Our lives take strange turns. Who knew I’d be juggling a home life far busier than the corporate one I left behind? Or that I’d be worried about book research and review blogs instead of balance sheets and sales figures? The tiniest leap of faith can put us on paths we never imagined, which is what I’ve always felt true romance is all about. Putting trust in that special someone. Being willing to risk everything for them.
That’s why I like to read and write romance. To remind myself, and others, I suppose, that the uncertainty of a new relationship can lead to great things, even if we don’t welcome such a change at first.
I remember that night twenty years ago when I first saw the man who is now my husband and life partner. He was gorgeous and funny and a little broken (I’m a sucker for that), but he didn’t really fit in my “plan.” He offered to buy me a cup of coffee at this up-and-coming joint in town called Starbucks. I have no idea where I’d be today if I’d walked away instead of accepting.
One tiny decision. One small concession. A leap of faith that changed everything. That cup of coffee—one cream, no sugar—was the first step to a happy, fulfilling future. It’s scary to think I almost left it behind.
In Bending the Iron, my character Michael has a similar decision to make. It’s the decision every hero or heroine must make: the new and unknown or the safe and familiar? Is now truly the right time to change direction and take a different path? Lucky for Michael, the man of his dreams is a good negotiator, both in and out of the bedroom. (I’m also a sucker for happy endings, in case you were wondering.)
In a life full of crossroads, how do we know whether to follow that special someone? We don’t. Twenty years ago, I took a chance. That’s what romance is all about.
Share a thought about this post or Bending the Iron. I will choose one commenter from today to receive a free copy and will announce the winner here on Thursday morning. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the book!
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Bending the Iron
Michael feels trapped. In his conservative, poor hometown where he has to keep his sexuality hidden. In his dead-end job. In caring for his alcoholic grandfather. Everything changes when he meets Eric, the new curator for the railroad museum. His curiosity about the passionate man quickly gives way to an intense attraction—one that Eric happily returns.
Carefree and refreshingly confident, Eric guides Michael to places he’s forgotten, reminding him that it may not be too late to follow his dreams for something more in life. But the truth is, Eric knows exactly how it feels to be stuck in a bad situation. A failed relationship has left him with personal demons that may hurt his connection with Michael.
To give their future a chance, they both must fight being trapped in the past.
Available from Carina Press HERE.
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Libby glimpsed her true calling when her first story, an A.A. Milne /Shakespeare crossover, won the grand prize in her elementary school’s fiction contest. Her parents explained that writers were quirky, poor, and often talked to themselves in supermarket checkout lines. They implored her to be practical, a request she took to heart for twenty years, earning two degrees, a white-collar job, and an ulcer, before realizing that practical was absolutely no fun.
Today she lives with her husband and four children in an old, impractical house and writes stories about redemption, the supernatural, and love at first sight, all of which do exist. She happens to know from experience.
Libby’s first novel, State of Mind, was nominated for 2011 M/M Book of the Year by Authors After Dark.
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