Guest: Susan Meier

Please welcome Harlequin Romance author, Susan Meier to the convertible today!  Susan will give away a set of her newest releases MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE and MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD to one lucky commenter!

WOULD POPCORN SURVIVE A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST?

Now that my kids are older, and not eating every meal with us, we find ourselves throwing away a lot more food that is past its expiration date. So we shop more carefully, but we also don’t simply trust that the milk will be good. We check the date on everything before we pour or spoon or taste.

But one thing I’ve noticed that seems to be good no matter what the date is popcorn. I’ve popped some popcorn packets that were over a year past the eat-by date. It made me wonder: If there was ever a nuclear war would cockroaches and popcorn be the only survivors? And if they were, what would they do? Would the cockroaches find the popcorn and use it as food? Or would they peacefully coexist?

That really sounds like an insane thing to ponder, but I’ve been thinking weird things like this my whole life. I thought I was insane until I went to my first writer’s organization meeting. Then I found my people. My tribe. My kindred spirits. Some of whom think about things even stupider than my internal debate about cockroaches, popcorn and nuclear holocaust.

Finding my tribe caused me to realize that everybody has a place, a group, an occupation or even a town where they simply fit. I’m a firm believer that if people spent more time searching for their authentic self and then got themselves into that group, they’d be happier. Instead, we look around at people we think are cool and we try to be them.

Kinda crazy.

Teenagers, I think, suffer from this problem the most. Even in trying to rebel they copy each other.

So right now you’re probably wondering what this has to do with romance novels, specifically the two books I have coming out this summer.

MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE and MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD tell the stories of Liz and Ellie. Liz was married to the love of her life, a guy so rich she never felt she fit and she left him. Penniless, she did the only thing she could to earn money…she cleaned houses.

She didn’t care that she had been the wife of a millionaire and was now cleaning houses. Her marriage had failed and she had to support herself. She had learned the lesson that money bought neither love nor happiness and she’d decided to be her real self, to live life on her terms. Oddly, becoming the strong woman she was meant to be brought her back into her ex-husband’s life.

She got so good and her demand got so high that ultimately, she hired other women to help her. Her first employee was Ellie.

Like Liz, when Ellie escaped her abusive situation, she didn’t give a flying fig what anybody thought of her. Glad to be alive, she vowed to be herself.

Both stories are poignant and powerful, but filled with fun and laughter too, because when someone is being his or herself there’s usually a lot of laughter involved.

Truth is a powerful thing.

So for me belonging isn’t about fitting everywhere. It’s about fitting the important places. With the man I chose to share my life with. With my family. With the women I truly call friend. And with my writing buddies.

susan