Shannon here: Kimberly Rose Johnson shares the inspiration behind her latest Contemporary Romance, Island Hope. All comments or answers to the question at the end of the post will go into Thursday’s drawing for 2 historical romance audio books. Deadline: April 16th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Kimberly:
I wrote Island Hope because I love romance, but mostly because the hero intrigued me when I first introduced him in Island Christmas. He was a lonely widower raising his daughter alone, and in my opinion he desperately needed a to find love again, even if he didn’t know it. 🙂
This part isn’t very romantic, but the other reason I wrote Island Hope is because my publisher really wanted a fourth book in the Wildflower B&B Romance series. I honestly wasn’t sure I had it in me to write the fourth book. I’d pushed myself hard to write Island Christmas in a very short amount of time due to a scheduling snafu, and I was burned out. I deliberated on whether I should write it for a month before deciding to go for it. Like I mentioned above, Derrick intrigued me, so I knew he had to be the hero, but I had no idea who the perfect woman would be.
I knew three things—the heroine needed to be strong, she had to love the Lord, and she also had to catch Derrick’ attention. 🙂 I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight, but she definitely had his attention.
Here is the back cover copy for Island Hope. I think it will give you a hint as to why Hope is perfect for Derrick.
About the book: Metal sculptor Hope Michaels gave up on art when someone close to her zapped her creativity. Burying herself in her electrical contracting business, Hope takes a job on Wildflower Island. She never imagines that a job at the Wildflower Resort will turn everything in her life upside down. But that’s exactly what happens when her best friend and employer, Piper, plays matchmaker.
A lonely widower throws all his energy into raising his teenage daughter, but when he is promoted to manager of the Wildflower Resort, things at home don’t go as smoothly as planned. Worried about his relationship with his daughter, he seeks advice from a feisty-but-sweet newcomer. Will she help smooth his path or will things only get more complicated?
There is a line at the beginning of the story about not judging a book by its cover. My goal was to show that how a person looks does not define who they are. What is more romantic than looking past a person’s appearance to see who they really are? I love that Derrick had that ability!
About Kimberly: Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.
She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.
Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Connect and learn more: Kimberly’s Website
Purchase Island Hope: Amazon
Question for Readers: What attracts you – other than physical appearance to other people – in friendships or romantic relationships?
Come back April 7th for Angela Breidenbach!
Thanks for hosting me, Shannon!
I love Kimberly Rose Johnson stories. 🙂
OH, silly me, I forgot to answer your question. Listening before speaking is a great trait to have in friendships and marriage. 🙂
smile,
Hi Melissa! Thank you 🙂
I agree listening is a great trait!
Angela, a smile is always appreciated.
I pressed submit too fast. I was going to say A smile is always appreciated by me too. Thanks for stopping in Angela. 🙂
A sense of humor. I love being around people who make me laugh.
I have a winner! Melissa Henderson won the drawing for Angela Briedenbach’s historical. I appreciate Kimberly for being my guest, Angela for the giveaway, and everyone else for stopping by.