Excited to have author Liwen Y. Ho on the blog today!

I joke that as a stay-at-home-mom, I play the roles of chauffeur and referee (often at the same time). To make my commute through town more bearable, I always tune in to a local top 40 radio station. On one particular day as I was listening to the morning show, one of the deejays mentioned she had received a text meant for someone else. She was so intrigued by the sender’s courteous message that she looked him up online. Her search led her to a Facebook profile, which confirmed the man was handsome, lived out of state, and was (unfortunately) married. When I heard the disappointment in her voice, the romance writer gears in my head started turning. I wondered what would have happened if the circumstances were different, if he was in fact single?
 
That’s how my new book, A Single Spark, came to be. I took that deejay’s experience and created a story about a former boy band member and a radio deejay who meet through a text message. I also included a little bit of frenemy attraction, mistaken identities, and lots of divine intervention. The result is a fun inspirational romance with lots of sparks—pun intended! This new release is only 99¢ for a limited time. I hope you'll pick up your Kindle copy HERE today!
 
​Former boy band hottie, Aiden Spark, distanced himself from everything he valued—faith, family, and fame—when he lost his girlfriend. A decade later, he’s still hiding behind his grief when he accidentally texts a woman who’s all too curious about his identity.
 
Burned by the men in her life, deejay Abby Dearan has chosen to focus on her newfound faith in God and use her radio presence for good. Her plans are thwarted though when a text message—and the irritating man who sent it—won’t leave her in peace.
 
Aiden can’t forget the woman who reminds him so much of his first love; Abby can’t remember the last time a man made her feel so beautiful. To make matters worse, it’s impossible to avoid one another when their siblings and friends—not to mention, divine intervention—keep pushing them together. Will the sparks igniting between them end up in flames or romance?
 
About Liwen Y. Ho:
 
Liwen Y. Ho 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.
 
Connect with Liwen:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bt2nEL
Blog: http://www.2square2behip.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2square2behip/
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/liwenho
Twitter: https://twitter.com/2square2behip
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.liwenho/

Today I wanted to share with you a YA book I read this year that really resonated with me. I've been writing about those little red flag moments in my own work--in particular in Can Dreams Come True and Dating the It Guy, and I have been hearing from readers who tell me how they saw those signs/red flags in their own relationships and and ignored them. So right now I am on the lookout for other YA books like this to recommend to my readers and this was one I thought got it right.

It's called, The Fruit of My Lipstick: Glory Prep Book 2 by Shelley Adina and it's a YA book that handled abusive relationships sooo well. It was so subtle in the beginning that I almost questioned  what the character was looking past in her boyfriend. The author set it up so well you missed some of the subtle signs and weren't sure if the boyfriend had done some things intentionally. Then at the end, when things escalated with him, her friends pointed out flags she missed. The author completely hit on how it doesn't start with pushing or hitting, but it's far more subtle than that. You're so far into the relationship and your self-esteem is slipping before you even pick up on what is happening. Honestly it was perfect because it showed why you don't just get up and walk away when it happens, because you're so mentally confused by little things.

This is wonderful read for young girls who will learn to recognize the early signs of controlling behavior.