Marriage is supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows…right?

‘Fraid not.

Don’t let those two words frighten you, though.

Marriage is wonderful. Sometimes frustrating. But wonderful.

If I can offer you one sliver of advice, it would be this: Listen to each other.

That may sound trite, but seriously. There are times when we all have trouble listening. For all my introvert ways, I’m known to interrupt my husband. When I do, he feels like I’m not listening to him, or not willing to listen long enough for him to say all that he wants to say. There are times when an interruption is warranted, but getting into that discussion is not my plan.

The idea is to listen. Put the phone away. Take your eyes off the television. Turn the radio down. And listen.

We’ve been married nineteen years. There’s not a lot of things we haven’t talked about. We talk through arguments and differences of opinion with the same tones we talk about the weather. Why does that work? Because we listen to what the other has to say.

He listens to me prattle on about books, even though he couldn’t care less about reading or writing. I listen to him when he talks video games, even though I don’t understand half of what he’s talking about.

You’ll be amazed what you learn about each other when you pay attention. When you stop focusing on what YOU want to say and listen to what your partner needs you to hear. Watch the way their eyes light up when they talk about something they did at work. Feel the love warm your heart when they focus on every word you say when you’re worried about something. Listening is not a one-sided skill, and it can even be difficult for a pair of introverts who’ve been together for twenty years.

Bookers on the Rocks

If it ain’t broke, why’s she so intent on fixing it?

Tessa Booker hates romance.

For twenty-five years, Tessa Booker has insisted that romance is something Hollywood cooked up to sell books and movies. Yes, she knows the word existed before movies. She doesn’t care. That’s her story, and she’s sticking to it.

So when Ross gets a gentle nudge from Mallory Barrows to look into what Tessa’s doing every day while he’s at work, he discovers a romance in the works–one that sounds a little too “ripped from the pages” of his life!

Who is this woman, and what has she done with his wife?

Armed with advice from 101 Ways to Romance Your Wife and a copy of the manuscript he printed while she was napping, he’s determined to figure out what’s up with his wife… and if maybe a little romance wouldn’t be a good thing after all.

In a twist of the “on the rocks trope,” this book introduces the next island in the Independence Islands Series featuring five islands, six authors, and a boatload of happily-ever-afters.

Purchase HERE