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Get to Know Me and My Weirdness.

It's my first official blog post as a Casablanca author and I couldn't be more excited.

I'm not a good blogger, just getting that out of the way first and foremost. At times I tend to ramble and make absolutely no sense, but I can talk. AND I can write books too. So why the heck is blogging so hard for me? God I wish I knew. Either way, I'm here and I 'm ready to chat about life, books, book boyfriends of the broody, shirtless, bearded kind especially, and maybe even a little about me...which I suppose would be a good place to start, yeah?

Okay, here we go then.

I'm Heather Powell, but I write as Heather Van Fleet for various reasons. I'm married to my high school sweet heart, Chris. We've been together since he was fifteen and I sixteen. (Yes I robbed the cradle...and yeah, I'm proud of it too.) 

Chris and I met at this cheesy, teenage night club where booty shaking was all the rage, and baggy jeans and halter tops made for the perfect nineties outfit. The two of us had that epic, totally all-consuming kind of love that you read about in YA novels. We were the couple every one thought could make it. The couple everyone believed in. And now, 20 years later, we are living out our own HEA and I couldn't be prouder. 


Sadly, though, our life has been flipped upside recently. And it all happened in a matter of a month. Chris was diagnosed with cancer in late July and started chemotherapy in August after having surgery. It's been the scariest time of my life. The break-my-heart kind of fear that had me thinking: God, I'd never be able to live without this man if I lost him. 

Thankfully, the doctors are totally optimistic, saying he's got an excellent chance at recovery (98 percent, mind you) Still, getting to that end has been the biggest challenge we've ever faced in the 20 years we've been together. Chris is a fighter though, I will say that. And quite possibly the biggest badass I've ever known too. But to say I'm still not scared is an understatement because when the love of you life has the ugly C, no matter what kind it is, it's downright terrifying.  



On a lighter note, Chris and I have these three things that hang around with us on occasion and demand food and water and shelter and ice cream too. They come in the form of three girls who just so happened to be our daughters. Kelsey, (12) Emma, (10) and Bella, (6) are powerhouses in the form of kids. Three strong willed, future heroines of their own romance novels. (Though Chris is pretty sure they'll be in nunneries for the rest of their lives.) These girls are the reason I do what I do what I do. Why I put my fingers to the keyboard till midnight and wake up at the butt-crack of dawn to do it all over again. I write for them, needing them all to understand and see with their own eyes that dreams really do come true, just as long as you work hard to make them happen. And me, publishing a book through Sourcebooks is an absolute dream like no other.  


Oh, and yes. Here's my furry son, Stampy, (a two year old Godlendoodle) who is, in fact, named after a YouTuber, courtesy of my six year old. I was always a cat person growing up, but one look at his furry face and I was a goner. He's my nightmare in fur and the orneriest pup around, but he's the first to greet me when I come home and the one who keeps my feet warm at night.

Now for some fun. I'll post ten random facts about myself. Either I'm going to scare you all away...or maybe relate to some of you. Either way, I hope you don't mine me coming back once a month to ramble on here, because I may not be good at it, but I sure love to pretend I am.

10. My favorite food ever is my mom's spaghetti. It's perfection.

9. My favorite movie ever is a toss up between Ten Things I hate About You and The Notebook. (Because, hello? Romance? Swoon? Angst? Yes, gimme, please and thank you.)

8. I've had bangs my entire life. Blunt bangs, wispy bangs, short bangs, side bangs...you get the drift. 

7. I don't know how to cook. Like, I burn everything. We live on takeout now that my hubby can't cook much and I should totally feel bad about it, yet...I don't.

6. My guilty obsession? ANYTHING pumpkin. PSL's, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, and the list goes on, and on, and on...   

5. I often times (or a LOT of times) hide out in the bathroom just to read. I feel zero shame over this. Sometimes that first sexy scene or that first kiss between the h and h just can't wait, dang it.

4. I have a Twitter obsession. Enough said. 

3. I love zombies...

which leads me to my number 2 and 1.

2. I am certifiably in love with ZNation on the Scifi channel. It's absolutely gruesome and hilarious and I can't even begin to describe how much I love it.

1. But nothing can compare to my obsession with The Walking Dead and Abraham. I met him. I cried when I met him. I also cried when I was done meeting him because, well, I'm nuts like that.


So that's it for now. I hope I didn't scare you all away with my oddities. Maybe this guy will help ease the annoyance?

Mr. Thom Evans. He's exactly who I pictured as my hero when I wrote Reckless Hearts, (book one of my The Reckless Hearts series.) The release is on February 7th, and though that's a while away, I am more than excited for this day to come.

For now, I leave you with my many thanks, and the blurb too :)


Three alpha men and a baby.
What could possibly go wrong?

From boot camp to the Iraqi desert, best friends Collin, Max, and Gavin have been through hell and back. But these rugged Marines might need help facing their biggest challenge: raising Collin's nine-month-old daughter, Chloe.

After the death of his girlfriend in an accident, Collin Montgomery has sworn off serious relationships. His buddies have his back-and convince him it's okay to cut loose sometimes. Enter the hottest, smartest girl he's ever met. But what he really needs is a nanny.

Addison Booker needs a job desperately-and fast. She shows up to interview for the nanny position only to find the sexy, cocky man she can't get out of her head. Collin knows hiring her is a bad idea-they disagree about almost everything-but Addison is so good with little Chloe. And there's no substitute for chemistry, right?

Comments

  1. I love your story with your husband (excluding the big C part)! High school sweethearts?! I hope you write it someday (including the cheesy teen dance club please :) ) For now though, I can't wait to read your book in February!

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    1. Awww, thanks Jess. I will most definitely include the cheesy night club. :)

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  2. Great post! So awesome you and your husband found each other so many years ago. A true romance. Welcome to Casablanca!

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    1. Thanks, Marie! I'm pretty sure you just made my day by reading this, lol.

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  3. I like TWD too and Abraham has grown on me. I hope he's still alive on the premiere! Bless you with your 3 girls. I have 1 (also 6), and every day is an adventure.

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    1. Yay! More TWD love. Abe is such a giant teddy bear in person. Love him. And my 6 year old has given me more wrinkles and gray hairs than any of my other girls.

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  4. I loved reading your story. I'm a pumpkin nutter too! Ill take it all!
    Can't wait to read your book! *not so patiently waiting for Feb*

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    1. Pumpkin everything is to die for, huh?? And I really can't wait until you meet my boys and read their stories. ❤

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  5. Love this post Heather! A local craft brewery makes a spicy pumpkin beer in the fall. I wish I could share it with you!

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    1. Oooo, that would be amazing! I'm breaking through the border for that alone.

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  6. I love this post Heather! It's sweet and precious and made my eyes well with tears. You have such a powerful story and thank you so much for sharing it! Your family is adorable and I wish I could drive to where you are and hug your neck. Btw, February will be here before you know it. Eeeeeeeekkkk!!!! I'm so excited for the world to meet the guys!!

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    1. Love you, Jen. So happy to have you in my life.

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  7. How in the world did I NOT know you loved 10 things I hate about you???? Love Heath!!

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    1. No idea!! But yes. That movie and Heath... *sigh*

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  8. Such a lovely, heartfelt post, Heather! Your love story is definitely the one written about in novels and it will only continue to be as you overcome this obstacle in your paths. You'll somehow wind up even more passionate about each other. <3

    As for your random facts...

    TWD is also one of my obsessions, but my heart belongs to Michonne. She's the one character on the show I wouldn't be able to continue watching without. But I understand your love for Abraham. Fingers crossed they both survive the upcoming premiere.

    And the bathroom is totally my reading place. It's okay if I'm not escaping kids yet, right? There's something about closing that door and losing yourself in another world for five or twenty minutes.

    And since you've read my book, and characters tend to mimic their authors... you know I can't cook either. I burn EVERYTHING. So I feel you on that one. Thank goodness for hubbies who do the cooking for us. ;)

    Alright, closing this up now. I need February to get here so I can get lost in your words and swoon over your leading man. I'm ready. I'm so totally ready!

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    1. Morgan!!!!! How did I not know about your TWD love? We must discuss this more thoroughly. Michonne is my middle daughters "bae" lol. ❤❤

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  9. Great post. So sorry to hear about your hubby (virtual hug). Can't wait to read Reckless Hearts.

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  10. Great post, Heather! Everything about it makes me adore you all that much more. I've had the privilege of reading an earlier version of Reckless Hearts and can't wait for the rest of the world to meet your guys and Chloe!

    Sending you, Chris, and the girls all kinds of love and light. <3 <3 <3

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    1. Thank you. xoxo And I can't even contain my excitement over reading your book.

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