Featured Interview With H.C. Bentley
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a Southern girl… not born but definitely raised! I lived in Mississippi from age two until I was twelve, when my family moved to Kentucky, where I still reside with my husband, kids and cat. I work at my local library as a cataloger. And aside from my time in the service, I’ve lived in this same sleepy little town for well over twenty years.
During the time I was away in the Army, I was stationed in South Carolina followed by Weisbaden, Germany. Pretty much a perfect place for a travel bug like me (if you follow me on Pinterest, you know I have an extensive travel bucket list)! I love visiting new places, seeing the culture and history, trying the food…I’ve told people if I ever won the lottery, they’d never see me again because I’d be busy traveling everywhere!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been addicted to books pretty much all of my life…I really don’t remember a time without them. Even while overseas, I was shopping Barnes and Nobles for titles I couldn’t find at the base book store (thank goodness for free shipping and APO addresses!). Let’s just say the movers packed a lot of books when it came time for me to come back stateside!
As for writing, I really started in middle school. One of my teachers encouraged me to develop more of my stories written for class and enter them in contests. I won several national writing contests for a magazine and from there I was hooked. I’ve been telling stories ever since.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m addicted to pretty much anything by Nora Roberts. I think I’ve read 90% of everything she’s ever written (including her JD Robb books). She’s got a way of doing things to get where she wants to go, and even though she’s had all the success, she’s still pretty down to earth. Sometimes I tell people I want to be Nora when I grow up. 🙂
I also like Debbie Macomber, Janet Evanovich, Barbara Delinsky. I tend to lean towards contemporary romance and romantic suspense more than anything else, though I have picked up some good biographies in the last couple of years. I also like books about history, particularly the period around World War II.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest title is the conclusion to my Small Town Hearts trilogy, a series about three women, all lifelong friends, who find their second chances at love. Finishing this final book is both satisfying and bittersweet at the same time. Strange, I know. But what can I say, writers a strange bunch. 😉
To Love Again releases August 5, 2017 and is the story of Bethany, a young widow raising two daughters after the sudden death of her husband. She’s perfectly content to live her life as she has been – single, surrounded by friends and focused on raising her girls – but things take a turn in the form of a new man in her life. Jeremy, one of her late husband’s best friends, has been coming around more and more. And as much as she tries to fight it, the attraction is mutual. But Bethany has misgivings and guilt about loving someone new. And her kids? Well, that could be a whole other story.
I have to say…this book was HARD for me. For one, I had to tie up all the loose ends for my main characters. Then, I had to figure out a proper way to say goodbye to these characters I’ve created and loved for the last couple of years. It took me the better part of six months to finish this story, and I still don’t if I’m ready to let them all go! But, I have a pretty crazy writing schedule this next year (four releases in 2018, y’all) so I won’t have time to dwell on it for long.
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