The Story Behind "The View from Coral Cove" by Amy Clipston

Today we have a special guest! Meet my author friend Amy Clipston. She's the author of The View from Coral Cove and she's here today to not only tell the story behind her story but to give away a signed, paperback copy! Read her guest post below for details. 

~*~

The Story Behind The View from Coral Cove by Amy Clipston

The View from Coral Cove is my second contemporary romance book, and I’m excited for readers to get to know the main characters—Maya, Brody, and Ashlyn.

This book takes places goat a fictional North Carolina beach town named Coral Cove. I was first inspired to write it in June 2020 when my husband, Joe, and I took a day trip to the North Carolina coast on our anniversary.

It was the start of the pandemic, and Joe and I wanted to get away for the day. We got in our car and just drove to the beach. After spending some time at Oak Island, we decided to just drive and we spotted signs for Southport, NC—a town we hadn’t ever visited in the past. It’s located on a waterfront that is the mouth of Cape Fear. Later, I learned a few movies were filmed there.

As we drove into town, I immediately fell in love with it. Southport has a small town feel with streets lined with cute little stores—antique shops, cafes, a toy and candy shop, clothing stores, jewelry stores, restaurants—as well as beautiful historic homes. Joe and I found a place to park and then walked around the town. Since we are antique store fanatics, we took our time wandering through all of the amazing shops.

Joe and I ate lunch at a restaurant named Oliver’s, which is located on the waterfront, and as I looked out over the sound, I thought, “I need to write a beach book!” After we ate, we walked along the waterfront, strolled out onto a pier, and I took in the town and felt more and more inspired.

At that time, I had a contract for three standalone contemporary romances with my publisher, HarperCollins Christian, and the first book, The Heart of Splendid Lake, was already written. I had set The Heart of Splendid Lake at a fictional North Carolina lake.

I have always enjoyed the beach since I was a little girl when my parents and I would take day trips to Jones Beach on Long Island. I also lived in Virginia Beach, Va., for 15 years. My first “date” with my husband consisted of driving around Sandbridge Beach and discussing which of the oceanfront homes were our favorites. Joe and I also enjoyed taking day trips to the Outer Banks, where we would drive out on Oregon Inlet and spend the day.

My love for the beach and my discovery of Southport inspired me to brainstorm a contemporary romance plot. Not long after our trip to Southport, I had a brainstorming session with my editor, and we kicked around ideas for my book. My editor suggested that my main character would move to the beach after inheriting a house, and I suggested that my hero be a single dad who works as a veterinarian.

After our phone call, I took those ideas and ran with them. Soon my heroine, Maya, who inherited her great-aunt’s toy store, came to life in my mind. And Brody, the hero, was a veterinarian and a single father who also runs a cat rescue in memory of his mother.

The town of Coral Cove encompasses everything I love about the Outer Banks, Virginia Beach, and Southport. Coral Cove includes the small-town feel of Southport with the stores and restaurants. It also has a sound side without the waves as well as the ocean side with the waves and the beautiful oceanfront houses, which is similar to The Outer Banks.

I hope readers enjoy visiting Coral Cove as well as getting to know my characters who live there.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amy Clipston is an award-winning bestselling author and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She’s sold more than one million books, and her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. 

She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan University and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. 

Amy works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC, and lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, mother, and six spoiled-rotten cats.

~*~
Blurb for Amy’s book:

When a jilted romance novelist returns to the small beach town she once loved, she discovers not only inspiration but also a romance to call her own. 

Maya Reynolds is recently single after her fiancé chose to move to Europe without her. She's struggling with her heartache-along with her latest novel-when she learns she's inherited her great-aunt Cecelia's store in the small town of Coral Cove, North Carolina.

As Maya arrives and begins combing through her beloved aunt's belongings, long-held secrets from her family's past come to light. Soon Maya is questioning fundamental beliefs about who she is and the people she has always loved.

While working in the shop one day, Maya meets Brody Tanner-the town's local veterinarian. It's clear the handsome vet has some secrets of his own, but Maya cannot help but be intrigued by him and the spunky child she believes to be his daughter.

As Maya works to make ends meet, she and Brody grow ever closer. But will the pasts they're hiding from each other get in the way of a future together?

~*~
Connect with Amy:
Facebook Page: facebook.com/AmyClipstonBooks/
Instagram: instagram.com/amy_clipston/
Twitter: twitter.com/AmyClipston
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/2765728.Amy_Clipston
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/amy-clipston
Pinterest: pinterest.com/amyclipston/
Website: https://amyclipston.com
Online bookstore: https://amyclipston.com/shop/

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Devotionals for the Heart: Clean Slate

Create in Me a Clean Slate

A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

“Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.” 

–Psalm 32:1 (MSG)

Vacations always seem to be a time I hear from God. Maybe it’s because my pace slows down, my mind quiets and I take more time to tune into the many ways my Creator reveals Himself to me.

On a recent vacation, my nephew and I took a walk down to the beach. It was relatively quiet as most beachgoers had long since gathered their belongings and made their way home. As many kids do at the beach, Ryan started building a castle with a moat and spires, towers and walls. He took such great care with it and spent so much time on all the details, decorating it with big shells and tiny shells, twigs and seaweed. He crafted such an elaborate structure – it was quite impressive. As I looked down the beach I could see dotted across the shoreline, several other structures that remained from a busy day of play at the beach.

The next morning, as I walked the beach, I noticed the shoreline smooth as silk with no visible remnants of the castles that peppered its horizon just a few hours before. It was a blank canvas – an untouched fabric on which new “builders” could sculpt their structures on this new day. During the night, as the tides had washed through, the waves had carried the walls of the castles and structures out to sea with them. The rolling waters had pulled sand into the crevices and moats leaving a smooth, even surface in their place. I looked at that smooth, clean slate full of possibility and wonder. No baggage to be removed, no tearing down or correcting needed. Just a smooth surface awaiting a new day.

I got to thinking of how much I wish I could have a clean slate. How I wished I could erase all traces of the messes I had created in my life and wash away the disappointments and destruction that littered the broken road to my present. Almost immediately God spoke to my spirit, reminding me that He specializes in fresh starts. As our verse so clearly states above, we do get a clean slate to work from the moment we invite Jesus to reside in our hearts and every day thereafter. Even when we can’t seem to let go of or forget our past failures, God does. That accusing voice we hear isn’t our Savior’s. That guilt and condemnation we feel doesn’t come from our God. It’s the voice of our accuser who will stop at nothing to make us feel unworthy of the grace and love God so freely and extravagantly extends.

Lamentations 3:21-24 (MSG) tells us this, “It’s a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God. I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left.”

These verse speak to my heart in such a powerful way. When it talks about hitting bottom I am immediately reminded of some of my “rock bottom” moments. Moments I would like to wipe off my slate forever. Before I had a relationship with Jesus, I had a relationship with drugs – one that almost killed me more than once. To say I had hit rock bottom was an understatement for sure. When I came to Christ, Satan loved to bring those memories to mind and conjure up feelings of embarrassment and shame. So I rarely shared with anyone these dark details of my past. The devil loves to keep things hidden, while God brings things into the light and washes them away.

One day I was in my office at work and a coworker came in on her day off, sitting next to me in our office. I asked her if everything was okay and she said she was “going through some stuff” but that I wouldn’t understand because I had my life so together. It was at that moment God convicted me that if I never shared where He had brought me from then I was robbing Him of His full glory. God can’t erase what we keep holding on to and hiding. But if we bring it to Him, His grace and mercy will clean our slate not just of the sin but of the guilt and shame that go with it.

When we tell of how God changed us and where He brought us from, He gets the glory He is due. If you are struggling today with a slate that you can never seem to get fully cleared, I encourage you to bring every burden to the foot of The Cross and leave it there in the very capable hands of our Redeemer (Jesus Christ) who paid a dear price to wipe our slates perfectly clean.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we don’t have adequate words to express the gratitude we have for the sacrifice You made so that we could have a clean slate. Help us to release all of our burdens to You – all of our sin, shame, guilt and embarrassment. Empty us of all that interferes with our relationship with You and allow us to be filled with a deeper, more intimate connection to You. Help us to have a heightened sense of Your boundless love, unending grace and mercies which are new every morning. In Jesus’s name we ask this, Amen.

*Note from Alexis: Cyndi’s message today reminds me of the song “Create in Me a Clean Heart” performed by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him.

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

~*~
Connect with Cyndi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/

Romantic Reads: The Shell Collector

Interview with Nancy Naigle about her book, The Shell Collector:

Congratulations on your new novel, The Shell Collector! Let’s talk about it …

Alexis: Your new novel is categorized as “Friendship Fiction” on Amazon.com. What does that mean?

Nancy: The publisher selects three categories for each novel. I’m not entirely sure how they select them. In the case of The Shell Collector I think “friendship fiction” fits. This story features several really great friendships. The old woman, Maeve, who walks the beach collecting shells with the young widow and mother of two, Amanda. Amanda is reunited with her late husband’s best friend, Paul. Maeve and Tug, the owner of the diner, have a really special relationship too.

Alexis: What are the themes of this story?

Nancy: Love, friendship, trusting your journey, and sharing your gifts.

Alexis: Describe your heroine to me. What are Amanda Whittier’s hopes, dreams, fears, and strengths?

Nancy: She is focused on her children, and still trying unbraid herself from her past with her husband Jack.

Alexis: Describe your hero to me. What are Paul Grant’s greatest strengths, worst weaknesses, and quiet dreams?

Nancy: He is the kind of friend we all want. Genuine, kind, trustworthy and sincere.

Alexis: What kind of business did Amanda dream of starting? Why?

Nancy: She had dreamed of starting a business creating herbal salts. It was a perfect combination of her love for herbs and cooking, while giving her something she could do from home to still be with her young children.

Alexis: How is Amanda adjusting to life after her husband’s death?

Nancy: It’s been two years since her husband passed away, and she’s just moved to Whelks Island to try to get a fresh start.

Alexis: How did Paul Grant arrive in the area where Amanda lives? Does he like his new place?

Nancy: Paul Grant just opened his second location of Paws Town Square. It’s a unique business that repurposes Ghost Box buildings in tourist towns that enable families to kennel their dogs near the vacation site. But it’s more than just that. Paul also works to reunite retired military working dogs with their handlers, and helps veterans by offering the jobs in his corporation.

Alexis: Why does Paul enjoy working with military dogs? How does that help him and others?

Nancy: Paul Grant worked with military working dogs while enlisted in the Marines. When his best friend doesn’t make it back from his last deployment, Paul feels guilty and becomes reckless. He left the Marines out of necessity, and Paws Town Square is his healing path.

Alexis: Why does Paul believe that he’s not suited for romance?

Nancy: He once met the girl of his dreams, but she was already spoken for. Now Paul’s focus is solely on his business.

Alexis: Who is Maeve Lindsay? What role does she play in this story?

Nancy: Maeve is in her eighties. She grew up in Whelks Island and walks the beach every day, rain or shine, searching for shells and sea glass. She’s still very involved with the town. She doesn’t miss a town meeting, and works hard to help preserve this small town feel of the beach town.

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Nancy: This story was inspired by a true story of a friend of the family who was once walking the beach with something heavy on her heart. She found a shell with a scripture written in it in the surf. It was the right message at the right time. That, coupled with the loss of my husband in 2014, had this story churning in my heart for several years. This is truly a book of my heart. I can’t wait for readers to grab a copy to join me in this beautiful setting with the colorful residents of Whelks Island.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about The Shell Collector?

Nancy: I hope readers will realize that friends can originate in unexpected places. The cross-generational friendship is really special. I hope they’ll also find themselves wanting to share small moments of joy with others.

Alexis: Complete this sentence: If I were not an author, I’d ____________________ because ______________________.

Nancy: If I were not an author, I’d definitely still be working in big business because that’s what I was good at. I never aspired to be an author. I was a senior vice president with Bank of America. My original goal was to write one book, to help one girl through one lousy day. That’s it. But my first book deal was for three books and I really loved writing them. My husband was diagnosed with cancer at the end of October 2013. He died on January 30th, 2014. I felt the need to shift the focus of my life. I took an early retirement at that time to write full-time. It’s truly been a blessing.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Nancy! Do you have closing comments?

Nancy: Thank you for letting me share a little inside information about The Shell Collector. This book is available in digital, trade paperback and audio formats. The audio book is narrated by Erin Cahill who starred as Kelly in the movie based on my novel The Secret Ingredient on Hallmark Channel. It’s a wonderful audio book. This book will also be available in hard cover large print on September 8. It’s available for preorder now.

Please stay in touch with me on my website www.NancyNaigle.com. You can subscribe to my newsletter there too to be the first to hear about books, movies, sales, events and contests. You can read the first chapter of the book at www.NancyNaigle.com/theshellcollector.

Hugs and happy reading!

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. She began her contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career as an SVP for Bank of America and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm.

Now enjoying an early retirement from the financial industry, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, cooking, trail riding on her Palomino, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she now calls North Carolina home.

Best known for her small town stories set in Adams Grove, Sweet Tea and Secrets leads off this small town series. Stay tuned for news about the release of Porch Swings and Promises.

Nancy writes romance and women's fiction for Montlake Romance and St. Martin's Press. She enjoys the diversity of adding mysteries to her list of accomplishments through Crossroads Publishing House. She's also working on several projects with Hallmark. Watch for Nancy's novels Christmas Joy, Christmas in Evergreen and Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa on Hallmark Channel, and Hope at Christmas, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. New in 2020, The Secret Ingredient made its Hallmark Channel debut, and stay tuned for news about the movie based on Sand Dollar Cove.

Sign up for Nancy's newsletter at the bottom of this page to be the first to hear about the new movie. Stay in touch with Nancy through social media and her newsletter.

~*~
Book blurb for The Shell Collector:

“The Shell Collector is a beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances.” 

– #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

From USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle, The Shell Collector is a touching novel of a friendship that crosses generations, and learning how even the smallest gifts can change a life for good.

Two years after her husband’s death, Amanda Whittier has two children to raise alone, an abandoned dream of starting a business, and a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. She has no room in her life for anything else and little interest in moving on after losing the man she loved.

Paul Grant is a relative newcomer to the area, and his work with former military dogs needing rehabilitation has been good for the town. Though he loved once before, he’s convinced he’s not suited for romance and is determined to find meaning—alone—through his work and role in the community.

Widowed Maeve Lindsay was born and raised on Whelk’s Island. Spirited, kind, and a little mischievous, she pours her life into the town. But she carries a secret that shapes her every move.

Together, these three souls find encouragement in the most mysterious places and discover a love that’s bigger than their pain, healing their wounded hearts in ways none of them could have hoped for or expected.

~*~
Buy The Shell Collector on Amazon, CBD, TARGET, or Walmart

~*~
Connect with Nancy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyNaigleAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyNaigle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynaigle/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynaigle/
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3h1JQVr
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-naigle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575284.Nancy_Naigle

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romantic Reads: The Maritime Cure

Interview with Michelle S. Lowe about her book, The Maritime Cure:

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Michelle: I wrote The Maritime Cure in memory of my mom and her battle with MS.

Alexis: Describe your story’s heroine, Sage Patterson. What does she look/sound/act like? What are her primary passions? What is her best quality and worst character flaw?

Michelle: Sage Patterson is soft-spoken, with long auburn hair and green eyes that reflect how deeply she feels. She is passionate about helping others. Her best quality is her confidence as a nurse. Her worst character flaw is reliving the past, and of course, her hard-headedness when it comes to dealing with her estranged father.

Alexis: Why did you make Sage a nurse? What does she love about her job?

Michelle: I am a nurse and I love the nursing profession. I have been fortunate enough to work with so many wonderful nurses who put their patients first as Sage does in the story.

Alexis: Paint a picture with words of the beach house that Sage’s mother loves. Why is it special?

Michelle: Sage’s mother’s beloved beach cottage, once painted a bright beachy pink, is now weathered and unkept due to the last few years of neglect. The white porch and railings that were once pristine, now look abandoned and neglected under the tawny sunshine of late summer. The outdated cottage is surrounded by tall, invading dune grass swaying mockingly in the ocean breeze. The beach house is special because inside, Sage’s mother’s special touch remains in every detail and reminds her of her happy childhood.

Alexis: When did Sage adopt her rescue dog Molly? How does Molly help Sage in life?

Michelle: Sage adopts her beautiful Belgian Malinois, Molly, when the injured puppy is abandoned outside her clinic in Asheboro. Molly, with her unconditional love, is therapeutic to Sage during a year wrought with disappointment and the unimaginable.

Alexis: Why is Ocean Isle Beach a picturesque place? Paint a picture of it with words.

Michelle: Ocean Isle beach is serene with its ribbony sunsets of pink and gold against the beautiful blue-green ocean. Neatly manicured sidewalks and backstreets lead to treasured beach homes along the waterway. On quiet nights one can sit at the dock and hear the fish jump along with the low rumbling motors of incoming boats.

Alexis: What role does the unknown painter whose work Sage admires, play in this story?

Michelle: The role of the unknown painter is my favorite part of this story. This mystery man teaches Sage about forgiveness through his watercolor painting of praying hands without saying a word.

Alexis: Why does Sage feel that she needs to escape to Ocean Isle Beach to decompress?

Michelle: Sage’s personal and professional life have been turned upside down by someone she thought would never do her harm. She escapes to Ocean Isle in hopes for respite from all the shame and embarrassment she feels when in her hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina.

Alexis: Describe your story’s hero, Jacob Gable. What does he look/sound/act like? What is his motivation? What are his greatest strengths and worst weaknesses?

Michelle: Jacob Gable is a tall, handsome, distinguished attorney. But being down-to-earth and honest are his most endearing traits. He is dedicated to his faith as a Christian, and his greatest weakness would be falling for Sage the moment he sees her.

Alexis: Why did you make Jacob a real estate attorney? What makes him good at his job?

Michelle: I made Jacob a real estate attorney because having to sell her mother’s beach house has been something Sage has been avoiding for some time, and I really like the irony of her meeting and falling in love with the kind attorney who would ultimately be assisting her with that task.

Alexis: What is it about Jacob that makes Sage’s heart flutter?

Michelle: His strength, yet tenderness and composure, even when he’s upset.

Alexis: What is it about Sage that draws Jacob to her?

Michelle: Jacob is drawn to Sage immediately when he sees her accidentally squeal her tires at a stoplight, her loudly barking dog in the seat beside her. But he is especially moved when he witnesses the gentle emergency care she provides to a young boy having a seizure outside his office, with no thoughts of tearing her dress or ruining her sandals against the rough pavement.

Alexis: How does Sage and Jacob’s individual faith in God help them take a chance on love?

Michelle: Sage’s faith was there all along, she only needed a push from Jacob. At one point in the story, Jacob is forced to walk away from Sage, relying solely on strength from God.

Alexis: What is the theme of this story? Why?

Michelle: The theme of this story is forgiveness. I am amazed by a God that is willing to forgive me completely of my sins. This reminds me that we, as mere humans, should most certainly be willing to forgive others.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about this book?

Michelle: I would like for readers to remember the freedom and healing that forgiveness can offer.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Michelle! Do you have closing comments?

Michelle: Thank you so very much for interviewing me Alexis. I am honored and I hope readers will enjoy my book.

~*~
Author Bio:

Michelle Smith Lowe lives in Asheboro, North Carolina with her husband of twenty years, Brian, and their son, Jake.

She is the proud owner of a very spoiled bluetick hound dog.

Michelle is a Registered Nurse as well as a Certified Multiple Sclerosis Nurse.

She has always loved to write and wishes to thank God most of all for her ability to write fiction.

Her hobbies include searching for Native American arrowheads on her property and cooking for her family.

~*~
Book Blurb for The Maritime Cure:

Forgiveness can heal even the deepest of wounds 

Nurse Practitioner Sage Patterson is accustomed to giving her time and resources to others—and she wouldn’t want it any other way. But when someone she thought she could trust puts her reputation on the line, she can’t find the strength to move past the embarrassment and hurt. To make matters worse, she must now sell her mother’s beloved beach house.

Sage, along with her loyal rescue dog, Molly, head to picturesque Ocean Isle Beach where she finds refuge in watching the work of an unknown painter in the evenings. This tranquility is exactly what she needs to decompress… And then she meets real estate attorney Jacob Gable.

He doesn’t just turn her world upside down; he steals her heart, too. But will Sage’s anger and fear of betrayal get in the way of everything Jacob has to offer? Or will they, together with God, be able to move on from past hurts to embark on a journey of forgiveness and love?

~*~
Buy Michelle’s book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Michelle:
Instagram: instagram.com/authormlowe
Twitter: twitter.com/Author_MLowe
Facebook: facebook.com/MichelleSLoweAuthor

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romantic Reads: Know You More

Welcome Jan Thompson to the blog! 

She's here today to talk about her book Know You More. 

Enjoy the interview!

~*~

Interview with Jan Thompson about her book, Know You More: Christian Coastal City & Beach Town Romance (Savannah Sweethearts Book 1)

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Jan: I wrote Know You More in part to show that multiracial and multiethnic Christians can worship God together in peace and harmony in a Christian church. In fact, Riverside Chapel somewhat mirrors the first century churches that the Lord led Peter and Paul to start. For example, in Acts 2:5-11, we saw a list of believers from many countries coming together to hear Peter preach at Pentecost. Also, back in the day, cities like Ephesus and Corinth were trade crossroads in which people from all over the known world congregated to do business and meet one another. Those were the places Paul planted churches.

Alexis: Describe the setting of this story. Why did you set it in a coastal city and beach town?

Jan: Know You More is the first book in my Savannah Sweethearts series (not counting the prequel, Ask You Later), and sets the tone for the entire series about a community of multiethnic Christians who attend Riverside Chapel, a church housed in a riverboat that’s docked on the Savannah River in Savannah, Georgia. The churchgoers live in the area, in the coastal city of Savannah, and also on the beaches of Tybee Island across the bridge.

I grew up on a tropical island, and my family lived about ten minutes (depending on traffic) from the bay and beaches. Many of my contemporary Christian romance books gravitate toward beach towns, and I find that my experience of having lived on an island and in a coastal city enables me to describe life by the ocean. I love the coasts and beaches, and so I write about what I love and have experienced in my own life.

Alexis: You’ve described this story, Know You More, as a “multiracial romance.” What is the ethnicity/racial makeup of your main characters Diego Flores and Heidi Wei?

Jan: Diego Flores’s father is a Hispanic-American pastor who is now the part-time counseling pastor at Riverside Chapel. The semi-retired senior Flores doesn’t want to do it full time because he wants to spend half his time traveling with his Italian wife, Diego’s mom, to Italy where they like to spend the summer. However, Diego still talks to his dad regularly to get pastoral advice on church and love.

Heidi Wei is a Chinese-American Christian who is an active member of Riverside Chapel, as is her brother, Ming, who happens to be Diego’s best friend. They all attended the University of Georgia some years ago before Diego was called into the pastoral ministry and went off to seminary. They all met again years later in Savannah, when Ming invited Diego to pastor their church. Know You More begins over a year after the friends have reunited.

Alexis: Describe Diego’s church, Riverside Chapel. What makes it special to him?

Jan: Diego has been an associate pastor in the previous churches he worked in. This is the first time Diego is the senior pastor of his own church. Needless to say, he is quite nervous about shouldering such a heavy responsibility. As with any growing church, finding space to house Sunday morning services becomes a challenge for him. Diego sees how God comes through for his church every time they have a need. As his church grows in number, God provides for them a bigger space. Even though it’s on a riverboat, it’s rent-free. Diego is thankful to the Lord that Riverside Chapel continues to grow without getting into financial debt.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in the lives and hearts of your main characters?

Jan: As the senior pastor of Riverside Chapel, Diego not only preaches the Word of God, but he also has to live what he is preaching. As they say, he has to “walk the talk.” Diego sees that his friend Heidi Wei has a strong faith and wants to do everything she can to help their church grow. Together, they learn to minister to their congregation, while God works in their hearts about their relationship with each other.

Alexis: How does your real-life faith in God impact your fiction storytelling?

Jan: My Christian faith plays a very integral role in my storytelling. I have to understand what God is saying before I can write it in my books through the eyes of my characters. That is to say, if I don’t understand a Bible passage, I cannot explain it. In some of my novels, I allow the characters to study and learn more about the Scripture, and sometimes it becomes clear to me as I write out the scenes and chapters.

Savannah Sweethearts is more involved because all eleven books are about members of the Riverside Chapel church community, starting with their pastor. Diego and Heidi show up in every book, so I do have to remember what their theology is. After all, Diego is their pastor. In fact, he is also a counseling pastor to several people in my spinoff series, Vacation Sweethearts.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Jan! Do you have closing comments?

Jan: Thank you very much for inviting me to Romantic Reads for this interview. I appreciate it. I’m happy to write the books I enjoy reading, and I hope that there are readers out there who also love to read the types of books I like. My publishing imprint has a verse that has been an anchor for me in the process of publishing and marketing my books: “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7). 

Ultimately, to God be the glory!

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. 

Her books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends.

~*~
Blurb for Know You More:

He loves her… He loves her not… She’s waiting for him to decide.

A young pastor of a growing church in a thriving coastal community, Diego Flores has to come to grips with God’s will for his pastoral and personal life as he falls in love with his best friend’s sister.

If you enjoy reading clean and wholesome Christian beach romance, you’ll enjoy USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson’s Savannah Sweethearts series set in the coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, and the neighboring beach town of Tybee Island on the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah Sweethearts begins with Know You More, the multiracial romance of Pastor Diego Flores and Heidi Wei.

Diego’s Disquiet…
Diego Flores has been interested in his best friend’s younger sister since their college days, but his calling to grow Riverside Chapel takes up most of his time. 

When Heidi Wei becomes his strongest supporter in his church ministry, how does Diego show his feelings for her without giving her the wrong idea?

Does she see him as potential husband material or just the pastor of their church?

Heidi’s Hurdles…
Heidi suspects that Diego is sweet on her, but he seems to believe that his divine calling prevents him from acting on it. If it isn’t meant to be, she’s not going to push for it. Yet every time they are together, something happens between them. Have they moved beyond the platonic relationship they have enjoyed all these years to something more personal?

When a crisis hits Heidi’s family, Diego has to balance pastoring his congregation and ministering to Heidi without losing either one. Being in love while pastoring a church is difficult for him to juggle. Which path is more important? Which one should he focus on?

If you like Know You More, you’ll want to read the rest of the Savannah Sweethearts series. The next book is Tell You Soon, a romance with suspense featuring Heidi’s brother, private investigator Ming Wei. In this second book, there’s romance, there’s intrigue, and there’s a beach house for sale. Have some tea, settle in a comfortable reading chair, and enjoy these sweet celebrations of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.

~*~
Buy Know You More on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Jan:
Website: JanThompson.com
Book News: JanThompson.com/newsletter
Amazon USA: JanThompson.com/amazon
Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads
BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub
Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsonauthor

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway