“I’ve resigned from First Congregational Church and am moving to Sante Fe, N.M.,” she says. “My husband and I visited out there this winter and we’ve decided it’s a good fit for us.”
“Forever Friends” completes the story of an eclectic group of ladies who first got together to compile a church cookbook and became fast friends.
“I am witness to rich and deep friendships among women,” says Hinton. “And I think that for the most part, especially the older we get, our friendships grow to be more significant and more supportive than any other time in our lives.”
Hinton will be in Southern Pines on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Country Book Shop to sign copies of her new book as well as her earlier books, “Friendship Cake” and “Garden of Faith” (now titled “Hope Springs”).
The publishing company felt that the title “Garden of Faith” sounded too “Christian,” according to the author.
“I’ve told my publicist that there will be calls,” says Hinton. “The book was often mislabeled or placed on shelves with Christian fiction and because of some of the themes included in my books, some of the less-than-holy characters, I have been criticized by those who read Christian fiction.”
Hinton describes the situation as a “Catch-22.”
“Those who do not read Christian fiction passed over the book and those who read Christian fiction were disapointed that it didn’t fit into their standards,” she says.
Hinton admits to feeling ambivalent about the change although she understands it.
“I am most concerned about the loyal readers of my books and hope they are not misled because of the new cover and title,” she says.
The publication of her books has offered Hinton the chance to see North Carolinas highways and byways.
“I’ve had the opportunity to do quite a bit of speaking this past year,” she says. “I’ve led retreats and spoken at various engagements, mostly in North Carolina and I have enjoyed meeting lots of wonderful people.”
Even though Hinton is moving to New Mexico after the completion of her book tour in June, she’s not leaving the characters of Hope Springs completely behind.
“A new book is in the works,” she says. “Right now, it is slated to come out next spring. It is not in the Hope Springs series, but does include references to the place and a few of the people in Hope Springs. It’s a story of forgiveness.”
