RITA finalist: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Welcome, The Wedding Dress and thank you for interviewing with us today. The Craftie Ladies always enjoy having new books stop by to talk with us.

To get started, can you tell us when you were born?

April 2012

And where were you born?

I was born in Florida in the imagination of award-winning author Rachel Hauck.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?

I have fourteen siblings who are younger than me and one who is newer. Her name is Once Upon a Prince. She actually arrived after I won a cool award from Romantic Times Magazine.

What do you think made you a RITA finalist?

I think I’m RITA material because I’m really more than one story. I’m present day, Charlotte. I’m historical, Emily. There’s the nailbiting dilemma in Emily’s story – will she pick the right guy. And there’s angst in Charlotte’s story – will Charlotte wise up and/or should she wise up. Then, sandwiched between these two heroines are Hillary and Mary Grace. You’ll have to read the book to find out more.

Now can you tell our readers a little more about yourself?

Sure. Here's my back cover copy:

Four brides. One Dress.

A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.

Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift . . . and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can’t she find the perfect dress…or feel certain she should marry Tim?

Then Charlotte discovers a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new—shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been “redeemed.”

Charlotte’s search for the gown’s history—and its new bride—begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte’s heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the timeless beauty of finding true love.

Thank you for being with us today, The Wedding Dress. And congratulations on being a Rita Finalist.