I was given a fabulous opportunity to work with a fun group of authors to pull together a box set of contemporary Christian romantic comedies. When I thought about whose story I should write to go into that set, I knew immediately that it would be Lia’s story and that her search for love would take her through the wild and wacky world of online dating.
That seed of an idea was followed by brainstorming sessions with friends, a few late nights with too much coffee, and a handful of out-of-control strokes of that nifty red pen. (Rinse and repeat.) And voila – An Informal Affair was born.
I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Lia and Maverick as much as I did.
I’m sharing an excerpt today, and I have to tell you – I had the hardest time picking one to share. There are so many scenes in this book that I love, but I decided to go with this one even though you don’t actually get to meet Maverick in it.
Maverick’s younger sister brought a couple of men from work to the family picnic in an attempt to fix Lia up. Only, Lia doesn’t realize she’s being fixed up, and Watts (Maverick’s sister) doesn’t realize that one of the men she brought for Lia actually has a crush on her.
****
“Lia!” Watts came running up. “Come on, come on, come on. I have a surprise for you.”
Maverick’s younger sister tugged Lia out to the back patio. “Lia, meet Jacob and Wesley.”
Lia peered from Watts to the two giant men standing by the outdoor grill. What on earth was that girl up to? “Nice to meet you.”
One of the men looked like he’d rather crawl under a bed of nails than be stuck talking to her. The other had eyes that danced and twinkled in the noonday sun. Lia didn’t know which was which, though. Watts hadn’t bothered to elaborate before running off with a shout of, “Ferris!”
The smiling one quirked an eyebrow. “Ferris? Who’s that?”
Lia waved in the general direction of the house. “Her brother.”
“I thought Maverick was her brother.”
“She has more than one.”
He nodded before holding out his hand. “I’m Jacob, by the way. This one’s Wesley.”
Lia shook the proffered hands. Wesley had to be within spitting distance of twenty like Watts, while Jacob outpaced them both by a good decade or so. “What brings you to the DC area?”
Wesley’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, a bright red Christmas tree. Or maybe a stoplight.
Jacob tossed a glance at the younger man before shaking his head. “So her name’s Watts. She has a brother named Maverick and another brother named Ferris?”
“And the Rottweiler you see sunning himself on the other side of the yard is Rambo Two.”
“Two?”
“Yep.”
“Was there a one?”
Maverick’s scowl made its way into her line of sight as he moved across the lawn. “Um, yeah. He’s in doggie heaven now.”
Wesley found his voice. “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal with the names?”
Jacob grabbed a soda out of a nearby cooler and tossed it to Wesley. “You’re too young. Don’t worry about it.” Then he gave his attention back to Lia. “For the record, I’m too young, too, but I grew up with a mess of older brothers.”
“Brothers might explain how you recognize the names Maverick and Ferris. Even Rambo. But Watts? You’re not secretly into chick flicks, are you?”
“Yeah, I sit up late at night with my pink slippers while I eat ice cream out of the tub and watch girl movies.” He rolled his eyes. “So what is it with this family and the ‘80s?”
Jacob’s puzzled expression brought a smile to Lia’s face. “Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt love the ‘80s. They even used to have a cat named Buttercup.”
“Let me guess. Kitty heaven?”
Lia chuckled. “Sadly, there was no sequel.”
****
You can read An Informal Affair in the Love at First Love box set.
It releases March 6th, but you can click here to pre-order it for 99c.
One person will be randomly selected to win a $5 Amazon gift card.
To enter, comment below with an answer to this question:
What’s your all-time favorite movie? And why do you like it so much?
I enjoy reading a good comedy, this looks fun:)
Hmm, all time favourite movie- an old Australian movie called Bushfire Moon ranks pretty highly, it is a sweet story of Christmas and sticking together. Favourite romantic comedy would have to be While You Were Sleeping- a sweet story, with some good, fun moments.
Blessings:)
It sounds like you had a fun time writing this story, Heather. Thanks for sharing the excerpt! I look forward to read it.
This book sounds like a fun read! My two favorites are You’ve Got Mail and While You Were Sleeping! Have a great weekend!
Thanks for sharing about the new book. Sounds promising as always.
All time favorite movie is a tough one, but I really enjoyed The cutting edge for a long time.
This book sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait to read it. All time favorite movie….. Hmmmmm… Its hard to pick just one. Would have to say Dirty Dancing…. A classic.
Hi Heather. Looking forward to Love at First Laugh and your romance An Informal Affair. The covers are delightful. My favorite movies are Hallmark movies. My favorite weekend TV watching with a new movie most Saturdays and Sunday. One of the main reasons we keep cable. I enjoy all of their modern Cinderella themed movies, where a girl meets a handsome prince. Another favorite Hallmark movie is Harvest moon, where a down in her luck rich girl inherits a very special pumpkin farm. I can relate to the movie, because our neighborhood farmer raises pumpkins. His now grown children sold them every year to make money for their college tuition.
So glad you could stop by today! I just realized I asked a question about movies…and I don’t really watch that many movies. I get bored too easily, or I think of the dishes or laundry or whatever it is that needs doing…and I just don’t quite manage to sit through an entire movie without interruption. I may have set myself up for some funny conversations today as people talk about their favorite movies and I have to say, “I’ve never seen it…” over and over again. ^_^
Thank you for stopping by today Jill! I hope you enjoy the story! :)
It’s still early, and While You Were Sleeping already has two votes – I see an early winner here! ^_^
That was a good movie! It probably qualifies as a romantic comedy, too, doesn’t it? Good call! ^_^
My favorite movie is Pride & Prejudice. I’m sooooo excited to read this, especially since it’s from some of my favorite, favorite authors! CAN’T Wait!!!!!
That IS a classic – you’re right! And now one of its songs is playing in my head… Good call!!
Can’t wait to read this! All time favorite movie has to be “When Harry Met Sally”. Never gets old to me!
Ha – what a fun way to earn money for college! I’m sure to them it was just ordinary, but to me it sounds delightful! ^_^ I have a friend who keeps cable for two main reasons – watching all the old Perry Mason shows (whatever channel they come on) & the Hallmark channel. So you’re not alone in that!
So…which Pride & Prejudice? Because there’s more than one, right? (Or am I confusing it with another movie?)
My favorite all time movie is Beaity and the Beast (the original animated version, not that live action disaster).
It’s about your personality being more important than your looks (a great message for people who…look like me), a girl who likes to think for herself, a great love story…and the most amazing library ever drawn on paper.
What is not to love?
The BBC version with Colin Firth, because it follows the book more closely.
Another great romantic comedy! Most of the favorites so far fall into that romcom category. That bodes well for this box set… ^_^
I’m pretty convinced that Belle fell in love with the library first…and that she then decided to give the Beast another chance. Because any guy who loved books that much couldn’t be all bad… ^_^
I have a lot of all time favorite movies but the one that comes to mind is “While you were sleeping”. I love it because it shows how you can find love in the most unexpected circumstances. Ok. I have to watch it later when I get home??
Love this excerpt! Can’t wait to read these stories!
My favorite movie right now is Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones. I like watching his relationship with his daughter and how his daughter grows in the movie.
Hi Heather! I’m so excited about this novella set (I already preordered & it’s my First Line Friday feature today)!!!
My favorite movie is Moms’ Night Out! It’s hilarious and heartwarming. It is one of the few movies I will watch over and over.
Congratulations on your new release!
Hahaha! Right? By the time today’s over, I’m going to have a mile-long list of movies to watch. ^_^ And you’re the third person (or 4th?) to mention While You Were Sleeping. Good vhoice!
I love movies that explore the dynamics of the parent/child relationship – especially when the child is a teen. (I might be partial, since I have one of those at home.) You might be the first person to pick an action movie so far – good call! ^_^
I’ve never heard of Moms’ Night Out, but I just looked it up, and it looks hilarious. I shall slide it into my TBW pile. ^_^ And yay! I’m glad you’re looking forward to Love at First Laugh! We’re all so excited to have been able to come together and do this set. Romantic comedy is a blast to write – and to read! (But then, I might be biased…) ^_^
I would have to say Dirty Dancing! I remember seeing it with my mom and grandma when I was around 8 years old! Looking back my mom says I have no clue what I was thinking letting you watch it that young. It just has always reminded me of a good under dog, romance and the opportunity of anything happening.
Such a hard question…I think I’d have to say my favorite movie is You’ve Got Mail. Or maybe White Christmas. Definitely one of those! Your book looks super cute!
My favourite movie…. mmmm. It is probably “Pride and Prejudice” if I could only pick one. I love watching musicals though, and I am SO looking forward to the new “Beauty and the Beast” movie coming out.
My all-time favorite movie is Anne of Green Gables, because it such a classic and I’ve watched it over and over again since childhood!
Love the covers! The story sound so fun.
I don’t really watch movies anymore, preferring to spend time reading or playing computer games. My favorite movie though is Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, though I see other favorites of mine listed above.
Hmmm… there’s a lot of movies I enjoy watching again, but I don’t have one specific favorite. I’ve probably watched “Sound of Music” more than others because I like the music, and I got to visit Salzburg and see a lot of the places the movie was filmed. I’ve also read Maria von Trapp’s books. I usually like the books better than the movies :-)
Always enjoy your books.
What a great excerpt. I preordered my copy.
All time favorite movie is a hard one. Seven Brides For Seven Brothers is definitely at the top of the list. Probably because I used to watch it with my dad.
I have pre ordered plus received the arc copy today. I can’t wait to read it. My favorite movie well this is hard I have a few I always love to watch. One of them is Bachelor Mother an old classic black and white movie.
I agree with You Heather!
Heather it was written by a Christian Sister of ours! Her name has left my brain for a while. Ugh!
I too would love to read your book in the series Heather but have to wait for the paperback versions since I don’t read eBooks! My favorite movies are : Sound of Music, Meet Me in St. Louis (love the musicals can you tell?), White Christmas (missed several years now due to not having it on DVD). Also, love the Hallmark movies!
Me too Margaret! Would love to visit Austria!
My all time favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz . I love that movie and still watch it every year when it comes in. I have thr DVD of it but nothing like watching it when it comes on TV. I loved Everything about the movie.
My favorite has to be The Sound of Music. I love the music, scenery and of course the romance.
Coming in a close second is Camelot with Richard Harris.
I’m so excited to read this book! My favorite movie is probably Monsters, Inc. Every time it come on TV, I have to watch it.
My favorite Movie of all time has got to be South Pacific. I Love War movies and musicals put it together there you have it South Pacific. The guy that played Stew Pot reminds me of my dad when he was younger. I sing to it everytime, and Happy Talk I follow along with the hand signs.
It’s really tough to pick my all time favorite movie; however, there’s one I’ve never forgotten how much I loved it. It was “The Buccaneer.” Watching it resulted in my having a crush on Yul Brynner. To this day, I still love Yul Brynner movies. So I guess I would have to say that movie has always been one of my all time favorite movies.
Sounds like a fun set of books to read! I love Sandra Bullock or Meg Ryan movies… anything fun & sweet. :)
An Informal Affair sound like so much fun Heather. I pre-ordered the set earlier this month. Can’t wait to read your book. You are one of my favorite author. As far as a favorite movie there are so many. I really enjoy both An Officer and A Gentlemen and Shall We Dance starring Richard Gere. I recently saw Shall We Dance and found it to be a fun movie. I also have enjoyed Pretty Woman. I am a big fan of his older movies.
Just about any movie version of Pride and Prejudice. Also loved The Cutting Edge and Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken from when I was younger. The Man from Snowy River is a good one, too. And Hallmark’s The Magic of Ordinary Days. I obviously have a hard time picking an all time favorite. :)
If you’ll pardon the interjection here, I was pleasantly surprised to see D.B. Sweeney (from “The Cutting Edge”) in a recent Christian movie called The Resurrection of Gavin Stone. He played the lead pastor at a big church. :) Fun fact to know and tell, and it was a very enjoyable and fun movie.
Tricia Goyer wrote Mom’s Night Out. :)
Heather, the book sounds so good!! I’d have to say my all time favorite movie has to be “Gone With the Wind”. I really don’t know why! lol! I grew up watching, love the book and could probably still watch it again today! :)
My vote still goes to Princess Bride. That’s romcom, right?
Can’t wait to read this collection! It’s on pre-order.
What a fun post! I have several all time favorite movies including While You Were Sleeping, Return of the Jedi, Ever After, Father of the Bride, Pride & Prejudice, Noises Off, 9 to 5 and several others :) Love romantic comedies, fantasies, and even a good drama like Regarding Henry…..a good story with the right characters will grab my attention every time :)
Nice excerpt and cover, thanks for the giveaway! Blessings on your weekend!
Twister & Back to the Future (Trilogy) are my all time favorite (non Christmas) movies. It’s hard for me to pick between the two of them.
Twister, mainly because I’m a weather nut. (Plus I love the sound effects when “Dorothy” finally works & her payload is released… that’s such a small part, though.) Many other reasons, too.
As it is with Back to the Future, many reasons. Main reason is I’ve always been drawn to time travel / parallel worlds stories. :)
There is one Hallmark movie, I have to add in, because it falls along the “parallel worlds” theme.. it’s called “The Love Letter”. Hmmm… if you haven’t seen it, watch for when it is reaired! ;)
Now, if it was Christmas movies, it would be Miracle on 34th Street. (Tell 1947 version). Just love the magic feeling about it. LOL :)
Well, here’s another vote for While You Were Sleeping. I also love The Princess Bride. I don’t watch many movies but tend toward light comedies when I do watch something.
My hub and I enjoy old westerns and recently saw Support Your Local Sheriff. We loved it and watch it over and over……a funny one!.
Love that excerpt. So fun! My favorite movie is Toy Story 2. I fell in love with Woody when Toy Story came out and loved that he had more of a starring role in the sequel. I also really like Father of the Bride and love the humor in it. Especially when George and Nina visit Brian’s parents for the first time.
The Sound of Music was my favorite movie because of the music and happily ever after story.
An Informal Affair sounds like a nice story.
Thanks for chiming in JoAnn! I probably could have looked it up, but…I like it when people make my life easier with answers. ^_^
Dirty Dancing is a classic in my book, and yeah…I probably shouldn’t have been allowed to watch it, either, but water under the bridge and all that. ;)
Someone else earlier mentioned You’ve Got Mail, too. I don’t think anyone has mentioned White Christmas yet. The funny thing, when I was talking to some author friends about this story (An Informal Affair) they told me it sounds kind of like You’ve Got Mail…but I’d never seen it, and I didn’t want to put ideas in my head before I finished the story, so I still haven’t seen it…
If we were talking all-time favorite musicals, I’d go with My Fair Lady. That’s an easy pick. When it comes to favorite movie, though…kind of depends on the day of the week and the color of the sky. ^_^ (BTW – I love that you love musicals!)
I’ve never seen the movie, but I read a kazillion Anne of Green Gables books when I was a kid!
Thank you Merrillee!!!
You are the third P&P person today! ^_^ I watch very few movies these days. All of my movie-watching experience is almost exclusively from before I graduated high school. I watched a few movies early in my marriage, but once kids came along…my patience for sitting still through an entire movie just kind of flew out the window. So I hear you on that one!
Me too! I’ll almost always pick the book over the movie. ^_^ My grandmother got to travel in Austria many, many years ago and see Salzburg, too. It was quite a treat for her, as I’m sure it was for you, too!
Thank you Kathy!
What a special memory! I love that you have that shared memory!!
It’s hard to mess with the classics, isn’t it?! I haven’t heard of that one, but I’m sure it’s fabulous! ^_^
It should be out in print sometime in May or June. :-) I enjoy musicals, too! I can’t get my husband or son to watch them with me, but I do enjoy them. :)
The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorites when I was growing up. I’d watch it every year when it came on TV. It’s been eons since I’ve seen it, though. Now you’ve gone and made me all nostalgic. ;)
The Sound of Music has been a popular one today! A good romance happens naturally, right? That’s one of the things I like about older romance movies. They don’t feel as forced as some of the newer ones do.
I love that one! (Even though it makes me cry.) Good choice Ashley!!
Thank you for visiting today Justina! And for sharing your favorite movie! I love seeing how many people enjoy musicals! You’re the first to name South Pacific, but musicals have been a popular theme today. :)
Did you know Yul Brynner was born in Russia? I had to go look him up to make sure I was thinking of the right actor. It says he was a Russian-born Swiss actor. And what a great choice! I have a few actors that I’ll watch anything they’re in simply because I like them so much. :-)
Yes! I’ve never seen a bad movie with either of them in it. They pretty much make every movie they’re in. :)
Pretty Woman is one of those movies that I probably shouldn’t have been allowed to watch growing up, but I had a girlfriend, and every time we got together, we watched that movie. It’s one of two movies I could quote almost line for line. (Princess Bride being the other.) And you’re spot-on – Richard Gere’s older movies are fantastic. Good choice!!
Okay, so the only ones of those I’ve seen are The Cutting Edge (loved it) and Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (loved, loved, loved it – but I was a teenager, so my memories might be colored with a touch of melodrama). ^_^
I didn’t get to see Gone With the Wind until I was in high school. I was visiting a friend who realized I’d never seen it and insisted I watch it. I’m pretty sure she would have duct taped me into place if I’d argued about it. ^_^ It ended up being a fabulous movie. I’m still not sure why I’d never seen it before then.
Princess Bride TOTALLY counts as romcom!! And if anyone tells you otherwise, send them my way. I’ll talk sense into them. ^_^
Those are all great movies! And you’re right – the characters are what always grab me in a movie. If I can buy into those characters, then I’ll stick it out all the way to the end. :)
So glad you could stop by today! Twister is one of the few movies I’ve seen in a movie theater. The sound effects – in surround sound like that? Awesome! ^_^ And I liked the Back to the Futures, too – but not because I like time travel. That was because I had a teeny tiny crush on Michael J. Fox. ^_^ And Miracle on 34th Street – the 1947 version – was my favorite Christmas movie all through my childhood. All great choices Becky!!
Princess Bride – yay! And While You Were Sleeping is definitely in first place today!! I’m with you – I tend to like light comedies if I’m going to sit through a movie. Occasionally an action movie. :)
When it comes to westerns, McLintock is my fave. But my husband was named after John Wayne, so I’m probably a bit biased. ^_^
Awesome choices! Toy Story 2 was fantastic! Father of the Bride has been mentioned several times today – and I don’t think I’ve seen it, so I’m going to have to rectify that.
I’m glad you could stop by today Linda!! The Sound of Music has been a popular choice today, so you’re in great company!!
Hi Heather,
I preordered this collection as soon as I saw it on the 13th, looks like some great reading!
Awesome!! I hope you enjoy all the stories. I’ve read most of them so far, and I’ve really enjoyed each one! ^_^
Me again. I told someone the other day that I saw Yul Brynner perform his signature role on the stage (The King and I) back in Texas in the early 80s. That person looked at me and said, “How old ARE you?” LOL. I was privileged to be able to see him perform the role. Etc. Etc. Etc. :)
Hi Heather,
So many of my favourites have been mentioned… You’ve Got Mail, While You Were Sleeping, all Jane Austen adaptions (some are much better than others). I will add to the list with any and all Agatha Christie adaptions and some of my all-time favourite Australian productions: The Man from Snowy River and My Brilliant Career. They are classics.
I can’t wait to receive my pre-order boxed set. I have enjoyed your books so much. Thank you, Heather, for putting pieces of yourself out there for us to savour. :)
I don’t like to pick just one favorite movie, I like too many! Comedies are what I like to watch, although I enjoy adventure flicks, too. While You Were Sleeping, Support Your Local Sheriff, Twister, but I like a good John Wayne movie as well. I am looking forward to this series. I can’t wait!
Narelle – thank you so much for stopping by today! I have a cousin who LOVES Agatha Christie. So she’d probably be right on board with you there! (And I have to admit, one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who is the one where they meet Agatha Christie.) ^_^ You have great taste in movies!!
I think I mentioned it earlier in the comments, but my husband was named after John Wayne. I don’t think I’d ever seen a John Wayne movie until I started dating him. Now I’ve probably seen most of them – at least the westerns. He (my husband) enjoys those ones more. You can never go wrong with a John Wayne movie, right? ^_^
The Cowboy’s… John Wayne Young boys on a trail drive with John Wayne.. I cry every time we watch it!
Did you like Yul Brynner in the King and I? He was an excellent actor. I would have loved to see him in person.
Excellent choice!!!
War Room. It can be life changing! I have changed my prayer life since seeing it!
I love lots of movies… I can recite Top Gun, I’ve watched Anne of Green Gables dozens of times, and I adore The Holiday, among others!
I’ve heard such good things about that movie! And anything that motivates us to a committed prayer life is always a good thing!! Thank you for sharing Joan!
Highway to the Danger Zone… And now that song’s going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the night. (And I don’t mind.) ^_^ The Holiday is another good one!!
oh gosh…. that’s a hard question!!! My all-time favorite movie is probably Cinderella. I guess. Since you’re making me choose and all ;) I fell in love with falling in love because of that movie, yes even as a little kid. Prince Charming was my first book boyfriend haha! He set a pretty high standard too!
Cinderella is a FABULOUS choice! I’ve seen a couple of good modern remakes, too. Gotta love a guy who’s head won’t be easily turned from the one his heart has chosen, right? :)
oh indeed!
I don’t think I have a favorite movie. I read a lot more than I watch. I have Love at First Laugh preordered and know I’ll love it.
Me too! I read more than I watch movies, but I did grow up in a movie-watching family, so I still have my favorites from way back when. (If you want to talk ’80s movies anytime, just give me a holler. I’m your gal. Anything newer than that, though, and I’ll do a lot of head-scratching.) ^_^