Heyyyyyyy, you guys! I’m back, and I brought cake! Why? Because it’s time to celebrate! I finally have a release date for my book, Learning to Love! But more on that in a moment. First, here’s an excerpt, starting at the beginning!

Donning a pair of her brightest red sneakers, Rebecca Ledgerwood took off toward the town square at a vigorous clip. Sundays in Kendal weren’t for the lazy or the lackadaisical. For as long as she’d been living there—all thirty-five years of her life and counting—it’d been the day to be out and about. To be seen and heard. Go to church, grab a bite, socialize, exercise, and everything in between.

As she neared the gazebo that stood at the center of all the activity, a fist of longing squeezed her heart. Everywhere she turned, she spotted families and soon-to-be-families, happy couples, new mothers pushing strollers . . . visions she’d trained herself to enjoy instead of envy. But today, envy was niggling. She felt like the word ‘single’ was tattooed on her forehead. Like she was the only one without someone to share this day with, and, quite frankly, it sucked.

***End of WWW post, but carry on to finish this sequence.***

Summer was in full swing. For a high school teacher, it was the most magical time of the year. Unless you were a single high school teacher. Then, the days seemed interminably long. Where were all the single guys when a girl actually had time to entertain them? Sheesh. In another week or two, she’d be spending her days preparing for her twelfth year at Kendal High School in the physical education department, and once the kids came back . . . buh-bye, social life. After-school programs, clubs, athletics, staff meetings, volunteering, fundraisers, and a whole host of other events took top priority. Oh, and the teaching thing.

Even with eleven years under her belt, she couldn’t claim to be an expert. Teaching was as much a learning experience as being taught—maybe even more so. Each class was different; every student had a unique personality, strengths, and needs. Kendal High students in particular required a great deal of compassion. These kids were pulled in from other communities and school districts where they were struggling and brought to KHS with the specific purpose of helping them succeed, using any methods or means in order to do so. To survive as an educator at Kendal High, you needed plenty of patience and a healthy sense of humor to help you get through the most difficult days.

Here’s the blurb:

Rebecca Ledgerwood is a physical education teacher who’s ready to invest some sweat equity into a lasting romance. On a whim, she has her palm read before summer vacation ends, and she’s told she’s an old soul who’ll find happiness with a younger man.

William Whitney leaves an unfulfilling career to pursue teaching and gets placed at Rebecca’s school for his physical education practicum. He’s desperate to make a difference, convinced that the choices he made in the past contributed to his younger sister’s death. Kendal High School is nothing like the prep school he attended as a teenager, but he’s determined to make the most of his time there, especially if it makes Rebecca notice him.

Though they come from vastly different backgrounds, there’s an undeniable chemistry that sparks between the two. Rebecca discovers they have more in common than she realized, and Will teaches her to trust again. But when he’s faced with his biggest challenge, will he take the easy way out, or prove that he’s learned the true meaning of love?

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to visit the other Weekend Writing Warriors!

Okay, back to the big news . . . my release date is December 3rd! I’m still wrapping up final edits, but buy links and all that other fun stuff should be available in a few weeks. As I read over these paragraphs I’ve shared with you today, I’m reminded why I became a teacher in the first place. This book is so near and dear to my heart because it’s as much a love story about teaching as it is a teacher love story. I hope you’ll tune in again next week. It’s so good to be back! 🙂