Novel Summary:
Version 1.0.0
Meet Me at the Starlight (Bethany House Publishers 2024) spans three generations. In 1987, supermodel Harlow Hayes seeks solace in a quaint Florida beach town to heal from a heartbreak that shattered her entire world. To her surprise, she encounters Matt Knight—a Hollywood A-lister with a bad-boy reputation—who has returned to his hometown to help his plucky grandmother, Tuesday, save her century-old skating rink, the Starlight. When the Starlight is threatened with demolition, Tuesday begins to wonder if an era has come to an end. As Matt and Harlow strategize to save the rink, they find themselves on a journey of surprises, self-discovery, and the kind of healing that leads to love.
DM: Writing any book is a big undertaking that takes many months if not years. How long did you work on this book?
RH: From the fast draft to the “last pass” of the printed manuscript was about eight months. I always want “one more pass,” but sooner or later, I have to let the story go. As much as authors hate deadlines, they keep us accountable.
DM: Did any particular character really speak to you?
Rachel Hauck
RH: The character Tuesday Knight leapt off the page. Readers meet her as a young woman in the 1930s and follower her into her eighties. She told me her story and I tried to keep up. Tuesday was the epitome of a strong woman – kind and loving, yet she spoke her mind.
DM: What research was required for the writing of this story?
RH: The Starlight is a roller-skating rink, so I did a lot of research on roller skating history and how to run a rink. Also, the character Harlow Hayes is an ’80s super model, which required a good bit of research. I had a great phone call with ’80s super model, Kim Alexis. She filled in a lot of blanks for me.
DM: What details were most challenging to get right about the setting?
RH: Part of the story is set on the north Florida coast in the early 1930s. Not much was really going on in that part of the panhandle in those days, so I worked to balance reality and fiction.
DM: Tell us a little about your writing process.
RH: I write five days a week. During the fast draft, I aim for 2000 words a day, which may take three to six hours. When rewriting, I’ll sit in my chair with fingers on the keyboard until I’ve completed a certain number of pages.
I write in my office, “the turret,” which the former homeowner built off the back of the house right before he moved back to California to work for Pixar. I’m not sure he was planning on leaving when he drew up the office plans, but when my husband and I moved in, the turret still smelled of new construction.
Donna Meredith
DM: Please share a little about your background and what got you started as a writer.
RH: I always wanted to write. I had a diary in first grade and actually wrote in it. My dad was a huge encouragement. He’d say, “Rachel, you’re a writer. Be a writer.” He died not long after my first book was published. I’m glad I took his advice. A year after I was married, I quit my job in the corporate software world and started an epic WWII novel. It was rejected, but I knew writing stories was what I wanted to do. I think authors have to love stories and words, and know they are called to the job to get through the hard, dull, “what’s this story about?” days.
DM: What writers or works have influenced your writing?
RH: This is such a great question. How much room do I have to list names? (Smile.) I’ve always been a reader, and in my younger years, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a huge influence. While I have many authors whose work I admire, Susan May Warren has been the biggest influence on my writing. We started out in the industry about the same time, developed a deep friendship, and for years, we were on the phone with each other daily, working through our characters and plot. We grew up writing together. Susie codified our conversations and revelations in a writing book called The Story Equation.
DM: What are you working on next?
RH: I’m returning to the small north Florida town of Sea Blue Beach where Meet Me at the Starlight is set. This yet-to-be-titled story is about second-chance love and forgiving the past while figuring out the future. There’s also a touch of royalty that makes Sea Blue Beach feel magical, like a place you’d want to be.
DM: Thanks for taking the time to share a little about your writing, Rachel. SLR wishes you continued success with your career.
Rachel Hauck Bio:
Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is the recipient of RT’s Career Achievement Award. Her book, Once Upon A Prince, was filmed for an original Hallmark movie.
A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan. In other news, she’s recently learned how to hard boil an egg. She’s quite proud.
Visit her at www.rachelhauck.com or www.facebook.com/rachelhauck.
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