Welcome back, book lovers, to another sparkling edition of Jen's Jewels! This week, we're diving into the world of Kit Tosello's novel, THE COLOR OF HOME. Get ready for a heartwarming journey through small-town charm, personal redemption, and the power of faith. Kit opens up about crafting compelling characters, weaving sensitive themes, and finding inspiration in real-life experiences. Whether you're a fan of contemporary women's fiction or simply love a good story about second chances, you won't want to miss this insightful interview. So grab your favorite beverage, settle into your coziest reading nook, and join us as we uncover the gems behind this award-winning author's work.
Jennifer Vido: Audrey Needham is such a compelling character, balancing her high-stress career with deeply personal challenges. How did you develop her character, and what aspects of her journey do you think readers will relate to the most?
Kit Tosello: I’ve had a taste of the career pressure Audrey faces, as I’m sure many of us have. At some point we have to consider: How much of my stress is self-inflicted due to ambition and/or perfectionism? Am I where I’m truly meant to be? Do my go-to coping strategies still serve me, or are they keeping me stuck? I wanted Audrey to be gifted a timeout (something we all need now and then!) to reevaluate. To seek silence. To hear from God.
Jen: Charity Falls plays a significant role in the story, almost becoming a character in its own right. What inspired you to set the novel in a small town like this, and how did you bring it to life on the page?
Kit: Twenty years ago, we moved our family from California to a small town in Oregon. I noticed many of the things Audrey noticed. People were genuinely helpful and friendly. They paced themselves. Once, I headed to the auto parts store for a replacement headlight. A sign on the door said, “Closed. Hunting.” I thought, is this for real? Is it possible to make those kinds of life choices? And what am I supposed to do about my headlight, haha! THE COLOR OF HOME is in many ways a love letter from me to our town, a thank-you for what it’s given me.
Jen: The novel deals with themes of loss, family, and finding purpose. How did you approach these sensitive topics, especially in relation to Audrey’s father’s tragic death and her great-aunt Daisy’s struggles with her husband’s Alzheimer’s?
Kit: As the story opens, both Audrey and Daisy deal with old grief and new fears. From there, it arcs toward hope and healing as the two women must take their spiritual courage to the next level. They also come to recognize the divine gift they have in each other. And isn’t that just the kind of thing God does, his way of meeting our deepest need with his grace? It was important to me to weave beauty, humor, and light-heartedness throughout because these things are always available to us in real life if we’re willing to notice, and they help us through our hardest seasons.
Jen: Cade Carter seems to challenge Audrey’s plans to keep emotional distance. How did you craft their relationship, and what do you hope readers take away from their interactions?
Kit: When Audrey meets Cade, he’s a real straight-arrow hero, which brings her hidden insecurities to the surface. Having held herself to near-impossible standards for so long, she’ll need to come to a place of self-acceptance before she can risk her heart on someone worthy of it. But as readers will see, Cade’s good character was forged through pain and regret. Making deep, meaningful human connections—including romantic ones!—requires courage and a willingness to divulge our weaknesses and fears.
Jen: Audrey’s return to the place that once broke her heart brings up many unresolved issues. How does the theme of redemption play out in the story, and what message do you hope to convey through her experiences?
Kit: This aspect of the story was informed by my husband’s true-life experience with losing his mother tragically in a car accident when he was young. Like Audrey, for years he avoided the town where she died. Also, like Audrey, he eventually learned to not let his grief stand between him and God’s redemptive plan. For twenty years now, our family has made our home in that town, the place his mother loved. I believe it honors our loved ones who left us through tragic circumstances and helps us heal when we accept God’s invitation to work alongside him in continually making all things new, turning darkness into light.
Jen: Faith is an important element in this novel. How does Audrey’s relationship with God evolve throughout the story, and how did you weave this aspect into her journey naturally?
Kit: As the story opens, Audrey has a foundational faith, but it isn’t integral to her daily life or decision making. As happens when our life has gone through an unexpected derailment, her trust in God is iffy. By simply exposing her to setbacks, as well as to seventy-six-year-old Daisy, whose timeworn faith has weathered deep losses, I let Audrey’s faith journey take its natural course.
Jen: What was the most challenging part of writing this novel, and how did you overcome it? Were there any particular scenes or characters that were especially difficult to get just right?
Kit: It was important to me to paint Uncle Dean in a way that was true to his Alzheimer’s condition without being dehumanizing or cliché. This came more easily than I expected because Uncle Dean entered my imagination with personality! I definitely wrote all his scenes with a lump in my throat.
Jen: Can you share what’s currently on your to-be-read stack? Are there any books or authors that have influenced your writing for this novel?
Kit: I’m currently listening to T.I. Lowe’s Indigo Isle, which is wonderful, and looking forward to starting Holly Varni’s The Blooming of Delphinium. Lisa Wingate, Nicole Deese, and Melissa Ferguson are just some of the many authors from whom I’ve drawn writing inspiration.
Jen: What’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or books in the works that you can tell us about?
Kit: Besides working on a new story that I hope to be able to talk about soon, I have a devotional and recipe coming out in Revell’s The Kitchen Devotional in early December. And look for my heartfelt essay about my mom in So God Made a Grandma in March of 2025.
Jen: How do you plan to engage with readers on social media, especially as a debut novelist? Are there any platforms you particularly enjoy or strategies you’re excited to try?
Kit: I love connecting with readers, especially on Instagram and Facebook. Through my monthly newsletter, “The Tea,” I get even more personal, offering inspirational thoughts, reading recommendations, recipes, and more. I’d love to drop in on book clubs to discuss THE COLOR OF HOME!
Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your insights with us. Wishing you all the best with the release of your novel—I'm sure it will resonate deeply with readers. Good luck and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you!
Kit: It’s been my pleasure, Jen! Thank you for hosting me!
Contemporary Small Town Women's Fiction about Family and Community set by the Mountains
Audrey Needham, Bay Area interior designer to the rich and pretentious, is down to her last nerve. Her boss is impossible to please, her future is in jeopardy, and her great-aunt Daisy needs support as her husband descends into Alzheimer's.
When Daisy enlists Audrey's help preparing for a move to assisted living, Audrey risks her career to return to the idyllic small town of Charity Falls, Oregon, the summer stomping grounds of her childhood. But Charity Falls was also the place that broke her heart when her father was killed in a tragic fire at the Sugar Pine Inn thirteen years ago.
Despite Audrey's intent to avoid emotional entanglement, the pull of home is hard to resist. Something should be done about the deteriorating inn. A local girl with an incarcerated father needs a friend. And handsome local do-gooder Cade Carter is coloring Audrey all shades of uncertain.
Join award-winning writer and debut novelist Kit Tosello in this lyrical and often humorous exploration of how God redeems brokenness and draws us to the life we're meant to find.
Christian | Small Town | Women's Fiction Friendship [Revell, On Sale: September 24, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800772697 / eISBN: 9781493447251]
Kit Tosello is an award-winning writer of small-town contemporary fiction with a big heart, as well as inspirational essays and devotionals. With her eye trained on the beauty hiding in plain sight all around us, she arranges words with tenderness, humor, and hope. When not writing, Kit can be found in the loose-tea shop she operates with her husband, exploring the great Pacific Northwest, or enjoying the "great indoors"—bookstores and libraries. Always with a matcha latte in hand.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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