Check out my fun Q&A with the author... Hometown Hope by Laurel Blount (Interview & #Giveaway)


Welcome! There's a fun Q&A with the author and giveaway below...

Hometown Hope
By Laurel Blount
Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 288 Pages
July 1st 2019 by Love Inspired

Summary

He’ll do anything for his daughter…

Even fight to regain an old classmate’s broken trust.

In the three years since her mother’s death, widower Hoyt Bradley’s daughter, Jess, hasn’t spoken—until she suddenly begs him to save her favorite bookstore from closing.

Hoyt is desperate to hear his daughter’s voice again, but he and the bookstore’s pretty owner, Anna Delaney, share a less-than-friendly past.

Working together is complicated enough…but can they avoid falling in love?

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Author Interview

Would you tell us a little more about the main characters in HOMETOWN HOPE?
Sure! Hoyt Bradley--the diamond-in-the-rough hero--was such fun to write about. The widowed single dad has one motto when it comes to helping his grieving little girl speak again--Whatever it takes. The trouble is, when Jess finally does speak she asks her blue-collar dad to save her favorite bookstore--which happens to be owned by his shy former classmate Anna Delaney. Anna and Hoyt share a prickly history, and she’d much prefer to keep him at arm’s length. But Anna’s warm heart goes out to Hoyt’s book-loving little daughter, so she and Hoyt find themselves teaming up--and stumbling into a very unexpected romance!
What inspired you to write this story? 
I had an image of the hero--a broad-shouldered bear of a guy, good with his hands, not so good with words--who’s leaning hard on his faith as he tries to help his daughter heal from the loss of her mom.
What is your favorite thing about the book’s cover? 
Oh, this cover! What do I love about it? In a word--everything! I loved this image the very minute I laid eyes on it. The little girl sitting in a window, awash in that soft light, totally absorbed in a book---to me, it’s just a beautiful scene.
What part or aspect of this story do you love the most? 
I loved exploring the idea that our biggest blessings often lie on the other side of some really uncomfortable experiences. Both Hoyt and Anna have to get way outside of their comfort zones before they find the hope--and the love--they’re looking for. So many times that’s exactly the way it works, isn’t it?
What challenged you about writing HOMETOWN HOPE?
There were several challenging aspects to this story. Writing an “opposites attract” romance means highlighting the differences between the starring characters while weaving in the deep underlying connections that are ultimately going to bring them together. With a widower hero, I needed to respect Hoyt’s feelings for his late wife while showing how his love for Anna was completely different--but also every bit as meaningful as the love he’d lost. And with a cutie-pie like his daughter Jess in the story, I had to make sure she didn’t completely steal the show!
What are you working on next?
I’m so glad you asked! (grin) I am just now finishing up my final round of edits for my fourth Love Inspired book, A RANCHER TO TRUST. It’s scheduled to be released in January 2020, and it’s my final book to be set in Pine Valley, Georgia. From the minute organic grocery store owner Bailey Quinn strolled into the barn in A FAMILY FOR THE FARMER, I knew she deserved a happily ever after of her very own--and in January that’s finally going to happen!
Thanks so much for hosting me here on Wishful Endings--and for asking such wonderful questions! Anybody have any additional questions? Just ask in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer!

About the Author

Laurel Blount lives on a small farm in middle Georgia with her husband, their four children, a milk cow, dairy goats, assorted chickens and ducks, four spoiled cats and one bossy goose with serious boundary issues. She divides her time between farm chores, baking, homeschooling and writing. She's busy, but she's never bored!

HOMETOWN HOPE is Laurel’s third Love Inspired romance. Her debut Love Inspired novel A FAMILY FOR THE FARMER was the recipient of the 2017 Maggie Award for Excellence in the Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements category. This book also received two 2017 Holt Awards of Merit and was a finalist in the 2017 Carol Awards. A BABY FOR THE MINISTER, her second Love Inspired, was released in September of 2018.

Whenever she's not working, you can find Laurel with a cup of tea at her elbow, a cat in her lap and a good book in her hand. She loves to hear from readers! Drop her an email at laurelblountwrites@gmail.com or visit her website: www.laurelblountbooks.com and be sure to sign up for her monthly newsletter!


Tour Schedule

Follow the tour here.

Tour-Wide Giveaway

(1) winner will receive an autographed copy of Hometown Hope, a $10 Starbucks gift card, a travel coffee mug, and a bar of Milltown soap--which is produced in author's hometown (Dough bowl is not included.)

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight June 17, 2019 and last through 11:59 PM EST on June 24, 2019. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

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