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Monday, July 11, 2011

Janice Hanna Interview

Thanks for joining me today as I interview Janice Hanna. Her new book Love Finds You in Groom Texas will release this week.


Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Love Finds You in Groom, Texas.

Always the groomsman, never the groom… It’s 1914, and Jake O’Farrell has gained an unusual reputation among the locals: He’s played the roles of groomsman and best man in all four of his older brothers’ weddings, but he’s never been able to find the woman to capture his heart. And now with the upcoming wedding of his best friend, Jake will become the last single man in the town of Groom.  

Anne Denning has made the difficult decision to move with her sisters to Texas, but a train derailment forces them to seek shelter in Groom, near Amarillo. Mrs. O’Farrell, hopeful that Anne will catch her youngest son’s eye, invites the girls to stay at her home until the train is repaired and ready to pull out. Anne has no idea of the blissful chaos that lies ahead!

Why did you decide to write this story?
My editor at Summerside approached me with the name of the town because she knows I write a lot of wedding-themed stories. She wanted something lightweight/fun, and she knew me well enough to know I would enjoy a fun story. The only real question we had in the beginning stage was: “Should this be a historical or a contemporary?” We went with historical because I felt sure the story idea was better suited to the turn of the century.

Tell us something interesting about the town of Groom:
Groom boasts a nineteen-story high cross. More than 100 welders worked together to erect it in 1995. Now you can see why I toyed with the idea of writing a contemporary novel! I wanted to include the cross. Because I went with historical, I decided to give the heroine a small cross necklace to wear, one that symbolizes her faith (and alludes to the “bigger” cross to come).


Groom is a wedding-themed book. Why do you write so many stories with a strong wedding theme?
I have four grown daughters—Randi, Megan, Courtney Rae and Courtney Elizabeth. Yes, I really have two daughters named Courtney. (Long story!) All four of my girls got married within four years of each other. We’re told to write what we know. I know weddings, trust me! I helped coordinate all four weddings and even worked as a wedding coordinator at my church for a season. I was also tickled to be the “Wedding Planner Examiner” for the city of Houston for a spell. What fun! You’ll see me writing about weddings for years to come, so hang on for the ride!
What is it about your lead character that will make your readers care about her?
Readers will care about Anne because she’s been through so much and still chooses to move forward. They will also love her relationship with her younger sisters. She’s the only remaining parental figure and takes that position very seriously.
 
What are you working on now?
I just turned in Love Finds You in Daisy, Oklahoma, a fun historical about a single woman in her late 30’s who moves from the Gulf Coast to the landlocked state of Oklahoma to become the director at an orphanage. It’s a love story, of course! She falls in love with the town sheriff, who has adopted two of the unruliest boys from the orphanage. I’m currently writing Wedding Belles, the first book in the Belles and Whistles series for Summerside/Guideposts.
I understand you have a new VIP bookclub. Can you tell us about that?
Yes, I’m so excited about this, too! I came up with this idea several months ago: Why not create a “club” where members can get each new Janice Thompson/Janice Hanna book as it releases for a set price of $11, shipping included. Books are autographed and mailed out to club members before they ever hit the stores. I also encourage my VIP club members to leave reviews, as they are able, on amazon, christianbook.com and www.barnesandnoble.com. If people are interested in joining the club, all they have to do is shoot me an email at booksbyjanice@aol.com with the words “VIP bookclub” in the subject line and their address in the body of the email.

Where else can readers find you online?
I love to connect with my readers at the following places:

Where can I get the book?
Love Finds You in Groom, Texas can be purchased at any number of online stores, as well as my website: www.janicehannathompson.com (front page). Readers can always join my VIP bookclub and get the locked in price of $11 (no shipping) by contacting me directly at booksbyjanice@aol.com.
Janice, I appreciate you taking time for this interview. 
Thanks for spending time with me! I had a blast!


5 comments:

  1. I've never heard of Groom, Texas - though I've seen pictures of that cross! The book sounds wonderful. I'm adding it to my TBR list:)

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  2. I seem to be collecting the Love Finds You books, although not intentionally! LOL! They are all so good. Janice, I liked your Poetry, TX book, too.

    Good interview, Jackie!

    God bless,
    Mildred Colvin

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  3. Jackie! What a small world. I had the opportunity to meet Janice this past weekend. Wonderful interview.

    Janice, my fifteen year old niece loves the Love Finds You series of books. She has a learning disability so reading for her is more challenging than for most teens, I'll be sure to pick up yours for her. I had seen e-mails of the cross and bronze statues depicting Christ's journey to the cross, but had no idea they were in my home state. Only in Texas!

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  4. Oh that sounds like a book I want to read! I'll be putting it on my must read list :)

    Jamie

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  5. I discovered Groom, TX is named for Colonel B. B. Groom. It's located near Amarillo, which always makes me think of the George Strait song, Amarillo by Morning.

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