by Jolyse Barnett
Whenever I’m snuggling with my pet ragdoll mix, I’m content. Heck, just gazing at my little bundle of furry love gives me a warm, mushy, aww deep in my gut I only ever feel when I see animals, little ones, or a hunky guy holding either. The worries melt away, and for a moment, all is calm. Add a romance novel to the equation, and I’m in nirvana.
Okay, so maybe I’m preaching to the choir here. We bookish sorts are pretty much in agreement that pets give unconditional love and fiction books can be a perfect escape. I think it bears repeating though, because like it or not, we live in a quickly changing world, and I wish I were exaggerating, but reality can be overwhelmingly scary at times. We’re bombarded by unsettling, frightening, or tragic happenings in real-time video from around the globe, 24-7.
I say, let’s make a concerted effort to push away the nasty negatives with a slew of cutie-pie positives and heartwarming HEAs.
- Share cute pet photos
- Share a funny or cute animal video
- Recommend a book that gave you joy
- Follow your passion
- Encourage others to follow their dreams
And, lastly, if you’ll forgive a slightly selfish request from an avid romance reader who depends on her HEA stories to survive required forays into reality-land…
If your passion happens to be writing romance:
- Please keep creating
- Share your stories with the world
If your lips have tugged upward at any point in the few moments it took to read through my tips for happiness, then I’ve accomplished my goal. Like many of my romance writer pals, giving my readers that guaranteed happily-ever-after is a huge motivation for writing the genre.
Readers familiar with my backlist may recall that my contemporary romances each feature a furry companion. Now you know why, right? (Hint: See above math equation.) My newest release, Text Me, Maybe, a feel-good, romantic comedy, is no exception. In fact, my real-life cuddly ragdoll mix proudly stars as the hero’s pampered pet.
Text Me, Maybe
by Jolyse Barnett
Release Date: August 8, 2016
He’ll play her game for as long as she needs, but she’s going to be his.
New to the Big Apple, the last thing Lexie Bloom needs is to fall for two guys at once. Especially when she can’t have either. One is her personal trainer, an Adonis way out of her league. The other? A Brit Lit professor her svelte boss insists she woo for her—via text message, no less. Little does she know, the two are the same man…
Matthew Hennessey is intrigued by his shy new client at the gym. But before he gets the chance to ask her out, he discovers she’s the one crafting the flirty texts sent to him by a woman who wouldn’t know Lord Byron from Lady Gaga. To get to know her better, he allows Lexie to play her role. She may have given up on the idea of romance, but Matthew’s bound and determined to show her love is alive and well in New York City.
congratulations on the new release