Author Heidi McCahan’s novels offer hope to a hurting world. Writing inspirational romances featuring flawed characters in close-knit communities, her fiction reaches out to readers who are hungry for feel-good stories with characters longing for second chances. Her latest romance is Sweet Melody: A Seabrook Romance (Independent). When a struggling bakery owner is rescued by a wannabe songwriter with hidden culinary talents, they discover they can make sweet harmony—if they can only learn to work together. In this exclusive interview, Heidi takes us behind the scenes to reveal the inspiration behind the story, shares her goals when writing it, and explains what she loves most about writing romances…
What inspired the story in your novel?
My family has vacationed at Seabrook for several years and I love the location so much that I just had to feature it in a novel. Food trucks, cupcakes and country music are three of my favorite things so I found a way to weave those into the plot as well.
What were your goals writing Sweet Melody?
I gravitate toward stories that feature flawed characters desperately in need of a second chance. We serve a merciful God who never runs out of grace and never stops loving us. I wanted to use fictional, wounded characters to point readers toward a loving God who longs to offer redemption to a hurting world.
What are the challenges (or benefits) of writing “romances” as a Christian author?
I love writing novels with a happy ending. It makes my heart sing when I tell stories about people finding someone to love.
I think finding a fresh way to tell the story and creating characters that readers can relate to and root for will always be a challenge. I love the creative process and the many surprising lessons I learn throughout the experience of writing a novel.
What do you love the most about romance stories (as a reader or author)?
I love the journey the characters take to finding love and happily ever after. The most romantic stories have the most incredible obstacles, and I like seeing how the hero and heroine will conquer those obstacles and silence their fears to get to their happily ever after.
What do you want readers to take away after reading Sweet Melody?
I hope readers will finish Sweet Melody and pursue their own dreams with renewed optimism. I want readers to feel encouraged and inspired to chase the big dreams God planted in their hearts. More than anything, I want people who read my books to grow closer to God.
Visit Heidi McCahan’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/heidi-mccahan
Sweet Melody
A Seabrook Romance
Independent
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