Forever Home wins 2023 Christian Romance Novel of the Year!

It is not every day that I get to blog about an award-winning book. Today is my lucky day. My friend, Hope Toler Dougherty, has received a tremendous honor with her book, Forever Home. It’s the third book in her Forever series, with a fourth book coming soon. The Advanced Writers and Speakers Association has chosen Forever Home as their top Christian Fiction Romance for 2023. An amazing honor for an amazing woman.

I’m so proud for Hope and for this fabulous romance to receive this honor. Here is a fun Q & A session about Hope and her writing career. I’m delighted to know we share a love for watermelon. It must be one of the reasons we’re friends.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on edits for the last book in the Forever Series. I called it Heath’s Story while I wrote it, but we’re trying to come up with a better title. Heath is the last of the Daniels siblings.

What is your next writing project?

I have some ideas. One is historical romance, but I don’t write historical. The most recent idea isn’t fleshed out at all, but I have the opening scene. That’s it. No storyline or conflict or stakes. So…the real answer is I’m not sure what my next project is!

What is your superpower?

Hosting forty-plus people for Easter and Thanksgiving every year. Christmas is easy because it’s just family, and the number is between fifteen and twenty.

If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would you like?

An unlimited supply of cleaning ladies who come to my house every day.

What book or book series have you recently enjoyed reading?

I read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt for a book club. I never would have chosen this wonderful book because I wasn’t crazy about the cover, and one of the POVs is an octopus. Sounds crazy, but it is a fantastic story.

What is the one thing we would never guess about you?

I am quiet, reserved–a true introvert, but I enjoy public speaking. I used to be petrified to speak in front of people, but after two Dale Carnegie courses as a student and then as a graduate assistant, I’ve come to love it!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

This is such a great question and so difficult to answer! One of my favorite series as a child was The Boxcar Children. I loved the idea of their self-sufficiency and the adventure of living in the boxcar. Their love and care for each other resonated with me, so I’d choose to be either Jessie or Violet Alden.

What are you most thankful for?

After my salvation, family, and writing journey, I’m grateful for watermelon and chocolate covered peanuts!

What’s your best advice for other writers?

Write every day. Maybe it’s a thousand words. Maybe it’s a sentence. Just write. Also…read books in all genres including writing craft books, too. Get connected with other writers.