A Single Sparky (The Spark Brothers Book 1)
Page 14
Silence ensued, followed by a soft chuckle. “A year ago, I would’ve said you’re a hopeless romantic, but I actually understand what you mean now. You’re right, you can’t force yourself to feel something for a person, no matter how great they are or how much they may like you.”
“You can’t. Believe me, I’ve thought about it. I was flattered she would even consider me. But I think she’d be happier with someone like Darren. She’s always talking about the alpha heroes I write, how strong and brave they are. That’s Darren in a nutshell, not me.” In fact, Brandon based many of his male characters off their younger firefighter brother. “I’m going to find a way to get them together.” Danica had been so kind to him, ever since the first time he’d called the store about stocking his books. If anyone deserved a happy ending, she did. His hardworking, sacrificial brother deserved a good woman in his life, too.
“You’re playing matchmaker in real life now?” Aiden laughed. “Well, if you think Darren’s the guy for her, you have your work cut out for you. Have you forgotten his vow of celibacy?”
“No. But I believe in miracles. The four of us prayed for you for years, brother, and look what God did. If He could turn your stubborn heart around,” he teased, “anything’s possible.”
Aiden laughed, loud and long. “You know what? I’m going to start praying for you, Bran. There’s a perfect woman for you out there, someone who’s going to surpass all the fictional women you’ve created in your mind. And when you meet her, it’s going to blow all your romance stories out of the water.”
“I appreciate it, but you’re gonna have to pray hard, real hard.”
It wasn’t that Brandon doubted God’s power or faithfulness. But it would take something—or someone—extraordinary to surprise him. The truth was he had already met the perfect girl in college. A decade later, and he still couldn’t shake his memories of her. Nothing could compare to the romance he’d written for them in his mind.
The one thing he hated about having an overactive imagination? Nothing in real life ever seemed as bright or warm and fuzzy. That’s why he’d likely only fall in love in his books … unless his path crossed again with the first and only woman he’d ever kissed.
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Afterword
This book would not have been possible without the inspiration I got while listening to a local radio station’s morning show. One of the deejays shared her random experience of receiving a text message meant for someone else (complete with some internet stalking on her part!) and—bam! Abby and Aiden’s story was born. :) I decided to make Aiden a former boy band member because I had just watched a reality TV show about the making of a boy band. I grew up loving boy bands (I still have my first New Kids on the Block CD from back in the day) and I love music in general, so it seemed natural to include those elements in this story.
This is also the first time I planned and plotted out an entire series before I wrote it. It was both exciting and challenging for me to figure out all the characters and general storylines ahead of time. As someone who once wished she had an older brother (I’m the oldest of two girls), I thought it’d be interesting to take an inside look at the lives of five brothers. I briefly introduced the other guys to you in this book and am looking forward to sharing each one of their stories in the future.
I hope you enjoyed Abby and Aiden’s story! I’d love to hear your feedback (positive or negative), so please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Thank you for reading and giving me a reason to keep writing.
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank the following people who blessed me in the making of this book:
My awesome beta readers: Michele Chung, for reminding me to give Aiden closure to his past; Julie Spencer, for encouraging me to make the intro better; and Kristen Iten, for sharing your musical expertise. I appreciate all your detailed, insightful, and constructive feedback. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to help me bring Abby and Aiden’s story to life.
My fellow authors in the Word War Room Facebook group, for helping me be productive when I needed to crank out lots of words.
My ever-reliable editor, Heather Hayden, for all her hard work in turning my manuscripts into “happy copies”.
My online village, Clean Indie Reads, for giving me the practical advice I needed (add more side characters and conflict!) to complete my first novel-length book.
My family, for always supporting me (and reminding me there’s more to life than work).
You, dear reader, for believing in me enough to pick up this book and give it a try. Assuming you’ve read this far, thank you for loving my characters and rooting for them like the real people I know they are! ;)
About the Author
Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and an author by night. She writes sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).
In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at www.2square2behip.com.
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Also by Liwen Y. Ho
The Spark Brothers Series
A Single Spark
A Sudden Spark
The Sweetest Spark
At First Spark
An Extra Spark
Sage Valley Ranch Series
Falling for the Younger Cowboy
Lawkeepers Series
Lawfully Cherished
Billionaires with Heart Series
At Odds with the Billionaire
Best Friends with the Billionaire
Crushing on the Billionaire
Taking Chances on Love Series
Taking a Chance on the Heartbreaker
Taking a Chance on Mr. Wrong
Taking a Chance on the Enemy
Seasons of Love Series
The More the Merrier
A Spoonful of Spice
Of Buds and Blossoms
On Waves of Wanderlust
Tropical Kiss Series
Tropical Kiss or Miss
Tropical Kiss and Tell
Welcome To Romance Series
Chasing Romance
Romantically Ever After
Holding onto Love in Romance
Non-Series Books
Puppy Dog Tales
The Love Clause
Love’s Choice
The Time Rift (co-authored with David H. Ho)