My contemporary romance novel Floating on Air (Book 1 in my Struck By Love series), about the whirlwind love affair between a radio deejay and a charismatic entrepreneur, is based in many ways on my own romance with my late husband. I hold this book dear to my heart. Here are 7 ways my real-life romance inspired Floating on Air.

1. THE MEET-CUTE

 

 

In Floating on Air, Kyle Harrison calls on Desiree Germain’s contest line, and when he shows up at her radio station to claim his prize, they’re entranced by each other. My husband and I may not have met on the air, but it was a Meet-Cute worthy of a romance novel! I was introduced to Bill at a college party (I was there with another guy!) and I was a goner. Bill was charming, smart, and funny, and had the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen.

 

2. WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP

It must be something in the genes, but many of the most enduring relationships in my family have been whirlwind romances that began as love at first sight—maybe that’s why I feel compelled to write about them. Like Kyle and Desiree in Floating on Air, Bill and I instantly embarked on a dizzying love affair that took over our lives.

 

3. IT’S SET IN THE AWESOME 80s

There’s something soothing about a story that takes place at a comparatively simpler time, before the internet, personal computers, and cell phones changed the way we do everything. My husband and I got our start in life in the 80s, a decade that was filled with incredible entertainment choices, unique pop culture, iconic fashion, and the start of the fitness craze.

(Read my blog “8 Things I Love About the 80s” here!)

 

4. LONG-DISTANCE ROMANCE

Desiree knows a relationship with Kyle will be difficult, because she lives in southern California and he’s from Seattle. My romance with Bill faced a similar challenge. From the start, we lived in different cities. And then he moved to San Diego, 500 miles away. There was no texting, Facetime, or Zoom. We could only see each other on weekends if we were lucky. Every time one of us had to drive away or get on a plane it nearly broke my heart. All of the heart-wrenching moments of separation and all the joys of our reunions—I gave them to Desiree and Kyle.

 

5. ROMANTIC HERO

 

Kyle is inspired by my husband Bill in a lot of ways. They’re both physically passionate and romantic. Kyle sends Desiree dozens of red roses (Bill’s favorite flower—even when we were living on a super tight budget, he found a way to send or bring me red roses. Aren’t I lucky?) Kyle, like Bill, has a large wonderful family, is color blind (lots of personal details there!) and enjoys giving gifts to the woman he loves, including a very special piece of jewelry.

 

6. THE LOCALE

Desiree’s house in Floating on Air is based on the house in Garden Grove, California where Bill and I lived during the early years of our marriage. Kyle lives in Seattle because Bill took a lot of business trips there. I got to accompany him a couple of times and I fell in love with that city. (And as for that flight to Catalina Island and all that happened there … did that really happen to me? I’ll never tell!)

 

7. LOVE CONQUERS ALL

 

 

All romance novels have a happy ending and Floating on Air is no exception! Bill and I knew from the moment we met that we’d found our soul mate and other half. We survived the long-distance challenge, got married 9 months later, raised two terrific sons, and shared a wonderful life together.

 

THE STRUCK BY LOVE SERIES

I hope you enjoy Floating on Air as much as I enjoyed writing it! I just rebranded this very special novel as Book 1 in my Struck By Love series (Floating on Air was formerly titled Songbird) and I’m excited to announce that the newly revised edition is now available on Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited!

 

 

Don’t miss Book 2 in the Struck By Love series, Two Week Deal, in which a fiercely independent graphic artist gets the opportunity of a lifetime working in wintry South Lake Tahoe with the headstrong owner of an advertising agency. But can business and pleasure mix?

Two Week Deal is also a book that’s full of personal details (more on that in a future blog post)!

 

DEAR READERS: I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS POST!

If so, I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

You might share what you liked about this post … which of my books interest you … books of mine that you have read and enjoyed … or a few tidbits about your own real-life romance and why it might inspire a great romance novel! I look forward to hearing from you!