What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
Some stories I plan; others capture my imagination unexpectedly. The Calvary family came to me fully formed on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, somewhere between the Maryland shoreline and the West Virginia hills. I crossed the Potomac River with nothing but open road and a quest to connect to the world around me. If you’ve read Fake It Till You Make It, Eli and Amarie’s story, then you already know my heart for mending. You know I love nothing more than the beautiful, messy, sometimes devastating work of transforming life’s disasters into a journey toward love, healing, and wholeness.
I don’t arrive at the happy ending by bypassing the hard parts. I walk straight through them because the truest parts of the story reveal themselves in the struggle. Noah and Rachel were like peas and carrots through childhood into adolescence. But young love is often challenged by friends, family, and our future ambitions. The conflict separating Noah and Rachel hasn’t diminished with time. If anything, these professional rivals must tackle higher stakes of success and the real risk of professional failure if love gets in the way.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
Something about “The Orange” by Zach Bryan is Noah’s theme song. He wants Rachel to want him with a desperation he doesn’t understand or care to admit. For Rachel, it has to be “My Weakness” by Denitia.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I’m recently vision-impaired, so I don’t read as many books as I did three years ago. Thank heaven for audiobooks. My husband and I devour espionage and domestic thrillers.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
To Catch a Sinner by Lucy Wilson-Tagoe; Avery Flynn’s Hexy Beast; My Fair Warrior by T. B. Bond; Moment of Truth by Juri Hines; Struck Speechless by Tati Richardson.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Definitely the meer-cute moment between Noah and Rachel. It’s a chaotic scene with parents, three protesting goats, an angry kitty, and two former high school sweethearts who wanted to avoid each other. It captures the craziest of life’s unexpected entanglements with humor, heart, and emotion.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I have to write with my feet up. The second- and I mean nanosecond- my feet touch the ground, anxiety floods both hands.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Sort of, but not really. I repeat these words daily: “Come on, Siera. No one can do what’s meant for you to do. You can do this.” The “this” varies from day to day. It’s more of a personal motivation statement than a motto for me.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
It’s My Best Friend’s Wedding, with a smooth layer of Sweet Home Alabama icing. It’s funny. It’s family. It’s never forgetting that you define who you are in this life. Noah and Rachel once loved each other, but life can be tricky, leading us to believe we must choose one thing over another. They didn’t choose happily ever after. When Rachel returns home for her father’s wedding with a handsome plus-one, Noah is feeling less than neighborly. I adore my bold and confident female architect, once the outsider because she’s a pale-skinned Black woman with red hair and freckles. And Noah? He’s a charmer, but he’s not a user. He accepts Rachel exactly as she is, even when he won’t do the same for himself—always the shining star, the high school hero, the small-town firefighter who does what everyone expects. He won’t let the town do that to Rachel. I tackle some powerful themes about identity with humor, and we get to watch a community choose each other over dollars and cents. In today’s world, that doesn’t always happen. And I incorporated my cat, Frie, aka ClamClam, in the story. I’m very proud of this one.
Siera London is the author of the new book A Hard Habit to Break (The Calvary Brothers Book 2)
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