I can’t wait to read Inspy Romance author Jackie Castle’s next release, out November 15 in the First Street Church Romances Kindle World. I love all Jackie’s romance stories, but her new series is something that appeals to me so much. It’s set on a newly planted Texan lavender farm!
That’s been one of my dreams for a long time – to live in a field of lavender. I adore the scent of lavender, plus I’ve been blessed with visiting lavender farms both in France and one within a few miles of my home in England. Huge fields of lavender in bloom are an amazing sight and smell. And even an incredible sound, when they hum with bees on a warm summer’s day!
Right now I only have one lavender bush in our tiny garden, but I can visit the lavender fields again with Jackie’s books! She interviewed me in July when my Kindle Worlds story Love’s Healing Touch released, and it was great fun. Today, I’m glad to have the opportunity to interview Jackie about her new Kindle World stories.
First tell us about your current project—
I’ve been working on the second book of my First Street Church three book series called The Lavender Vale Series. The first book is Love’s Mercy, the second is Love’s Harmony and the final one will be called Love’s Secret Blessing and all take place on a budding lavender farm on the outskirts of Sweet Grove.
Wow, sounds fascinating! How did you end up working on this particular project?
Well, when I heard about the First Street Church Kindle World opening up and that Melissa was looking for writers to come join, a friend told me about it and had said she’d joined and urged me to come along. But I needed some story ideas first. So I sent up a prayer, asking the Lord if I should hop on this opportunity and if it was a good idea, then to give me three titles and story ideas. A few days later I got up Sunday morning and was having my coffee and the three stories just came to me.
I immediately grabbed a pen and paper and started making notes. Once I had my three ideas, I contacted Melissa and told her I was interested in being involved. And here we are.
I love it when God works that way. He’s amazing! The Kindle World series is set in a small Texas town, how did you manage to get a feel for the story setting? Are you from Texas? If no, then where are you from and did you draw from your real town to write about Sweet Grove?
I actually do live in Texas, but I live in the city, Dallas. However, my grandparents lived in a small town and I’ve traveled through many small towns during my travels. I’ve probably seen, um maybe, about half of the great state of Texas, and actually got my inspiration for the Lavender Farm after visiting one north of Dallas during a spring festival. I was so enchanted with it, I did a bit of research and found there’s a couple of more such farms spread out around the state. It seemed to me that Sweet Grove needed Lavender to go with its sweet apple orchards.
It sure does. :) What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
As I said, I actually went to a real lavender farm, which inspired the setting for my three stories. I research as I go, usually. When I’m not sure about something, I go to my best friend forever, Google, and start looking for answers. If that doesn’t work, I go to my second best friend, which is friends on Facebook who are so varied, there’s always somebody who knows something.
I spend a lot of time on Google when writing, too. It’s an author’s best friend, from being able to walk through a town on Street View to fact checking those pesky research questions that crop up several times a chapter Do you live in a small rural town, or city? Which do you prefer?
I live in the suburbs near a big city. Have always lived in the suburbs near a city, so I’m not sure which I’d prefer. Sometimes I think living in a small, country town would be glorious. I guess I get that fill of small towns by writing about them. Like my Madison Creek B&B series which is set in a small Michigan town that’s trying to revive itself.
That series is a lot of fun, too. Very different to Texas! Does the place you live influence the setting in your stories?
I think it’s more the places I visit that end up influencing my stories. I visit somewhere that I absolutely love and wish I could stay longer, but can’t. You know, because I have to get back home. But in my story worlds…. I can go wherever I want and stay for as long as I desire.
LOL, yes, a fabulous and no-cost way to travel! Is there a take-away you hope the reader will walk away with after reading your books?
Yes, that God loves them, and that they’re not alone in this world. I want readers to experience hope and encouragement. My characters aren’t superheroes. They’re like you and me, just trying to make sense of their lives and find their way in this world. And usually they find it when they turn to the Lord. Same as us.
Love it! We need Him so much. Million dollar question, are you working on another book? Will you write more books for the Sweet Grove Kindle World?
Yes and Yes. I plan to finish all three books in the Lavender Vale series before I write more of my Madison Creek B&B romance series.
To find out more about Jackie’s Kindle Worlds stories, you can visit the Sweet Grove page on her website.
And for an introduction to her Madison Creek stories, here’s a link to a free novella on Amazon!
Two other Inspy Romance authors, Liwen Ho and Alexa Verde, also have First Street Church Romances launching in November! Unfortunately I won’t be able to release my planned Christmas book in the series this November as I hoped – maybe next year. :)
For more about the published and soon-to-be-released books, including the four Inspy Romance authors’ books, check the Sweet Grove Books page. All the stories you’ll see there will be sweet and clean, though the level of faith content may vary.
And you’ll also find all twenty-five currently available books, plus twenty more from November 15, and additional Christmas releases from November 27, here on Amazon. (Not sure how a few other books have snuck into that list!). Unfortunately Kindle Worlds books are only available for purchase via Amazon.com.
Do you love lavender, too? If you could start a flower farm, what would you grow?
USA Today bestselling author Autumn Macarthur writes romances full of faith and hope, celebrating God's love as well as a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. She prays they’ll warm your heart and make you smile. An Australian transplanted to Britain, Autumn lives just north of London with her lovely English husband and three demanding cats, in a very small house with a teensy tiny garden. She loves talking to readers, so please get in touch! And get a free Christian romance novella when you sign up for her reader newsletter at http://bit.ly/Autumnsubscribe
Hi Autumn, thanks for the intro to Jackie’s new book. I enjoy reading stories that are linked in the same ‘universe’.
Reading about Lavender reminds me of family ‘holidays’ with my parents- to lavender farms! My mum and step-dad loved lavender- lavender tea, soaps, candles, scents, lollies…you name it! I remember my sister and I sitting in the car while they wandered through a lavender farm in South Australia; I was glad I had a book to read!
If I had a flower farm, I would grow Waratahs or Sturt Desert Peas- beautiful flowers, maybe not so practical…!
Blessings:)
Thanks for interviewing Jackie! I love that she interviewed you before, and you got to interview her. I have never been to a lavender field, but now I would like to go. I guess I will get to go while I read this book. I also love that books take me places that I have never been. If I could plant a field, I would want it full of lilac bushes. I love the smell and their purple blossoms. Looking forward to this book.
Lavender is ok. I’m more into fruity scents than flowery scents. I unfortunately kill any plant or flower I try to grow, so I leave the plant nurturing to my children, husband, and in-laws.
Thanks for the interview Autumn and Jackie. I love lavender! There’s a farm just up the hill from me, and I have several plants of lavender in my yard. I’m looking forward to your book, Jackie.
Lavender Vale series and Love’s Mercy sound awesome! Thank you for a great interview, Autumn! I loved the sight of lavender fields and I imagine how wonderful the scent must be. Makes me want to visit a lavender farm! I’m looking forward to November launch of First Street Church Kindle World romances.
LOL, I was that kid who sat in the car reading on family trips, too!
I’m not sure about Sturt Desert Peas – you’d need to move to the desert for those. ;) But waratahs, they’d be gorgeous! As kids we used to play “Spot the Waratah” whenever we were bushwalking or driving through bush. Quite a few people in the Sydney suburb I grew up in had them in their gardens, too.
I think you’ll enjoy Jackie’s book, Becky!
Oh my, yes please! If you ever plant that field of lilac, please invite me to visit! I love the scent. So sweet and evocative.
I do love lavender. if I started a flower farm I would most likely grow lavender and lilacs. these can both be used in so many ways and have great mental properties
How about a lemon or orange grove? Unfortunately I’ve developed an allergy to citrus fruit, but I still adore the scent of the fruit and flowers.
So many of us think we have black thumbs. I somethings wonder if the real problem is that so many plants for sale in flower shops or garden centers are pumped full of chemicals and have been kept in carefully controlled environments to make them grow fast, bloom out of season, have more flowers, or bear fruit before their time. Of course, when we take them home, the poor plants die, and we blame ourselves.
Oh, how lovely, Kimberly!
And your story too, Alexa! I love what I read so far of it. The launch will be an exciting time!
That would be a lovely combination, Lori!
Yes, I’m a firm believer that God gave us plants for our healing. Not that I’m anti-modern medicine, but I like to make use of the God-given choices too!
Scents like lilac and lavender are so evocative, and they’re often used in reminiscence therapy in care for folk with Alzheimer’s and other memory issues.
A visit to your farm would be beautiful and healing.
I’d love to have a yard full of roses, if I really think about it. I have some growing in my backyard, and don’t mind when I get more for Mother’s Day or Birthdays. I’ve tried and tried to grow lavender, but so far haven’t had much luck, so I was really surprised when I found out there were farms, here in hot Texas, where they grew pretty well. I’ve been on a lavender growing mission ever since.
There’s so many wonderful flowers that would make for lovely garden’s aren’t there? I’m not as good of a green thumb as Faye Lynn in Love’s Mercy, but I keep trying. =)
You might have a point there, Autumn. I have a friend who grows everything from seeds and has a lot of success with her garden.
I’m jealous (a little) that you can keep the plants alive. I’m going to keep trying. It’s become a mission now. lol. ;)
This will be the first time I’ve done something like this and I’m really excited about it. There’s so many really good stories going on in Sweet Grove, and I’m having a lot of fun with mine as well.
I agree too. I’ve started studying up on some of the healing properties different plants provide. Faye Lynn, in Love’s Mercy, is what I call an urban naturalist. She has the knowledge about plant benefits, but freaks out over the buggies. lol. She was fun to write and has helped me along with my own research. =)
Lavender is pretty to look at, but I am allergic to the scent. If I could, I would plant fields of Tulips! Some day I will make it to Holland to see all their wonderful tulip fields!
I’d love to travel to Holland. Such a pretty country from what I’ve seen in pictures.
I like pansies and butterfly bushes. The butterfly bushes look alive with butterflies all over them. I’ve never seen lavender growing We have a new yard that gets a lot of sun and have been debating what to plant next year. I’ll have to look up lavender to see if it would work.
Oh, that would be awesome, Beth! I’ve travelled to Holland, but it was the wrong time of year to see the tulip fields, unfortunately. I’ve seen photos that make me wise se’ve timed our trip differently!
Oops, typos! I’ve done so much typing on my keyboard, half the letters have been rubbed to plain white. And I’m not a touch typist, so I often make mistakes!
Lovely choices, Diana!
I have loads of violas, the tiny baby pansies, growing in pots at my front door. And I adore the scent and sight of butterfly bushes in bloom. They grow like weeds here in England, and most hedgerows or pieces of ground left to go wild have them. We have one that self-seeded into our hedge, but I haven’t quite persuaded my very neatnik husband it’s not a weed, so he keeps cutting it down.
*sigh* I love wilder gardens where weeds aren’t allowed to take over, but plants get to grow naturally and self-seed, but he loves to prune and tidy and pull up anything self-seeded. I think we may need separate gardens!
I love anything that smells of Lavender. As for a flower farm, I would grow weeds. Plants or flowers don’t do well with me.
I love lavender and would love to have a tulip farm. The colors are so beautiful ?
LOL, Janet. Me too, most likely! I just rename my garden weeds as “herbs”. ;)
Tulips really are stunning! No scent, but so beautiful. :)
I like looking at lavender, but like Beth, I’m very sensitive to it, and smelling lavender gives me headaches :-( I’d plant daffodils, freesias, dahlias…
I love lavender! I grew some a few years ago. The scents of lavender and pumpkin are supposed to be “turn-ons” for men. I’ve even made cookies with lavender and they were so good!
I have a fair mixture of plants and weeds. However, I’ve found out that some of my weeds are actually very beneficial and edible.=)
Is that why my hero Chase was so taken with the ‘lavender girl’ as he calls Faye. My husband isn’t such a fan of lavender, but I find it really does help calm my thoughts, and it’s great on bug bites!
What I like growing most is herbs. They smell delightful. Most have pretty flowers, and I can use them when cooking. I’m more of a… um, yellowish-green thumb. =D
I don’t mind lavender but I really love lilacs! My grandma had lilac bushes in her yard that put out their sweet scent each year. I have a couple of lilac scented soy candles that I like to light every once in a while. The scent reminds me of my grandma :-)
I’m not a gardener or flower bed person as I don’t have a green thumb, lol! But I do admire other peoples yards and flower beds. I’ve always loved wildflowers and don’t really have a favorite one.
Actually, I’ve recently become very sensitive to odors, too, Margaret. Things I used to be fine with now trigger migraines. It’s a pest! I know I have trouble with lavender essential oil, so I may not enjoy that lavender farm so much anymore! I love all your other choices. :)
LOL, Jackie, could be! I didn’t know that, Gail. I’ve seem recipes using lavender but never used it in cooking – maybe something I need to try!
Lilacs are amazing! Such a beautiful and evocative scent. I love that you have those special scented candles to remind you of someone special.
Such a shame the flowering season is so short. I’ve tried growing lilacs in my garden, but never had success with it, unfortunately.