Denise Hunter and Free Books!

After raising her siblings, it’s finally time for Sophie to open her dream bookshop in Piper’s Cove NC—but she gets sidetracked when a hurricane strands her there with the man who broke her heart years ago.

Before we revisit today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free Kindle copy of the historical suspense novel, The Nature of Fragile Things, by Susan Meissner, is:

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Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's chat with novelist Denise Hunter, author of the contemporary romance, Bookshop by the Sea (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, April 2021).

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 35 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.

When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Bookshop by the Sea.

After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper’s Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children.

Now it’s finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper’s Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance. When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper’s Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. 

As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I guess because I’m introverted (and possibly because I’m a woman), most people are surprised to learn that I play the drums. 

I love that--you probably couldn't have picked a more noticeable instrument to play, but I saw you play before. You truly focus on the instrument, rather than the attention! 

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Bookshop by the Sea.

There’s something very compelling about first love, and in Bookshop by the Sea we have a couple that was madly in love years ago but couldn’t quite make it work. They both had underlying issues that kept them from having a healthy relationship, and they needed to grow up a little in order to recognize this. So, when Aiden reenters Sophie’s life, there’s a lot at stake. The feelings are still there. The chemistry is still there. But so are the problems. Sophie has to learn to trust herself and others, and Aiden has to overcome his fear of abandonment in order for the couple to finally find their happily ever after. I so enjoyed writing these characters—and watching them grow—and I can’t wait to introduce readers to them!

What is it about Sophie that will make your readers care about her?

Sophie has always put others first. While still in high school, she cared for her bed-ridden mother. And after her mother’s passing, she finished raising her siblings, seeing them through high school and then college. I hope readers will be rooting for Sophie as she finally has the chance to follow her own dream—opening a bookshop by the sea!

It does sound like a dream!

Imagine you’ve been contracted to write a novel about a real person. About whom would you want to write?

Can I please make Beth Moore my next protagonist? Her romance story has already been told (and lived), but I just feel as if she’d bring a whole lot of spiritual depth to a novel—not to mention a whole lot of fun!

I've loved the answers to this question this month--I'd be interested in any of the novels suggested.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

I highly recommend Colleen Coble’s Pelican Harbor series! It starts with One Little Lie and follows Sheriff Jane Hardy through a web of intrigue that’s related to her past. The series has all the suspense and romance to keep those pages turning.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently hard at work on my next series, set in a North Carolina town in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The first book, Riverbend Gap, releases in October, 2021.

Where else can readers find you online?

Readers can find out more about my books on my website: www.denisehunterbooks.com There they can also sign up for my newsletter, enter my monthly contest, or print off my booklist. I also love connecting with readers on social media:

Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

The book can be purchased online via the following button:



Readers, you can access a sample from the novel by going HERE and clicking on Look Inside.

Finally, Denise, what question would you like to ask my readers?

What is the last series you binge-read?

Thanks, Denise, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Denise has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, click on the word "comments" below to reach the comments page, and leave your answer and your email in answer to Denise's question above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com. 

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, if you connect with me on Bookbub, you'll get alerts when my books release and when they're available at special sale prices. And if you'd like to connect with me on Facebook, just click HERE or on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE