Welcome to the JustRead Blog Tour for …

He wasn’t looking for love…
Until one little boy came into his life.

Fire chief Josh Rogers has just three months to get married or risk losing custody of his late foster brother’s infant son. So when Annie Greene offers to help him find a wife in exchange for repairs at her bakery, it seems like the perfect solution. As the three spend time together, Josh can’t help but feel that Annie’s the only person he can picture filling the role of Finn’s mother. But can they set aside their past insecurities and embrace a chance at happily-ever-after?

What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

As a transplant from Minnesota’s Twin Cities to the Southwest in 2000—and before my husband, Bob and I relocated to Northern Arizona in 2022—we’d commute about 90 minutes north of the Phoenix Valley to the city of Prescott to escape the triple-digits. While there, we’d explore the charming mountain town with its Old West feel—from its quaint Town Square and historic homes along Main Street, to its pine tree-lined hiking trails and Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary. These idyllic trips eventually became my muse for the fictional setting of Sweetwater, where The Fire Chief’s Surprise—the second book in the series—unfolds. Readers might also enjoy knowing that several of the landmarks in the story were inspired by real-life locales and an honest-to-goodness constable (all names have been changed) that my husband and I discovered during our travels. 

What unique research was required to write this story?

Because the main character’s occupation in The Fire Chief’s Surprise is a firefighter and I’m not, it meant researching fire safety protocol, plus typical turnout gear and the different types of emergency vehicles, as well as common department lingo, and the role of a fire chief, which might even include expanded duties to cover a short-staffed small town. I scoured the internet for terms, descriptions, and images, and also contacted the fire department in the mountain community where my husband and I reside. One of the first responders who I’d met a couple years earlier was more than willing to answer questions and offer her professional insights, to ensure my details were both believable and accurate. (Even then, any errors are mine.)

What does a day in the life of your characters look like?

In this contemporary setting, a day in the life of my characters begins with their respective vocations. For the fire chief, this places him either on-call for the Sweetwater Fire Department, or onsite at the firehouse managing his crew and any emergencies that arise; in addition, he’s also a new parent to Finn, the nine-month-old son belonging to his late foster brother. As the resident baker, Annie starts her day at “dark ‘thirty” to organize the catering orders and prepare to open the shop she established in honor of her Nana Anabelle. Yet even amidst their busy lives, they always make time to lend a helping hand to others, prioritize growing their faith, and eventually learn what it means to trust God with their stories. 

What was the inspiration behind your story?

My inspiration behind The Fire Chief’s Surprise began with the first book of the series, where I introduce Josh and Annie—secondary characters and residents of historic Sweetwater. But we don’t learn a lot about their backgrounds yet, except that the baker avoids dating men in uniform after her father is killed in the line of duty. For this story, I wanted to explore both of their pasts, while diving into the themes of belonging—based on Ephesians 1:5—as well as forgiveness, faith, and trust. And to corroborate the smalltown legend woven throughout the pages—that there’s something in the “sweet” water—and that true love always prevails.

What did you learn while writing this story?
Writing The Fire Chief’s Surprise reminded me that, as God’s children, we were created for community and born with a longing to fit in. Both Josh and Annie have lost so much in their lives—their families, her innocence, his best friend—yet they both possess a deep-seated desire to belong and to find purpose where the Lord has planted them. Through their journey, I rediscovered that it not only takes a village, but that life’s sweetest surprises often come in the littlest of packages. 

What encouragement do you hope readers will take away from your story?

I hope readers are encouraged that while much of life is beyond our control, including the families we’re born into and the consequences of our choices, when we place our trust in God’s sovereignty—even in the midst of heartache and regret—we’re able to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (What better verse than this to have hanging on the wall in Annie’s bakery?) And the blessed assurance that we’ve been adopted into His family with a new identity through Jesus.