Friday, February 1, 2019

When Love Inspires: Brandy's story


When Love Inspires: Brandy's story

Back in Colorado, during my book launch party for The Last Summer, one of the ladies there said to me something to the effect of "You must have such a romantic life to write romance!"

I choked back a laugh, cleared my throat, and set the record straight. Maybe it’s a misconception that romance writers are living lives of roses and passionate getaways and love notes left for you on your pillow. I’ve been married for nearly 16 years—and while there are those things I just mentioned at times (well, maybe love texts and emojis rather than notes!)—my days are probably similar to everyone else’s in my stage of life.

My “book boyfriend” is always going to be Outlander’s Jamie Fraser. My husband Jeff likes to remind me that Jamie’s a fictional character, created by a woman, and that’s why women love him. Because he’s all the things women want. (I have rebuttal arguments but we won’t go into that!) I think we see a lot of this in romance, right? Billionaire boyfriends falling in love with the housekeeper (or the nanny! Always the nanny for some reason!). Extraordinary athletes coming home and falling in love with the girl next door. Princes falling for commoners. I read these stories too! Happily Ever After comes and you sigh with happiness, because you just know that the couple will always be crazy about each other, never have financial squabbles, and never go through anything that might take them to marriage counseling.

Then there’s real life.

I love Valentine’s Day, but not because of expensive dinners or outrageous flower arrangements. Because romance is in the little things. And love extends to family and friends, not just couples. I write romance because there’s something real and special about finding your person, even if he’s not a Scottish highlander who’s perfect (cough!). And that’s for everyone, whether they’ve found that person yet or not. 

In my new book After the Rain, the main character is a girl going through depression. The truth is that a relationship doesn’t solve that. Many of us have been there. I’ve been there. In the right relationship, your partner comes alongside you in the dark times, and you go on the journey together. And finding that person is, to me, worth writing about!

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Author Bio: 
Brandy Bruce is a mom, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert. 

She’s the author of the award-winning novel The Last Summer, Looks Like Love, and The Romano Family Collection. 

Brandy, her husband, and their children make their home in Virginia.

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Blurb for Brandy's book: 

After the Rain is a picture of what it looks like to desperately need change, to want to rediscover yourself, and to feel so stuck that maybe you can’t move with help. 


Debra Hart is moving on. Maybe. Hopefully. One day.

As a radio show host, Debra spends her mornings as Miss Lonely Heart on air, empathizing with all the broken hearts in the Denver metro area. She spends her evenings watching old musicals and trying not to think about the guy who broke up with her and subsequently fell in love with one of her best friends. Alone in a new city, Debra questions where she belongs and who she is now.

When she stumbles into the indie music scene, Debra meets singer Ben Price. Rock star appeal, with a day job as a worship pastor, Ben is everything Debra wants to avoid. But he’s determined to be her friend, and it so happens she could really use one. Because try as she might, nothing seems to erase the anger and betrayal she feels.

It’s time for a new dream. But how does she start over when she doesn’t even know what she wants anymore?

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2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful story, Brandy!

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  2. I loved The Last Summer! It was one of my favorite books of the year. So I'm really excited to read Debra's story. I'm sure I'll laugh, cry and just go through all the emotions. Release day can't come soon enough!

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