People come to writing through many different paths. For Andrea Thome, one of the most challenging times in her life gave rise to her literary career. She says, “Writing is something I’ve always loved to do, but I didn’t feel a sense of urgency about it until my mom died. While she was in Hospice care, she gave me the greatest advice. She told me to make sure to have something fulfilling established for myself, before my kids graduate from high school and move away. I’m three years into this new passion now, and I think I’m a better mom, wife and friend because of it.” Welcome to the blog, Andrea!

Congrats on the release of your newest novel, HOUSE OF BELONGING. What’s it all about, and what inspired you to write it?

Thanks so much for having me! I’m really excited to share HOUSE OF BELONGING. Laina Ming is a character from my first book, WALLAND. I always thought she had an interesting story, but there wasn’t really a way to work her into my second book, SEEDS OF INTENTION. While I was finishing writing SEEDS, I came across a documentary about a female chef named Dominique Crenn, and my mind was blown. She became my muse, and I knew that telling Chef Laina’s story would be the perfect way to tie up my Hesse Creek Series. It didn’t hurt that Logan Matthews had completely surprised me by appearing out of nowhere at the end of SEEDS OF INTENTION.  They seemed destined to meet, and so they did in HOUSE OF BELONGING.

HOUSE OF BELONGING is the latest—and last!—Installment in the HESSE CREEK series. When you wrote the first book in the series, did you know that there would be more? And any hints for aspiring authors on structuring a multi-book plot?

I had NO idea that this would become a series when I finished WALLAND. I had already started a completely different book, but my friends were begging to know what happened next with Wyatt and India, and that planted the seed with me. I put the book I was working on aside, and decided to see if there was something more to tell; and there was!  About halfway through SEEDS OF INTENTION, I knew there would be a third book to follow.  I didn’t know that HOUSE OF BELONGING would be the final book in the series though until I was almost finished with it, but it all came together quite beautifully. I’m starting work now on a brand new three-book series set in the Pacific Northwest. If I could offer any advice on planning for a series, it would be to at least have a loose outline of where you’re going long-term. I went in blind, so at times, I did feel a little handcuffed by my timeline, but in the end, it all worked out.

Before becoming a novelist, you were a broadcast journalist. What inspired you to turn your talent to writing books—and what aspects of broadcast journalism inform your literary craft?

I was a broadcast journalist for a few years right out of college, working first as a sports reporter and eventually as a morning and noon news anchor. I did borrow from that experience to create my first female character, India, who is also a broadcast journalist. I temporarily retired from that life to raise my kids, but once they were both in school, I knew it was time to get back to work. Writing is something I’ve always loved to do, but I didn’t feel a sense of urgency about it until my mom died. While she was in Hospice care, she gave me the greatest advice. She told me to make sure to have something fulfilling established for myself, before my kids graduate from high school and move away. I’m three years into this new passion now, and I think I’m a better mom, wife and friend because of it. I feel like my life is richer, and I bring more to the table.

In your bio, you write, “I believe a book can be steamy and sexy, while still keeping it classy.” How do you strive to strike this balance?

For me, the sexiest part of any love story is the build-up. That first spark between two people is an exciting moment, and I try to let my characters live in that space for as long as possible. I also think that a mutually respectful, intelligent and thoughtful relationship is one of the sexiest things in the world, so when I’m writing my love scenes, I try to keep that in mind. I would never want to be with someone who would make me feel less than everything that I am, and I write my characters with that same grace. That said, I have made myself blush a time or two. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I write for my girlfriends, who tell me that they need a way to escape at the end of a long day. If you watch the news, you know that we all need a few more happily ever-afters in our lives. I’m so lucky to be married to a man who is not only romantic, but who makes me laugh and who challenges me in some way almost every single day.  We’re celebrating our twentieth wedding anniversary this November, and I still feel like the best is yet to come.

You think of yourself as a highly functioning introvert (so do I, so I feel you, sister!). Writing is a solitary act—but after your book makes it into the world, you’ve got to work hard to get it into the hands of readers. How do you balance your introversion with everything that’s required to market and promote your books?

The writing is the easy part! Tucking in behind a computer screen and telling fantastic stories; what’s better than that?!  When I was writing WALLAND, I wasn’t sure I was going to have the nerve to share it. I thought it might just be a cathartic exercise after having lost my mom.  I didn’t exactly write WALLAND; it really came through me. But when I finished the manuscript and I got up the nerve to share it, I really had no idea what being an author entails. I’m learning as I go, and it’s not always comfortable to put yourself out there, but it gets a little bit easier with every book. The worst part is feeling like I have to toot my own horn.  I’m always so grateful to people like you who so generously offer more organic opportunities to talk about writing. Personally, when I have a launch week, I spend the few days prior making sure that I get enough rest and quiet time, knowing that the days ahead will be busy. And when it’s over, I thoroughly enjoy some hermit-time at home, with a cup of tea and a good book.  The stack on my nightstand is pretty high right now, so I’ve got plenty to choose from!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Who can we count on—the family we’re born into, or the one we create for ourselves? 

HOUSE OF BELONGING, book three in the award-winning Hesse Creek Series, explores this very question.

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. Here, 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?

HOUSE OF BELONGING is the third book in Thome’s Hesse Creek Series, the follow up to the award-winning WALLAND and SEEDS OF INTENTION, released in the fall of 2017.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Thome is a former broadcast journalist, having covered both sports and news during her career. She spends her free time traveling and pursuing her passion for photography and writing. (She's taken each of the photographs used on the covers of her three novels.) An active philanthropist, Andrea donates all the proceeds from each of her book signings to local charities in the cities she visits while on her book tours.

Her first book, WALLAND, won the NIEA Award in the category of Romance and the Bronze Award in the eLit Books Awards in the category of Popular Fiction, and SEEDS OF INTENTION recently won the Ben Franklin Award in the category of Romance. HOUSE OF BELONGING is currently in the running for several literary awards.

See a gallery of Andrea’s photography and connect with her at www.andreathome.com, or visit her social media pages:

http://www.facebook.com/andreathomeauthor

http://www.twitter.com/andreathome

http://www.instagram.com/andreathomeauthor