Heaven Scent by Rebecca Cornish Talley

Heaven Scent is the first novel by Rebecca Cornish Talley. The book is about Liza, a high school basketball star who is getting noticed by everyone except the one who's attention she want the most. Her father is busy with his law practice and rarely has time for the family. When her he misses her championship game, she decides things have to change. She never imagined the kind of change she would be faced with. As she faces a life much different than the one she planned, her friend Kyle introduces her to a new religion that might just help her troubled family in ways she never imagined.

This is a well written book that I enjoyed reading. The end left me hanging a little and I'm still wondering how Liza is going to handle her future. The book should have come with a box of kleenex or at least a warning, as there are parts that are real tear-jerkers.

Rebecca is joining me to answer a few questions about her book and her writing.

How did you get the idea of using the scent of perfume to help Liza?
My mother used to wear a distinctive perfume. She passed away when I was a young girl and during different times in my life, especially during trials, I've smelled her perfume. Sometimes, I've felt like she was so close to me, I could almost reach out and touch her. I wanted to write a story about the connection between heaven and earth and how our loved ones are never far from us.

I like how the story isn't totally resolved at the end. Are you planning  on writing a second book about Liza?
I would love to write a sequel, but that probably depends on how well "Heaven Scent" is received.

You have a large family to keep you busy. How do you find time to write?
I just squish it in here and there. I try to write every day, but that doesn't always work. I've also discovered that trying to type with my 2 year old on my lap really doesn't work (he's deleted far too much of my writing). During the summer, it's much more difficult because all the kids are home and want to talk to me. I just do the best I can and accept I can't write as fast, or as much, as I would like at this season of my life.

Now that you have gone through the publishing process, is there anything  you wish you had known before you started?
I wish I had known how important marketing/promotion is to the writing process. I didn't realize how much time an author has to spend on promotion. I love promoting my book, but I'd rather spend that time writing  :) 

What are you working on next?
I'm revising an LDS romance. It's a fun story about college life and the ups and downs of finding that one true love. I'm also working on an LDS women's novel about raising a large family. Thank you so much, Stephanie, for hosting my book on your blog. I really appreciate it.

Thanks, Rebecca. I'll be looking forward to your next book. Look for Rebecca's picture book, Grasshopper Pie as well.