Carla's Book Crush

Where I Found You by Betsy St. Amant
Series: Magnolia Bay – Book 1
Publisher: Sunrise Publishing
Release Date: February 4, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Southern Romance

From beloved author Betsy St. Amant comes a enemies to more, Hatfields and McCoys swoon-worthy contemporary romance set in a small beach town that reminds us that true love is worth fighting for.

Noah Hebert recently inherited the Blue Pirogue Inn—along with all its problems. He needs money to keep his beloved childhood home from being shut down by his family’s longtime nemesis, Isaac Bergeron. So when Noah’s lawyer approaches him about an additional segment of his late grandfather’s will, it’s just in the nick of time. But even from beyond the grave, his grandfather is up to his usual games. In order to receive the last portion of inheritance, Noah must follow the clues. But there’s one condition…

Magnolia Blossom Cafe manager Elisa Bergeron is shocked to discover an acquaintance from the local Puzzlers Club left her something in his will—and even more surprised to discover they are clues to a portion of his estate. When she learns she must work with introverted inn-owner Noah Hebert to solve the puzzle, she’s torn. Growing up in the middle of a multi-generational feud between their families, she’s been taught by her father Isaac that Heberts can’t be trusted.

When these two exes must work together to save their future, will love get a second chance or will the longstanding family feud claim another generation?

PURCHASE LINKS:
Goodreads |Sunrise Publishing | Amazon |
Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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More Books In This Series

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About the Author

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for http://www.ibelieve.com, a devotional site for women.

Connect with Betsy by visiting betsystamant.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Author Q&A

Q: What first ignited the desire to become a writer?

A: Ahem. ::climbs on soap box:: ROBIN JONES GUNN! I read her Glenbrooke series when I was about 12 years old and was hooked. Before that, my entire world had consisted of Saddle Club and Baby-Sitters Club books, which were great. But the second I discovered Christian fiction and realized that wholesome romance could exist WHILE ALSO being inspired and encouraged spiritually as a reader, well—that was that. I knew I wanted to help inspire other readers that way, too. I started writing as a teenager, got serious about attending conferences as a young adult (roughly 18/19 years old) and then got my agent at age 23, was published with Love Inspired at age 24, and the rest is history! Here we are some thirty books later. (And I’m only 25, which is weird) ::wink::

Q: You have a very active life—between your husband, two daughters, CrossFit, and your adorable Schnauzer. How in the world do you find time to write not only your books but also for iBelieve? Have you found more hours in the day that the rest of us don’t know about?

A: I actually need a few more hours—if you see them, let me know! Ha. It’s crazy, for sure. I also work a sporadic day job in oil and gas as a landman, which is usually project based. But this year was particularly wild… I will have 4 full length novels releasing in 2025, which means I wrote 3 full length novels in 2024! (plus a very significant rewrite of one, that could count for at least half of another novel.) I definitely don’t plan to do that again, but it sure will be fun promoting all these book birthdays this year! I do CrossFit at 5:15 a.m. which means my day starts at roughly 4:30 a.m. but I love it. It helps me have those good endorphins to be busy all day! (And helps me stay active when my writing and day job is sedentary at a desk!)

Q: What type of research do you do for your books? How long does the process take?

A: I don’t usually have a ton of research to do, because my books are contemporary (you guys do NOT want me to write a historical. I don’t know when anything became anything!) So really, I’m just researching random things that come up as I go in my stories. My Google history is hilarious. Depending on which book I’m working on, you might find random recipe ideas or thesaurus searches, or questions like “what’s another phrase for shrugging your shoulders?” when my characters start doing too many of the same physical gestures. Lol! In one book they were all tilting their heads so much I figured they all could use massage therapy.

Q: What non-romantic relationships in your books do you feel are just as important as the romantic ones?

Lately I’ve been doing a lot with parent/adult child relationships in my stories, and I’m really enjoying diving into those. I have a great relationship with both my parents, but as my own teen daughter gets older, I realize how crucial those dynamics are. “Protect the relationship” has become a mantra of mine as we navigate the teen years together. I think in a lot of ways, parenting never gets easier, you just change what you worry about! Ha. I like exploring those different thoughts in my characters—how sometimes fear can manifest as control, or concern/worry can come across as indifference depending on the character’s personality. Communication is so important. I figure readers have multiple relationships in their life at any given moment, and might need encouragement or hope in those areas as well and not just in romance, which is also why I like to include those elements.

Q: Is there anything you edited out of Where I Found You? Perhaps something you think would be best as its own story?

A: I really didn’t! I had to rewrite a lot of Chapter 1 during revisions, but it came out much stronger for it, so I regret nothing. I plotted this book very detailed in advance, so thankfully, the revisions were relatively mild overall. (Book 2, however…) ::ducks::

Q: What do you consider literary success? 

A: Leaving a mark on your reader in a positive way—whether that’s a thousand readers, a few hundred, or just one. If my words and stories impacted them in a positive way, even for an hour, I think that’s success. Don’t get me wrong—awards are nice, five star reviews are great! But getting that personal connection with a reader, knowing that something you wrote (all glory to God) changed them or encouraged them in some way, made a difference in their lives if only for a moment, is such an honor and a gift. I’m blessed to get to do that.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Where I Found You and a $10 Sunrise Shop Gift Card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 4, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 11, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!