Stray Hearts

Hello! I hope everyone is ready for summer. It’s just around the corner.

I’m taking a break from Pining for You for this post to talk about one of my other novels, Stray Hearts. It's the first book in a rescue cat romance series and takes place in a fictional town, set in the Pocono Mountains, that is eerily similar to Jim Thorpe. I know, no surprise there. What’s even wilder is that I wrote Stray Hearts before I ever stepped foot in Jim Thorpe or wrote Pining For You. It’s the reason I had an overwhelming sense of déjà vu when I first visited Jim Thorpe.

I’ve been thinking about that story a lot lately. It’s currently unpublished, but I have thoughts. I know, I’ve always got thoughts. Big ones sometimes. The motivation to write this book came from my combined interest in love, something that’s in my blood, and my passion for helping cats in need. I’m one of the founding members of Feline Good Cat Rescue located in the Lehigh Valley and the current president of their board of directors.That’s me up there about to give Loki, my mischievous rescue kitty, a kiss. He loves kisses. In addition to Stray Hearts, I have three more books planned for the series. The titles are super cute too.

Anyway, I’d like to share the blurb:

Welcome to Tender Tails Cat Rescue. Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, they’re experts at making the purr-fect match. And here's a little secret: sometimes, the perfect match is not just purring at your feet!

Thirty-year-old Samantha creates magical moments as an event planner at the picturesque Wisteria Manor, but her own love life is a dumpster fire. That is until Jack, a boy she spent a summer with when she was a teenager, rolls back into town and finds a stray cat loose in his truck. After helping him sort out his feline dilemma, Samantha begins to fall for the charming photographer who has a knack for capturing the beauty in everything, including her heart. But Jack is only in town for two weeks, and Samantha knows all too well how this story ends…

For Jack, Willow Brook is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, especially when a feisty calico named Ruby reconnects him with Samantha, the girl who made those dance lessons more than bearable. Now, as they navigate their rekindled friendship, Jack can't help but be drawn to her kindness and passion for helping others despite his belief that love never lasts. With each passing day, Jack finds himself falling for her more, but the reality of his short visit threatens to end what they’ve started. When his time in Willow Brook is up, will he choose his successful yet solitary career or love with a woman he could never forget?

What do you think? I ADORE this story. Jack and Samantha have a ton of chemistry and admiration for one another. But they also have their issues. Samantha has been crushed by love repeatedly, leaving her feeling never good enough. Jack, on the other hand, has trouble trusting love. His parents divorce, when he was a child, left him believing that love doesn't last. I like tackling real emotional issues with my characters because it's so relatable. While it doesn't always work out in real life, it ABSOLUTELY does in my novels. HEAs for life! I like to give hope that a little bravery, trust, and taking a chance on love can lead to beautiful relationships. I know, I know. My quirky, lightworker soul wants love for everyone. Well, that and breakfast. I want breakfast for everyone too.

One last thing...the novel is about how hard volunteers work in cat rescue. I can’t tell you how amazing the people I know in cat rescue are. It often seems never-ending because of cat overpopulation, but they work tirelessly to do the work because they care so much.

If you are interested in learning more about the book or want to chat cat rescue, you can comment below or send me a private message.

In my next blog post I'm going to take you into the woods, up one of the trails in Jim Thorpe. It's an exciting story too. My teaser is that the trek involved shrooms and slithery things. Until next time, be well and remember to spay/neuter your pets!