Thursday, February 8, 2018

More than a Love Story by Angela Ruth Strong

There was a time when I quit writing romance. My happily-ever-after had ended, and I felt like love stories were nothing more than fairytales.

This was about ten years ago, right after my sister’s wedding. She got married, and I got divorced. It’s hard to be around happy couples when you’re all alone, so I went and bought myself a ring. It was a simple platinum band engraved with the words “Unconditionally Loved.”

Fast forward ten years. I’m now remarried, and my sister’s going through a divorce. She worked hard to try to save her marriage, and she’s devastated. Today is her birthday, and she doesn’t feel much like celebrating.

As a gift, I wrapped my “Unconditionally Loved” ring.

I never imagined anyone else would ever wear this band, but as I thought about what to get her and what I’d needed when I was in her shoes, I realized I already had the perfect gift. A symbol of God’s never-ending love.

This is the same reason I write love stories again—as a symbol of God’s never-ending love. There are a lot of romance novels out there, but they can’t be love stories without God because God is love. I don’t want to write fairytales, I want to write novels that help women make wise decisions and avoid the heartbreak both my sister and I have gone through.

Wherever you’re at this Valentine’s, I want you to know you are unconditionally loved. This love may not come from the person you want it to come from, and you may not even feel like you deserve it, but that doesn’t matter. You are loved, and accepting the fact will change your life.

This is the lesson my main character learns in my latest novel, Finding Love in Eureka, thanks to the powerful bond she has with her sister. Rosie supports Genevieve and helps her find her way back to her first love—Christ.

This is the love story my own sister needs right now. This is the love story we are all looking for. May it be your story this Valentine’s Day.

How has God shown you he loves you lately?

Raised in a family of six adopted siblings, Genevieve Wilson fights to keep her dysfunctional brothers and sisters together, but everyone still seems to leave. If she’s not good enough to prevent her birth parents from giving her up or her siblings from abandoning her, then there’s no way she would ever be enough to have a lasting relationship with the successful pilot from work—which is exactly what makes him a safe subject for her daydreams.

Matt Lake is dating the perfect woman and working a great job. Life is easy until he starts to enjoy hanging out with the airline employees more than with his girlfriend—one employee in particular. He tells himself he’s only intrigued by Gen’s quirkiness, but nobody else makes him smile the way she does.

Can Matt give up the flawless life he’d planned in exchange for the messiness of love? And if so, will Gen risk her heart on reality when it’s never paid off in the past? 
 
Angela Ruth Strong lives in Idaho with her hubby and teenagers. Besides writing, she works at an airline and teaches yoga because she'd rather get paid for her hobbies than actually work. That doesn't mean writing is easy, but her readers are worth it. Her books have won both Idaho Top Author and the Cascade Award, and she's had her novels selected as TOP PICK for Romantic Times. She also started IDAhope Writers to encourage other aspiring authors along their journey. She'd love to hear about your journey as well, so feel free to drop her a line at angelaruthstrong@gmail.com.

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