I didn't set out to write a romance novel. That's not what A Sweethaven Summer is...but I couldn't NOT write in a little romance...and it seems there's nothing as sweet as those first few months of first real love...
I got to talk about it a little on this interview over HERE on Lisa's Blog. (I also got to tell you who I think should play Campbell and Luke if there was ever a movie version of Sweethaven... (If you've read it, what do you think?)
Anyway, first love.
It's sweet and moving and the stuff dreams are made of...so it was important to me that I include a love story in each book...and each love story is shockingly different. At different points in their relationships, the characters are all going through different things. Just like real life.
My friend Stephanie Ackerman, whose blog Homegrown Hospitality is FULL of artisitc inspiration, read the book and sent me an email. It was such a kind email, I couldn't respond right away. I didn't know what to say. And later, she said this on Facebook...
"I just read a 316 page book in less than 24 hours and I have only ever done that one time (and I was on a lounge chair in Maui...) THAT is how beautiful the book is..."
Still, I had no words.
But when this showed up in my inbox, the artwork she created right after finishing the book, I was dumbfounded...
The book, she said, made her want to scrapbook again...and it was so unexpected to hear that. The art journal, which she talks about on her blog, made ME want to go create... I mean, the layers of art on this thing are jaw-dropping:
...and creating a book to document your love story, as it grows and changes and shifts and becomes something you don't recognize, then stabilizes and becomes something, once again you can't live without...these are the stories that stop your heart...
And having a dedicated place for them? Priceless...
Don't you want to read Stephanie's story? Don't you want to see how it started? How it grew? This book, once she's done with it, will become a treasured keepsake, the story of two people who fell in love in a way that no one else has...because no two love stories are exactly the same...
It's strange getting emails that tell me things about this book I poured my heart and soul into. It's jarring, almost, and often, I don't know how to answer, what to say to express my genuine thanks. I still feel like I should send people presents to thank them for buying my book.
And when my work inspires the work of an artist...well, that's just icing on the cake.
I hope the work of these artists inspires you to participate in the Sweethaven Scrapbook Challenge... it's coming SOON, but I have a few more amazing things to share this week (and early next week) before I tell you what you can win!
Play along, will you?
And tell me...have you documented your love story?
Finally, the Winner of the Sweethaven Online Launch Party Week Four is:
My favorite drink is diet Pepsi.
