Author Edition
February 19, 2020
Dear Readers,
Happy Wednesday Everyone! Can you believe another week has gone by? Even though I wish time would slow down, I cannot wait for Guest Writer Wednesday each week. I am so excited to introduce you to today’s author, Lauren Layne!!!!! Lauren is literally the queen of romantic fiction and happily ever afters. She is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best Selling Author who has written over 30+ books 😮😮😮!! This stiletto loving girl has also been featured in Oprah Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Glamour, The Wall Street Journal, and Inside Edition. With over a million copies of her books sold and living in Manhattan with her husband (her high school sweetheart), Lauren is truly living her happily ever after. Her latest book series called The Central Park Pact Series (Gallery Books) includes Passion on Park Avenue, Love on Lexington Avenue, and Marriage on Madison Avenue. Guess what…..they are all out now. Go grab the series and start reading!
I hope you enjoy Lauren’s letter to Mr. H. She was so wonderful to me when I invited her to be a Guest Writer. Not only did she say yes to my invitation without hesitation, but she was lovely to chit chat with via email. If you venture onto her website, you will see that not only does Lauren write books, but she shares with her readers and fellow writers business tips, writing strategies, and how to be a minimalist in so many different domains. She is an absolute inspiration to us all. One of my favorite articles by Lauren is titled, Why I No Longer Use A Paper Planner. Though I haven’t made the jump to all digital yet, I am getting closer every day…I think. Anyway, a big shout out to this gorgeous author and all that she does. Many thanks, Lauren Layne!! You have made our day!!!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kelly
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Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Some people have comfort foods. Or comfort socks. Or comfort blanket, candles, movies, that they’ll seek out when life seems to be nipping at their heels a little too aggressively. I, Mr. Hemingway, have comfort books. Specifically, comfort romances, because there is no feeling in the world like the reminder happily-ever-after can and does exist.
I have a handful of comfort reads—those books that I’ll crave when I’m tired or frustrated. But I reach for one book more than any other: It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas. It’s a Regency romance, and a favorite of mine, for all the reasons Regency is so delicious. The time-period has wonderful built-in conflict because there are so many rules. Who you can court. Who you can marry. How long a man and woman can be in the same room together. What it means for fingertips to brush without gloves. There are so many reasons for certain characters not to be together, that it’s all the more rewarding when they overcome those reasons.
Lillian and Marcus’s story captures all of that tension to perfection. She’s headstrong and inappropriate. He’s uptight and proper. She hates his stuffiness, he disdains her disregard for following rules. They set off sparks every time they come together on the page, but the incredibly skilled Kleypas knows exactly when to start layering in softer, more tender moments, allowing readers to feel along with Lillian and Marcus, the shift from being challengers to confidantes, from enemies to lovers.
Where It Happened One Autumn shines most is the more Lillian and Marcus get to know each other, the more sure we readers are that happily-ever-after will persist long after the end of the book. The controlling Marcus is so certain he wants a biddable wife, the headstrong Lillian so sure she wants a husband she can control, and it is such a delight when they realize that what they really want is someone who’s their equal. They challenge each other, they fight for and against each other, and fall deeply, irrevocably in love in the process.
If you love moments where your heart seems lodged in your throat, your stomach feels full of butterflies, your entire being full of longing, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this book as much as I do.
Yours in literature,
Lauren
P.S. Mr. Hemingway, if you’re at all interested in reading contemporary romance with this same push-pull tension, I think you may enjoy some of my own love stories, found here: Lauren Layne Books
Click here to purchase Where It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
