Contemporary Romance (Clean)
Date Published: 10-12-2024
Erin has planned her life down to alphabetizing her spice cabinet, so when she is stood up on the wedding day she's dreamed of since she was a little girl, her ordered life spirals out of control. When her best friend, and maybe something more, Aaron, challenges her to step outside of her small-town life and explore the world, Erin makes a monumental decision that will take her from teaching middle schoolers in rural Ohio to her dream job as a governess in New York City. Determined to start fresh, to eat meat again, and to ditch her planner, Erin embraces her novel life, but teaching loveable Jessica isn't the only new facet. Her employer, millionaire Daniel Goldstein, is as closed off as the books lining the shelves in his penthouse library where Erin and he spend their evenings sharing their love of books, wine, and perhaps each other. But as Erin opens her heart to new possibilities and loving again, she can't ignore the growing mystery that Daniel is hiding something…or someone.
In this small-town, big-city contemporary romance, Erin learns that no matter where she goes, she takes herself with her. Does that mean finally finding love in the Big Apple, or was it waiting for her in her hometown all along?
Interview with Cynthia Hilston
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
When I first read historical fiction that was based on real events from World War II, it had a huge impact on me. I got really into reading those types of books for a while and learned a lot about history. I hadn’t really thought of books being based on real events yet fictionalized.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Sometimes they’re just names I like. In other cases, the characters’ names have a certain meaning that goes along with their story arc. In the case of Erin in this novel, because this story is loosely based on Jane Eyre, “Erin” came from “Eyre.”
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Yes! There are Easter eggs in all my novels. While some are quite obvious connections, like characters overlapping in different novels, all my books take place in the same universe. Anyone who’s familiar with my other works will recognize even the smallest details. In this novel, there’s a nod to two of my other books, Mile Marker 139 and Murder: It’s All in Your Head. I won’t spoil them.
What was your hardest scene to write?
I don’t want to give away too many details, but quite far into the story, Erin must make a really tough, heart-rending decision. There’s no easy answer. As I was writing it, I honestly wasn’t even sure which way she could go, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized she had to ultimately choose as she did.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
As I said above, there are connections between my books, but this one is standalone. I have written a series, but even then, the books are written in such a way that someone can pick up a later book in the series and still understand it fine without having read the previous books.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
Because Jane Eyre is one of my favorite novels, I was inspired to write a modern-day version. There are a lot of differences, but I feel I did it justice.
What inspired you to write The Apple of Erin’s Eye?
See my answer to number 6. Also, this book was written mostly during the Covid lockdown in 2020, so I had a lot of time to write!
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
Definitely! My next book is called A Boy and His Mom: The Blessings of Autism. It’s a huge departure from my previous books. I’ve always been a fiction writer, and this one is nonfiction. It’s about my experiences raising an autistic child from a faith-based perspective. It’s my hope to bring encouragement to other special needs parents and awareness to others who don’t know what it’s like.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Apple of Erin’s Eye?
For sure. The protagonist, Erin, is a bit of a control freak. She has always wanted her life to follow a planned trajectory, and when her childhood dream of a big wedding falls through, she’s devastated. She does something huge: leaving behind everything she’s ever known to embark on a new adventure that might involve falling in love with her brooding, handsome millionaire employer, Daniel Goldstein. Daniel seems closed off and harsh at first, but as we get to know him, we discover that it’s all a cover for a sad man inside. There’s also Aaron back home, who is Erin’s best friend and maybe something more. He’s the “boy next door” who’s often overlooked.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I loved going on Erin’s journey with her and discovering who she really was and what she wanted beyond all her need for perfection. Finding a character’s true motives (what makes them tick) is the most rewarding part of writing.
About the Author
Bestselling author of the Lorna & Tristan series, Cynthia Hilston is a stay-at-home mom of three young kids, happily married, and lives in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Writing has always been like another child to her. After twenty years of waltzing in the world of fan fiction, she stepped away to do her debut dance with original works of fiction, although she still dabbles in fan fiction.
In her spare time – what spare time? – she devours books, shamelessly watches Hallmark movies and When Calls the Heart, pets her orange and black kitties, looks at the stars, drinks wine or coffee with good friends, and dreams of what other stories she wishes to tell.
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