This week on Jen’s Jewels, I’m thrilled to welcome Audrey Lancho, whose heartfelt new novel THE SILVER LINING captures the power of healing, hope, and fresh beginnings. Set against the backdrop of North Carolina’s beautiful foothills, Audrey’s story follows Farrah’s inspiring journey as she rebuilds her life after unexpected heartbreak. From charming ranchers to the deep ties of family, Audrey weaves an emotional, uplifting tale you won’t want to miss. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for our heartwarming chat—you’ll be glad you did!
Jen: What sparked the idea for Farrah’s story, especially her journey through heartbreak and healing?
Audrey: Typically, when writing a book, I get a seed of an idea and the story builds around that. My first tiny spark was a main character who works in a memory care nursing home with older individuals. These are people who are not going to get “better”, and this was a nice juxtaposition for Farrah, who is young and healing from her trauma, but also a contrast that tugs at the heart, and my main goal is always to make my readers feel when they read.
Jen: Farrah’s shift from managing an art gallery to working as a nursing assistant marks a major turning point. What drew you to that particular career change for her?
Audrey: Farrah needed a fresh start (readers will understand why!) and the massive contrast between these professions is a symbolism for how much her life suffered from the unexpected upheaval she went through.
Jen: James Abbott, the charming rancher, feels like he stepped right off the page. What inspired his character, and is he based on someone you know?
Audrey: What an enormous compliment! Writers write what they know, and I was blessed to have my own perfect love story some fifteen years ago when I met my husband. The romantic chemistry of my male heroes and female heroines is always inspired by him and what I feel for him! However, there are other parts to Abbott that are informed by so many awesome men in my life. I’m blessed with an excellent father, three awesome brothers, a great stepdad, and grandpa, as well as other family members and friends––I pull from all their good qualities to build the non-romantic parts of my characters and make them more well-rounded.
Jen: The theme of returning home resonates throughout the novel. How did the setting contribute to shaping the emotional landscape of the story?
Audrey: The setting had everything to do with building this story––summer in the rural South! Everyone has a yard or land, mountains surround us, trees outnumber people by a thousand times. I tried to incorporate our lovely foothills North Carolina atmosphere all throughout the book. It’s particularly based on Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina, though some scenes are in Mecklenburg and Forsyth counties as well. Readers who know North Carolina will visualize the scenes particularly well. This area is “home” to me.
Jen: Farrah’s relationship with her parents is layered and poignant. How would you describe their bond, and what does it reveal about her?
Audrey: Yes––Farrah was raised in the most stable of families, where respect reigns and support is never-ending! So many fictional characters lose their parents early in life, or have problems with them, but I didn’t want to go there. I wanted to reveal Farrah’s strong foundation to my readers instead of making her life one continual tragedy. It sets up the contrast of what she went through. Life had always been perfect, then bam, something happened that took her off script. Now what should she do? How will she pick up the pieces? These are the questions I set the reader up to think about, and luckily for Farrah, her parents are there to support her the whole way.
Jen: When readers reach the final page, what do you hope they’re feeling or thinking?
Audrey: I truly want readers to feel an overwhelming sense of hope. So many times in life we have to start over after unexpected turns in the road. This can be daunting, but I pray my readers will remember that life’s not over until it’s over. We’ve got to keep fighting, keep trying––and Farrah is a representation of that much needed endurance!
Jen: What’s the best way for readers to keep up with your latest news and releases?
Audrey: First and foremost, readers should sign up for my email newsletter. They’ll receive a complimentary e-Novella and 8-10 emails per year, only with big news and important information. I’m always giving away things in my newsletter, like audiobooks, recipes, and ebooks! I’ll never spam my readers, and they can unsubscribe anytime. Sign up on my website. If nothing comes in the inbox after signing up, readers should check their spam or junk folders and whitelist my email address, as promotional emails like author newsletters sometimes go to the wrong folder due to the sales links included within. The second best way to keep in touch is searching my name on Amazon and following me there for alerts every time a book of mine releases. It’s super easy! Thirdly, the best social media platform to keep up with me is Instagram.
Jen: What’s currently on your TBR pile?
Audrey: My TBR pile exceeds my life expectancy! But my next read will be Lindsay Gibson’s Where It All Began.
Jen: Are you working on something new? If so, can you give us a sneak peek?
Audrey: Always! It’s my first sports romance set on the South Carolina coast featuring a serially single woman who rushes home to help her family, only to meet an on-leave MLB player with turmoil of his own. Swoon. Also, I’m always writing in my indie Hollybrook series. I have two published and plan to put out one or two additional books per year. These are lighthearted, trope-driven, rom-coms available only on Amazon (Just search my name and follow for alerts).
Jen: Audrey, thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been a joy chatting with you, and I know readers will love following Farrah’s journey as much as I did!
Audrey: This has been awesome. Thank you so much for having me!
From a spectacular new voice in contemporary romance comes a delightfully heartwarming story that’s perfect for fans of Susan Mallery, Denise Hunter, and Jojo Moyes.
Farrah Macon is blindsided after being served divorce papers from a man she never intended to live without. Completely baffled, she leaves her art gallery manager position behind to take refuge with her parents. At the ripe age of twenty-nine, she’s living back home again, working as a nursing assistant, and helping her family at the local farmer’s market.
When everything seems to be falling down around her, Farrah runs into James Abbott—all six feet of the charming, curly-haired rancher—and can’t help but remember what they used to have.
But as sparks begin to fly between the two, Farrah grapples with a heart-wrenching secret that might tear them apart.
A touching romance that will remind you of the importance of family and make you believe in the powers of fate at work in our everyday lives.
Romance Contemporary [Harpeth Road Press, On Sale: May 6, 2025, e-Book , / ]
Audrey Lancho is the author of uplifting historical and contemporary clean romance and romcoms, including the Love and Lies at Mannerley Victorian romance series, and Someone Else’s Christmas. Audrey lives in North Carolina with her Spaniard husband and two young sons, is bilingual in Spanish, and enjoys church, time with friends, yoga, her kids' sporting events, and funny movies. She’s a freelance fiction editor, a job which she does from home while trying to remember to transfer the washed clothes to the dryer. When she's not writing or editing, you'll find her doing crochet or a jigsaw puzzle.
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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