so I can make the font bigger lol). Wishing you the best with your launch!!

  20. Stars and garters will forever be my favorite old time exclamation. Thanks for keep writing awesome stories for fans like us!

  24. I enjoy the spinster trope. It’s rather nice to read stories od people who thought they’d never find love finding it for themselves.
    I think I relate to bookish Jane the most.

  25. l do like the spinster trope! After all, we’re never too old to find love! I’m a bit of all three, to be honest!

  26. I relate more to Jane and I liked the excerpt. I’ve never liked the term spinster, probably because I was older when I became a bride. It’s almost as bad as “old maid.” I’m looking forward to reading your new book.

    1. One of the things these ladies do is “reclaim” the term spinster and instead of feeling shame for their unmarried state, they wear it as a badge of honor in a way and reframe it as a positive label.

  27. The spinster trope is always fun, and this excerpt is great! Filled with your trademark humor and sweet moments. I would like to say I relate more to shy Jane, but honestly I’m probably more like Martha. 🙂

  28. WINNERS – Congratulations go to Pam K and Patty. Each of you ladies will receive an autographed copy of Taming Lady Temperance. I’ve sent you an email with instructions for claiming your prize. Enjoy!

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