About the Book

Book: Forever Home

Author: Hope Toler Dougherty

Genre: Sweet Romance/Christian Fiction

Release Date: August 16, 2022

With a fulfilling job and a home of her own, former foster child, Merritt Hastings, relishes her stable, respectable life. Dreaming for more is a sure way for heartache. When a contested will turns her world upside down, she must reevaluate what’s important to her, what’s worth fighting for, and what’s worth sacrificing.

Patience has never been Sam Daniels’ strong suit with his history of acting quickly and asking questions later, and he’s ready for changes in his life…now. Too bad the plans for acquiring a radio station didn’t include a contract. Now he’s out of a job, out of a radio station, and out of prospects.

While his life is in flux, at least he can help Merritt steady hers, or will he rush in and overstep …again?

Will the sparks flying between these two opposites lead to a happily-ever-after or heartbreak for both?

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About the Author

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her novels include Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising, Rescued Hearts, Forever Music, and Forever Home. Her recent novella, “A Hatteras Surprise,” appears in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams and is also available as a standalone novel. She and her husband delight in visits with their two daughters and twin sons.

Interview with Hope

Q: What surprised you while researching and writing this novel?

Hope: When I interviewed radio people for this novel, I was surprised to learn that overnight radio programs are usually recorded and played later. Using these programs is cheaper than paying employees to work the nighttime shift. I had to rewrite two scenes when I discovered this sad fact.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this novel?

Hope: Here are two lines I enjoy in the novel: In response to an offer of club soda, Sam says, “I’m not a fan of bubbly water.” Merritt says, “But it’s like a party in a glass.”

When Merritt tells Sam her teenage male student needs to see a regular man, not someone on TV enjoying the piano, Sam says, “Just so you know, I’m no regular man.” Sam is one of my favorite characters, and I love when he shows up in a scene.

Q: In what setting do you enjoy writing the most?

Hope: The best place for me to write is at my house. I can throw in a load of laundry if I need to and not have to pack up laptop when I need to visit the ladies’ room. I love watching people, but I’m too nosy to write at coffee shops or other public places. I need quiet so that I can hear my characters!

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?

Hope: When I was single, I took flying lessons. I never earned my pilot’s license, but I soloed a Cessna 150 several times. I lived to tell about it and didn’t wreck the plane either! People may also be surprised to know that I’m an introvert who enjoys public speaking.

Q: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Hope: I like to laugh out loud, listen to live music, cook, read, travel, play euchre and board games with my family, play the piano, and crochet…not all at the same time, but I have been known to crochet at high school ball games and town hall meetings. I like to multitask when I can.

More from Hope

When I introduced the Daniels family in Forever Music, the first story in the Forever Series, I wrote about Josie, the little sister. I wanted to write about her brother Sam next, but after about eight chapters, the words stopped flowing and then the pandemic struck. Instead of writing during lockdown, I cleaned out closets, crocheted mask bands, and perfected a killer sourdough loaf.

I wanted to write. I tried to write. I loved Sam and wanted to discover his story, but…nothing.

When my publisher offered a slot in a novella collection, I pushed Sam to the back of my mind and wrote about his older brother, Ben. Ben’s story is set on the beautiful Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Check out his romance in A Hatteras Surprise.

Sharing Ben’s courtship with Ginny Stowe freed me to get back to Sam and Merritt in Forever Home. Their story highlights foster care, music, friendship, and radio stations.

Impatient Sam usually acts first and thinks second. His happy-go-lucky personality chafes Merritt’s stick-with-a-plan attitude. Too bad she needs his help with her livelihood. They don’t hit it off at first, but both are definitely intrigued with each other.

Readers can find subtle Italian references throughout the story. Here’s a favorite recipe friends might find in Merritt’s kitchen. I hope you like it and the story, too!

Orange Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients:
2 C plain flour                         1 egg white
1 t baking powder                   2 T orange zest
¼ t salt                                    ½-1 C chopped pistachios
1 C sugar                                 1/2 C candied orange bits
2 eggs                                      orange juice, if needed

Directions:
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs and egg white together, then add to flour mixture. Stir in orange zest, nuts, and orange bits. Mix until dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry, add orange juice a tablespoon at a time.

Flour hands and scoop half the dough onto one side of the cookie sheet prepared with cooking spray. Shape the dough into a 15×3-inch log. Repeat with remaining dough. The logs should be several inches apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Tops of the logs should be firm.

Remove to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Cut logs on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Place the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. They will harden as they cool. Yields about 48 cookies depending on size