Welcome to the Disaster Zone!

Fun Fact: My house & I are approximately the same age.

Not-So-Fun fact: We seem to be falling apart in unison.

Now I used to be a ridiculously healthy person. My dental hygenist cooed compliments about my well-flossed teeth.  I could have digested steel wool. (Probably.)  I didn’t even stock aspirin because I never used it. Why would I? Nothing ever hurt.

Then my forties happened.

Now I have a fake tooth and a chronic cross-stitch injury. (I’m not even kidding.  I hurt myself sewing.) Oh, and my digestive system has revolted against dairy, which is nothing short of a tragedy when you live half an hour from Wisconsin.

But all of this pales in comparison to what my poor house has been through.

About a year ago, I was sitting in this very spot, cozily typing away while a thunderstorm raged outside. Rainy days are wonderful for writing and I was getting a lot done until I realized that it was not only raining outside but inside as well. Water was pouring into my living room via the ceiling.

This is never a good thing. Nor is it cheap. By the time we were done, we had a new roof and gutters, a rebuilt sunporch and chimney, an exterior paint job, and oh, hey, a new furnace. Because go big or go home, am I right?

Things were quiet for a while after that. We really enjoyed our water-tight roof, and the newly squirrel-proof sunporch was a hit. Then Mr. Sey and I walked into the house one recent Friday afternoon to the sound of running water.  Which is normally music to this Great Lakes lover’s ears, except…we hadn’t left any water running.

By the time we got the main water valve shut off, the laundry room had two inches of water on the floor, and we learned that you’re supposed to replace those hoses on your washing machine from time to time. Who knew? Not us.

We know now, of course. Life is an excellent teacher but it doesn’t have a pause button, and it doesn’t give you a heads up when things are about to get hairy. It just throws stuff at you, and you do your best to keep up.

Which brings me to Willa and Eli, the couple featured in my new release DISCOVER ME & YOU. They strolled on stage in PICTURE ME & YOU, and while I knew Willa was going to be a big part of Devil’s Kettle’s history, I had no idea who Eli was.

Turns out he was a lot like Willa.  Both had some big hurts and serious disappointments in their pasts, and both were dealing with it alone.  Like alone alone. Neither was looking for it, but love — like a leaky washer — doesn’t wait until you’re ready.  It happens when it happens and you just have to figure it out as you go.

For Willa and Eli, falling in love was a huge discovery process.  Building a future together meant dealing with their pasts, and that’s never easy for anybody, let alone people with baggage like these two. But in the end, it was worth it.  Love always is.

I hope you’ll tune in for their journey!

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DISCOVER ME & YOU is available now exclusively on Amazon!

Catch up on the whole series!  PICTURE ME & YOU is also available now!