There is no doubt in
Rachel Hauck’s mind that
she was born to write. From her first story as a 10-year-old
about a girl and her horse to her latest
release, Dining With Joy (Thomas
Nelson), Rachel’s passion for writing has
not ebbed. “I love it and writing is deeply
satisfying. I remind myself an excellent
spirit gets the job done, well and on
time. My core values of honor, love and
character motivate me.”
A corporate career as a software trainer
followed a degree in journalism and
Rachel found herself traveling the
United States and the world, constantly
taking note of the sights, sounds and hearts of people she met, providing plenty
of writing inspiration.
The seed of Dining with Joy was sown
years ago while brainstorming story
ideas. “Foodies and the Food Network
were really starting to take hold of
American culture,” she says, “and I
thought of a cooking show book but added
the twist—what if she can’t cook?”
The heroine is in hot water when her
local cooking show is picked up by a
major network—and her inability to cook
is set to be exposed. When she meets a
former restaurateur struggling to regain
his reputation in the elite foodie world,
they mix like oil and water. If they can
find a way to work together they just
might salvage their careers and
rediscover joy.
Rachel’s faith permeates her stories,
and making it sound realistic is always at
the forefront of her mind. “Church foyer
conversation or quick prayers with
friends don’t always translate well in a
novel,” she says. “I might say to a friend,
‘We have to live Ephesians 1:17,’ but how
does that translate in story? I try to make
the spiritual journey as authentic to the
character as possible.”
While she writes contemporary romance,
Rachel weaves supernatural aspects into
her novels reflecting her own faith
experiences in her characters. “Caroline
smelled a strong fragrance of the Lord.
Elle saw feathers. A surfer character in
Georgia On Her Mind saw Jesus during a
shark attack. So, I work to add aspects of
the Lord outside the ‘logical’ mind.”
When publisher Thomas Nelson
invited Rachel to collaborate with
singer/songwriter Sara Evans on her
Songbird series, Rachel was honored. “It’s
been fun to have another storyteller on
the job! While she brainstorms the
stories, I do the writing. Then she takes it
from there. It’s been a good partnership.
She lets me do my thing, I let her do
hers.” The four-book series so far includes
The Sweet By and By, the newly released
Softly & Tenderly and the just-completed
Love Lifted Me.
Rachel’s next story, The Wedding Dress,
is a story of destiny and God’s love. It
features a young woman on the verge of
marriage who discovers an old wedding
dress. “The moment she touches it,
something comes alive in her heart. This
sends her on a journey to discover the
dress’ history, and
ultimately her own.
I’m really excited
about this book.”
Passion for the
written word and
sharing God’s love
are not the only
things that
motivate this
talented writer. Her
greatest joy as a
writer is hearing
from her readers.
Rachel explains, “I
love when a book
impacts a reader, encourages them,
reminds them they have a destiny and a
God who is passionate about them.”—Rel Mollet