Talkshow Thursday: Meet Hope Dougherty
Linda: Thanks for joining me today. You recently
published your third book, Rescued Hearts,
which sounds very intriguing! Where did you get your inspiration for the story?
Hope: Thank
you, Linda. I live out in the country and ride my bike on two-lane roads. One
afternoon, I took a detour off my regular route onto a dirt path. The lane
meanders by the location of where a farm house once stood. Trees, bushes, and a
couple of shelters have been left behind.
As
I passed the lonely-looking spot, a creepy sensation tickled the back of my
neck. My imagination kicked into gear. What if a bike rider rode by an
abandoned house? What if she saw a kitten entangled in a honeysuckle vine at
the porch steps? What if, while she tried to free the kitten, someone grabbed
her and dragged her inside?
Those
questions continued popping up in my mind. I began seeing the characters, then
hearing them speak. Those questions led to the first chapter of Rescued Hearts.
LM: How do you
come up with your characters? Are they based on any real people in your life?
Hope: The characters for Rescued
Hearts appeared as I began to answer some of the questions to the previous
questions. The characters aren’t based on people I know, but they do have some
characteristics of family members or friends. For example, two characters enjoy
carving objects from wood. My father is a wood carver.
LM: Research is
an important part of the writing process. Do you have an interesting research
incident to share?
Hope: Because I didn’t know anything about guns or undercover
police work, I attended the Writers’ Police Academy. What a great weekend of
learning from knowledgeable people including FBI agents, EMT workers, and
undercover policemen. I also interviewed my local sheriff and several
undercover deputies. They were all helpful, generous, and patient especially
since I hadn’t published anything in fiction at the time and didn’t have an
agent either.
LM: Fun! I've always wanted to attend one of those weekends. What do you
do to prepare yourself for writing? For example do you listen to music or set
up in a specific place?
Hope: I like quiet when I write. I’ve tried writing in public
places, but I’m too much of a people watcher to be productive in coffee shops.
I write from my desk in the corner of our bonus room or on our back porch. I pray
for God’s guidance and help, then I’m off to the story world!
LM: You’re from
Eastern North Carolina, a beautiful area of the country. If money were no
object, what is your idea of the ultimate vacation?
Hope: I’d love to take another home exchange to Ireland or visit
Italy for the first time. I also want to do a bicycle tour in Vermont and
paddle boat down the Mississippi River. The best vacation I’ve had in a long
time, however, happened two summers ago. My husband and I splurged and rented a
house for a week right on a North Carolina beach. We and our four adult
children read books, played board games, played cards, put a puzzle together,
swam in the ocean, and relaxed the whole time. I would choose that vacation
again, for sure!
LM: The random
facts about you on your website list include lots of intriguing things. What’s
left on your bucket list to learn or do?
Hope: Oh, fun question. I’d love to learn to play the banjo. I
already play the piano, clarinet, and dulcimer. I love blue grass music, so
learning the banjo would be fun.
LM: Good luck with that. What is your
next project?
Hope: I’m working on a sweet romance set in Charlotte. No guns in
this story!
LM: LOL! Where can
folks find you on the web?
Hope: Thanks so much for having me, Linda. I love connecting with
people, so I hope your readers will look for me. Here are my social media links:
Website: http://hopetolerdougherty.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hope.t.dougherty
Twitter:
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/hopetdougherty/
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