Hannah Hood Lucero Shares About Her Sweet Tooth for Just Desserts

Hello, friends! Today (Feb 28) is my birthday, and I'm tickled pink to introduce you to Hannah Hood Lucero. Hannah writes romantic suspense with military heroes and heroines. Keep reading to find out more about her "faith-filled fiction with a sprinkling of southern snark." Plus, find out about her giveaway!

A Little About Hannah

Hi! I'm Hannah. Christ-follower, wife, and mother are my primary roles. I've held so many titles in my lifetime that I can't remember them all. My favorite non-primary role is Author. I love to tell stories, which is something I learned from my grandfather. He told the most wonderful tales, usually in the form of a song. My favorite words to hear as a child were, "I'm gonna sing you a ditty."

I have roots on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as well as in the blue ridge mountains of western North Carolina. Both of my homes are rich with history and vibrant culture. Places you will have the opportunity to explore in my books include Asheville, New Orleans, Biloxi, Pensacola . . . and perhaps a sprinkle of the Rocky Mountains as well.

I love a good book. If there is conflict, suspense, and kissing . . . I'm there for it! That's what you can expect from my faith-based fiction. I write contemporary Christian Romance!

Connect with Hannah: Website | Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook

Suzie: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Hannah. We’re delighted to have you this week. I always like to start with a couple would you rather questions.

Hannah: Thank you for having me! I’ve been looking forward to it. Let’s roll!

Suzie: Would you rather live without internet for a year or without air conditioning and heating for a year?

Hannah: Oooh. This is tough for me. I live in south Mississippi and our air conditioning has gone out in the height of triple-digit temps. I suppose for survival’s sake, I’ll have to sacrifice all else. But living without the internet would crush me. I know we shouldn’t be dependent on it. As a homeschooling mom of three littles, I need my bookstagram and Christian Mommy Writer networks . . . desperately.

Suzie: I'm with you. Cold showers and fans would suffice over not being able to connect with my reader friends!!

Would you rather give up social media or eat the same dinner for the rest of your life?

Hannah: Do tacos ever really get old? There are so many variations (if that’s allowed…)Suzie: Excellent point. Plus, you can take all of the ingredients and make them into something else. Burritos, nachos, etc. 

Alright, that’s enough of those. Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

Hannah: Hmmm. I really have most of it in my bio. OH! I’m a huge conspiracy theorist. My friends know this well. For marketing purposes, I haven’t made it part of my brand (HAHA!). I love digging into things and seeing what different people believe about aliens, the moon landing, assassinations, government corruption, etc.

Suzie: Seems about right for a suspense author, lol! What are three books on your current tbr?

Hannah: Only three? Okay. I’ve been eyeballing the second book in Heather Wood’s family saga, Until

We All Run Free. I know it’s about one of my favorite characters from the first book. I wanted to read it in January—but you know how beta and ARC promises sneak up on you…

Speaking of ARCs, I’m really excited for Kendra Warden’s debut romantic suspense. I’ve already read some of her work and love her stories, so I can’t wait to get Forged in Peril any day now.

JJ Samie Myles has written book 3 in the A Breed Apart series presented by Ronie Kendig. I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t gotten around to reading any of Ronie’s books until this year even though my mom loves them. But I recently read the first book, Havoc, and the action in it was right up my military vet alley. So my third on the list is definitely JJ Samie Myles’s RIOT coming in March!

Suzie: And here I thought that was an easier questions than "What's your favorite book."

What does your writing space look like?

Hannah: A colossal mess! I’m not exaggerating. Disorder doesn’t seem to help or hinder my creativity. But I really should get my life in order. There are stacks of books, notebooks, random art from my children . . . send life tips to Hannah.hood.lucero@gmail.com. HA!

Suzie: You are not alone. My desk really needs the stacks cleaned off the top! Let's just call ourselves disorganized perfectionists. :)

Would you share with us a little about your road to publication?

Hannah: Yes! I’m actually pretty new to this entire world. My only connection to a real author or anyone “in the know” was Jamie Ogle. We worked together at a Family Christian Store the holiday season of 2009. Though our careers in retail rapidly dwindled, our friendship never did. I remember visiting her in Iowa after she moved away and sitting outside of one of her writing classes, wishing I had gone to school for writing instead of massage therapy. Before I wrote my debut novel, I had this mindset that I couldn’t be an author because I didn’t go to school for it—a bit antithetical to being a rebel, right?

When I finally got fed up with the content in the books my friends would recommend, I secretly sat down to write one I’d actually want to read. It was a story that had been in my heart for 20 years and it just flowed out of me. Don’t get me wrong . . . the first version was a step above garbage. That’s being too generous. It was a whole dumpster fire. Ask Jennifer Q. Hunt about that first draft of Cathey’s Creek Road.

Anyway, I had a big mess of a novel. Well over 80K words. I didn’t know where to go from there. Jamie gave me tips, the most valuable being to get plugged into the Christian Mommy Writer community. There I found so many tools and resources. Most importantly, I found encouragement and edifying friendships with women at all different stages of the process, both Trad and Indie authors.

I never knew about indie publishing before I started this journey. I thought everyone had to find an agent and a publishing house to get their book out. I truly dreaded the whole idea of that. For me, rules and hard deadlines take the joy out of things I otherwise enjoy. When I met women like Jennifer Hunt, Heather Wood, and Latisha Sexton . . . I thought, “Maybe I can really do this!” And then I did it!

Suzie: Yay!! Aren't other authors in our space so encouraging? I've made some wonderful friendships over the years.

What are some of your favorite things about writing romantic suspense?

Hannah: This is my passion and comfort zone. I’ve yet to write a book without a military element. It’s what I know and love. I was a combat medic in the Army and my husband was a Navy Seabee who still deploys about 8 months out of the year as a private contractor. I love spotlighting different jobs within the military and showcasing the heart of the heroes who are willing to lay down their lives for a righteous cause.

I also enjoy creating truly horrible people, just to kill them off. I’ve got a real sweet tooth for Just Desserts.

Suzie: Again, spoken like a true suspense author!!

Tell us more about your upcoming release.

Hannah: Crossfire at the Precipice is book 3 in my Sons of Vigilance series. This one was the hardest to write and developmentally edit. It’s my attempt to shine a bright light on the horrors of human trafficking, but I wanted to do it differently than other’s have, so it’s probably not what you expect.

My husband and I are very passionate about this issue. We’ve partnered with Rapha International for about 15 years now, so it’s not as new to us as a lot of people who are just now realizing the extent of the global evils of trafficking. It’s a huge spiritual battle, and that definitely showed up in the process of writing Crossfire.

If it weren’t for the prayers of the Christian Mommy Writers, I don’t think I would have been able to finish it. By the time it was all said and done, Jennifer Hunt (my developmental editor) and I both wondered if anyone would even like the book, because we were just so OVER IT. God really blessed our efforts. Two of my beta readers even say it’s their favorite in the series . . . TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

Suzie: Isn't it amazing how God can take something that wrings us out and reach readers?

What are you currently working on?

Hannah: Several things! Finishing up copyedits and formatting of Dereliction of the Heart, book 4 in the Sons series. My personal favorite! And working on developmental edits of my first book with a female military heroine.

So far, I’ve done all men in uniform with sassy civilian women stealing their hearts . . . so it is definitely time for a hardened female Marine to meet her match on the treacherous streets of New Orleans. I’m hopeful to release The Glory of Light on the Marine Corp birthday (November 10th).

Suzie: Oh, I love the title!!

Before we wrap up, how can we pray for you?

Hannah: Thank you for asking! Please pray that my books always glorify God and draw people to Him. I know reading the right books can be edifying, and I want my stories to be included in the list. And maybe pray for husband and kids . . . they have me for a wife/mom after all!

Thanks so very much for having me on! This was even more fun than I anticipated! 

Suzie: You are so welcome. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us!! We are praying God blesses you, your family, and your writing career. 

About Crossfire at the Precipice

Heading home in high spirits after securing a career-building business deal, Cynthia Sumrall encounters a grumpy—and handsome—ginger. What begins as two strangers traveling in the same direction soon spirals into dangers and uncertainties that leave Cynthia floundering. A few chance meetings shatter all her preconceived ideas about what she wants and leave her questioning everything she believes about God’s purpose for her life.

Liam Flynn is dutifully going through the motions until a tenacious redhead shakes up his mundane world with her sunshiny personality and adorable southern drawl. For the first time in his life, Liam wants something for reasons other than pleasing his family and rising above the stigmas attached to his questionable past. Real happiness seems within his reach until tragedy strikes and Cynthia disappears.

Will Cynthia and Liam be able to navigate through the headwinds of hard realities to find purpose and belonging together, or will the turbulence of fear and loss prove too much for their already tattered souls?

Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway

To enter Hannah's giveaway, subscribe to Hannah's Newsletter, follow her on Instagram, follow Lantern Rescue on Instagram or Facebook, and/or Rapha International on Instagram or Facebook. One entry per follow. Grab an extra entry by leaving a comment here and telling us what the last great romantic suspense book you read was.

Once you've followed and left a comment, email (or DM) and let her know where you followed.

Giveaway ends 3/15/24. 

Meet Abigail Kay Harris, Debut Author

Today we welcome Abigail Kay Harris to the mine. I love it when readers like Abigail become authors. Her first novella arrives in just a few days (on Memorial Day). More about that later!

About the Author

Abigail Kay Harris is a daughter of the King with a personal degree in book-nerdiness. A sister to seven, her passionate love of the written word and deeper meanings hidden in normal things leads her to spend her time reading, writing, using sarcasm, and defining obscure words. When she's not chasing words, she enjoys watching shows, classic romance movies, tea, sunrises, and the outdoors, especially mountains, beaches, and forests.

Connect with Abigail:

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | MeWe | Amazon | Goodreads

SW: Welcome, Abigail, we're elated to have you join us this week. Congratulations on your upcoming novella.

Let's play a quick round of "Would You Rather" as an ice breaker.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life?

AKH: A pause button, I wouldn’t want to rewind anything as I would lose the lessons I’ve learned in the past and I would prefer to know what I know now and see the mistakes and achievements I made in the past.

SW: Excellent answer! Would you rather be able to talk to animals or speak all foreign languages?

AKH: Oooh, this one is hard only because I would love to be able to speak to animals. They show you so much but that’s still not knowing what an animal is going through. However, I would pick to be able to speak all foreign languages, or at least be able to read them. I can read slight bits of Latin, German, and Dutch but have mostly forgotten what I played around with when in school.

SW: I'm waiver on that answer too, and it changes on any given day. Ok, one more: Would you rather be without internet for a week or without your phone?

AKH: This one hurts. I actually don’t have internet right now as my brother (family tech know-it-all) has been working on upgrades the past week, thankfully his laptop has internet and he’s kindly allowed for me to borrow it. Quite honestly, I would prefer not to have my phone for a week! I’ve done that many times as I seem to lose my phone often. The internet is a pain, and I am not so in love with the lack of ability to do everything I need to do to get ready to launch my book. It’s been fun and gut-wrenching for sure with several publishing deadlines! ;)

SW: Yeah, we do rely on both pretty regularly. 

Ok, let's go deeper. Tell us a little about yourself? Family? Hobbies?

AKH: I’m the oldest of eight kids, we’re the kids of a homeschooling stay at home small business owner mom, and an Air Force veteran dad. I’m a blogger and writer of nearly five years, a proud owner

of a hedgie, and lover of randomness. I love reading, writing, and especially love sharing books with others! I also love to be outside when it isn’t melting hot out. I’m normally reading or writing in my spare time, what else is needed as a hobby when I can read or write?! Another hobby of mine is researching and teaching myself everything I can learn/find about writing. I’ve always been interested in what goes into publishing a book and I’ve taught myself everything I’ve needed to write and indie publish my own book. The hardest of which was formatting and it turned out to be my second favorite thing about publishing a book. I also love graphic design and dabble in making covers for myself along with mock covers just for fun! I keep some of my favorites here!

SW: There is a plethora of things to learn about writing, for sure. And it changes often.

What drew you to writing?

AKH: I loved the idea of writing a book ever since I stopped hating reading in my preteens, in my midteens I had started a blog and was talking with lots of other writers. I thought it would be fun to publish as a young teen and didn’t really expect it to be hard… Which turned into a big joke when I started wanting to write just because I hadn’t finished a book yet and then I just couldn’t stop writing even when I wanted to give up.

SW: It definitely draws you in. I am acquainted with you from the book blogging world, so what are three books on your current TBR?

AKH: Oooh, I love this question because it has to do with books and I don’t have to answer an insane

question like what’s my favorite book. ;) I have some VERY different books on my TBR pile but right now my top next reads are In a Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem set around the Great Depression, a young adult spy-thriller called Deadlock by P.D. Atkerson, and finally a Marine romance by Jess Mastorakos A Match for the Marine is the first book in her series First Come Love.

SW: Yeah, I dislike that "What's your favorite book" question because I'm constantly adding favorites to my list. Can you share a little about your writing routine. 

AKH: I don’t have a set time to write lately. I mostly write every spare minute of the day I get! However, when I start a new story I take about two to four days to write out a VERY short draft around 2,000 words long by hand and then I break it up and put it in a doc to go back over each part making chapter breaks. I set it aside a while, around a week to a month, then I format it so I can make lots of notes, print it, do another round of rewrites, and do another write as I read my paper copy and type it into my laptop from anywhere to a week to a month depending on what other projects I do.

SW: Ah, another author who writes longhand to start. What have you learned while writing your first series?

AKH: That my writing style is weirdly different from any other writers and that that’s okay. I found my way of writing a story and it’s my way and that’s okay.

SW: Different is good! Tell us more about your Oh, the Brave series.

AKH: Ah, my current favorite subject. Haha, anyway, the Oh, The Brave series features four main books, one being my novella releasing on the 31st, followed by three novels each releasing on a holiday notable to military, military families, and Americans! Oh, The Lamented will release on November 11th (2021) in honor of Veterans’ Day, Oh, The Dwindling will release on the Fourth of July (2022) in honor of the 4th, and Oh, The Slain will release on September 11th (2022) in honor of 9/11. There are also going to be some shorter stories along the way or after the main novels are out because I can’t seem to leave these characters alone. The series was born out of a very short little flash fiction I wrote a while ago and I couldn’t be happier with how it is turning out.

SW: Readers have lots to look forward to from you over the next couple of days.

I saved the most important question for last. How can we pray for you?

AKH: That I would write what God wants me to and not be discouraged by the setbacks that happen sometimes, and that I would clearly show my passion for the subjects I’m writing about in a way that glorifies God.

SW: Thank you for taking the time to share with us, Abigail and the best of luck with your series. Readers, please tell us in the comments what intrigues you about the Oh, the Brave series or welcome Abigail. And now, let's here's the promised information about Oh, the Fallen, releasing this Memorial Day (5/31/21). You can pre-order the ebook for $0.99.

About the Book

In the cause of freedom, some will give their all.

When Matt Renicker joins the Army, he's determined to give his best for his country and his Lord, even if it means risking everything he loves most. But when tragedy strikes on a routine patrol, more than one heart is left shattered and lamenting.

In the wake of a terrible loss, will those left behind find the strength to go on? Or will the faith, family, and freedom Matt fought to preserve be broken beyond repair?

Amazon | Goodreads