Today I welcome author Rachel Blanchard as she shares about her newest release, "First in My Heart" as she answers some tough questions and shares a sneak peek into her book.

How did you get started writing?

For as long as I remember, I’ve loved reading and making up stories. This initial interest was reinforced by my teachers from elementary to high school, which is perhaps why I chose to become an English teacher. However, as I got closer to starting my career, writing became more about completing assignments.

For some strange reason, I picked freewriting back up when I was busier than I’d ever been—as a working mother! My mom had always wanted me to write a novel for Hallmark, and although I wasn’t quick enough to finish my manuscript before they stopped accepting submissions from unagented authors, that gave me a goal to work towards.

Stumbling across blog posts by authors and industry experts made the idea of authorship accessible to me, though I was never truly expecting to finish a novel of my own. One day, while waiting for my mother-in-law to come out of surgery, I outlined a sweet romance story in a spiral notebook in the hospital waiting room. I’m always motivated when I have a plan, so, over the next few months, I asked my husband to watch our one-year-old for an hour here or there while I followed my short list of to-do scenes. When I became pregnant with our second child, I took a long break; when he was a year old, I continued. Although it was an extended journey, now that I’ve completed one novel, I have the desire to build on all I have learned and keep creating.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

What I enjoy most about writing is how unexpected it can be. I might start out with one scene idea, and while I’m typing, the words will form themes or pictures that touch me deeply that I didn’t intend to write about. Writing helps me understand myself and those around me better. It is also special any time that someone tells me they have enjoyed something I have written. Their words give me the encouragement to keep practicing and sharing my work. I don’t think I realized how much I needed a constructive hobby until I started writing consistently. My writing has also connected me to other authors and caused me to read for enjoyment again.

What can your readers expect from you next?

I am currently featuring two of the secondary characters from the world of First in My Heart in a related but standalone romance. Right now, I am line-editing as well as adding scenes to flesh out the story, bringing it from novella to novel length. Someday, I would be interested to try my hand at a Medieval-era fantasy or even a Regency-era story, since those are some of my favorite books to read. Branching out to audiobooks is another item on my bucket-list, but that may have to wait until my kids are older. I’ve learned through the process of releasing my first book that God’s plans and timing are better than my own! No matter what, you can expect me to write joy-filled stories with personal growth, community, and sweet romance!

About Rachel

Rachel Blanchard is a teacher, wife, and mother of three young children. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri before moving to Central Florida. She is passionate about sharing lessons learned, and the message that we can trust in God’s goodness.

Connecting Online

Website: https://www.rachelblanchardwriter.com/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/rachelblanchardwriter?_rdr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelblanchardwriter/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21726418.Rachel_Blanchard

Purchase First in My Heart on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737671905

First page of "First in My Heart"

Ava’s stomach dropped along with the aircraft as Central Florida spread out in front of her. Row upon row of houses sporting meticulously manicured lawns crowded her vision. Glistening lakes slashed through the landscape every so often as if to remind visitors that nature still had a forceful presence there. The view was breathtaking, but it couldn’t be more different than the Midwestern fields that she had left behind. She couldn’t help but think, Am I making the right choice? 

Moving cross-country to work at a girl’s clothing store was not a logical step in Ava’s life plan, and it was almost as if she was planning a trip for another person when her fingers mechanically clicked open the email: “Transfer Positions Available in Hydrangea’s Newest Location: Summer Shores, Florida.” She got that same automated feeling when her zombie-travel-guide self searched up area schools, confirming that, although it was January, Summer Shores still had a few pages worth of teaching positions available. 

Even a master organizer like Ava couldn’t pull off a move that big only two weeks after her winter graduation, so she decided to wait and make arrangements to move down in May instead. Transferring her familiar retail job to the same town that she had contacts in seemed like a comfortable enough situation to give Ava the chance to explore the schools that she might want to work at long-term. Surely she would find the perfect place to teach in. God wouldn’t have presented her with a life-changing opportunity—unlike any risk she had taken before in her life—only to let her fail upon arrival. Would he?