Hope T. Dougherty and Forever Music

Welcome back, Hope! You were on my blog almost a year ago, and I’m glad to have you back. I thought of some more questions for you. 🙂

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Getting to know Hope T. Dougherty

Jen – As a fellow writer, I come up with ideas in the oddest ways. How do you come up with your ideas? 

Hope – Ideas come from different places for me and usually come first with characters, then the story. For my only romantic suspense, the idea came while I was riding my bike on some property near my house. I passed an abandoned house and started wondering what-if scenarios about the house. I spooked myself with the questions, but a few days later, when the characters wouldn’t stop talking, I began what became Rescued Hearts. 

Jen – So, do you outline before writing? And do you write a rough draft? 

Hope – No, I’m a panster, so I don’t have an outline beyond the romance arc—the meet-cute, the attraction, the problem, the resolution, and the happily-ever-after. I know my story has to have those points, but I don’t always know them at the beginning of the story. 

I do write a rough draft and second and third…draft. The rough draft for me is simply getting the story down. I enjoy writing dialogue, so that’s my focus. During subsequent drafts, I’m adding action, sensory details, and description—all the things that help the reader see what I see in my mind. I’m also rewriting awkward sentences and fixing grammar problems. 

Forever Music by Hope T. Dougherty

College history instructor Josie Daniels is good at mothering her three brothers, volunteering in her community, and getting over broken hearts, but meeting aloof, hot-shot attorney Ches Windham challenges her nurturing positive-thinking spirit.

Josie longs to help Ches find his true purpose, but as his hidden talents and true personality emerge, will she be able to withstand his potent charms, or will she lose her heart in the process?

Rising star in his law firm, Ches Windham is good at keeping secrets.

He’s always been the good son, following his father’s will to become an attorney and playing the game for a fast track to partnering with a law firm. Lately, though, his life’s path has lost what luster it ever had—all because of his unlikely and unacceptable friendship with Josie. He struggles between the life he’s prepared for and the one calling to him now. Opposing his father has never been an option, and spending time with Josie can’t be an option. The more he’s with her, however, the more he wants to be.

When a crisis tarnishes his golden future and secrets are revealed, Ches is forced to reexamine the trajectory of his life. Will he choose the path his father hammered out for him or the path that speaks to his heart?   

Jen – I would rather write dialogue also. Adding the other things in is my hard part. What’s the most challenging part about writing a book for you? 

Hope – Sticking with it till the end. Research and writing dialogue is fun, but the daily job of figuring out the story and going over it and over it and over it takes fortitude.

Jen – I agree. What themes do you like to use in your books? 

Hope – I’m intrigued with following God’s path, especially if the path doesn’t coincide with family members’ perceptions or suggestions. I’m not sure if that’s a theme, but I seem to write about that idea quite often.  

How Hope got started

Jen – Were there pivotal moments or challenges in your writing career that helped define your path? 

Hope – I bought How to Write a Christian Romance in 2009 when I realized my “writing project” was a Christian romance. In the back of that book, I found a listing for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is only about four and a half hours from me, and so I went with knocking knees. That’s where I met editors, agents, and other writers, realized writing is a business that requires business cards, websites, and platforms, and I also joined a critique group. 

BRMCWC definitely helped define my writing path. 

Jen – I haven’t been to that conference, but the Asheville Christian Writing Conference is the one that set me on my path! So, we all know it happens, but how do you deal with criticism or rejection? 

Hope – Grin and bear it! Seriously, I try to learn from it.  

Writing advice from Hope T. Dougherty

Jen – What’s the best writing advice you’ve received? 

Hope – Read, read, read—in your genre and writing craft books. Connect with other writers who can commiserate with you, teach you, and encourage you. Write as often as you can. Don’t wait for the perfect time. 

Jen, I agree that there is never a “perfect” time! If you could have dinner with any author, alive or dead, who would it be and why? 

Hope – I would love to spend some time with Australian author, Liane Moriarty. She’s a master at characterization. 

Jen – Yes, that would be amazing! She’s very talented. What are you working on next? 

Hope – I’m working on a story set on the coast of North Carolina. I have the two main characters and two minor characters, the location, and a funny chapter one. Beyond those points, I’m still trying to figure out everything else. 

Jen – What do you like to do when you’re not writing? 

Hope – I love reading, listening to live music, sending and receiving real mail, playing the piano, crocheting, and, of course, spending time with my family.  

Jen – Thanks for being on my blog, Hope T. Dougherty!

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her early novels are Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts. Her Forever series includes Forever Music, the novella “A Hatteras Surprise,” featured in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams, Forever Home (winner of AWSA’s 2023 Romance Novel of the Year), and Forever Free. 

She and her husband, Kevin, delight in visits with their two daughters and twin sons, especially at home in North Carolina. 

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Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 37 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024 with Book #2 in the series on the way in 2025!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)