Twas the Night Before A Book Release...

This is kind of a big week for me.

Tomorrow kicks off a year full of book releases. A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina officially hits the shelves tomorrow.

While it is totally a dream come true, each book release also brings a certain amount of angst. You may remember that I liken a book release to a first date. I still stand by that theory. (although I have been writing so much lately, I haven't had much time for many first dates--ha!)

Even though this is my sixth release, I'm still as nervous and as excited as I was for the very first one. Nervous because I want readers to like it--love it, even! And I know from past experience that some will...and some will not. Excited because this story finally gets to be read. Hopefully by many.

In a lot of ways, A Wedding to Remember in Charleston is VERY different from any of my other books. It's about a marriage that's in the process of falling apart. Whoa.

My other books have been about people finding love for the first time. Boy meets girl. Sparks fly. Conflict happens. They make up and live happily ever after.

This one is a little different. 

Summer and Luke are in a very dark place. Strangers sharing a last name. And a home. And a dog. But not much of anything else.

So writing their story was sometimes quite hard for me. It made me sad. It made me stop and think about all of the things that tear apart people who've vowed to love one another forever.

In fact, there were times I would call my friends and whine. I'd say things like "Why did I think writing a romance about an estranged married couple was a good idea? Why didn't you tell me I was crazy?"  

And my friends would talk me down from the ledge. They'd tell me to go back to work and not call/text/Facebook them until I'd written more.

I'd pray about it and come away realizing that it was a story that needed to be told. That there was a way to add in some light moments to a dark subject. That even in the hard times, there were still moments of humor. Because that's the way life is.

So I created some secondary characters, Ashley and Justin, who helped add some fun. Then I brought back two of my favorite characters from Love is Grand--Mary and Mavis, the elderly sisters from Alabama.

And when it was all said and done, I wound up with a book that I love and one I hope readers can relate to. There's only been one review so far--4 Stars from Romantic Times:

"This book is about a marriage that's on the rocks, not from any major event, but from erosion of commitment and lack of communication over time. It's a story that readers can relate to, and a reminder that marriage takes work and dedication. The author does a wonderful job of weaving the story together along with infusing a little romance."

I am thrilled with their take on the book and am anxiously awaiting seeing it on the shelf for the first time--something that never gets old!

So tomorrow if you see a bleary-eyed girl doing a happy dance on the book aisle at Walmart...it might be me. :)