posted on January 25, 2022 by Mariah Ankenman

Well, That Was Awkward!

Like most people, sometimes I do or say something awkward. In fact, I might do it more than most. Like my heroine, Lexi, in The Dating Dilemma. Like Lexi, I sometimes blurt out my inner thoughts, but what really puts me in tight spots sometimes is my ADP.

I have Audio Processing Disorder mostly likely connected to my Dyslexia according to my doctor. Basically, what it means is my brain doesn’t always process sounds correctly. And if I’m in a nosy room with multiple sounds happening, forget it! I never really understood the reason for my hatred of live concerts, enormous crowds, and talking on phones. I thought the reason I loved having the subtitles on all movies was because I watch a lot of horror movies in different languages, and I just got use to reading while I was watching.

Turns out all these “quirks” were just my way of coping with my APD. It might sound frustrating (and believe me it is sometimes) but it can also lead to some pretty hilarious situations. One I’m going to share with you all right now.

Years ago, when my spouse and I were newlyweds, we headed over to his parents’ house for the day. He was helping his dad with some yardwork while his mother and I chatted in the house. She took a call, so I went to watch some TV. Now I have to share what my mother always said in my childhood (before I knew about my APD, I did not get a diagnosis until a few years ago). She always joked that when the TV was on, I went into a zone of silence and no one could reach me.

This is totally true.

I never realized that the reason I couldn’t watch TV and answer a question at the same time was because my brain can’t process two noises at once. I can hear them all, but I can’t make them out. So if someone it talking on the TV and someone is talking to me in real life, I’m going to miss one of them. This is important to note because of what happened next.

As I am watching my show (whatever it was, I can’t even remember anymore, lol) my mother-in-law comes into the room and starts talking. My brain is so focused on the show I know she’s saying something, but I don’t process any of it. Then she hands me a small chocolate square.

My mother-in-law is one of the best bakers in the world and I’m not just saying that because I love her. She makes sugar cookies that melt in your mouth and apple dumplings that send you to heaven. So when she handed me a chocolate I was so excited to try her tasty new treat. I bit right into it and… tasted hard plastic.

I looked in my hard to see, not a delicious square of chocolate but a square piece of brown plastic.

My mother-in-law is the sweetest person, but she burst out laughing, explaining she was handing me a scraper she bought us for our new flattop stove. Here I thought I was getting chocolate goodness, but alas, it was cleaning supplies. She did go get me some yummy chocolate chip cookies after, but we still laugh about that incident to this day.

Much like Lexi in The Dating Dilemma, I have my moments of awkwardness. But also like Lexi, I am surrounded by wonderful people who see the good in it and me.

If you like laugh-out-loud romcoms with an awkward heroine, a sexy firefighter hero, fake dating, the one bed trope, steamy scenes, and a cute, but feisty kitty, then check out The Dating Dilemma.

 

 

Mariah Ankenman

Mariah Ankenman

Bestselling author Mariah Ankenman lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious daughters and loving husband who provides ample inspiration for her heart-stopping heroes. Her books have been nominated for the prestigious RWA Golden Heart and CRW Stiletto awards. Whether she's writing hometown heroes or sexy supernaturals, Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone's day a little brighter with one of her books.

http://mariahankenman.com/

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