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Hi, Danica! Welcome to Inspy Romance! Tell our readers a bit about yourself.
I live in the Colorado mountains with my family, where my husband and I are building our dream home while living in it. It’s an exciting adventure. He’s doing most of the work, but the kids are helping, and I am an excellent supervisor! Actually I did help lay the floor in our bedroom, and I’m very proud of my work. I write historicals for Love Inspired Historical set during the Colorado mining boom. And I also write contemporaries for the fun of it! And, you may have heard rumors that I am a crazy chicken lady. Those rumors are absolutely true.
Our friends here at Inspy Romance have heard all about the Arcadia Valley Romance series, and many have read Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley. The first novel in your series inside that community, The Thought of Romance, released recently. Are you excited?
No, I am not excited. Just kidding! Of course I am! I’ve had a lot of fun working on this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you all.
What drew you to joining the team of authors writing in Arcadia Valley?
I liked the concept and I thought it would be a fun challenge.
Each author came up with a premise for her series. What’s the name of your series, and what’s it about in a general sense?
My series is Legacy of the Heart, and it’s all about a family trying to save the family farm and preserve their traditions.
The Scent of Romance (in Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley) is the novella prequel to your series. What’s it about, and how does it introduce the stories to come?
The Scent of Romance sets the stage for my series because it’s about one of the granddaughters trying to save her grandmother’s farm and the lawyer who is helping her parents, aunts, and uncles trying to get them to sell the farm. A lot of great conflict, and you get to see the family relationships develop throughout the series.
Here is the blurb:
When Caroline Hearst’s grandmother is injured in a riding accident, her extended family uses it as an excuse to try to force the elderly woman into selling the family farm. Though her family thinks it’s crazy to carry on the family farm’s legacy when a sale could make them all rich, Caroline is determined to see it through.
High-powered lawyer Hayden Donnelly just wants to get the old lady to sign on the dotted line. Not because he thinks making her sell the farm is the right thing to do, but because it’s the only way to earn his disapproving father’s respect- and hopefully, love. Can time in the lavender-scented fields bring a solution neither Caroline nor Hayden expected?
Tell us about The Thought of Romance!
Andrew Bigby gave up a successful accounting career in the city to move back to his grandmother’s farm after his fiancée died of cancer. There, he’s found a life free of complications and emotional attachments — except those to his closest family. However, when he disagrees with home health nurse Layla Avila’s ideas on how to take care of his grandmother, Andrew can’t help but get involved. Even if it means temporarily giving up his precious hermit lifestyle to stay by his grandmother’s side to keep an eye on Layla.
Layla is sick of these doctor wannabes getting medical advice off the Internet. Why can’t Andrew just leave her alone and let her do the job she was trained to do? However, the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes that this isn’t so much about his grandmother’s care, but about the guilt he feels over his fiancée’s death — and the worry that he didn’t do enough to find the right doctors to save her. Though she was hired to help his grandmother, can Layla’s healing touch also extend to Andrew’s heart?
Where did the idea for this novel come from?
Where all good ideas come from. ? I already knew who Andrew was, but for the heroine, I thought about the worst possible person he could fall in love with. That’s what I do for all of my books, and the more I looked at how Andrew’s grief over the loss of his fiancée popped up with seeing his grandmother’s health struggles, I knew the person he needed was someone who would force him to come to terms with that grief.
How does The Thought of Romance set up the rest of your series?
You’re meeting more of the characters in the series and getting to know them, and hopefully you’re starting to see the things they struggle with as well. In the next book, The Sound of Romance, you’ll see Andrew’s sister, Allie, finding the resolve to make good on the promise she made to Andrew in The Thought of Romance. I’m really excited to see how they all get to their own happy endings. Oh wait! I already know! You’ll just have to wait to find out.
You’ve had half a dozen or so Love Inspired Historical novels released, but I see your indie releases are contemporary. What do your Arcadia Valley Romances have in common with your other novels?
All of my books have one theme in common: the depth of God’s mercy and grace. That might sound boring to write about for twelve (and counting!) stories, but I think what this world needs most right now is to know how deep God’s love is for all of us. No matter what the problem, the setting, or the circumstance, you are never so far from God that you can’t find your way back.
Let’s give away one Kindle copy of The Thought of Romance! What’s one question you’d like to ask the Inspy Romance community to answer for their chance to win?
One of the pieces the Bigbys are developing for their farm is guest cabins, where people can go to stay and experience farm life for themselves. If you had the opportunity to stay in a guest cabin for a real-life farm experience, what activities would you want to participate in?
A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado. Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Hi Valerie and Danica, I am enjoying the Arcadia Valley books, thanks for adding to my reading:) Hmm, we have some good friends who live on a farm. Whenever we visit we love to collect the eggs, help feed the cows, goats, milk the cows etc. make fresh butter…all the typical farm things. Riding the four-wheelers and having bonfires are HUGE hits with the boys, so I imagine staying in a guest cabin on a farm, I would want to do those things.
Blessings:)
Riding 4wheelers is always popular on our farm, too!
Those do sound fun! When we have kids up at our place, collecting eggs is always a hit. Actually, the adults like it too!
Hi Valerie and Danica! The Tought of Romance was an inspiring read. With its page turning plot, you seemlessly wove modern day medical conditions of diabetics, high blood pressure, and cancer treatment into a farm themed romance. Well done. An enjoyable read! DANICA, no need to include me in the drawing! Living in an agricultural community in SW MiChigan, I have gathered chicken eggs, saw sheep sheared, picked berries (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)and fruit (cherries, peaches, and apples). My husband helped his grandparents on their dairy farm. Most school children in our area make annual fall trips to an apple orchard and pumpkin farm. There they watch apple cider being made. Adults can go to vineyards to pick grapes and make their own wine. Many farms also have harvest dinners (farm to table meals) – great fall ideas. Corn Mazes are also a great fall idea. The Ariel views are spectacular as the mazes are designs. A local drone company uses their drones with viewing stations, so farmers can quickly view their farms from the air. Since we often experience dry spells, bon fires are not permitted (fire hazard and it pollutes the air). Midwest communities are concerned about water and air quality! Happy writing!
Here in the mountains, we’re permitted fires in designated areas unless it’s particularly hot/dry. Then there will be a fire ban. We often have a ban in August — sometimes earlier, but not every year even so. This year hopefully not as we had a lot of snow and a wet spring!
We’ve had company from big cities — one teen wanted to pick strawberries and one wanted to milk a cow! Both required visits to other area farms, but it was fun to arrange. Especially fun to see a definite city girl torn between wanting to touch the cow and… the farminess aspect. LOL
Renate, those sound like fun activities! We have similar pumpkin patch things here that are always a big hit with the kids. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book.
I would want to do something with baby animals and anything else that was needed. I think it would be very interesting to spend a week on a farm.
Petting farms are really popular here, too, especially with younger kids. In my own recent Arcadia Valley Release, Sprouts of Love, 11yo Maisie goes to Danica’s characters’ farm. She loves riding horses, but she’s particularly caught up in the newborn kittens!
Baby animals are pretty irresistible.
I don’t know much about farm life but I think I’d love to help with feeding the animals or getting my eggs from the chicken. It would be an amazing experience for this city girl.
Gathering eggs is a great experience, especially if the hen is sitting on the eggs and you have to reach under her soft warm feathers to remove the eggs!
You do not want to do that to my chickens! We have a couple of hens brooding right now, and Seraphina will get you! :) She hatched some chicks last year, and with the way things are going, I’m expecting some more this year.
Right, I’ll only do that when wearing leather gloves!
That’s one of my favorite things to do with guests. We gather the eggs, and then we cook them so the guest can taste the difference. I always feel kind of bad sending them home afterward, because they taste so much better than store-bought!
Don’t include me in the ebook drawing. I would love to take care of the animals, if there’s produce to bring in or dairy I’d like to do that or at least see how it’s done.
Taking care of the animals is definitely one of the bigger jobs on the average farm, year around, and something visitors can help with!
There’s always something to do when it comes to taking care of animals, that’s for sure. We just have dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, and geese, and even then, it’s a lot of work!
I used to run a petsitting business (both in town and in the country), and taking care of farms was a lot of work but I liked it! One of my favorites was collecting eggs from chickens and immediately cooking them for breakfast! Nothing like farm fresh eggs!
I’m reading Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley right now… I love the Idaho setting and I can’t wait to meet more characters!
Nothing like fresh-gathered anything on the farm, right! Thanks for being an Arcadia Valley Romance reader. We appreciate it!
That’s definitely one of the fun things about having chickens! I’ll have to use that as my selling point when we find a petsitter for our vacation this summer. :)
I agree with everyone above – collecting eggs, picking berries and fruit, observing farm animals up close, and generally participating in whatever the farmer is willing to let people be involved with! I have not gotten the book yet, so would love to win it!
There’s always something happening on the farm! Your name is in the drawing. :)
There’s definitely a lot to experience. I hope you get the chance to read the book, and I hope you enjoy it!
I grew up on a farm, so have experienced it all! I would love to visit with the animals and would like to try riding a horse again (I’m a little old and stiff and don’t know if I could manage it). I had a horse and loved her so much. I would enjoy the peace and quiet of the farm and would love staying in a cabin.
I think you could manage a gentle old horse. :) There’s a dude ranch not far from us where my daughter’s friends are working for the summer, and they have a horse for every rider.
I haven’t ridden in a long time, either, but with the right company and the right horse, wouldn’t mind trying again!
Horse back riding to check fences and property! Hayrides in the evening for a campfire to roast marshmallow and make s’mores! Star gazing! Some properties even have streams or lakes for fishing! I have already read the book, commented above, but after reading comments – more ideas came to mind!
Oh, I like the stargazing idea! Those of us who live in the country forget city-dwellers don’t get to see many stars.
Stargazing! Yes! And hayrides are so fun! Also, the dude ranch I mentioned above, it’s also some kind of fishing camp for people who like to fish. It has a name, but I forget the term. :)
Very interesting post and also comments! I did farm stuff when much younger and when visiting my grandparents! Love your books!
Jackie, thank you! And you’re right, a lot of this is reminiscent of visiting family, isn’t it? Bigby Farm doesn’t have a slogan yet, but maybe that’s something I should think about. When you’re here, you’re family!
Oh, I like that!
If I were on a farm for a week, I’d want some tractor time. Supervised, of course. The cider press would be another fun thing to do. Sampling included. And helping birth the baby goats at springtime.
I visited a farm once where the family made soap using the goat’s milk.
Hope that helps!
Fabulous ideas!! In fact, a little girl gets to play with a tractor in my book (with supervision, of course!)
Oh, and you can’t forget the mandatory milk-the-cow lesson. My mother, who grew up on a farm, told me to forestall any dreams of having my own with a reality check about how much work is involved. Not to mention operations done when most folks are sleeping soundly.
I never did have a farm, but have delighted in backyard chickens a number of times. Alas, my current home is zoned as such that I can’t have even one. But likely because it is too easy to slip into being “that” crazy chicken lady.
Enjoy!
For a full-on farm, there is a lot of work. I grew up on one and hubby and I have done that, too. Right now we lease out most of our land. But a few chickens or a milk cow/goat or other livestock on a hobby farm level doesn’t (necessarily) constitute “too much” work. It varies a lot!
You’re absolutely right, Valerie. Someday, I hope to find myself out of the city zone area.
What a melancholy pleasure Spring was, going down to the Feed Store to view all the cuties I couldn’t have. Ducks included :(
But never say never. There may be a fluffy critter in my future stil!
I’ll admit I have no interest in a cow for that reason. And yes, chickens are addictive. We’re down to 16, I think, but I’m hoping for babies soon! There are certain times of the year I’m not allowed into Big R!
I miss my girls something fierce. Was cleaning out my 22 year old’s room the other day — she’s off on Long Island — and happened upon chicken feathers falling out of an old, blue furred diary. Goodness. There was even a peacock feather from our temporary foundling, Romeo. Then hens were brutal to the poor fellow, putting up a fuss whenever he’d roost on top of the hen house. The solution? Giving him to a rural preserve where the resident peacock was flagging in stamina. Romeo, needless to say, had a very happy future ;^)
I’m glad a Romeo had such a happy ending!
Me, too ;^)
WOW!!! Thanks for the post valerie and Danica…. I love the outdoors and farms, so naturally I would choose anything to do to help out. My favorite things to choose from would be petting the animals and feeding them, making sure they have fresh food and water, and helping with the food they have(like fruits and vegetables). I would like be entered to win this contest. My email address is: cr8ted4him@frontier.com
Helping with the food is my kind of chore! Especially if I get to snack as I go. Does anyone else have a trouble bringing in fresh peas if they’re in charge of picking them? YUM!
Mmmmm fresh peas are the best…
I might try milking a cow, might I say….. I would love to see a baby animal being born but that would be a chance thing. I could pull a veggie or two out of the garden.
Yes, it would be definitely a chance thing to see a baby being born, but I’m sure it would be a once in a lifetime experience.
If I had a chance to spend time on a farm, I’m really not sure what part I’d look forward to most. I am not an early riser, so probably something that doesn’t need to be done first thing.
Morning people do fit in best with farm rhythms!
Milking cows and riding horses.
Both very farmy choices!
Thanks for sharing about the new book. I enjoy being outdoors but never considered a ranch experience, so this is the first I have to think about guest cabins and outdoor activities. I think I’d love areas with rivers or waterfalls so I could hike and walk and enjoy the experience… now this is might not be ranch-like, but then feeding animals and riding horses are not in my to do list. The view of the landscape might be.
The best “dude” ranches and farms need to offer experiences for a variety of personalities, don’t you think?
I suppose in Rome you do what the Romans do….lol! I’d imagine it would be the same if you were to stay in a cabin on a farm, you do what the farmers do :-) I’d love to have the experience of a real working farm. Well, maybe not getting up with the chickens though (sorry Danica, lol). Good old fashioned work, fresh air and even fresher food!
Your stories all sound amazing in this collection! And I have to agree Danica, the world needs more of God’s mercy, grace and to know the depth of His love. It’s also the reason I only read Christian fiction, because I know I’ll find Him in the pages :-)
Wonderful interview, thanks for sharing with us!
I love that, Trixi. It’s why I read and write Christian fiction, too. Not (only) for what ISN’T in it, but also, definitely, for what IS!
I think I would enjoy feeding the farm animals, milking a cow, fetching the fresh eggs, and have a large area of space to ride horses.
That sounds idyllic!
I would like to accompany their routine, how the day goes and all that has to be done, as I don’t know all the things there is be done in a farm.
Shadowing sounds like a great idea!