Romantic Reads: Lean On Me

Welcome Pat Simmons to the blog! 

She's here to share the story behind her story, Lean On Me. 

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The story behind the story of Lean On Me by Pat Simmons:

Thank you, Alexis, for allowing me to share my thoughts about my newest release Lean On Me.

From the beginning, I wanted to toy with a premise of a mystery lady on the run. Aunt Tweet’s character was somewhat shaped on the antics of my grandmother when I was her caregiver.

If I wanted my grandmother to reach her late nineties like her mother (my great-grandmother), I had to become her caregiver. The gamut of emotions I experienced were unexpected.

I couldn’t understand how this woman who had known me all my life didn’t recognize me. How this independent woman who worked on the railroad and purchased a boarding house to help others had become helpless. The memories of Grandma Jessie living with me are forever etched into my mind, my children’s, and my husband’s.

Originally, the Family is Forever series was penned the Caregivers. This pearl of a story was tucked away in forgotten files. The year I contemplated I would no longer write, the Lord reminded me of the caregivers series proposal that had been dormant for seven years. “Someone needs to hear from Me,” Jesus (Christ) had said.

I guess, the timing hadn’t been right. Maybe, because in the mid-90's, nursing homes and assisted living facilities met all the needs of seniors. Then things shifted. Once again, multi-generations were living under one roof, and roles reversed between child and parents.

Now according to the Family Caregiver Alliance website, more than forty three million people are caregivers annually. How could I dismiss this journey as a back story?

As a Christian romance author, I want the reader to embrace the emotional connection, but be inspired that if they would find themselves in such a scenario that God would be with them.

Lean on Me is more than an undying affection for a loved one who is mentally slipping away. It’s about love. Commitment. Hope. Tabitha Knicely is not a typical damsel in distress.

Marcus Whittington is more than a handsome hero. He becomes her fierce protector, because he soon learns every caregiver needs a caregiver. Once a misunderstanding is cleared up, and each flaw is exposed, a sweet romance has the making for a movie with a happy ending until the next time Aunt Tweet escapes.

Sometimes, not all the time, but every now and then, an act of kindness reminds us that God sends the right person at the right time for us to lean on.

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Author Bio:
Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author with more than thirty-five titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. 

She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat’s first inspirational women’s fiction, Lean On Me, with Sourcebooks, was the February/March Together We Read Digital Book Club pick for the national library system.

Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country. 

She has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter. 

Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Visit her online at www.patsimmons.net.

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Book Blurb for Lean on Me:

First in an emotional African American Christian romance from acclaimed inspirational author Pat Simmons featuring a tender-hearted heroine who puts her family first and a misguided hero who needs a little nudge to realize that sometimes all you have to do is believe.

No one should have to go it alone ...

Tabitha Knicely believes in family before everything. She may be overwhelmed caring for her beloved great-aunt, but she would never turn her back on the woman who raised her, even if Aunt Tweet's dementia is getting worse. 

Tabitha is sure she can do this on her own. But when Aunt Tweet ends up on her neighbor's front porch, and the man has the audacity to accuse Tabitha of elder abuse, things go from bad to awful.

Marcus Whittington feels a mountain of regret at causing problems for Tabitha and her great-aunt. How was he to know the frail older woman's niece was doing the best she could? 

As Marcus gets to know Aunt Tweet and sees how hard Tabitha is fighting to keep everything together, he can't walk away from the pair. Particularly when helping Tabitha care for her great-aunt leads the two of them on a spiritual journey of faith and surrender.

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Buy Pat’s book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

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Connect with Pat:
Website: http://www.patsimmons.net
Pinterest: pinterest.com/patsimmonsbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patsimmons
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/patsimmonsauthor
Facebook Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/patsimmonsreaders/
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/patsimmons