Irene Hannon has been scaring and charming readers for years, penning both romantic suspense and contemporary romance novels, earning three RITA Awards and many other accolades in the process. And she’s not looking to stop anytime soon. If you have been reading Christian Fiction for a period of time it’s likely you have read at least one of her novels with over 50 now to choose from. Once a corporate executive, Irene traded in the business suits without regret and readers have reaped the benefits! I’m delighted to have Irene back on the blog and I hope you enjoy this bookchat about her latest contemporary romance novel, Driftwood Bay, her fifth Hope Harbor novel.

After tragedy upends her world, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tearoom—until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn’t worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his reclusive neighbor. Yet when Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it’s least expected?

Please share a little about your characters, Jeanette and Logan

Jeannette has been in Hope Harbor for a couple of years. She moved there after trauma upended her world and resolved to start over. She now runs a lavender farm and tearoom—and she avoids emotional attachments. Logan is a former ER doctor who’s bought the house next to Jeannette. He arrives with a five-year-old niece who wants nothing to do with him and a boisterous beagle who enjoys digging up the lavender plants next door. Needless to say, the first meeting between Jeannette and Logan is not an auspicious beginning!

What inspired this story?

A number of different things—my love of afternoon tea, an excursion I took to a lavender farm/tearoom with my mom, the stories I’d read about the plight of persecuted Christians in Syria, the notion of a man changing his entire life to honor a commitment—all of those played into this story and ended up being woven together in my plot.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Touching, emotional, heartrending, humorous, uplifting.

What makes you keep returning to Hope Harbor for your story setting?

I love my little Oregon seaside town! In addition to the gorgeous setting, it’s filled with interesting characters who have fascinating stories to tell. For readers who’ve never visited Hope Harbor, I should point out that each book is a standalone novel. The town is the common element among the books, but every novel features a new primary cast–and the story begins and ends in each book. No hanging plot threads for me! So readers can jump in and visit at any point.

Irene’s writing space – I spy a few RITA Awards!

I love that your story includes refugees – do you personally know any refugees in your community?

I don’t know any Syrian refuges, but there was a family with ties to Cuba at a church I used to attend, and they had some eye-opening stories to tell. In fact, a Cuban refugee was a secondary character in another Hope Harbor book, Sea Rose Lane. But I’ve been reading so much about the persecution of Christian Syrians in the past couple of years that it felt natural to include a secondary storyline about a refugee family in this book. And it worked beautifully with the plot, because they are the ones who begin to draw Jeannette out of her shell.

Was the mischievous beagle, Toby, inspired by a pet you own/have owned?

No. My family did have a dog growing up, but Skippy was well behaved. Well…except when she was a puppy, come to think of it. As a pup, she stayed in the basement on cold nights, and I was charged with letting her out in the morning. She was always waiting right inside that basement door, raring to go. I remember gauging the distance from the door to the large toy chest—and I’d unlock the door, race to the chest, jump on top, and wait while she ran off all her pent-up energy. I had a lot of fun writing about loveable but rambunctious Toby in this book—and in fact, penned this humorous interview with him for another blog.

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

As I said in the last question, Toby was great fun to write about. But the two grieving little girls touched my heart, as did the plight of the Syrian family—three people, three generations, all that was left of their family. I also loved going along on Jeannette’s and Logan’s journey. And of course, it’s always fun to revisit my continuing characters—Charley Lopez, the taco-making artist and town sage; Floyd and Gladys, the seagull couple; and the two bantering clerics. Can you tell I love all my characters? J

Which character gave you the most grief?

None of them were difficult to write about in terms of getting inside their heads and understanding what made them tick—but the Syrian family was probably the most challenging in terms of research.

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

You name it, I felt it. I laughed, cried, worried, hoped, and swooned at the romance. The book is an emotion-packed journey that tugged at my heart all the way through.

Irene signing her contract for more Hope Harbor novels!

Will you be returning to Hope Harbor?

Yes! Book 6, Starfish Pier, will be out in April 2020—and there are at least two more planned after that. I’m so grateful readers have come to love this town as much as I do. I get countless notes from people telling me they wish they could visit Hope Harbor—or move there. It’s become so real to me I can picture walking down Dockside Drive, past Sweet Dreams bakery and the Hope Harbor Herald office, to Charley’s taco stand at the end of the wharf, beside the tiny park with the gazebo.

How do you balance writing contemporary romance with romantic suspense?

I alternate books, which give me a nice balance. The suspense novels are very intense, and when I finish one I’m ready for a visit to Hope Harbor. Those books are also filled with drama, but not the life-or-death kind. It’s a nice change of pace and a chance to visit with old friends like Charley before I plunge back into scarier stuff!

Thanks Irene!

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romance fiction) and is also a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame. In 2016, she  received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews magazine for her entire body of work. She loved to chat with readers on Facebook!  

Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Hannon @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Irene’s website
Buy at Amazon: Driftwood Bay or Koorong

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