A: As a matter of fact, it is. And you get to know more about the town and the people who live in it, which is fun. I am really coming to love Heart Lake!

Q: Your three main characters meet at a community garden. Are you a gardener?

A: Not really. I’m more of a gardener wanna be. I only recently caught the gardening bug when we built a new house and I found myself with a huge lot to landscape. I’ve been having a great time planting and watching things grow. I’m all about having lots of edible landscaping, so my little plot of heaven is packed with blueberry bushes, herbs, and fruit trees.

Q: This book follows three different women: Hope Walker, Millie Baldwin, and Amber Howell. Which character was your favorite?

A: I love Hope because she’s so giving. I love Millie because she’s old and wise and inspiring. I love Amber because she hangs in there and keeps on trying. But my favorite character is Hope’s younger sister, Bobbi, the comic relief character in the book. She was so much fun to write.

Q: You have a couple of love stories going in this book, including a romance for your older character. When we think of romance, we don’t usually think in terms of older people. Did someone you know inspire that particular story line?

A: Actually, yes. My friend Judy is in her seventies. She goes to water aerobics three times a week, plays bunco, travels, and has a boyfriend. I want to be like Judy when I grow up!

Q: In your previous books, On Strike for Christmas and Bikini Season, you included recipes. Are there recipes in this book?

A: Not this book. Instead, I’ve included some great gardening tips. Not from me, from experts.

Q: You incorporate the language of flowers in this book. How did you come up with that idea?

A: I read a magazine article years ago about the symbolism of flowers and found it fascinating. Victorians were very fond of giving flowers that had a special meaning attached. (Did you know, for example, that yellow roses symbolize friendship and joy?) I thought it would be fun for my character Hope Walker, who is a florist, to know something about this secret language and use it on behalf of her customers.

Q: Your character, Hope Walker, has some issues that make it hard for her to risk her heart. Tell us a little about her.

A: I love Hope because she is selfless. When I first came up with the idea for this book I thought Cyrano de Bergerac in a flower shop. Hope’s character and journey grew from there. She’s scarred but she’s beautiful --- more beautiful than she realizes.

Q: What would you say is the underlying message of this book?

A: Live life to the fullest!

Q: Will we be seeing more books with stories set in Heart Lake?

A: Absolutely. Look for Angel Lane, which will hit the shelves this fall.

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