A Risk Worth Taking with Heather Hildenbrand

A Risk Worth Taking is a new adult love story that takes place in a farm town known as Grayson County. Summer Stafford forfeits her boyfriend and a life in the city to come back home to help her father. When she meets the new farmhand, Ford O'Neal, her neatly controlled world begins to spin out.

With a cast of lovable  characters, A Risk Worth Taking proves that a family is what you make it. This story is told by both Summer and Ford and makes for a steamy read. Sparks fly between the two and they're constantly drawn together like magnets. Ford's stay is only temporary, which is initially convenient until the sparks catch fire and Summer and Ford are forced to contemplate their future from different ends of the spectrum.

I loved this story because one, it made me cry, and two, for it's beautiful articulation of the human heart. The joy and pain that comes from loving another person is prevalent in all of Summer's relationships in this story.

Heather Hildenbrand is not only an awesome author, but an awesome woman. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to do an interview with her, because I truly enjoyed this book.


Amanda: You're known for your YA Paranormal Romance novels. What prompted you to explore the contemporary New Adult genre?

Heather: I wanted to try something outside of my comfort zone and I had this story idea in my head that just wouldn't quit. The writers out there will understand that part: My story just wouldn't shut up. And even though I was terrified to do it, it was a story that needed "sex."

Amanda: Summer and Ford have a deep love for each other. What makes their story so unique?

Heather: It's not so unique and that's the thing. I may have invented certain details to help make it different but when you boil it down, their fears and hopes and dreams are relatable and that's the point. I wanted to create characters who felt what we feel, who had to choose between things that we do in our lives.

Amanda: This story explores the love between two, I'll just say it, soul mates. Where did you find inspiration for such deep emotional material?

Heather: It is most definitely inspired by real life. I was fortunate enough to find someone that is so much like Ford, you might say they're the same person ;)


Amanda: There's been talk of exploring other characters in Grayson County. Are there plans for a second book?

Heather: There will be a second book, but it's not a series, so the next book will feature different main characters than the first. Maybe Casey will finally get his happy ending? 

Amanda: What do you love most about your character Summer, and why will readers love her too.

Heather: I love her emotional obstacles because they are so REAL. Her parents' divorce and then her fear of opening herself up to someone new in such a vulnerable way . . . Love is a risk, for everyone. I think readers will see their own similarities to Summer and her choices. 

Amanda: What are you working on now?

Heather: Right now, I am finishing the sequel to Imitation, my YA dystopian which I am crossing over to NA with the second installment. Can you tell I liked being outside my comfort zone?

The other thing I'm working on now is an education/coaching based company for authors called Phoenix. You get coaching and instruction as well as specific how-to answers from me about the publishing process and how the industry works so that you can be better prepared and more successful when you are ready to publish your own book. I teach everything from how to hire editors to how to market your books and build a readership that will give you FULL TIME income from writing. 

You can read more about it here: www.phoenixauthorink.com

Amanda: Wow, you can do it all. Thanks for sitting down with me, and I look forward to reading Imitation!

Read more about Heather below . . .

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She collects elephant figurines and side jobs (most recently, a stagehand at local concerts) and as a long-term goal, she can’t wait to get a pool boy, although she doesn’t have a pool.
Heather loves Mexican food and motorcycles, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.
You can find out more about her and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com
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Heather is the creator of Phoenix: Author Ink, a company designed for guiding and mentoring authors through writing, self-publishing, and the business that follows. She offers coaching, mentoring, accountability, strategic planning, step-by-step instructions, checklists, and content editing for authors at all stages of their publishing career. You can visit the website at www.phoenixauthorink.com

Other titles by Heather Hildenbrand:

Dirty Blood (book 1, the Dirty Blood series)
**FREE download: Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Cold Blood (book 2, Dirty Blood series)
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Blood Bond (book 3, Dirty Blood series)
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Blood Rule, (book 4, Dirty Blood series)
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Whisper
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Across the Galaxy
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
Imitation (book 1, Clone Chronicles)
Amazon  Kobo  B&N
DreamKiller: The Complete Saga (a novella)
Amazon   Kobo   B&N