She smiled. “Maybe next time. This one’s all boy, Noah Mitchell.”
“Oh yeah?” His gaze dropped to her mouth just before he drew his thumb over her lower lip. His eyelids lowered to half-mast, and he gave her that look that made her legs turn to jelly.
A hum started low and slow in her belly, spreading outward. He replaced his thumb with his mouth, and within moments she was lost in his kiss. By the time his lips left hers, her brain was foggy with want.
His kisses trailed down her jaw, her neck, pausing over the sensitive spot just under her ear.
“Is it too late to shoot for twins?” he whispered.
Her laugh was shaky. “Way too late.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Just as he went to pull down the sheets, her stomach gave a loud, hard growl.
Noah ended the kiss, reluctance evident in his slow, lingering withdrawal. A sheepish smile played at his lips. “I guess I’d better feed my girl.”
As he reached for the tray, she caught his arm. “Your breakfast smells delicious, and I am very hungry . . . but maybe it might keep for a bit?” She lifted a brow.
Eagerness flickered in his eyes as he lowered his weight beside her. “Oh, it’ll keep.”
Her smile might have been a little smug. “I thought it just might.”
The Story Behind the Story
Dear friend,
Sweetbriar Cottage was initially conceived during a workshop at a writer’s conference. Over the next few days the ideas just kept flowing. The characters arrived on the scene fully fleshed, scene ideas poured out, and dialogue came as fast as I could jot it down. This is my thirtieth book and, I assure you, that is not normally the case for me.
But by the time I was heading home from the conference I was starting to waffle about writing this story. I realized it would have to be a stand-alone novel. With the exception of one book, I had only written series for my current publisher, and I doubted they wanted to change that anytime soon.
Also, part of me was nervous about this particular story. I worried I wouldn’t be able to quite pull it off the way I saw it in my head. Josephine has a pretty dark past, and though I already loved her and felt compassion toward her, I worried about making her likeable for readers. Self-doubt crept in (boy, did it), and I shoved the story on the back burner without telling a soul.
Months passed, and my publisher asked me for a four-book proposal. I was expecting this and had three stories already in mind for a series; I only needed one more. It occurred to me that I could water down my stand-alone idea and pitch it as the first story of the series. After all, I already had thirteen single-spaced pages of notes! The story I proposed to them was basically all of Josephine and Noah’s backstory. Their meeting at the barbershop, their courtship, and (ta-da!) their happily ever after. No cheating. No divorce. No reconciliation. All the hard parts were gone now. Clever me.
Fast-forward a couple months. I was eagerly waiting to hear from my editor how the publishing team felt about my series proposal. I was especially anxious because I needed to start the first novel very soon in order to meet my deadline. And then I got the e-mail I’d been waiting for. They loved the series idea. But . . .
“Could you possibly write a stand-alone book before you start the series?”
I was shocked. They had their reasons—good ones—but inside I was panicking. Every story I had in my arsenal was already in my proposal. And since stories typically “brew” inside my head for months before I ever start writing . . . what on earth was I going to write? I needed an idea and quick!
I’m sorry to say it took two full days of panic to even remember my initial idea for Sweetbriar Cottage. And once I did, I knew it was the book I was supposed to write. It seemed Someone wanted me to write this story the way it had been given to me. It seemed Someone had vetoed my idea of watering it down. And Someone had told my publisher I needed to write something else.
I immediately scheduled a call with my publisher. My throat tightened with tears as I explained all that had happened “behind the scenes.” It was obvious that this story already had me by the heart, and I hadn’t even written a word of it. They agreed I needed to write it as a stand-alone.
But I knew I needed help—the heavenly kind! I confided in my dad and stepmom, asking them to please pray me through this book. They were happy to oblige. Throughout the writing of this manuscript the words Trust Me remained in the header, in red ink, as a daily reminder. Believe me, I needed it.
I’d like to say the fear disappeared after I started the story. But to tell the truth, every day I sat down to write this book was an act of faith. And yet each time I placed my fingers on the keyboard, the words seemed to pour straight from my heart in a way they never had before.
I hope I did the story justice. I hope Josephine and Noah became as real to you as they are to me. I hope their struggles and pain changed you in some little way as they did me. I’m so grateful I got the chance to tell the story, just as it was meant to be told. And I’m grateful that you chose to come along on the journey with me.
Blessings!
Denise
Discussion Questions
1.Who was your favorite character in the story and why?
2.Which scene was your favorite and why?
3.In what ways does the horse Kismet represent Josephine?
4.Did you get frustrated with either Josephine or Noah as the story progressed? Was their emotional upheaval realistic?
5.How is their journey in the mountains like their marriage?
6.Should love between a married couple be unconditional? Why or why not? Who loves you unconditionally? How does that kind of love make you feel?
7.Josephine, desperate for unconditional love, pushed Noah to the limits to test if it was real. What do you think made her so desperate for unconditional love? Did she deserve a second chance? Discuss a time when someone gave you a second chance.
8.Josephine felt powerless because of what she endured as a child, and she used her sexuality to regain her power. Have you ever known anyone who did something similar?
9.Josephine had “voices” in her head—things her mother and stepfather had said that she’d convinced herself were true. Do you have any “voices” you need to eradicate from your mind?
10.Discuss the ways Noah’s love for Josie might represent God’s love for us.
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a team effort, and I’m so grateful for the fabulous team at HarperCollins Christian Fiction, led by publisher Daisy Hutton: Amanda Bostic, Karli Jackson, Paul Fisher, Kristen Golden, Jodi Hughes, Becky Monds, and Kristen Ingebretson.
Thanks especially to my editors, Becky Philpott and Karli Jackson, for their insight and inspiration. I’m infinitely grateful to editor LB Norton, who has saved me from countless errors and always makes me look so much better than I am.
Author Colleen Coble is my first reader. Thank you, friend! Writing wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without you!
I’m grateful to my agent, Karen Solem, who’s able to somehow make sense of the legal garble of contracts and, even more amazing, help me understand it.
Kevin, my husband of twenty-eight years, has been a wonderful support. Thank you, honey! I’m so glad to be doing life with you. To my kiddos, Justin and Hannah, Chad, and Trevor: You make life an adventure! It’s so fun watching you step boldly into adulthood. Love you all!
Thank you to Barbara Hutson from Stillwater Farms in Dawsonville, Georgia, who took time out of her busy day to show this city slicker around her beautiful horse ranch. Her love of horses was truly inspiring. Any mistakes in the story are all mine.
Lastly, thank you, friend, for letting me share this story with you. I wouldn’t be doing this without you! I enjoy connecting with friends on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/authordenisehunter. Please pop over and say hello. Visit my website at the link www.DeniseHunterBooks.com or just drop me a note at [email protected]. I’d love to
hear from you!
About the Author
Photo by Neal Bruns
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than twenty-five books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won the Holt Medallion Award, the Reader’s Choice Award, the Carol Award, and the Foreword Book of the Year Award and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest.
DeniseHunterBooks.com
Facebook: authordenisehunter
Twitter: @DeniseAHunter
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