Hope Toler Dougherty, Author
God’s Grace and Mercy
Author Hope Toler Dougherty writes contemporary Christian romance filled with memorable characters, engaging settings, and stories grounded in faith. Her novels often combine lighthearted or quirky romance with a touch of suspense and take readers from beautiful coastal communities to vivid international settings.
Her newest novel, Beach House Rescue, released on June 23, 2026.
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KP - I met fellow Scrivenings Press author Hope Toler Dougherty at ScrivCon 2024 and liked her immediately. Her gentle spirit, sense of humor, and kindness spoke to my heart. I enjoyed getting to know her even better at ScrivCon 2025, when I picked her brain about North Carolina’s Outer Banks for one of my books. She was more than happy to share what she knew about the area.
I recently had the pleasure of reading Beach House Rescue as a member of Hope’s launch team. Her earlier novels include Irish Encounter, Mars … With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts. Her Forever series includes Forever Music, Forever Home, and “A Hatteras Surprise,” featured in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams. Today, we’ll learn more about her newest novel, get the inside scoop on her writing process and craft, and hear what she has planned for her next endeavor.
Please welcome Hope Toler Dougherty!
About Hope’s Book
KP - What inspired you to write this book, and how did the idea first take shape?
HTD - In August of 2023, an idea kept popping into my mind. So, on my birthday, I began freewriting about a woman who wakes up from an afternoon nap to find an intruder in the beach house her friend loaned her for the summer.
KP - Are any of your characters inspired by real people in your life?
HTD - I usually grab bits and pieces from different people and some characteristics that friends and family will recognize as me, but Ms. Louise’s whole character is based on a friend of mine from my BSF group. When this character showed up in her scene, I knew exactly who she was. I loved writing her!
KP - Which part of the book was the most challenging to write, and why?
HTD - I’ve never written a teenager before. Her slang was difficult because slang changes so quickly, and I didn’t want the words I chose to be out of date in a couple of years. I didn’t want the dialog to sound like an old person was trying to be cool, and I didn’t want to lose my readers by using a word they might not be familiar with. It took a fine balance and much help from two different editors to write Sklyee’s speech patterns.
KP - Do you have a favorite scene, passage, or character in this work?
HTD - I enjoy the first scene of the book because of the humor. I also like when Wyatt and Skylee are on the beach, and he tells her she doesn’t have to go back to her mother’s house.
KP - What do you hope readers will carry with them after finishing your book?
HTD - One of the characters encourages Tessa, the main character, not to let the familiar diminish the extraordinary. It’s a variation of the old adage, familiarity breeds contempt. She discounts her skills as true art. I think that’s an important idea for all of us. We sometimes look for the shiny without realizing that every day miracles are happening all around us if we open our eyes to see them.
Writing Process & Craft
KP - Please describe your writing process. Do you outline extensively (plotter) or discover as you go (pantser)?
HTD - Except for knowing that the two main characters must end up together at the end of a romance, I am definitely a pantser. I may know some points of the story before beginning, but writing the story is almost like reading a book—finding the story as I go.
I answer character questions so that I can know the characters as well as I can before I begin the first draft.
KP - Do you follow a daily writing routine? If so, what does it look like?
HTD - While I’m writing the first draft, I aim for 1500 words a day. I divide that goal into three segments and try to take breaks when I reach 500 words. During that draft, I’m concerned mainly with the story and write a lot of the dialog. On later drafts, I add the extras that help make the scene clearer for the reader—what the characters are doing, wearing, and what smells might be in the scene. I add layers incorporating the senses.
KP - How do you handle writer’s block or creative slowdowns?
HTD - I try to pray before each writing session, but if I do get a blank space in my brain about what comes next, I try to do something physical like taking a walk, riding a bike, going swimming, or baking something. Once my brain is focused on a different task, it’s free to think of new ideas.
Two strangers. One beach house. Zero plans to share it.
When Tessa Trask arrives at a coastal beach house for a quiet summer, she never expects to wake up to an intruder—especially one who insists he has just as much right to be there.
With no proof of who belongs, free-spirited artist Tessa and disciplined former Army captain Wyatt Henry reluctantly agree to share the house. As sun-soaked days and shared responsibilities bring them closer, both must decide whether to cling to what feels safe—or trust God with what comes next.
Beach House Rescue is a heartwarming Christian romance filled with humor, faith, and happily-ever-after hope.
Looking Ahead
KP - Are you already working on your next project? If so, can you share a glimpse?
HTD - I have an intriguing idea that really has only a few notes so far, but I’d like to pursue it. It isn’t a romance, however, so I’m not sure about how to write it!
KP - What kinds of stories do you hope to keep telling?
HTD - I plan to keep writing stories with happy endings. I hope that’s God’s plan for me!
KP - Is there anything else you'd like to share?
HTD - Karen, thank you so much for having me on your bog!!
Learn More About Hope
For more information, please visit Hopes’s website.