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Picture Imperfect
(Roseville Romances #1)
By Alyssa Roat & Hope Blinger
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 278 Pages
November 5, 2021 by Mountain Brook Ink
Summary
Can a struggling career woman and a procrastinating artist save a beloved nonprofit?
Aspiring novelist Caroline Penn expected a promotion, not a picture book assignment. But when her employer, the non-profit Helping Hope, runs into financial trouble, this book might be the solution. With the company struggling to stay afloat, she and the illustrator will need to collaborate on a strict deadline—no problem for a workaholic like Caroline, right?
Andy Jackson, a “starving” artist, pays the bills by taking on graphic design gigs, but his perfectionism gets in the way. If only he could focus on a project for once, perhaps he could achieve his dream to make art for children for a living.
When the two are thrust together to create a book, Caroline can’t seem to write for children, and Andy can’t meet a deadline to save his life. As time ticks down to release day, the two must face their pasts and insecurities. If they can avoid strangling one another for long enough, they may just bring to the table what the other is missing.
If not, the fate of their careers—and a beloved nonprofit—hangs in the balance.
Guest Post:
Why the Hard-Working Woman Needs Rest in Romance Books
Have you noticed at trend in romance books? How nearly every one starts out with a woman in the city who throws one hundred percent of what she does into her job? Then she receives a call from her mom, who lives in a small city. Usually, the conversation goes like this.
“Hon, you work too hard. Come help me in my shop this Christmas. And get some rest.”
Begrudgingly, the daughter accepts and heads to the small town. She delights in the rows of evergreen trees and fluffy cascading snow.
There, she meets a man (of course) and learns the rhythm of rest. Once again, she enjoys the holiday season.
She doesn’t lose her passion for her job—whether it be photography, wedding planning, fashion, insert the blank. But she realizes just how much of herself she lost along the way when she worked well beyond 9 to 5.
This is the story of both men and women in their twenties now. I remember a time when my coauthor and I worked seven jobs, apiece, just to support our passion for publishing. And we burned out. Like a candle with seven wicks stuck into it.
Why?
Because we were told that if we didn’t meet every deadline, didn’t say yes to every opportunity, didn’t take yet another unpaid internship, didn’t get our names into every publication … that someone would take our spot and that we would never realize our dreams.
Yes, we were told this explicitly until it had woven into the very fabric of our being.
And to this day—several years later—we spend our free time unstitching ourselves from that.
Romance as a genre stands out from the rest of the market because it calls its readers into rest, free from the burden of burnout. The rest of the stories that surround us, tell us to go, go, go while we still have the energy, the drive, the passion.
Instead, romance tells us that it’s okay to stop and stare at the Christmas lights. It’s okay to appreciate a steaming cup of hot cocoa and bask in the glow of a fireplace while watching the silent snowflakes cover the earth outside.
Because everyone needs rest.
Everyone needs the ability to turn down projects they can’t say yes to.
And everyone needs a call from a small town, to drop everything, and just soak in the present. Then, and only then, can we open ourselves up to so many beautiful possibilities. And maybe, if we’re lucky, a small-town romance.
About the Authors
Alyssa Roat has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an agent, editor, writer, and marketer. She is the publicity manager at Mountain Brook Ink and Mountain Brook Fire, a former associate literary agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, an editor with Sherpa Editing Services, and a freelance writer with 200+ bylines in local, national, and international publications. She is the author of The Wraithwood Trilogy and the co-author with Hope Bolinger of the YA superhero chat fiction romances Dear Hero and Dear Henchman. Her name is a pun, which means you can learn more about her at www.alyssawrote.com or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as @alyssawrote.
Tour Schedule
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked above. Giveaway began at midnight November 8, 2021 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on November 15, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
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Do you like to escape into a romance story too? Do you have a favorite trope or setting?
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