How We Met: My Real-Life Romance Story

I’m delighted to be a guest on Shannon Vannatter’s Inkslinger blog today to share the story of how James and I met–and offer a glimpse into the setting of my upcoming novel, Take My Hand, releasing this December. Be sure to follow the link to Shannon’s blog and enter to win a Kindle copy of one of my currently published novels!

post excerpt

I love God’s creativity in pairing two people together. As much as I enjoy the creative challenge of writing fiction, I would never have thought to begin my romance story the way He did.

In my early thirties, I found myself still single, though wanting to find a life partner (or even better, for him to find me). However, no one seemed to be looking in my corner of Spring Hill, Florida, so I connected with a singles’ group at a larger church south of me and started making friends. One Sunday after class, our group’s pastor announced a need for volunteers at an outreach opportunity for single moms. Our class would be washing their cars, while another class prepared school supplies for their kids and served them a meal.

I almost didn’t go, because I had a commitment right afterward. But I risked overbooking myself and arrived for car-washing duty.

The leader asked for volunteers to take on different responsibilities in an assembly-like manner. One group washed the exterior. The next focused on hubcaps, and then a driver would take the car to a final detailing station.

When he called for hubcap duty, few people seemed interested, and only two people volunteered. Though I didn’t know either one, I offered to join the two guys. (Yes, I was that kid in school who couldn’t help but raise her hand when the teacher asked a question no one wanted to answer.)

Brief introductions revealed I’d be cleaning hubcaps with James and Mike. I pegged James as the handsome, popular guy who never noticed girls like me, and Mike seemed more introverted than myself.

If you’re pairing me with the fellow introvert, hold the phone. God has a way of throwing our expectations out the window and reshaping our first impressions.

Read the full post and enter the giveaway.

~ Kristen