Have you ever wanted to be an author? Or maybe you just wanted to read a book that included RVing? Well, Karen Nortman has done just that. After retiring from teaching and working for a testing company, Karen noticed a lack of books that featured people who RV’d so she decided to fill the gap. Thirteen books later and she is still going strong with three series.
Her first series is the Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries and is a delightful look at RVing with a side of murder. These cozy mysteries feature Frannie and her retired policeman husband who own a RV and like to visit campgrounds with friends and family. You might recognize a few of the side characters as Karen includes situations and people that she meets while camping in real life. You know, the guy who backs up his camper the wrong way or the camp host who might not be having a great day. In addition, Karen adds a few camping tips or recipes at the end of the chapter (or at the end of the ebook). And her description of the campgrounds might have you wanting to go to Iowa to camp as many of the books take place in her home state.
The second series is the Time Travel Trailer series and are what Karen calls time travel light. A mom who is trying to understand her teen-age daughter buys a 1937 Covered Wagon and soon discovers that the camper has a secret – whenever you fall asleep in it, you wake in a new decade. Soon the whole family is involved in learning the pros and cons of time travel.
And the last series is one that has a special place in Karen’s heart as she based it on her grandmother and aunt who used to travel together. The Mystery Sisters travel in a 1950 Studebaker, visiting friends and family. But they always seem to find a murder. While this one doesn’t include a RV, it does include travel and a pair of seventy something sisters who might remind you of a family members.
Karen self-publishes her books and offers them on Amazon or her website. I also found some on the Scribed app. Her books are easy, fun reads that will make you smile as you think of people you have met while camping.
In this interview with her, she talks about her own camping, her history with writing and how she gets her ideas. We also learned that her books are a family affair as her sisters help her with the art and marketing.
Let me know in the comments if you have read any and what you thought. I have really enjoyed the three that I read and would love to chat about them.
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