Lauraine Reads: Waiting for Sparks

A new voice in the romance field! Waiting for Sparks by Kathy Damp shows a fresh approach to what we used to call sweet romances. All the characters in this small town of Heaven are one of a kind. Trying to learn to work together to save their town from being drowned by the building of a new dam simply adds more drama and conflict to the romance building between two people who have no intentions of falling in love, especially not with each other.

In the hopes of drawing more visitors to town, Sparks has been hired by the town mayor, Naomi Chambers, to set up a spectacular fire works at the Fourth of July annual celebration and community festival. When Naomi has a major stroke, a plea for help goes to her granddaughter, Emma, who had no desire to return to Heaven. Her goal, to honor her Grandfather’s dream, is to take a trip to Paris... now, not months or never from now. Kathy has a deft hand with humor and conflict. And, a strong point, not the kind of conflict that could be resolved if the two characters simply sat down and talked to each other. That’s my main gripe about many romances… unrealistic resolutions.

Many of you have already met Kathy by her other handle, Kathleen Damp Wright. She is my co-writer for the S.A.V.E Squad, a fun series of four twelve year old girls who set out to save the world, one animal at a time. Dogs, cats, horses and surprisingly, owls, each star in one of these four hilarious books. We had a great time writing them. This series is officially out of print but can still be purchased online or from either of us.

Kathleen is an amazingly versatile writer and I am so looking forward to reading more books from her. I like books that I can laugh with and wonder how the author will work out all the tangles. And, on top of that, I get to brag that I know her. Waiting for Sparks is sure to bring readers hours of enjoyment.

Fall is drawing near and right now I am enjoying the cooler weather. My preference is under 90. They say I have a comfort spot rather than a comfort zone. There are lots of great books out there to read and only so much time to read them all. I might have to take myself in hand and learn to make more of the time I do have and try listening to an audio book going while I garden, paint or drive. Speaking of audio, we have great news: the six books in the Red River of the North series have been contracted to go audio. We’ve had many requests for that since all the others are already available so I’m glad. Perhaps I should start listening to my own books on audio. Happy reading, in whatever mode you choose, and perhaps you’ll be encouraged to write a bit too.