Joining me at the blog today is author Darlene DeLuca. Darlene writes contemporary romance that feels real and women’s fiction that explores relationships – what brings people together or keeps them apart. Her intent is to bring to life interesting characters that readers can relate to in real-life situations that combine a little fun, plenty of drama, and big helpings of friendship, love, and self-discovery, and will leave readers either cheering or sighing with a satisfied smile as they turn the final page. The Kansas City author enjoys getting lost in a good story with a glass of tea, a bit of dark chocolate and a warm, sunny beach.
“It’s not really letting go of the past that is the problem. It is coming to terms with letting go of a possible future that will never be. That is the struggle. To let go of the past you must let go of the future and live in the present.” – Anonymous
Letting go of a dream, watching a dream die, knowing a dream is out of your control… What’s the answer? How do you know when to keep trying, when to change your goals? When to give up?
I explore these questions in my new women’s fiction novel, Hard Lemonade, releasing Oct. 1. Emily Sherridan and her new husband leave friends and family behind in Chicago to pursue their dreams in sunny Los Angeles. Eric writes screenplays and dreams of making blockbuster movies. Emily supports his dream and plans to finish her college education at prestigious USC then launch her career in marketing and consumer studies.
They work hard. Emily throws all of her energy into school and work. Eric joins writing groups, networks within the industry, submits proposal after proposal to agents and studios. He’s building on the regional success he had in college. He won awards. The university theater department produced his plays. He and Emily arrive in L.A. full of hope and confidence.
But life happens—and it doesn’t follow their roadmap.
How they each respond to the changes and disappointments sets them on a bumpy course pitting hopes against reality.
Her husband fails. Her marriage fails. Does that make Emily Sherridan a failure?
With high hopes and rose-colored shades, Emily Sherridan leaves her family and friends to build a new life with her screenwriter husband in sunny Los Angeles. There, she learns that love conquers all…until the rent is overdue, the rejections pile up, or the test is positive.
As months, then years, go by and Eric’s career fails to launch, Emily is determined to hold everything together. But when he brings danger into their lives, it’s over. When the cops arrive at her doorstep, anguish mixes with anger. She wonders how low they can go—until one of the officers hands her the number to a women’s shelter.
Broke and broken, her dreams are dashed and her confidence is shaken. With Eric’s taunt about running home pounding in her ears, Emily pushes forward though she’s unsure of her direction. She cannot give up. Her daughter deserves more.
From rosy dreams to real-life roadblocks, Hard Lemonade is a compelling story of friends, family, and fierce sheroes.
Go here to get your own copy of Hard Lemonade ahead of its release on October 1st! Be sure to connect with Darlene on Instagram, Facebook, and her website.
Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from this compelling novel before it comes out!
“Yeah, well, it’d be nice to have a lot of things,” he told her tersely. “But this is the real world.”
“That’s right. It is.” Her arms flailed in the air. “And in the real world, people have jobs. You know there are other options. You haven’t even looked around. You haven’t interviewed or even thought about doing something else. You could teach. You could work in communications, at least part-time.”
“Uh-huh. Basically, I can give up. That’s what you’re saying. I can give up my dream and spend my life in some dead-end, stupid office.”
Her face flamed, and she gaped at him. “Eric. What do you think I’ve done? I gave up college life and who knows how many opportunities for a career. You want to talk about who’s stuck in a stupid office?”
“And it’ll be so much better if we both are, right?”
“Eric, come on.” Hands on her hips, she stared at her husband. It was as if he lived in an alternate universe—as if writing fiction had changed his perception of reality. “This isn’t about me or you. It’s about us. Our dreams. And Chloe.”
Shaking his head, Eric pushed off from the chair and headed for the kitchen. Braced against the counter, he crossed his arms and faced her. “How can I make our dream happen if I’m not in the game? You think the buyers are gonna think of me if everyone else is on the field, and I left to take a leak?”
“A lot of writers and artists and actors, people in any kind of arts have a day job. You know that.”
“So now I’m supposed to be like everybody else? Is that what you want?”
She squeezed her eyes closed. She’d met Eric at one of the libraries on campus. Emily remembered how proud she’d been to tell that fact to her parents. She loved that they hadn’t met at a frat party or in a bar. They met at a library. How cool was that?
The details of that first encounter were seared in her brain. Studying after classes, she’d spied Eric shelving books—curiously, there were a lot of books to shelve on the case right beside Emily that night. She’d been the one to strike up a conversation. After that, they’d talked and talked. And talked. It had come so easily, and she’d been impressed with the number of books he’d read and that their tastes were so similar. She didn’t get much reading done that night, and Eric certainly hadn’t earned his paycheck.
He’d been so charming, not to mention adorably good-looking. Unlike any other guy she’d met, he’d been quick to talk about dreams and goals, where he wanted to go in life. He had a plan—and passion that made his whole face light up.
