With the emotional pull of Debbie Macomber, Barbara Delinsky and Susan Wiggs, RaeAnne Thayne brings readers an uplifting, brand new story told with her trademark charm and heart.
We had the pleasure of speaking with author RaeAnne Thayne about her latest release The Path To Sunshine Cove, writing, book recommendations, and much more!
Hi, RaeAnne! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure. I am the middle girl in a family of seven children. I went to elementary school in Indiana, where my parents had a small farm out outside Fort Wayne. When I was thirteen, my family moved back to Utah, where both were from, and I’ve been here ever since. I live in the mountains of northern Utah, near the Idaho border. My husband of 35 years and I have three adult children. I can say that now as our youngest graduates from high school this year!
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
I’ll be honest, I have mostly been in survival during the lockdown, busy with caregiving and trying to meet my deadlines. Our middle son has severe disabilities and fragile health so we have definitely stuck close to home. It’s been quite an adjustment to have him home all day instead of in school or his day program and has definitely impacted my writing schedule. We are all vaccinated now, though, and ready to re-enter the world. My goals for this year are to squeeze in all the fun things we didn’t have the chance to do in 2020!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I read voraciously as a child so it’s hard to pick just one. My parents always would let us open a gift on Christmas Eve and it was always a book. I have memories of reading all night long to Escape to Witch Mountain when I was probably eight or nine. The first book that made me fall in love with romance novels was The Enchanted Land by Jude Devereaux. I was twelve when I read that one, sneaking it out of my older sister’s room, and it completely changed my life J I knew from high school I wanted to write a romance novel. As to the book I can’t stop thinking about … that is usually whatever book I’m currently writing. It’s always in my head, pushing out other books.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
In grade school, I used to love writing assignments that would make other people cringe but it was never in my mind to be a writer until high school, when my mom encouraged me take a journalism class she thought I would enjoy in high school and I totally fell in love with storytelling. I went on to become a newspaper reporter and editor, even as I still dreamed of writing a book one day. I started my first book when I was on maternity leave with our oldest, now 30, and sold to a publisher five years later. I’ve been doing it ever since and just finished my 68th book.
Your new novel, The Path to Sunshine Cove, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sisters, romance, emotional, tender, heartwarming
What can readers expect?
This is a new standalone title in my Cape Sanctuary world, which right now consists of three books set in the same community but with characters who do not jump between books. Each book can truly be read alone. THE PATH TO SUNSHINE COVE is about two sisters who shared the same trauma in childhood yet each has taken a different route to healing. One, Rachel, is all about family, connections, community, while the other, Jess, had isolated herself from close connections and spends her life living out of an Airstream trailer and helping older people downsize. Their paths connect with Jess takes a temporary job in Cape Sanctuary where Rachel lives with her family.
Where did the inspiration for The Path to Sunshine Cove come from?
A radio advertisement on NPR, actually. I heard about a company that helps people downsize and thought that would be the perfect career for someone who doesn’t want to put down roots. My heroine Jess emerged from that.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
The biggest challenge for this one was the actual writing time because of COVID. I previously mentioned our son with special needs. I started this book in April 2020 when the whole world was in chaos and we were still trying to come to terms with the changes to our lives and figuring out how to adapt to all of it while also struggling through online school with our high-schooler. I went from having six or seven hours a day to work while our middle child was in school or a day program to squeezing that into a few hours during the day when my husband could be with him and then a few more hours at night after he was in bed. It was also such an emotional, stressful, frightening time. Writing the book became a refuge of sorts. That’s one great thing about being an author – you control the universe of your books. It’s a heady feeling. I can guarantee no coronavirus in my books!
If it’s not too spoilery, were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved the character of Jess. She’s wounded from her past but deeply lonely, despite telling herself she is self-sufficient and doesn’t need anyone. In truth, she yearns for connection and family. I loved researching Airstream trailers, too, especially those classic models that have been renovated into gorgeous retreats.
What drew you towards the romance genre?
I’ve always loved to read romance novels, I think because I’m inherently an optimist. I want happy endings for everyone and I truly believe love heals. My mother was a huge reader and also a huge reader of romance and that definitely had an influence.
What’s next for you?
I have another book coming out in July, A BRAMBLEBERRY SUMMER, that revisits my Women of Brambleberry House series on the Oregon Coast, and another one in October, SLEIGH BELLS RING, a holiday story set closer to home in Star Valley, Wyoming. I just finished writing that one and am now the early writing stages of my next Cape Sanctuary book, coming April 2022, which features something else I’m fascinated by, glamping.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I really enjoyed THE VINEYARD AT PAINTED MOON by Susan Mallery, which I consider one of her best, and THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman.
