Contemporary Q&A: Rachel Hauck (The Sands of Sea Blue Beach)
Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She is a double RITA finalist and a Christy and Carol Award winner. Her book Once Upon a Prince, first in the Royal Wedding series, was filmed for an Original Hallmark movie. A graduate of Ohio State, Rachel lives in sunny central Florida with her husband.
Rachel talks about this lighthearted seaside romance, set in the historical town of Sea Blue Beach. She talks about the rivalries in the town, as well as the families difficulties each character experiences.
FF: Can you tell us about your new novel The Sands of Sea Blue Beach?
The Sands of Sea Blue Beach is a love story at its core: between the protagonists Emery and Caleb, their relationship with their families, and the town itself.
FF: What inspired you to set this story in a coastal town?
I first used Sea Blue Beach in Meet Me at the Starlight and wanted to go back since the town had a character and life of its own. The Sands of Sea Blue Beach takes place nearly forty years after Starlight, and the town needs a restoration as much as the characters do.
FF: How does the small-town community play a role in the novel?
I love small towns because it’s as if “everybody knows your name.” A community adds texture and color to stories. Some of the minor characters in this book are hilarious.
FF: Sea Blue Beach seems caught between preservation and progress. How does this tension reflect broader themes in the story?
Progress versus preservation is really about restoration. There’s an old rivalry in the town that’s taken a more serious turn. Wounds need to be healed. Expectations tempered. Emery and Caleb face the same challenge with their families and how they’ve chosen to view the past. As they fall in love, things begin to shift for them, as well as for the town.
FF: What made you want to explore complex family dynamics in this story?
Sometimes family dynamics present themselves and that’s when I go exploring. But from the beginning, I knew Emery struggled with her father’s remarriage, and Caleb with the actions of his older sister. The writing process exposed the layers.
FF: Our main character, Emery, is holding onto the memories of her late mother while struggling to connect with her stepmother and stepsisters. How does Emery’s relationship with her family shape her character?
She sees herself as an outsider and the only one to preserve her mother’s memory. As the story unfolds, we learn her perception isn’t quite accurate. The truth she gains by the end helps her to be able to love well.
FF: You’ve written many beloved romance novels. What makes Emery and Caleb’s love story unique from your other couples?
Emery and Caleb’s love story is on two planes: as teens, then as adults. I’m not sure I’ve done that before with the same characters. One of the things I love about these two is their friendship and respect for each other.
FF: How does faith play a role in Emery’s personal growth?
Emery is in a town known for being the home of Immanuel, God with us. She has yet to discover all of God’s goodness, but by the end, after a straight-up testimony from an old folk singer named Delilah, she realizes she’s not alone. That God is with her.
FF: What message do you want readers to take away from The Sands of Sea Blue Beach?
A contented sigh. Ha! As a reader, when I finish a book, I want to feel hope, satisfaction, interest, and even be challenged by the story line. So I hope this story touches hearts, is entertaining, and sparks great discussion.
FF: Can you share what you’re working on next?
It’s still in the hopper!
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The Sands of Sea Blue Beach
Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Genre: Contemporary
Release July 15, 2025
Available Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
ISBN-10: 0764240994
ISBN-13: 978-0764240997
Book Summary:
Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer.
Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister’s son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago.
As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.
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