Blog Tour: Tripped Up Love by Julie Farley (spotlight, excerpt, guest post, giveaway)

Tripped Up Love
written by Julie Farley
published by Perfect Mamas Press

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

About the book: Heather Meadows lost the only love she’s ever known. Her perfect, yet ordinary life was turned upside down the day her 38-year-old husband died. Her happily ever after was gone in the blink of an eye. Heather’s life becomes the subject of scrutiny and pity as she tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered world and raise her three children on her own. In the midst of suburbia and gossipy neighbors, Heather tries to re-build a normal life. Little does she know she’s about to trip into a new adventure. An adventure she could never have imagined. Where will her misstep take her and how will Heather handle the prying eyes of those around her?

Prologue

Heather stood at the altar and read the eulogy. The eulogy for her dead husband.

I met Hank on the first day of kindergarten. He was building with the big blue plastic blocks and knocked them over on top of my head. I went to the nurse and got a boo boo sponge and Hank had to sit on a chair in the corner. We both ended up in tears. On the second day of kindergarten, I accidentally ate Hank’s snack. Meadows and Nester, our cubbies were right next to each other. So were our seats. We both ended up in tears, again. The alphabet pushed us together – Heather and Hank, Hank and Heather.

In first grade, we had our first sleepover and shared our first kiss under his bed. In fourth grade, we played Joanie and Chachi at recess. In seventh grade, I lip-synched “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and dedicated it to Hank at the middle school talent show. In high school, he asked me to prom. I said no. Things got complicated. 

For 32 years, Hank was my life, my everything. I can’t remember my life before Hank. I can’t imagine a world without him in it. And he’s gone.

But, now, as I look at the faces he loved most, I know Hank is still here. Hayes has his inquisitive mind and all of his hair. Gracie has his eyes and relentless dedication. And Henry, he has his laugh and wicked sense of humor.

We lost the sunshine in our days, the cherry on our sundae, the strong arms that kept us safe and wiped away our tears. I lost my Chachi. We lost our everything.

She got through the entire thing without a tear, which was a minor miracle. But, Heather doubted there were any left anyway. The sun shining through the skylights made the tears streaming down everyone else’s faces glisten. She walked unceremoniously back to her seat in the first pew and sat next to their kids – Hayes, Gracie and Henry. She knew she would have to resume her position as rock of the family shortly, but for this moment she let the rest of her family and friends carry her. Jenny rubbed her back from the next pew back and her mom, who was sitting right next to Jenny, gripped her shoulder so hard Heather could feel nails digging into her skin. Her mother-in-law, Hank’s mom, sobbed as she held her head in her hands, but her father-in-law gave Heather a small smile and a wink. Lauren, Hank’s sister, gave her a sweet, tear-filled smile.

After the ceremony, Heather stood in the back of the church with the kids and shook the hands of all the mourners. The mourners needed to see Heather wasn’t going to crumble. They needed her to be strong, and they needed to see life could and would go on. It took every ounce of Heather’s strength not to fall down onto the floor of the church screaming. Her happily ever after was over.

I have four kids. I say it so frequently that I feel like I should have a flashing neon sign announcing it on my forehead.  I have a 14-year-old boy, a 9-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy/girl twins. They are always my excuse for forgetting anything, being late and having a messy house.  Fortunately, my four kids are pretty good and responsible. Well, they aren’t that neat but they do keep me on track.  They remind me when they need their library books, field trip money or that they need to wear blue for Spirit Day.  They also understand my passion for writing and respect my need to do it. In fact the more I think about it, the more I think my writing may be the reason I forget things and have a messy house…not my kids.

I get up in the morning at 5:45 and write for an hour.  I see my high schooler off just before seven and then I start to get ready for work and get the other three ready to get on the elementary school bus. I teach preschool four days a week. My writing day starts again as soon as I get home from teaching and I usually write until the little guys get off the bus at 4 unless my 14-year-old has other plans for me.

Balancing my family and my writing gets complicated when inspiration hits and I’m at a baseball game or driving a carpool but it’s easy to jot down ideas wherever I am and come back to them later when I have time.  I always try to stop writing in the middle of a chapter or paragraph.  I don’t want to waste time not knowing what I’m going to write when I sit back down.  I need to be able to jump right in if I have a few minutes.

My kids give me so much material and inspiration for my writing. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I get to follow my dreams, have a job that I find fulfilling and be flexible enough to be home with my kids when they need me.

About the author: Julie Farley is the author of Tripped Up Love and The New Ever After.  She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, four rarely quiet children and her 50 pound lap dog. Julie spends her days writing and teaching preschool. She chronicles her adventures on her blog at juliefarley.com and is working on the next book in The New Ever After Series.

Find Ms. Farley here: web, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, YouTube

 **Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Tripped Up Love before  November 11 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**