Book blurb...
Addie McHenry, restoration home builder extraordinaire, catches her big break when the House to Home network contracts her to film a reality TV show focusing on how she brings homes back to life. She sets her sights on one of the oldest on Moanna's beach and to risk everything just to get it.
Shane Armstrong from Savannah to his mother's Moanna oceanside house when his world shattered five months before. He went on leave from his job as a Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, hopeful his grandmother's peaceful street will help heal him. The reality TV show's arrival threatens his security.
But the construction camera crews are nothing compared to Addie herself. She's tough as nails, challenging, and superbly bossy as she works to get her way. But she's also kind, hardworking, and has a relationship with God Shane can't begin to understand.
With each encounter, Shane's walls start to crumble as Addie brings more than just the historical home back to life, but him as well. Addie tries desperately not to enjoy spending time with the irritable and scowling boy from next door. He hides his heartache well, but she sees it there behind his prickly exterior. Soon she begins to uncover the sacrificial hero underneath the façade.
With both of them only temporary residence on Moanna Island, their thin ice relationship crashes to a halt. Can Shane return to his risky job with the Coast Guard? Does he even want to? And can Addie let him go and follow her dreams even when tragedy strikes?
Shane Armstrong from Savannah to his mother's Moanna oceanside house when his world shattered five months before. He went on leave from his job as a Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, hopeful his grandmother's peaceful street will help heal him. The reality TV show's arrival threatens his security.
But the construction camera crews are nothing compared to Addie herself. She's tough as nails, challenging, and superbly bossy as she works to get her way. But she's also kind, hardworking, and has a relationship with God Shane can't begin to understand.
With each encounter, Shane's walls start to crumble as Addie brings more than just the historical home back to life, but him as well. Addie tries desperately not to enjoy spending time with the irritable and scowling boy from next door. He hides his heartache well, but she sees it there behind his prickly exterior. Soon she begins to uncover the sacrificial hero underneath the façade.
With both of them only temporary residence on Moanna Island, their thin ice relationship crashes to a halt. Can Shane return to his risky job with the Coast Guard? Does he even want to? And can Addie let him go and follow her dreams even when tragedy strikes?
The story behind the story...
While I was writing the first Moanna story, I was already plotting the second, and the same happened while writing the third. The setting of the series was too hard to resist bringing more characters to! Moanna is much like the island of Hilton Head off the coast of South Carolina, where I vacationed as a kid. It's the perfect getaway location for love to catch one off guard. Plus, I enjoy reading book series that focus on a small town or a family, so I think it was natural to think of how to interweave my new and previous characters so my readers could catch up on old friends.
As the time approached for me to sit and type away at my computer, I began developing the characters. I knew early on that Addie was going to restore a historic home on Moanna--think Nicole Curtis on Rehab Addict--and that Shane would be some kind of soldier. I settled on him being in the Coast Guard because there is an Air Station in Savannah. While researching this area, I became fascinated with helicopter rescue swimmers. They jump off a chopper into the ocean during storms to save people! It also helped that the movie, The Guardian, with Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner came on television. After watching it again, it was settled. Shane was an AST, aka a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. I watched probably thirty YouTube videos on the Coast Guard, the types of helicopters they use, AST training, and live rescues caught on film. I also read many newspaper articles to get a feel for the types of calls they get day in, day out.
Addie's career and character traits came a bit more easily. I worked real estate, namely new homes construction, for many years, so I knew the process of building a home from the ground up. But Addie revives old homes, so it was fun to explore Pinterest and find houses that represented the southern/old world style. I found my imagination closely resembled Second French Empire architecture. I pinned many homes like this and even searched the hip colors of 50s decor and its furniture style.
You can check out Morning Star's Pinterest page here to see what I landed on for this story.
Something fun...
Every book I write has some playlist. I listen to their songs over and over, and they usually find their way somehow into the story. Here's Addie and Shane's playlist. Check out the songs on iTunes or YouTube.
About Kristen...
Kristen cherishes her Southern roots and lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. She served as a Children's Ministry Director for many years, and wit the support of her husband and two children she now stays home writing Christian fiction and nonfiction. She's passionate about storytelling and helping people take their next steps in their relationship with Jesus. She also serves on the women's leadership team at her local church and blogs for Crosswalk and Wholly Loved Ministries. You can check out her articles and novels on her webiste.
This sounds like a great story. Definitely could enjoy this series.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does sound good. Good luck!
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