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Into the Starlight by Amanda Cabot (Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing 3)
July 16, 2024; ISBN 9780800740665; Ebook ISBN 9781493445493
Her career as a concert pianist at an end, Joanna Vaughn comes home to Sweetwater Crossing, widowed and unsure what the future holds. The arrival of a pair of newcomers stirs up a decades-old mystery, a shocking revelation—and the chance for Joanna to find true love.
Thanks so much for inviting me. I’m delighted to be here.
Tell us something about where you live.
For almost all of my life, I’ve lived in Finley House, the largest—and some would say the most pretentious—house in a small town in the Texas Hill Country named Sweetwater Crossing. I enjoyed living there and knew it would always be home, but about a year and a half ago I was given the opportunity to go to Europe. It should have been a dream come true, but it turned out … Let’s just say it didn’t turn out the way I’d expected.
Is there anything special about your name? Why do you think you were given that name?
If you’d asked my father, he’d have said there was something special about my name. My mother wouldn’t have agreed. All the while they were expecting me, Mama insisted that if the baby was a girl, she should be named Josephine, since my father’s name was Joseph. But when she died giving birth to me, Father wanted to be certain I’d never forget that my mother’s name was Anna, and so he called me Joanna.
Do you have an occupation? What do you like or dislike about your work?
I am—or, rather, I had hoped to be—a concert pianist. That’s why I was in Europe. I was studying with maestros, perfecting my skill. I loved everything about playing the piano, and the idea that my music could touch people’s hearts filled me with joy. But then everything changed.
Who are the special people in your life?
Without a doubt, the most special people in my life have always been my sisters. Even though no two of us have the same two parents, we’ve been as close as any three girls could be. Oh, there were times when I resented Emily’s bossiness—she’s the oldest—and when I thought Louisa was being spoiled because she’s the youngest, but most of the time they were my closest friends.
What is your heart’s deepest desire?
To make a difference in the world. I believe that each of us is put on Earth to make it better in some way. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a big way or a small one; what matters is that we change things for the better. I had thought I’d do that as a pianist, but now … Now I don’t know what I can do.
What do you expect the future will hold for you?
Oh, how I wish I knew! At first I thought the future would be concert tours, but that ended. Then I thought I’d have a happily-ever-after with my husband, but he was taken from me far too soon. Now the future is cloudy.
What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s never to give up hope. My future may not be the one I planned or even the one I thought would be best for me, but I’m certain that if I wait and trust and never give up hope, God will lead me to the future he knows is the right one for me.
Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!
Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of After the Shadows and
Against the Wind, as well as several historical and contemporary
romance series, including Mesquite Springs, Cimarron Creek
Trilogy, Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds.
Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the
HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.
Learn more at AmandaCabot.com.
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