Finding Hope by Beth Fred

Release date: September 1st 2014
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22708851-finding-hope

Synopsis via Goodreads:
When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.
The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
Well, I’ve been working on rewrites for Perfect Harmony for what seems like forever. It’s about a girl whose sister dies in a car crash and the damaged musician who helps her through it.

What inspired you to write it?
If we are talking about Perfect Harmony, I’m not sure what inspired me, but the idea came to me while reading Simone Elkeles’ Leaving Paradise. If we are talking about Finding Hope, I really wanted to spend more time with my Peace characters, and this story is loosely inspired by my relationship with my immigrant husband, who is also from an Eastern culture. Many of my relatives have served in the Army/Marines.

How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
I found a stock photo I liked and my cover artist liked it too. I asked him to use my Marlowe Girl books as an example and this is what we came up with.

If it was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
Wow! This is a hard one. I don’t watch a lot of TVs/movies and I can see these characters in my head, but can’t think of people who look exactly like them.

What is it about this genre that appeals to you so much?
It’s the escape!

What made you want to become an author?
I had went back and forth with the idea for a long time then I watched Twilight a year after it came to dvd. New Moon was still on at the theater so the next day I made my husband take me. I clapped my hands and squealed, “Edward and Bella are getting married!” I went to B&N and bought the rest of the series. I read it over the weekend, then went back and read the first two books followed by the draft of Midnight Sun. I’ve been a romance writer since!

How do you come up with character names?
They often just come to me. But for the Peace books, I did some research to make sure these were names you would hear in Iraq. Also, in parts of the East your religion greatly affects your name, so with these characters it was important to have names from that area that weren’t strictly Mulsim.

Name one of your all-time favourite books?
Twilight.

Who, or what, inspires you?
Lots of things. Books, news stories, movies, my dreams.

Where is your favourite place to write?
I wish wish wish I had an office. But for now I write wherever I can put my laptop often with a screaming toddler. I wrote Finding Hope from my kitchen table while my baby played in front of me.

What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Again Twilight!

Name two of your favourite authors.
Tahra Mafi and Stephenie Meyer

If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Kelly Hashway, Ashley Maker, Charity Bradford, Medeia Sharif, Lexa Cain, and Catherine Stein. As far as I know, none of us are bestsellers. But these are my friends.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I was once a reluctant reader!

Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Renee Zellweger

Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.
There is a beautiful little chapel on Crystal Hill Lane that is a free place for small weddings. But Austin, Texas is otherwise the most awesome place in the world with the best food!

What are your (writing) plans for the future?
I’m still working on rewrites like I mentioned. I’m also creating a fiction workbook. There will be one more book in the Marlowe Girl series and I’m considering writing an easy reader series.

Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
Going to Europe, which I hope happens sooner rather than later because I would love to make a visit to Rome for book research.

Favourite myth / fairytale?
Cinderella

Who did you want to be when you were a kid?President.

Meet Beth Fred! That's me! I'm a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can't guess where I'm from ;)
http://bethfred.blogspot.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/bethfred08

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