Of Puppies and Pages (or what I learned from raising 3 kids) by Melinda Curtis

As an empty nest writer with a busy schedule, I get distracted. Recently, as I raced toward a deadline and was spending way too much time at my desk, the newest addition to my family - a little Yorkie mix, hopped into my lap in search of some loving.

I pulled myself out of writing a kiss scene, and gave Duke's ears a gentle rub, followed by a scratch, followed by some tail wagging pats. And then I realized that underneath his beautiful puppy coat there were mats. And (I'm even embarrassed to write this) there were mats beneath his elbows and at the base of his chest. Had this happened overnight? What kind of dog mommy was I?

Lucky for Duke (and Mr. Curtis), I'm no stranger to the demands of a busy life. I know that you can't keep all the balls juggling in the air for long periods of time. I raised three kids. Sometimes they looked like they had the most put-together, upstanding parents. And every once in awhile, they'd show up at school with a wrinkled shirt, a wild loop to their ponytail, or a homework folder that hadn't been touched the night before. Life is tricky that way (as in no one is perfect and if you think you are, life is bound to find a way to give you a jolt of reality).

So I did what every character in a book does when confronted with conflict. I heaved a weary sigh!

And then I scrolled through my contact list and found the dog groomer's number. Now I have a dog who looks like he's battled through a case of lice (come on, I bet you always think others think the worst of you when you're down too?). So I'm giving life its due. I'm taking the lemons I let rot on the vine and making some fine lemonade by using my lapse as a blog post. This is what Duke looks like today.

Have you ever gone through a period where all the eggs you were juggling fell to the ground? How did you deal with it?

Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today bestseller who writes sweet romantic comedy. Her latest release, Make Me a Match, is available in most larger Walmarts during the month of March or online everywhere. It's the story of three childhood friends who've grown up together, played hockey together, and failed at life together. Now these guys are planning to get things back on track by...being matchmakers in Alaska?

If you enjoy hearing about sweet romance and new reads in the genre, please sign up for the Sweet Romance Reads newsletter in the sidebar. You can also sign up for Melinda's newsletter and receive free reads here.

The Romance of Our Lives by Aileen Fish

 In the comments on Raine English’s post on new beginnings, Helen Scott Taylor recently mentioned second chance romances as a favorite of hers, and I commented that I don’t read them as often as I do strangers meeting. To me, second chances make me look back in my own past and think about meeting one of my past loves again. My feeling on that is there’s a reason they are in my past!

I know I’m not in the majority on that, and that’s what I love about reading romance. We have choices. First love, second chances, friends to lovers, matchmaking gone awry…there is something for everyone, isn’t there?

It’s apparent I think in terms of my own life when reading. What about you? Do you find yourself choosing books by how they relate to your life? If you married your childhood sweetheart, are first-love stories your favorite? If you’re still single or single again, do you gravitate toward older heroines or second chances?

Aileen Fish is the author of the contemporary western series Small Town Sweethearts and Regency historical series The Bridgethorpe Brides. She tends to write about first love, while sneaking in mature romances in the background. Her upcoming The Cowgirl and the Geek is due out April 1st.

You can find her at http://aileenfish.com and on Facebook