Renowned chef Laina Ming walked away from the culinary spotlight and an unhealthy relationship—one that still haunts her a year later. She’s trying to start fresh in the Rocky Mountains, opening a concept restaurant on the banks of the Roaring Fork River, where she hopes she’ll be able to express her passion for food and bury her heartache.
Horse rancher Logan Matthews moved to Aspen to be near his sister and her husband, grateful for his newfound family. Since a chance meeting with Laina the previous summer, Logan’s been enchanted. But she doesn’t want anything to do with him—which makes her all the more appealing.
Despite Laina’s efforts to protect her heart, Logan has been on her mind, too—and he has a way of turning up in the most unexpected places. Can they learn to trust one another and finally find the sense of belonging they’ve both been searching for?
DEFYING GENRE
BY ANDREA THOME
I love writing. More than I love most things—with the exception of my family and travel—both of which play a huge part in my writing. There is nothing better than taking readers on a journey to a place that is special to me, or introducing them to characters that have the potential to make them contemplate more deeply their own life choices.
What I don’t love about being an author is the need to have my work “categorized,” so that it neatly fits into one specific genre. Each of my three books—Walland, Seeds of Intention and House of Belonging— have been classified as “romance novels,” but I hope and believe that they are so much more.
I’m very fortunate to have recently had the first book in my award-winning Hesse Creek Series selected for a traveling exhibit of books, art, and music called The TRIO Project. Walland was one of about a dozen books paired with a songwriter and a visual artist, each of whom created a corresponding song as well as a piece of art that were inspired by reading the book. The TRIO exhibit will travel to independent bookstores across the South throughout 2019. (You can see the art created for Walland by Robert Oren Eades and hear the song written and performed by Sarah Aili on my Facebook page, linked below. If you live in the South, I hope you’ll check my website for dates and stores that I’ll be visiting during the year. Please come and say hi!)
The kickoff to this very special traveling exhibit was in late January in Charleston, South Carolina. During my short opening remarks, I made reference to the fact that my books—while they are love stories—don’t fit within the confines of the genre that most people associate with “romance.” In short, they aren’t bodice-rippers. As I told the audience that night, “They're more fifteen shades of taupe, than Fifty Shades of Grey.”
The women in my books don’t need saving. They’re already enjoying rich, complex lives, so they aren’t actively looking for anyone to complete them. My female characters are confident and strong while maintaining a vulnerability that just so happens to leave the door open to invite love into their lives. The men in my books aren’t brooding or angry. They are thoughtful and kind, with quiet strength and a depth of character that is much more attractive than the forceful affection found in many (but not all!) romance novels, at least in my humble opinion.
Can a book can be sexy and classy at the same time? I think so. I believe that we all could use a little more love and light in our lives these days. If you’re looking to read stories that will take you on a journey to the moody Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, or to the cozy-but-ultra-chic Rocky Mountain town of Aspen, while also leaving you feeling hopeful about love—then the Hesse Creek Series is for you. When I’m pressed to describe my books for blogs such as these, I always say that they are destination love stories. I’m grateful to readers who choose to take the journey with me. I hope you’ll enjoy reading Walland, Seeds of Intention, and House of Belonging as much as I’ve loved creating them. My gratitude for readers, bloggers and reviewers knows no bounds. Thank you for considering my work.
Peace and Love,
Andrea Thome, Author
http://www.andreathome.com
http://www.facebook.com/andreathomeauthor
http://www.twitter.com/andreathome
http://www.instagram.com/andreathomeauthor
To purchase The Hesse Creek Series: http://www.andreathome.com/purchase/
Whenever possible, please purchase from an Independent Bookseller. To find one near you, click the IndieBound link on my website’s purchase page under the book of interest.
TRIO LIVE EVENT—Page 158
Wake Forest, NC
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
ANDREA THOME is a former broadcast journalist, having covered both sports and news during her career. In her novels, she explores some of her favorite travel destinations, from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains to the Colorado Rockies, painting rich backdrops that become characters themselves. Thome lives in Chicago with her husband—a retired Hall of Fame baseball player— their two children, and two spoiled cats. She spends her spare time traveling and pursuing her other passions—photography and environmental advocacy. The Hesse Creek Series can absolutely be read as stand-alone novels, but are best enjoyed in order, as a series. See a sampling of her photography and learn more about her books at www.andreathome.com.
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