It’s always great to see returning guests on the blog, and Jennifer has been with us many times before. This time, she’s here to share about her new book, Hometown Healing. First, a little bit about the story.

She’s home again, but not for long…
Unless this cowboy recaptures her heart

Returning home with a baby in tow, Paige Cordell’s determined her stay is only temporary. But to earn enough money to leave, she needs a job—and her only option is working at her first love’s dinner theater. With attraction once again unfurling between her and Jed Gilbertson, can the man who once broke her heart convince her to stay for good?

Jennifer, what led you to write this book?

I received the idea for Hometown Healing during a time of transition. An organization I’d been writing for was going through transition. I knew God had brought me to them, and I knew He was guiding me and that He still planned to use me. I just wasn’t sure how. Paige, a writer who was once on staff at a thriving Chicago fashion magazine, came from that time, though it took a few years before her story took form.

I’ve fallen in love with Sage Creek, Texas, so I knew I needed to set the story there. Is that strange to say—that I’ve grown attached to the fictional town I created? It has bits of various locations I love: The charm of the Texas Hill Country, a downtown reminiscent of where I spent a chunk of my childhood years, and residents with all the characteristics found in people I’ve grown attached to over the years. I suppose that’s one of the blessings of writing—we get to combine all of our favorite things in our work!

As to the dinner theater idea—I attended my first dinner theater with my husband while on vacation. It was an interactive murder mystery, and the actors singled my husband out as a participant. They gave him a filled suitcase and told him, no matter what, he had to claim the suitcase and all items were his. They then proceeded to pull out numerous strange and hilarious items. He followed their directions, but his face grew quite red!

One would think, after such an experience, he’d never want to go to another dinner theater again, but he did. He later signed us up for three, maybe four more! I’m never able to guess the killer, but I always have fun trying!

In researching this novel, I spent a few days in Austin with my father. We tried all sorts of different restaurants, and of course visited coffeehouses. My first night there, I attended a local murder mystery dinner theater and had the opportunity to speak with the manager. He taught me a lot about production and planning that helped tremendously as I was plotting Hometown Healing.

I enjoyed researching, brainstorming, and writing this story. I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I did crafting it!

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and international speaker who has addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She maintains a devotional blog found at Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud and on Crosswalk. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Love Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Contact her HERE to book her for your next women’s event.

Jennifer is giving a print copy of the book. Follow the directions below to enter.
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Sounds like a fun read! Thanks for joining us again!