Guest Post: Heather Van Fleet - Author of When It's Least Expected!

Please help me welcome Author Heather Van Fleet!

I'm excited that she's stopped by to share her views on Insta-Love!
I have to admit that I'm of those that usually grumbles when it's insta-love. I either love it in the novel or it just sorta bugs me a little. I'm never a full on hater, though, because, eh, what's life without some fun lovin' right? Ha. ^_^
 I love Heather's thoughts on it!

Thanks Heather for stopping by today!!!

Let me tell ya a little about Heather & her fabulous novel first!

When It's Least Expected

Perfect Timing #1

by Heather Van Fleet

Mature YA Romance

Published April 23, 2013

by No Boundaries Press

Synopsis:

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with those tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.

Enter Mason Daniel, the egotistical, sexy, surfer boy from California – a boy with his own hidden demons, and even bigger secret agenda.

Mason isn’t right for Harley. He knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner–a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.

He should have known what it would lead to… Two kindred souls – both lost and then found. Will they fail, once again, in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find true love, when it’s least expected?

Grab Your Copy or Add It To Your Goodreads Shelf:

About Heather:

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three daughters, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfully married to now for ten plus years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

Connect With Heather:  Website    Facebook    Twitter

Now Let's Give Heather The Floor!

Insta-love . . . anyone who reads in the YA genre (or any other genre of romance at that) most likely has heard of, or have even used that particular phrase themselves when referring to the books they’ve read. But if you’re not familiar with it, then it’s probably best described as that whole love (or even lust) at first site thing between the hero and heroine in a book.

Now, people either hate the idea . . . or they absolutely love it! I, for one, am intensely passionate about it – but ONLY if it fits the story line correctly. Heck, the truth is, half the reason why I read is because I want to feel that unrealistic love connection between two make-believe characters. I want to get lost in the idea of a perfect fairy tale in a fictional world, especially when life is definitely not all flowers and rainbows and butterflies as it is . . .

Yeah, I know it’s not an entirely realistic idea, is it? And I also know that it’s not always ideal for every book either. But people also need to remember that books are just fictional, faux stories that many authors sweat blood for. And NOBODY (authors and readers both) should be criticized against for the way they believe in falling in love.

It’s so sad, because I’ve seen so much negativity towards that one simple idea of falling in love (or even lust) at first site. Readers bash a perfectly good book because the romance is supposedly too rushed, and that always bugs me for some reason. But I keep my peace, and I don’t usually respond, because once again I have to remember that the insta-love idea is not for everyone. But maybe – just maybe – a rushed book is exactly what the author believes in – what the author wants YOU as a reader to believe in too. And like I said before, I shamelessly believe in the idea myself.  J

Why you ask do I believe in this? Well, maybe it’s because I’ve heard of it actually happening, and even lived through the entire experience myself.

Take my parents for instance. They met when they were both very young, and then only a few short weeks later, they were engaged to be married. Now forty or so years down the line, and they are still just as “insta-in-love” as they were back then.

Now THAT, to me, is a real life insta-love story. . .

Then there is my own personal insta-love story. . .  I’ve blogged about this in the past, and anyone who knows me personally will know about this too, so I’ll make it short but sweet :) You see, my hubby and I met at fifteen and sixteen years old, and I’m not even kidding you when I say that I experienced some of the same emotions as a person in “insta-love” have felt. And now, almost fifteen years later, I’m still living that fairy tale – even if it’s not always smooth sailing. But hey – nothing is quite perfect, right?

So here’s my take on this insta-love thing: if you want to write about it, write about it! And write the heck out of it too. If you want to read it, then the same thing goes, and you should most definitely read the heck out of it as well. And finally, if you want to hate it, then that’s your right as a reader to do so, and go ahead . . . hate the heck away! :) Just try to remember one thing . . .  we all have different views on love and if you don’t like it, then that’s perfectly fine! But don’t hate us as authors if we simply like to live in a fantasy world where reality and fiction are not even close to blending together in that perfectly symmetrical line.