Debbie Macomber, whose books have been on best-sellers lists and who is a philanthropist, may have taken 30 years to actually start writing, but she says she always knew she was a storyteller.
"It was just the gift God gave me," she said in an interview.
While she doesn't shy away from tackling deeper issues, she uses her gift to share a message: hope.
"I have an idealistic view of life and it’s served me well," Macomber said. "I write to encourage and inspire and to give hope. I don’t want to hit anybody over the head with it, but the theme will always be there."
In her latest novel, “Sweet Tomorrows” (Ballantine Books, $26), the last book in the Rose Harbor series, Macomber makes sure the hope shines through the darkness.
"These books are about healing, emotionally and physically, so there’s a certain darkness in each one of them," she said. "But there’s also hope and a good expectation about them."
"Sweet Tomorrows," which is written from four different points of view, shows each character on their own path to becoming whole. Mark leaves Cedar Cove to complete a dangerous military mission, while Jo Marie Rose struggles after he leaves her behind until she is finally forced to move on and date a new man.
There's also love-spurned Emily, a new resident who is ready to take charge of her future. She's staying at Jo Marie's inn until she finds a house to buy. That house she's looking for just happens to be owned by Nick, who has issues of his own and ends up being an antagonist, then friend, then possibly more to Emily.
It's characters like these, and all of Macomber's past characters, who keep fans reading her books. Some readers travel to Port Orchard, Washington, to catch a glimpse of the setting that inspired her books.
Fans come to Macomber's corporate headquarters where they are able to sign a guest book, put a pin in a map of the United States to show where they're from, and take a tour of her offices.
Macomber also owns the nearby The Grey House Cafe, and another venture of hers is the A Good Yarn Shop.
An avid knitter and international spokesperson for World Vision's Knit for Kids initiative, the shop holds a special place in her heart, she said.
"The hardest thing for me is finding the balance in my life," she said. "I know to hire people to do the things that I can’t do, because I can’t do everything. I do what I do best and that’s write."
With more than 200 million copies of her books in print, and more than 950 weeks collectively spent on the New York Times best-sellers lists, her credentials back up her claims.
It was almost 40 years ago when Macomber took the plunge and started her career as a writer. Being a writer was something she'd had on her mind for a long time, but she hadn't pursued the desire.
In 1978, her cousin whom she was very close to was dying of leukemia. She was dealing with thoughts of how unfair life was and how this young life was ending, when she had an epiphany.
"It was just God reminding me that we can’t stuff our dreams in the future. We don’t know what tomorrow holds," she said.
She quit putting off her dream and started writing.
"I wanted to write about relationships, but the truth is, I had four little kids, I was potty training, I just wanted a happy ending," she said.
She's been specializing in happy endings ever since, and her dream has been realized tenfold.
"It is above and beyond anything I could've even imagined." Macomber said. "There's a scripture that says God will do for us above and beyond anything that we can imagine, and he does. He really does."
God is present in her stories, though she doesn't write for the Christian market. "I am a Christian, but I’m not a preacher," she said. "The stories are there, I just look at them through the filter of being a Christian."
With that filter comes clean romances like "Sweet Tomorrows." With a complex plot, relatable characters, a lush setting and decisions that will take readers up and down the emotional rollercoaster, it is a satisfying ending to the Rose Harbor series.
"It's bittersweet to end any series, but I didn't want to drag it out for too long. I had other ideas I wanted to develop," she said.
With a constant stream of ideas, Macomber will keep writing as long as she is able, and her fans are a big reason she's able to do so.
"I’m always touched by reading the mail that I get from the readers. It's really a big source of encouragement to me as an author," she said. "Because I know I am not the best writer in the world, I’m a storyteller. I had to learn to be a writer. But I know God has a plan and he plans to use me as a storyteller."
Tara Creel is a Logan-native-turned-California-girl and mother of four boys. Her email is taracreel@gmail.com, and she blogs at taracreelbooks.wordpress.com.