It’s always a pleasure to have a visit from the delightful Denise Hunter. Denise has been a prolific contemporary romance author for many years and I’ve been a long time reader of her sweet stories. She’s even caught the eye of Hallmark with three of her novels now gracing the small screen.
Getting a peek at Denise’s reading habits is intriguing as we celebrate her final Bluebell Inn Romance, Autumn Skies. This is Grace’s journey to love, the youngest Bennett sibling and eager to find her place in the world after losing her parents while she was still in high school.
Enjoy this special feature from Denise!
When a mysterious man turns up at Grace’s family-run inn, it’s instant attraction. But she’s already got a lot on her plate: running the Bluebell Inn, getting Blue Ridge Outfitters off the ground, and coping with a childhood event she’d thought was long past.
A gunshot wound has resurrected the past for secret service agent Wyatt Jennings, and a mandatory leave of absence lands him in Bluebell, North Carolina. There he must try and come to grips with the crisis that altered his life forever.
Grace needs experience for her new outfitters business, so when Wyatt needs a mountain guide, she’s more than happy to step up to the plate. As their journey progresses, Grace soon has an elusive Wyatt opening up, and Wyatt is unwittingly drawn to Grace’s fresh outlook and sense of humor.
There’s no doubt the two have formed a special bond, but will Wyatt’s secrets bring Grace’s world crashing down? Or will those secrets end up healing them both?
Denise’s Reading Habits
When is your optimal time to read?
There’s nothing better than a relaxing evening with a book. It’s my favorite way to unwind before bed. But let’s face it, there’s no bad time to read. J
Are you faithful to a genre, an author, or simply quality writing?
I mostly hover around the romance/women’s fiction genre. But I also veer off into romantic suspense and thrillers, especially if the book is garnering a lot of attention.
Which factors most influence your selection of a book?
Author, cover, back cover copy.
Your fiction pet peeve?
Long passages of narrative, especially when they’re between lines of dialogue. I feel as if the author has just asked her characters to freeze in place while they unload a heap of internal thoughts and backstory.
What book have you read this year that you could not put down, and why?
Colleen Coble’s new series. The first two books are One Little Lie and Two Reasons to Run. I’ve also had the pleasure of reading the third and final instalment, Three Missing Days. The suspense and family drama kept me flipping pages, and the romantic thread—which doesn’t fully resolve until the final book—kept me eagerly awaiting the next story.
How do you mark your spot – folded page corner, bookmark, dollar bill, whatever is at hand?
I mostly use an e-reader so it remembers my place for me.
When reading, what makes or breaks a story for you?
First and foremost, the writing has to be good. There also needs to be some intriguing problem that needs to be resolved as well as a likeable, sympathetic protagonist for whom I can root.
Snack/drink of choice while reading?
Hot vanilla chai with hazelnut.
What book cover has really caught your eye?
Dovetail by Karen McQuestion. I keep seeing it in my FB newsfeed, and it always catches my eye.
What book do you wish you had written? Why?
On first thought, there are a lot of books I admire so much that I would’ve loved to have penned them. But on second thought, I feel God gives me the stories He wants me to write, and I am perfectly content with that.
What are you reading now?
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
Autumn Skies
What do you love most about this story, or the process of writing this story?
I’m so thrilled to finally share this story with readers. I’ve wanted to write a story featuring a Secret Service agent since 2016. My husband and I were at a hotel in Virginia Beach in preparation for my appearance on the “700 Club” when we heard that a politician was going to be speaking at the hotel that night. While we were standing in the lobby, a whole crew of Secret Service agents entered the lobby—suits, sunglasses, the whole nine yards. I swear they were moving in slow motion, and “Bad to the Bone” was playing in the background. That’s where the idea for Autumn Skies originated.
Share a little about one of your characters – what makes them unique?
Wyatt Jennings is a hero with a past so painful that it inspired him rise to the position of Secret Service agent. He’s focused, disciplined, and self-sacrificing—a hero in every sense of the word. But he has a painful past that makes him vulnerable, and our heroine is just who he needs to help him through the healing process.
Share a favourite line or paragraph from your book.
I love the way this couple banters, but that can go on for pages. So I’ll just give you a snippet of a kiss.
“He took her mouth like a man starving. Because he was starving for her. Their kiss may have been only yesterday, but he wasn’t counting in days. He was counting in hours, in minutes. And it seemed like a million of each had passed since he’d claimed her lips.”
What have you enjoyed most about writing about the Bennett siblings?
I just love those Bennetts. I love their camaraderie and the way they come together to make a go of their parents’ inn. I love how they tease and taunt each other. I even love the way they bicker because their arguments ultimately end in a loving resolution that only draws them closer.
Thank you for taking time to share your reading habits with us, Denise!
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 books, three of which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised 3 boys and are now enjoying an empty nest.
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Buy at Amazon: Autumn Skies or Koorong
