Beth Vogt's "Wish You Were Here"

Title: Wish You Were Here
Publisher: Howard Books (May 2012)

Cover blurb: Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point.

Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead.

1) How did this story come to you?
At first, all I had was one scene: an unknown woman standing at the back of a church, waiting to walk down the aisle to be married. Then I realized she was saying, “I do. I can’t. I must.” And that her attention was focused not on the groom, but on the best man. I had to figure out how she got here – to the brink of marrying the wrong man – and if she was going to go through with it. Of course, if she went through with the wedding, all I had was a short story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Wish You Were Here was written because God took a season of burnout in my life and turned it into a bend in the writing road. He moved me from the nonfiction side of the writing road over to the “Dark Side” of writing fiction. I had a lot to learn – and I learned all about writing a novel during the three years I wrote and rewrote Wish You Were Here.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1.) I said I would never write fiction. It’s one of the many things I’ve said I’d never do that God clearly showed me was part of my life journey. I now believe God’s best is often behind the door marked “Never.” 2.) I’m a gluten-free gal.
3.) I met my husband in a karate studio when he knocked me down … I mean, when he swept me off my feet.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am in the final editing stage for my second novel, Catch a Falling Star. It’s also a contemporary romance set in Colorado and tackles the question: What do you do when life doesn’t go according to plan? Do you keep pushing Plan A? Do you pull Plan B out of your back pocket? Or do you settle? Next? More novels.

5) Parting comments?
Take a closer look at the doors you’ve marked “Never.” That just may be where you’re headed next.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: bethvogt.com (http://bethvogt.com)
My blog, In Others’ Words, is embedded in my website. It’s all about quotes.
Twitter: bethvogt