Guest Blog & Giveaway with Stephanie Rowe

Every once in a while, there's a moment in time, an experience, a revelation that shifts the direction of your life forever.

Mine happened about seven years ago. We were visiting my ninety-five year old grandmother for Christmas Eve dinner. It was a beautiful night of family and celebration, of warmth and love. But my grandmother, as she was wont to do, did a fantastic, flawless rendition of the Cranky Old Lady stereotype. As I sat across the table from her in my Christmas best, my heart began to sag for the wall around her heart that kept her from feeling any of the love surrounding her, or from joining in the laughter, or from even seeing what could possibly be good about that experience. And in that moment, I resolved that I would never let myself become that person, no matter how tough life became.

And tough life did indeed become for me. But I never forgot that night. I never forgot that moment when I realized that the most important gift we can give ourselves is the gift of humor. When life is crashing down around us, when things are spinning out of control, it's so tempting to scream with frustration, to think the entire world sucks. But the funny thing is, when we take that approach, the day keeps getting worse, we keep feeling bad, and before we know it, another day has passed us by, never to return, and we weren't there to enjoy it.

But when we can take a moment to pause, to release the weight in our hearts, and allow ourselves to giggle, to laugh, to see the lightness in the moment, then the things that seemed so bad suddenly feel a little more manageable.

Our souls want to dance. Or spirits want to laugh. Our hearts want to sparkle. And when they do, we feel so much better, even if nothing in our lives has actually changed. The miracle of laughter is powerful beyond words.

That is the gift I offer through my paranormal romances, both to myself and to my readers. The gift of laughter. Of a lighter heart. Sure, my stories are about people going through tough things. There is heartache, there is the cracking of souls, and there is passion driven by love so deep it awakes even the most damaged of hearts. But along with that is the unexpected twist, that moment when you burst out laughing, the kind of laugh that makes your whole body relax, that makes your mind and heart find peace, even if just for a moment.

When I write my stories, I put myself in the mindset of seeing the world from a place of joy and humor, and that mindset will often carry through my day, making everything seem a little brighter. If I can do that for someone else, make their day a little better, make things a little more bearable by giving them the gift of laughter…well, I can't think of a better reason to be a writer.

What happened recently in your life that made you laugh? A moment that brought an unexpected smile to your face? An encounter that called forth a deep-throated chuckle that still makes you grin when you think about it? Tell us about it. Share the gift of laughter.

KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK BY STEPHANIE ROWE – IN STORES JANUARY 2011

He needed a killer woman…

Blaine Underhill is one lucky man after having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch. Now he’s determined to save his still-enslaved friend, but in order to do so, he’ll need the help of one of the world’s most lethal women.

She was drop dead gorgeous, literally…

Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she’s one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.

When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Four-time RITA Award nominee and Golden Heart Award winner Stephanie Rowe is a nationally bestselling author, and has more than twenty-five contracted titles with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Dorchester and Harlequin. Stephanie has charmed reviewers with her unique blend of humor and otherworldly magic. She lives outside Boston, MA, where she is working on the next two books in the Soulfire Series: Touch if You Dare (July 2011) and Hold Me If You Can (September 2011). For more information, please visit http://www.stephanierowe.com/.

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