What is the working title of your book?
Beacon of Love
Where did the idea come from for the book?
My husband and I vacation each summer in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We visited a lighthouse a few years back while there and I started asking the inevitable author question, "What if...?" I thought what if a news reporter came to a town to uncover the story of a haunted lighthouse and what if she fell in love with a local guy who was trying to protect its secret??
What genre does your book fall under?
This is a contemporary romance, set in a small coastal town :)
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
"In a town that won't give up its secrets, she's determined to find the answers..."
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I am multi-published without an agent; this will be my sixth published novel, and my first with Lyrical Press. I am also published with Samhain and The Wild Rose Press.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Once I got on a roll with this one, it took me about 6 months to write. Since I'm a full-time high school English teacher during the day, I did most of the writing during the summer of 2011, then polished in the fall and submitted in early 2012. I signed the contract in spring of 2012.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
This is a "small town" romance, so it's pretty similar to works by Kristan Higgans and Jill Shalvis :)
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I was lucky enough to meet a great friend who inspired me to write what I referred to for years as "the lighthouse story." The luckiest authors are those who have people in their lives who truly inspire them :)
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It's a love story mixed with suspense mixed with a 50-year old unsolved mystery. Interested??
