The town that stole my heart before Sugar Creek...
May 19, 2026 12:30 pm
Hi, ,
Before Sugar Creek.
Before the best friends of Wishful Hearts.
Before I ever believed I could write small-town romance…
There was a real town that quietly stole my heart.
My author journey actually began in science fiction. I loved the big ideas, the distant worlds, the what-ifs. But then my husband and I took a weekend trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas — and something shifted.
It’s small. About two thousand people small. Tucked into the hills of Arkansas, with winding roads and historic buildings that feel like they’re holding stories in their walls. It felt like discovering a secret.
I remember walking those streets and wondering what it would be like to grow up there. In a town that size, would everyone know your business? Would first love feel bigger somehow? Would you dream of staying… or of escaping?
By the time we drove home, I wasn’t thinking about spaceships anymore. I was imagining lifelong friendships. First kisses. Old crushes that never quite faded.
And before I knew it, the Eureka in Love series was born.
Those characters still feel like old friends to me. Even though I wrote their stories more than a decade ago, they’re some of my favorites. They were my first step into the kind of romance I truly love to write — stories about healing, belonging, and finding your person in a place that knows your name.
And I can’t wait to introduce them to you.
If you’d like to read the complete collection and leave an honest review, I have review copies available here:
Since I’m telling you about the town that stole my heart first… I thought we’d take our Sugar Creek Moment on the road this week.
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Winding streets climb the hills like they’re chasing something just out of sight. Victorian houses perch on narrow curves, painted in colors that feel almost whimsical against the green Ozark trees. The air smells faintly of spring water and coffee drifting out of a corner café. You can hear live music before you see it. Around the next bend, someone’s story is unfolding.
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Thank you for being here with me — from Arkansas hills to Vermont lakes and everywhere in between.
With love,
River 💛
Book Shares
When dreams shift, love finds a new way forward.
Kerri Manning returns home with only one semester of college left. She's in pain and trying to figure out what to do with a diagnosis that will change her future. It's hard to dream of happiness, but the new guy in town manages to make her laugh. Can she take a chance he'll stick around?
Eric Hunt is an up-and-coming sculptor who has grown tired of his fake friends in New York City. He finds himself in the small town of Eureka Springs looking for the passion he used to have for his art. Could Kerri be the inspiration he needs?