It is AMAZING that the fifth Cards of Passion book is out already! I am so happy for Henrietta on her release day! It has been a pleasure working with her and all of the other authors in this series. Her story is a small-town romance and I have to say I love those! It is funny too because Henrietta and I both live in large cities! Find out more about Henrietta and Wild Within set in the small town of Hope!
How did you get involved with The Cards of Passion series?
I’ve asked myself that same question often over the last few months!
I was asked by Dr. J to consider writing one of the stories for her series. I’ve only recently discovered series that are written by several authors. It’s something new to me. I didn’t think about it too long. It was a way to fulfill a lifelong dream: write a book and have it published. But should I? Then I thought about the support system already in place for this project, and the amount of varied writing experience and knowledge possessed by the other authors. I knew I would probably never be given this opportunity again within such a nurturing environment. I had so much to learn, but I couldn’t say no.
Tell us all about Wild Within!
Wild Within is set in the imaginary town of Hope, located close to the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
My protagonist is Molly. She is a divorced mother of two who has relocated to Hope to get on with her life and away from the influence of her ex, Zach. She wants to complete her recovery from his mental/emotional and verbal abuse, but there still exists a voice in her head repeating Zach’s demeaning and hurtful comments.
Her life revolves around her children and the bookshop she owns. But she can’t help feeling something or someone is missing to make her life complete.
Josh is Molly’s neighbor. He has left the police force after being injured in a shootout. Molly is attracted to him, but doubts anything about herself could attract a man, much less her gorgeous neighbor. The voice in her head reinforces her negative thoughts.
The story follows Molly’s journey as she tries to find her way to complete recovery and accept herself as she is, while also accepting that she is attractive to men, or a man, no matter what the voice in her head tries to say.
What inspired you to write this story?
Honestly, Dr. J and her Purple Passion cards were my inspiration. I received her cards as a gift when they were initially released. I was also gifted a place in her first workshop and the time I spent with that group of women was amazing!
My partner has been encouraging me to write again. I earned an M.A. in literature and creative writing about ten years ago. But I haven’t continued writing on a regular basis. And any writing I have done has been for me. Looking back, I don’t think the writing program I was in was particularly nurturing or encouraging. The other students were wonderful, and I received good feedback, but I never got the feeling the teacher believed I had any talent. I ended that experience on a very low note.
When Dr. J asked if I might write a novella inspired by her cards I was astounded. I had no expectation of being asked to participate, but I did believe the series concept was a wonderful idea. I didn’t really think, I responded from my soul. I knew this experience would be different, that I would be surrounded by a caring and nurturing group of women. And their combined experience and knowledge would help me through whatever I encountered. I knew the one topic that spoke to me the loudest — body image. My biggest challenge would be my own procrastinating nature.
I love the charm of a small town, why did you pick this one to tell your story in?
I love that charm too. I’ve always lived in Los Angeles. L.A. has so much available as far as things to do and places to visit, but it doesn’t have the closeness and community that can be found in smaller towns. You can find the closeness in some neighborhoods, or within clubs or groups, but it’s not the same. I wanted to create a sense of community and decided the best way was to place my story in a small-town environment.
What is next for Henrietta Holland?
This is a great question! I’m not completely positive, as what I think I’ll do next changes from day to day.
I have a sci-fi murder mystery swirling in my head that I need to figure out. My hope is to get initial thoughts down on paper soon, so I can begin to develop the story. I’ve never written anything like this. It gives me an even greater respect for Agatha Christie and Anne McCaffrey.
I’m also thinking of creating more stories based in my town of Hope, created from other characters in Wild Within, or people mentioned, but not actually in, my first book. I just need to figure out where to start.
You can start reading Wild Within now–here is the link!