Q&A with Author Denise Weimer

I’m super excited to start something new on the blog. Each month, I hope to interview a Christian fiction author. Denise Weimer agreed to be the first, and I’m incredibly grateful to her for being my guinea pig.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Denise, allow me to “introduce” her.

Meet Denise Weimer

Represented by Hartline Literary Agency, Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. She’s a managing editor for the historical imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and the author of almost a dozen published novels and a number of novellas. A wife and mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses!

I met Denise at a writers conference 2 years ago, and she’s incredibly supportive of authors. If you follow my blog, you probably recognize her name from my reviews of her romantic suspense novel Traces and her historical romance The Witness Tree.

So without further ado, check out the Q&A below!

Q: So tell me about your upcoming release.

A: My pleasure! I’m delighted to visit with you today. A Holiday Heart releases in December as the tenth novella in the Georgia Peaches Series. The authors of the series work together to release one novella a month, all clean, contemporary romance set in Georgia, and all with a touch of peaches worked in! My story takes place at a lodge in the North Georgia mountains.

On the verge of starting her own company—and a fling with the hot star of a TV saga—Atlanta film makeup artist Ashlyn Jennings is willed a mysterious box containing a key from her grandmother’s estate. Mamie Lou, the former Hollywood B-lister who inspired Ashlyn’s path in life, always demonstrated a flair for the dramatic. But did Mamie Lou really expect her to put everything on hold to clean out a mountain cabin no one even knew about? And right at Christmas?

When Ashlyn arrives at White Falls Lodge armed with cosmetic bags and designer shoes, little is she prepared to be stranded by a snow storm, irritated by the handsome resort owner who seems determined to peel away her facade, and redirected by a God Ashlyn wants to forget, through Mamie Lou’s real gift … the secret story of her grandmother’s past.

**You can pre-order A Holiday Heart for only .99 until its December 1 release.

Q: Where do you find your story ideas?

A: So far, all my stories except my upcoming full-length release (Bent Tree Bride, April 2021, the story of a mixed blood Cherokee solider who falls in love with his colonel’s daughter during the War of 1812) have been set in Georgia. I often look to my home state’s legends and real history for inspiration for my historicals, and to the beautiful and unique towns and regions for inspiration for my contemporaries.

Q: What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

A: Marketing. Not only is it challenging to get the word out about your books without annoying people, but no one talks about how much time and money is required to successfully do so in today’s highly competitive publishing environment.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: I just started writing A Harvest Heart, my second book in the Georgia Peaches Series, which will release next October. The characters are opening a tea room (heroine) and a corn maze and pumpkin patch (hero) in Clarkesville, Georgia, while some pretty tough challenges from both their past and present roadblock romance.

After I finish A Harvest Heart, I hope to devote my attention (apart from all the time I spend editing, both free-lance and as managing editor of LPC’s historical imprints) to another historical set in Piedmont Georgia during the 18-teens, when this area was a frontier.

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

A: As mentioned above, edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Then some marketing. And more marketing. Occasionally, I escape to take a walk at the park with my husband and cockapoo, visit with my parents or daughters (both in college), attend small group, or indulge in a living history event.

Q: Do you have a favorite writing spot?

A: My office. After years of writing at the kitchen island, I finally got one in this last move!

Q: Favorite writing snacks?

A: Afternoon tea break with a cookie.

Q: What is your favorite genre to read?

Early American frontier romance.

Q: What authors are on your must-read list?

Before really plunging into my work this fall, I got to do a little reading. The list included Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Kate Breslin, and Jocelyn Green. My upcoming must-read list consists of proposals to and manuscripts contracted by Heritage Beacon and Smitten Historical Romance!

Q: What is your favorite romance trope?

Judging from my writing and reading history, I must enjoy stories where characters fall in love despite a hostile environment, whether that be a dangerous journey or a marriage of convenience. Forcing them out of their comfort zone provides pressure for personal and romantic growth.

Q: Which moment do you like writing the most: the meet cute/meet ugly, the first kiss, the first date, the first “I love you,” the breakup, the make up, or the HEA?

A: Great question! Probably the first kiss because so much builds up to that.

---

Thanks again to Denise for allowing me to interview her! It was an honor to feature her on my blog. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, I highly recommend her.

If you click the book image above, it’ll take you straight to Amazon. Remember, the pre-order price will only stay at $0.99 until December 1.

You can connect with Denise Weimer on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and BookBub or by signing up for her monthly newsletter. If you follow her on Amazon, you can keep up with latest releases and check out her backlist.

And if you’re looking for a cozy read for fall, I highly recommend Fall Flip. This contemporary romance meshes HGTV and Hallmark into one amazing read you don’t want to miss. (Really. I devoured it in a day. So good!)