Hope you're all enjoying this lovely Leap Day! We only get one of these beauties every 4 years, so spend this time wisely.
Since this is a extraordinary day, I've decided to deviate from my YA features to a genre I'm honestly not too familiar with: sweet romance.
"What it sweet romance?" my fellow YA enthusiasts ask. Well, I'm glad you asked, because it allowed me to do a little research on the genre! Sweet Romance is classified as romance novels or stories that steer clear of any erotica. Think of all those tweenage sitcoms that are popular on children's TV shows. You get all the warm fuzzies from the relationships building without the hot and steamy parts. Those are also good, but leaving them out of a romance genre calls for the author of sweet romance to be a little more creative and urges them to be master character developers in order to crank out a good romance story.
I'm honored to have a master of the genre, Heather Gray, on my spotlight today! She's on a roll with this latest book, which ties romance in with illness, recovery, redemption, and faith! So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce y'all to An Informal Arrangement!
Holden Jenkins receives a diagnosis that alters the course of his life. His slow recovery is pockmarked with discouragement and puts his future in question. Will he ever again walk without pain? Or be well enough to return home?
A heart-rending day in the ICU leaves Nurse Maddie Smith hurting in more ways than she can identify. In need of a change — and drawn to a man she barely knows — she goes on sabbatical and takes up the fight to get Holden back on his feet.
As he searches for his identity in the midst of this new life, Holden struggles with a deep hurt. Why would God allow this? Meanwhile Maddie, shaped by her own emotional scars, battles against an unseen God she’s not sure she can believe in. Will these two be able to find peace — and a future together — or will the difficulties they face push them apart?
Sounds good, yeah? You know I don't like to branch away from my sci-fi and fantasy, so if I'm tempted, I know y'all have to be! As always, I've an excerpt to really hook you:
“You mentioned something about a toad…” Her remark hung between them like a two-day old helium balloon.
The worry wrinkles on his forehead faded away, melting into his hairline and drawing her eyes to light chestnut hair that couldn’t seem to make up its mind whether it wanted to stand at attention or lie down and take a nap.
“Umm, I guess I remember. Huh. I wonder where that dream came from.” If his nonchalance was anything to go by, he had to dream about toads on a regular basis.
“And you mentioned the toilet.” Maddie took a deep breath and went about her morning routine. Shift had just started, and she still needed to do her patient assessment.
She put the blood pressure cuff on Mr. Jenkins as he told her about his dream. “There was an albino horned toad that got out of its terrarium. It was in the toilet for some reason, but because the commode was white, nobody could see it. Which doesn’t make sense. Albino animals aren’t pure white, but what can I say? A hand reached for the lever to flush, and I panicked. That’s when you woke me.”
After she charted his blood pressure and listened to his heart and lungs, she asked, “What exactly is a horned toad? I’m picturing something froggish.”
Mr. Jenkins laughed, disturbing Maddie’s attempt to count his pulse. He reined himself in, and she began counting again. “Frogs and toads are different, you know, and a horned toad isn’t even a toad. Not really, anyway. It’s a lizard.”
Her eyes darted around the room again. Maddie worked with people — and not animals — for a reason. “So toads and frogs are different, but a horned toad isn’t a toad.”
“That’s right. The people who discovered and named it must have been confused.”
Maddie held up an index finger. “Hold on a second.” Then she marched over to the small attached bathroom. An empty toilet had never been so beautiful. She stepped back into the room. “Whew. All clear.”
When her patient chuckled, she knew she’d hit the mark.
“Are you sure you’re not the one who’s confused? A toad that’s not a toad?” She quirked her eyebrow as laughter sparkled in Mr. Jenkins’ eyes.
“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
This is book 2 of the Informal Romance series, so be sure to get the first book to be in the know. You can find An Informal Arrangement on the Amazon Kindle Store: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUF0FS6/
*****
“You mentioned something about a toad…” Her remark hung between them like a two-day old helium balloon.
The worry wrinkles on his forehead faded away, melting into his hairline and drawing her eyes to light chestnut hair that couldn’t seem to make up its mind whether it wanted to stand at attention or lie down and take a nap.
“Umm, I guess I remember. Huh. I wonder where that dream came from.” If his nonchalance was anything to go by, he had to dream about toads on a regular basis.
“And you mentioned the toilet.” Maddie took a deep breath and went about her morning routine. Shift had just started, and she still needed to do her patient assessment.
She put the blood pressure cuff on Mr. Jenkins as he told her about his dream. “There was an albino horned toad that got out of its terrarium. It was in the toilet for some reason, but because the commode was white, nobody could see it. Which doesn’t make sense. Albino animals aren’t pure white, but what can I say? A hand reached for the lever to flush, and I panicked. That’s when you woke me.”
After she charted his blood pressure and listened to his heart and lungs, she asked, “What exactly is a horned toad? I’m picturing something froggish.”
Mr. Jenkins laughed, disturbing Maddie’s attempt to count his pulse. He reined himself in, and she began counting again. “Frogs and toads are different, you know, and a horned toad isn’t even a toad. Not really, anyway. It’s a lizard.”
Her eyes darted around the room again. Maddie worked with people — and not animals — for a reason. “So toads and frogs are different, but a horned toad isn’t a toad.”
“That’s right. The people who discovered and named it must have been confused.”
Maddie held up an index finger. “Hold on a second.” Then she marched over to the small attached bathroom. An empty toilet had never been so beautiful. She stepped back into the room. “Whew. All clear.”
When her patient chuckled, she knew she’d hit the mark.
“Are you sure you’re not the one who’s confused? A toad that’s not a toad?” She quirked her eyebrow as laughter sparkled in Mr. Jenkins’ eyes.
“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
*****
This is book 2 of the Informal Romance series, so be sure to get the first book to be in the know. You can find An Informal Arrangement on the Amazon Kindle Store: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AUF0FS6/
And you can get to know more about Heather Gray and the world of Sweet Romance at her social media and blog links:
http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting
http://www.twitter.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.instagram.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.pinterest.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.heathergraywriting.com
Stay tuned for more information about Reverie! T-minus 11 days til the release!
And my Thunderclap is still going strong. You can sign up to pimp my book freely here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/37990-reverie
Stay tuned to my book site to get the links when Reverie goes live: http://lefredwrites.wix.com/marsjaws
And that's it for now!
Keep readin' and dreamin'
-Fred
http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting
http://www.twitter.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.instagram.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.pinterest.com/laughdreamwrite
http://www.heathergraywriting.com
Stay tuned for more information about Reverie! T-minus 11 days til the release!
And my Thunderclap is still going strong. You can sign up to pimp my book freely here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/37990-reverie
Stay tuned to my book site to get the links when Reverie goes live: http://lefredwrites.wix.com/marsjaws
And that's it for now!
Keep readin' and dreamin'
-Fred
Hey L.E. - Thanks for having me (and my book, of course) on your blog! :)
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