Today Karen Leigh Gruber, author of When Lions Roar, is visiting Ascroft, eh? to introduce herself and her writing.

Welcome, Karen. Let’s get started, shall we?

What are your favorite TV shows?

Over the years I have stopped watching a lot of television. I’ve always loved detective shows. Some of my favorites are: The Closer, Law and Order, Hill Street Blues, Monk, Columbo, and Blue Bloods. Recently, I fell in love with Shitt$ Creek, the characters are so over the top, I think it’s clever and so funny, I wish there was more to come.

What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is homemade pasta with spaghetti sauce and meatballs that my husband and I learned to make at an Italian cooking class. I love the whole experience, it tastes terrific and it brings back such fun memories.

If you were to write a series of novels, what would it be about?

Ooh, I have this vision of writing a series of books with a strong female lead, a woman who overcomes something in her life and finds her voice, her sovereignty. Similar to When Lions Roar, a journey of sorts all over the world. Maybe the main characters are from different places in the world, or maybe the locations are all over the world where the book takes place, but it definitely has something to do with a sense of travel and a woman and her voice.

Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?

There’s something to be said about the authors who are able to create mountains of popular books that entertain and people are clamoring to read. I find that to be amazing. But what I really love are authors who do something unusual with their writing and the author that comes to mind is Jean Rhys, who wrote Wide Sargasso Sea.  This book is a prequel to the novel Jane Eyre, written about the mad woman in the attic. It’s rather a dark book, yet I loved the writing. Anytime an author sounds lyrical to me, who can paint a picture without being too wordy, who can move me, who makes me think after I’ve closed the book, who makes me want to talk about it or find somebody else to read it so we can talk about it together. Those are the authors that I idolize.

How did you come up for the title of this book?

When Lions Roar was birthed at a retreat that I went to in 2019. As part of the preparation for the retreat, there were a series of practices, writing exercises and visualizations that took place before we arrived for the retreat. During one of the sessions, I asked the question, “Is there anything about the title that needs to be revealed or that is ready to be revealed to me at this time?” I received a flash of a roaring lion, and I could hear the words in my mind in my mind When Lions Roar and I knew that was it.

Thanks for answering my questions, Karen, and good luck with When Lions Roar.

Readers can learn more about Karen Leigh Gruber and her writing by visiting her website, and her Facebook and Instagram pages.

As part of Karen’s book tour, one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click here to enter the contest

The novel is available online at Amazon. The pre-sale page can be found here.

About Karen Gruber: Karen is an international #1 best-selling contributing author, inspirational speaker, and a Leadership Development Coach for women and moms. She specializes in inspiring moms to realize their potential as mothers, women, and leaders. Karen has had extensive specialized training in parenting, feminine spirituality, and leadership.  Over the past 15 years she has provided innovative leadership coaching for moms and has dramatically transformed her own life.

Sharing her life with her husband Jim and daughter Jaymie, presenting her message to other women, and traveling the world bring her the greatest joy. She is the founder of The Inspired Mama, a company located in gorgeous Denver, Colorado that focuses on the inspiration, leadership, and wellbeing of women and moms.

When Lions Roar is Karen’s debut fictional work. She is freakish about Christmas lights and loves to play Baccarat.