Getting to Know Me

       Caryl McAdoo was born in Long Beach, California, but got to Texas as quickly as possible at the too-young-to-remember-anything-else age of six months and celebrated her first birthday as a Texan. Growing up in Northwest Dallas, she moved past the city limit sign to Irving where she graduated from Mac Arthur High School, met her husband Ron (an Irving High School football hero) the summer before their junior year, married him quick as they graduated, birthed four children, and enjoyed life close to lots of family and friends. Thirteen grandchildren were born in Irving as well. It was her lifelong home until 2008 when she and Ron followed God’s leading to Red River County in far North East Texas.

       Back in 1962, as a seventh grader at Letot Elementary, she remembers a homework assignment - an essay on ‘What will you be doing in 2000?’ Looking into the future, Caryl saw herself as an inter-galactically famous author, streaking from planet to planet signing books. But it was Ron who started writing first. An avid reader, he read a disappointing novel and thought, ‘If that lady can get published, I know I can!’ He began a story in ‘89, Caryl joined in—they do pretty much everything together—and by ‘91 they’d hand written their first three hundred eighty page novel, a Biblical fiction.

       God directed the McAdoos to the DFW Writers’ Workshop in ’93, and they discovered they’d made all the beginner mistakes a writer could possibly make—every single one! But a few of the published authors saw something there, took Ron and Caryl under their wings, and mentored them. Six years later, their first co-authored non-fiction was published. For the next nine years, attending weekly read and critique sessions, they averaged publishing a title a year from four presses: two non-fiction, four novels, and three mid-grade chapter books.

       In April, 2012, Caryl met Mary Sue Seymour at the North East Texas Writers’ Organization Spring Conference in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and wrote her first historical Christian romance set in the 1800s especially for the New York agent. (Whose maiden name was  remarkably ‘McAdoo’!) Caryl signed a contract for representation in August, and VOW UNBROKEN sold on 10-10-12 to Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster.
       VOW UNBROKEN released March 4th, 2014. A month later, I re-released an old title after the rights came back to me with a new chapter and a few edits :) In September, I went Indie and released HEARTS STOLEN, book two in the Texas Romance series to great reviews! Then in November, I debuted a new Biblical fiction series The Generations' volume one A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS. I'd written several titles between my S&S contract and Vow coming out, so believing God brought me to it and would see me through it, I embarked on releasing ten titles in 2015.
       January - Book Three of the Texas Romance historical series HOPE REBORN / February - Book one of Red River Romance contemporary series, THE PREACHER'S FAITH  / March - volume 2 of The Generations, THEN THE DELUGE COMES / April - SING A NEW SONG, book two in the Red River Romance series / May - Book Four of Texas Romance historicals, SINS OF THE MOTHERS.
       Skipping June and December, in July - ONE AND DONE, book three of Red River Romance contemporary series / August - REPLENISH THE EARTH, volume 3 of The Generations / September - Book Five of Texas Romance historicals DAUGHTERS OF THE HEART / October - ACQUIRING A WIFE, fourth of Red River Romances / November - volume 4 of The Generations, CHILDREN OF EBER.
        2016 opened with the release of JUST KIN, book six in the family saga Texas Romance series. It features a four-year-old introduced in book two, HEARTS STOLEN. More are coming this year, but she's not saying what or when yet.
       Also known as Grami, she has sixteen grandsugars now, and she and Ron (O’Pa) reared these four of their grandsons, the two oldest graduated and gone off to college. She's dedicated to serving God particularly through praise and worship as He frequently gives her new songs. Caryl believes all good things are from Him and that her new books will minister His love, mercy, and grace to readers. Her mantra is 'Praying my story gives God glory!'    

This was taken at the 'hunting cabin' a few miles south of Clarksville. (back row L - R)  Caryl a.k.a. Grami, Benjamen, and Ron a.k.a. O'Pa (front row L - R) Gregory, Christian, and Matthew