The Story Behind Return to Walhalla by Laura Hodges Poole

Today we welcome Laura Hodges Poole to my blog.  As one of Laura's critique partners, I just want to say that this book was awesome. I fell in love with both Penny and Tommy and especially some of the secondary characters -- a great read.  If you love romance you will want to read RETURN TO WALHALLA. 

Thanks for stopping by, Laura. 

 Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Laura. I’m excited to share some about the “story behind the story” of my first traditionally published novel, Return to Walhalla, which releases today!

Walhalla is an actual town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, or as the locals call it, the upstate of South Carolina, about an hour from my home. I was attracted to this town because of the beauty of the mountains, as well as the Southern charm evident in many small towns in our state.

Walhalla’s city website boasts “1.2 miles of Main Street leads to 237,000 acres of mountain adventure,” and it does! So a novel set in this charming Southern town wouldn’t be complete without featuring the natural beauty of the mountains, particularly one of South Carolina’s numerous waterfalls.

The first time I rode through Walhalla was on the way to one of South Carolina’s numerous waterfalls, Isaqueena Falls, although in Return to Walhalla, another well-known state park, Twin Falls, is featured.

The beauty and charm of Walhalla caught my attention on this excursion, so I returned another day to sightsee. I noticed quilt blocks on various businesses around town. I stopped into the Oconee Heritage Center Museum, where I learned about the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, which commemorates the quilting heritage of the community. Each quilt block had a story behind it, which intrigued me.

One day, as I thought about more about the town, the title Return to Walhalla popped into my mind, along with two characters, Penny Ruskin and Tommy McAllister. I knew I had my next story.

I followed the story where Penny and Tommy led me, through past heartache, forgiveness, and redemption, along with the humor of Southern family and church get-togethers. Secondary characters like one of the church ladies, Miss Betty, and teenager Emma Johnson play important roles in Penny’s life, and of course, the quest to keep her in Walhalla. Naturally, I also included a quilting storyline.

Ultimately,Return to Walhalla is as much about facing life’s tough challenges with God’s help as it is about romantic love. No matter what we go through, we can count on God’s comfort and peace to see us through. You’re never so far from God that turning back isn’t possible. I hope you’re both entertained and inspired as you read Penny’s story of returning to Walhalla.

Author Bio

Laura Hodges Poole is a freelance writer with dozens of articles, devotions, and short stories in publication. Her novellas and devotional are available on Amazon. Laura is the 2016 ACWC Badge of Honor winner, a 2014 ACFW Genesis semi-finalist, and a 2012 RWA Emily finalist. As an editor and member of The Christian PEN, she enjoys mentoring and helping other writers polish their work.  Laura is also a non-fiction ghostwriter/collaborator. Her passion is encouraging others in their Christian walk through her blog, "A Word of Encouragement." When she’s not writing, you might find her hiking, playing the piano, or being crafty. A mother of two, Laura lives in South Carolina with her husband and son.

Website: http://laurahodgespoole.com/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/Laura_Poole

Facebook Author Page:https://www.facebook.com/#!/LauraHodgesPoole

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+LauraPoole#

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lhpoole/

Return to Walhalla purchase link and blurb:

https://www.amazon.com/Return-Walhalla-Laura-Hodges-Poole-ebook/dp/B078WZPMZX/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid

When financier Penny Ruskin returns to Walhalla, South Carolina, she has one purpose—to settle her grandmother’s estate and sell the Victorian house she grew up in. Not an easy task with the downturned economy. What she doesn't count on are all the roadblocks thrown in her path. 

Walhalla is Tommy McAllister’s life. Between his family’s feed-and-seed store and the bank he’s vice president of, he’s stretched thin trying to survive the recession. But when a girl he hasn’t seen since high school breezes back into town, he’s ready to push himself even further to help her feel at home—and convince her to stay. He reaches out to Penny, but the last thing she wants is to be trapped in a small town that holds painful memories—one dark secret in particular.

The town matchmaker and bank manager, Miss Betty, a motherless teen Emma who lives down the lane from Penny, and the church ladies of Walhalla’s First Baptist add both heartwarming and challenging moments to Penny’s life.

With the past dogging Penny’s steps, dredging up painful memories she’s tried to outrun, relatives threaten the future she has begun to hope for…But somewhere deep inside her, a spark of hope remains. Tommy isn’t the only one praying for a miracle.