We’re returning from a brief hiatus with another story behind the story. This time, please welcome Carol J. Post. She’ll be talking about what inspired her newest release, Trust My Heart.

Here’s a little bit about the book.

Grant McAllister arrives in Murphy, North Carolina, with one aim: to sell his inherited property and leave as quickly as possible. The big-city lawyer has no interest in his late, estranged grandparents or the dilapidated mansion he just acquired. After his high-profile divorce, he should be avoiding perky reporters, too. But Jami Carlisle is honest, funny, and undeniably appealing.

After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—much like its handsome, commitment-phobic heir. Thanks to her digging, the pieces of Grant’s fraught family history are gradually fitting into place, but also upending all his old beliefs.

The two draw closer as they share their dreams, until misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust. But in the unspoiled beauty of the Smoky Mountains, there’s healing and forgiveness to be found. And for Grant, this unplanned detour may be just what’s needed to finally guide him home…

Sounds like a great read. What inspired you to write this book?

“Trust My Heart started as a joint venture between my older daughter and me back in the late 1990s. She was about sixteen at the time, and we thought it would be really fun to write a book together. Neither of us were published, and I think we made it through about three chapters before we fizzled out. Years later, I decided to pick up that story and dust it off. Not much of the original draft remains, but Jami and Grant, the hero and heroine, are easily recognizable in those early pages, as are a few of the plot elements.

“During rewrites, the story’s setting also changed, from a fictional town in the mountains to the real town of Murphy, North Carolina. Around the time my daughter and I were working on this, eight of us (my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and my family of four) took a vacation to Bryson City, North Carolina. While there, my sister wanted to check out a one-acre plot of land that a co-worker of hers was trying to sell. Armed with directions, we made our way to Murphy.

“We never did find that plot of land. What we did find was 12 acres with a dilapidated 100-year-old log cabin that the six of us decided to purchase together. After a couple of trips up from Florida to replace the leaky roof and fix the septic system so the toilets would flush, we decided to all spend Christmas up there. The cabin had no heat, and we couldn’t build a fire in the fireplace, because the chimney had toppled years earlier. So we tried our best to keep warm by the wood-burning stove we’d installed on one of our previous trips.

“We eventually got the cabin completely restored, and over the years, we made a lot of good memories there. We also fell in love with the area—the beauty of the mountains, the laid-back way of life, and the friendliness of the people. When I decided to pull out the old “Jami novel,” I knew I had to move it to Murphy. It felt like the perfect backdrop for two wounded people to find wholeness and healing.”

Thanks for joining us, Carol. You know I have a soft spot in my heart for log cabins!

From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol J. Post’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

Connect with Carol at her website, www.caroljpost.com, Facebook (www.facebook.com/caroljpost.author), or Twitter (www.twitter.com/caroljpost). For regular updates, sign up for Carol’s newsletter (http://bit.ly/2dKK9CE)

Carol is giving away an autographed copy of the book to a U.S. or Canadian winner or an ebook for an international winner. Follow the directions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s been great to have you!