Holly Varni is the author of On Moonberry Lake. A native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, she was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Though she, her husband, and their three sons live along the Central Coast of California, her beloved Midwest roots continue to haunt everything she writes. She hosts the Moments from Moonberry Lake podcast, where she shares more stories of her beloved characters.
In this interview, Holly talks with us about her latest novel, The Blooming of Delphinium.
FF: Please provide a brief summary of your novel The Blooming of Delphinium.
Delphinium Hayes, owner of Delphinium’s Flora Emporium, has a peculiar gift. She can identify the dominant trait of a person by their scent. With the slightest passing whiff, she immediately knows someone’s most admirable or weediest characteristic. This ability is her intuition and guide, telling her a person’s true nature. It never fails to give her an advantage, until she meets two men who turn her world upside down and challenge everything she thought she knew about love.
Business and love do not come easily for Delphinium. She is drowning in debt and frantically trying to come up with a solution to save her shop. It doesn’t help that a group of senior citizens from Moonberry Lake’s senior care facility have taken over the back of her shop. Delphinium cannot say no to her favorite senior, Henry, and he and his wily friends make her life even more out of control.
When the seniors learn of the dire circumstances of their favorite hangout, they become determined spread the word around town to drawn in more business. It’s You’ve Got Mail meets It’s a Wonderful Life. In the end, love finds a match in Delphinium’s Flora Emporium, even for those who resist it the most.
FF: Your debut novel, On Moonberry Lake, was released in September 2023. How does The Blooming of Delphinium tie in with your first novel?
The Blooming of Delphinium takes place in the same sweet town of Moonberry Lake. Delphinium was a small side character in On Moonberry Lake, and she’s someone I wanted to shine a light on. There are cameos from the original cast who make an appearance in this book, but I want readers to get to know the other folks in town.
FF: What ties every Moonberry Lake novel together is the cozy and calm feeling the stories evoke.
Every Moonberry story is meant to create a sense of familiarity and family.
FF: The Blooming of Delphinium centers around Moonberry Lake’s flora emporium and it’s quirky owner, Delphinium Hayes. Can you describe Delphinium?
Delphinium is the type of person everyone wants as a friend. She’s fun, artsy, talented, and has a tremendously kind soul. She has out of control curly hair that refuses to be tamed, much like her spirit. She embodies her passion for flowers and tries to make the world a more beautiful place. She feels different from those around her, so she’s especially tender toward anyone who feels as though they don’t quite fit in. Delphinium leads with her heart first and is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. By the end of the book, you will want to adopt her as family.
FF: Delphinium has a unique gift. How has it been an advantage?
Every floral essence has a meaning, and Delphinium has an encyclopedic knowledge of flowers and what they represent. Knowing an individual’s strongest characteristic gives her a tremendous advantage in choosing the friends who surround her.
FF: Two men enter Delphinium’s life under very different circumstances. Please explain who they are and how they are connected with Delphinium.
Smooth-talking lawyer Mason McCormack knows he’s found something unique when he meets the wild-haired florist who creates bouquets to help him to breakup with his many dates. He goes through women like water and uses Delphinium’s bouquets to make sure they don’t stick. However, his attitude changes as he gets to know the store owner. He sees Delphinium’s heart for elderly people and becomes entangled in the chaos of her life. Things unravel as the stakes of their friendship are put to the test and Mason begins to see how he must change if he wants a true relationship, even if it’s not quite what he expected.
Elliot Sturgis, manager of The Gardens Assisted Living and Senior Care Facility, cannot understand the draw of Delphinium’s Flora Emporium for his residents until he meets the enchanting owner. He must try to charm her into helping him control the residents but as he works with her in coming up with a solution, he finds himself falling for her. It’s a case of opposites attract because this reserved business man cannot deny his attraction to the artsy florist.
FF: In addition to Mason and Ellis, a sassy group of seniors play a big role in Delphinium’s life. How are these seniors connected with Delphinium and how does their relationship add to or complicate her life?
Delphinium has a special connection to one of the seniors, Henry, who works with her.
When he brings a gang of his pals to the shop to hang out, she can’t say no to him. The seniors turn Delphinium’s life upside down, but in the process, they form a tight community of love and support.
The elders love Delphinium because she meets them where they are and finds small ways to make them feel useful.
FF: Your novels are very character-driven. Who is your favorite character in The Blooming of Delphinium?
I never reveal my favorite character because that is like picking your favorite child. And nearly 100 percent of the time my pick doesn’t match who readers tell me they love most. I will say, however, that you will always find me rooting for the underdog. Look for the character who needs the most love, not necessarily who gets the most attention, and there you will find my heart.
In The Blooming of Delphinium, I’m fiercely loyal to the elders and love them all, but I have a soft spot for Helen and her desire to be a part of the group even though she is so physically limited.
FF: On Moonberry Lake and The Blooming of Delphinium take readers back to a simpler time. What do you hope readers experience when reading your books?
I hope readers enjoy a moment when they catch themselves smiling or even chuckling, where time passes without them realizing because they are engrossed in the Moonberry world. Every book I write has the sole intention of distracting people from the pain in their life. I write the ridiculous to bring entertainment to the bored, happiness to the sad, and drama to those needing a diversion from struggles for a short time.
The pace of the story and the setting are deliberately written to calm the reader. I write escape fiction that’s a bit absurd with outrageous humor, all for a smile. The best compliment I can receive is if a reader tells me that their anxiety or loneliness lessens when reading about the characters who feel so familiar.
FF: What are some of the key themes or lessons in The Blooming of Delphinium?
Be proud of your unique gifting, whatever it is. Delphinium has a high level of discernment and sees value in others when they don’t see it in themselves, and she is able to draw it out. However, her true journey is to embrace her own identity and uncover her own value.
Listening, honoring, and helping people find meaning at any age is another strong theme. I wanted to show how we must actively incorporate and love the older adults in our lives.
Finally, a recurring theme I write in every book is that family does not have to be blood. Invest in the people around you. Love deeply those who God puts in your path.
FF: The Blooming of Delphinium is set in northern Minnesota. Why did you choose this location for your books?
I grew up in Minnesota and lived there until I got married. The geography and culture formed my character. I love the closeness and drama of small towns. The scenery of the North Woods is nourishing to one’s soul and wonderful for the imagination.
The Blooming of Delphinium
A Moonberry Lake Novel
Holly Varni
Revell
Genres: Small Town Fiction, Romance
Release Date: September 24, 2024
ISBN-10: 0800744985
ISBN-13: 978-0800744984
Book Summary:
Making the perfect match is like arranging the perfect bouquet—and no one is better at it than Delphinium Hayes. Except when it comes to making a match for herself.
As far as hidden talents go, she is blessed with one of the more unique ones. With the slightest passing whiff, she knows someone’s most admirable or weediest characteristic. This peculiar perception never fails to give her an advantage in understanding people—except for one man, whose scent doesn’t seem to match his demeanor.
Prim and proper Elliot Sturgis, director of Moonberry Lake’s Gardens Assisted Living and Senior Care Facility, carries the scent of violets—meaning love and loyalty—yet is strict and unwavering in his determination to stop a group of his wily residents from sneaking over to Delphinium’s shop to play cards in the flower cooler. But the more glimpses Delphinium gets of the soft side beyond Elliot’s harsh exterior, the more she understands his scent—and her intrigue deepens as sparks fly.
The crowd in her cooler isn’t Delphinium’s only problem. Behind on the mortgage payments and on the verge of losing her shop to foreclosure, Delphinium isn’t sure where to turn for help. But God has a funny way of putting the right people in the place at the right time…
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