After a thirteen years as a Federal Investigator, Belle Calhoune chose to pursue a writing career. An avid lover of romance novels since she was a teen, she enjoys writing love stories and reading them. Her latest romance novel is Her Secret Alaskan Family (Love Inspired), the first book in the Home to Owl Creek series. In this exclusive interview, Belle offers details about her characters, reveals the spiritual themes running through the book, and explains how it fits into the larger picture of the series…
No spoilers, but what can you tell us about Her Secret Alaskan Family?
Her Secret Alaskan Family is about one woman’s quest to find answers about her heritage and the way in which she finds her happily ever after with a lovelorn Alaskan sheriff. It’s about family and finding a place to call home. It’s about love and loyalty. And ultimately, it’s about finding a soft place to fall in the unlikeliest of places.
Tell us about your main characters. What about these two made you want to tell their story?
Sage Duncan is a woman at a crossroads. She’s come to Owl Creek after discovering on her mother’s death bed that she had been stolen as a baby from her biological family. Upon arriving in Alaska, Sage is thrust into a whole new world and forced to unravel the mystery of her past without revealing her true identity.
Hank Crawford is the sheriff of Owl Creek, a quaint and heartwarming Alaskan hamlet. Having been burned before by a woman who lied to him, Hank is cautious about falling in love again. Yet he can’t help but feel a pull in Sage’s direction, even though he fears she’s keeping secrets.
I’ve always been fascinated by stories about kidnapped babies or individuals who track down their birth parents later in life. I really wanted to explore how terrifying it would be for someone to suddenly find out they’re not who they always thought they were. There is something so powerful about biology and family connections and Sage is very brave to journey to Alaska to find answers.
What spiritual themes run through the book?
There is a theme of forgiveness that runs through the book. The heroine’s mother has done a really terrible thing that causes pain for a great number of people. That pain lasts for decades.
Forgiveness is something that can be such a difficult concept, but it is such a tremendous gift to bestow on someone. All the main characters in one way or another are forced to grant forgiveness.
How does this fit into the larger picture of the Home to Owl Creek series?
This book is the first in the Home to Owl Creek series. It lays the foundation for the charming Alaskan town and introduces the reader to many of the main characters. I will be writing stories for Hank’s best friends, Gabriel and Connor, as well as his sister, Piper. They will all be introduced in Her Secret Alaskan Family so there is an interconnectedness between the books. I want readers to look forward to hearing more about these characters when they are introduced in the first book.
What do you hope readers will take away after reading Her Secret Alaskan Family?
I want readers to appreciate Sage’s journey from her shocking discovery to the exploration of her Alaskan roots. I hope they root for Sage and Hank as secrets emerge and loyalties are tested.
Visit Belle Calhoune’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/belle-calhoune/
Her Secret Alaskan Family
Home to Owl Creek
Belle Calhoune
Love Inspired