Guest Post: Hope Bolinger & Curtain Call

Delighted to have one of my Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers co-authors on the blog today! Please join me in welcoming Hope Bolinger to talk about her new contemporary romance, Curtain Call!

CURTAIN CALL by Alyssa Roat & Hope Bolinger
SERIES: Roseville Romances #3
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Mountain Brook Ink
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2022
PAGES: 283

With their future in theater on the line, can a newbie actress and overwhelmed playwright put on a production to remember?

Part-time thespian Griffith Williams can’t seem to do anything right in his parents’ eyes, especially compared to his brother, a missionary in the Dominican Republic. But if he can pull off the biggest play of the year, the Christmas play, he could win a job as a full-time director, and prove to himself—and his family—that he hasn’t mistaken his calling to the arts.

Would-be actress Hadassah Wright spends her days teaching and corralling her many, many younger siblings in a large homeschool family. Her only escape seems to be through marriage to a childhood not-so-sweetheart—until a casting call for a local play provides an opportunity to act, perhaps for the last time.

When the two end up as leads in the play, the chemistry they feel isn’t just on the stage. Hadassah finds refuge from familial pressures through helping Griffith at the theater, and Griffith finds a kindred spirit in Hadassah’s longing to pursue the art she loves.

But when an envious stage manager, a director with far too many demands, and a relentless suitor threaten to derail the show, will the curtains close on any chance of romance?

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What a Romance Book Taught Me about My Calling

by Hope Boling, author of Curtain Call

“Have you ever considered, Hope, that maybe publishing is a temporary calling?”

Those words, spoken to me during a summer movie night, held at a family-friend’s house, broke me. I just didn’t understand it. Why would God call me to go through four years of school … spend a good decade on the craft … go through tough critique groups, writers conferences, classes, and more—only to say, “Okay, time to give the writing thing a rest.”

Thing was … I was working a job outside of publishing. And I didn’t love it.

It drained me of my creative energy, and I could bring almost nothing to the table when it came to writing. I’d have to draft chapters in between five minute spurts of emails.

Then Alyssa and I wrote Curtain Call.

The book follows the stories of two characters who struggle with duty versus their divine calling. I wrote Griffith, the playwright who spent agonizing years climbing up the ranks of local community theater. His parents constantly question whether he could use his hands for something more noble and useful such as missions work in the DR.

He constantly struggles with the idea of calling throughout the book.

Now, I don’t want to spoil anything, because we have several examples of what calling looks like. Sometimes it looks like putting passions aside to raise kids. In other moments, it means trusting God when job prospects in a particular field aren’t on the horizon.

But I will say, right after I wrote the book, God spoke. He answered the question posed to me at that party.

My current boss, Victoria Duerstock, who runs a publishing company, reached out to me via an email one night. It was after I threw in the towel when it came to applying for publishing jobs. After seventy applications and no interview offers, I said, “Okay, God, I’m not going to apply for a few days.”

Fifteen minutes later, I received an email from Victoria. “Hi, Hope! I don’t know if you’ve ever considered being an acquisitions editor, but if so, I’d love to set up an interview.”

Acquisitions editor. A dream job. One I didn’t even apply for.

God made it clear. He’d called me to publishing, and He’d moved at just the right time.

How is God moving in your life right now? Do you hear His call? Listen closely, He may speak at an unexpected time.

Hope Bolinger is a Managing & Acquisitions Editor at End Game Press and the Founder of Generation Hope Books.

More than 1300 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer’s Digest to Keys for Kids to HOOKED to Crosswalk.com.

She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams.

Twenty-one of her books are under contract or out now with traditional publishers, and she hopes more of her stories will find a home soon. She has also contributed to ten other books.

​She has won awards for her essays, poetry, children’s books, novels, and plays.

​When she isn’t accidentally writing a book in five to eight days, you can find her on local runways, in theater, or lost in Ohio’s Metroparks. Find out more about her at hopebolinger.com.

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Alyssa Roat has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and publicist. She is the managing editor at Mountain Brook Fire. She has held positions as the publicity manager for publisher Mountain Brook Ink, an associate literary agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, an editor with Sherpa Editing Services, and a freelance writer with hundreds of bylines in local, national, and international publications. She holds a B.S. in Professional Writing from Taylor University. She would love to connect on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as well @alyssawrote.

What about you? What makes you want to read Curtain Call by Hope Bolinger & Alyssa Roat?