I’ve said it a few times on my blog and I’ll say it again, I adore Courtney Walsh’s romance novels…she’s my favourite! Contemporary romance is in very good hands with the way Courtney is able to write meaningful, issue and character driven love stories that always have that something extra to challenge the way we think about love, relationships, family, suffering, and sacrifice. And she’s a gorgeous person with an amazing heart for her family, her readers, and her day job – The Studio Rockford – working with teens and the performing arts. If you have not yet read one of Courtney’s novels, her new release, IF FOR ANY REASON, is a great place to start. Enjoy getting to know Courtney and this story in our Bookchat today.

Emily Ackerman has traveled the world, her constant compass and companion a book of letters her mother left for her when she died. With no father in the picture, her mom’s advice has been her only true north. But when professional failure leads Emily back to Nantucket to renovate and sell the family cottage she inherited, she wonders if her mom left advice to cover this . . . especially when her grandmother arrives to “supervise.” And especially when her heart becomes entangled with Hollis McGuire, the boy next door–turned–baseball star who’s back on the island after a career-ending injury.

As sparks fly between her and Hollis, Emily is drawn to island life, even as she uncovers shocking secrets about the tragic accident that led to her mother’s death. With her world turned upside down, Emily must choose between allowing the voices from her past to guide her future or forging her own path forward.

Bookchat with Courtney

Please share a little about your characters Emily and Hollis.

I think of Emily as a bit of a gypsy. She’s lived in a lot of places but never seems to put down roots. She has an easygoing, bohemian vibe, an effortless, natural beauty, and yet there’s a restlessness about her—she has no idea what her purpose is, and she’s just about given up the idea that she will ever live up to anyone’s expectations of her.

Hollis is everything you think of when you think of a Major League baseball player. The trouble is that’s a position he no longer holds. Determining what comes after his stint in the Majors is something of a challenge for a man who has only ever been a ballplayer. To make matters worse, he’s desperately trying to undo past mistakes and become the kind of father he should’ve been a long time ago. He’s wonderfully broken.

How has the loss of her mother—and an absent father—shaped Emily’s outlook on life?

It’s changed everything. Emily lives her life filling in the blanks of her own history. She uses the letters her mother has left behind as a compass, but as helpful as they are, they can also be a little bit damaging at times. She wants nothing more than to make her mother proud, but she spends a great deal of time trying to figure out what that means. As far as her father goes, I think Emily has convinced herself she neither needs nor wants a father in her life. To her way of thinking, he left, so he forfeited his chance. Of course, there’s a pretty huge lesson to learn here.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives.

Romantic, emotional, touching, moving, swoony.

Share a little about Nantucket—what appeals to you about the location?

I’ve had the chance to visit Nantucket twice, and both times I was completely smitten with the island. Everything about it is so unique and charming, and a part of me was captivated by the idea of living in such a location. The cobblestone streets, the lighthouses, the adorable old-town feel—there is so much to fall in love with.

Your romance novels have great depth—how do you choose the authentic issues that drive your stories?

Typically, I think they come from my life. I’m the type of person who doesn’t process something until I’ve written about it, so it makes sense for me to work the lessons I’m learning into my writing.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

I think I enjoyed writing JoJo the most. For some reason, writing preteens and teens is one of the best parts of writing for me. I feel like they can add so much to a story, and often kids are much more no-nonsense than adults, so it’s always fun to write a character who says what they think!

Which character gave you the most grief?

Emily’s grandmother, but only because she’s such a pill. She was also pretty fun to write. 🙂

What emotions do you think your story will generate in readers?

I think this book is emotional, but not depressing. There is so much hope in Emily’s story, and I hope that readers are not only entertained, but also moved. That’s always my hope for each of my novels—that it’s more than just a simple romance, that there will be depth and emotion and deep love for the characters and their journeys.

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

I was in the middle of working on this novel when my daughter was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, so it was quite a heavy emotional journey for me. At the same time, it was almost therapeutic to be able to take my own feelings from my real life and channel them into this book, into Emily’s story and her relationship with her mom. I think both of these things informed the other—I doubt it was a coincidence.

If you could be one of your own heroines, which one would you choose to be?

I think I’d go all the way back to the beginning and be Campbell from my Sweethaven novels. Mostly because it’s so intriguing to me to think about finding an old scrapbook that unlocks a world of secrets and introduces me to a whole different side of my mother. Plus, Sweethaven is literally a dream town.

If not Campbell, I’d say Abigail from Paper Hearts because she owns a bookstore, and seriously—how awesome would that be?

Have you ever thought about writing outside your current genres?

I also write women’s fiction, so I do write outside my genre, but if you’re talking about really outside my genre . . . yes! I think writing YA would be an absolute blast! 🙂

What’s next?

I’m just finishing edits on my next Nantucket romance, and I’m hoping to release another Harbor Pointe novel this summer. On a personal front, my husband and I are directing a production of The Music Man for our business (a performing arts studio/youth theatre).

Thank you so much, Courtney – love having you on the blog <3

Courtney Walsh is the author of eleven inspirational novels. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, was a New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller. Courtney lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she is also an artist, theatre director, and playwright.

Relz Reviewz Extras

All Things Walsh @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Courtney’s website and blog
Buy from Amazon: If For Any Reason or Koorong

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