Shannon here: Hope Toler Dougherty shares how she met her husband, how her characters meet in her latest Contemporary Romance, Forever Home, plus a chance to win a print copy. Comment or answer the question in any post dated Aug 8th – 12th to enter the drawing. Deadline: Aug 20th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Hope.
My future husband and I began dating in Charlotte, North Carolina, way back in the late 80’s. We’d go out with friends and then during the evening, people would start to couple up.
The night we met, I was hanging out with my roommate at a nice restaurant bar with lots of wood and lush ferns. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. My husband likes to joke that we met at a bar.
When we started talking, I was immediately attracted to him, impressed with his career, how he carried himself, his plans, his humor. I thought, This guy has his act together. All the other guys I’d dated seemed like boys in comparison.
When he grabbed my fingers and noticed my college ring, he said, “1983. That’s when you graduated?” I said, “the first time.”
Please understand, I don’t normally respond with such audacity, but I wanted to hold his attention, too. When my roommate and I decided to leave, I stopped at the front door and looked back. He was looking at me! Just like the old Buck Owens song, “Looking Back.” We began dating in December 1986 and married in August 1988. Through the years, he’s proven my first impression correct. He’s a solid real deal, a man of God who loves his family.
Merritt Hastings and Sam Daniels don’t hit it off at first in Forever Home. A piano teacher without a piano, Merritt practices and gives lessons on her church’s piano until she can find one of her own. (Discover the circumstances of losing her piano in the first chapter.)
Sam eavesdrops on her solo practice session and is intrigued because she’s playing Christmas carols in May and talking to herself. When she asks out loud what to play next, he answers, “‘O Come All Ye Faithful?’”
Scared out of her wits, she jumps off the piano bench. Fright turning into embarrassment, she exits the sanctuary as fast as she can, leaving a puzzled but intrigued Sam behind.
Read Forever Home to discover if Merritt gets her happily ever after with Sam, her possible knight in dented armor.
Question for Readers: What was the first meeting with your spouse/significant other like–definite turn off, just okay, or interested at first sight? Or what kind of relationship do you like your fictional characters to have–enemies to love or friends to love?
About Hope: Hope Toler Dougherty holds a master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her novels include Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising, Rescued Hearts, Forever Music, and Forever Home. Her recent novella, “A Hatteras Surprise,” appears in Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams and is also available as a standalone novel. She and her husband delight in visits with their daughters and twin sons. Learn more & connect:
Hope’s Website Hope’s Facebook Hope’s Instagram Hope’s Goodreads
Hope’s BookBub Hope’s Pinterest Hope’s Twitter
About the book – Forever Home: With a fulfilling job and a home of her own, former foster child,
Merritt Hastings, relishes her stable, respectable life. Dreaming for more is a sure way for heartache. When a contested will turns her world upside down, she must reevaluate what’s important to her, what’s worth fighting for, and what’s worth sacrificing.
Patience has never been Sam Daniels’ strong suit with his history of acting quickly and asking questions later, and he’s ready for changes in his life…now. Too bad the plans for acquiring a radio station didn’t include a contract. Now he’s out of a job, out of a radio station, and out of prospects.
While his life is in flux, at least he can help Merritt steady hers, or will he rush in and overstep …again?
Will the sparks flying between these two opposites lead to a happily-ever-after or heartbreak for both?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Hope’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now! Forever Home Hope’s Books
Come back Aug 12th for part 2 with Hope!
I was introduced to my boyfriend by a mutual friend, who thought he could help with out with a situation that my family was in. I had been through a nasty divorce and he was widowed, and neither one of us was looking for love. We became friends and would see each other at our local library (where my friend worked) a couple of times a week. He called me one afternoon and told me his car was broke down, and asked if I could give his friend a ride to his chemo appointment the next day. I told him sure, and that led to us spending a lot of time together talking, waiting for his friend to finish with chemo. I knew I was falling for him but I was scared. I finally confessed how I felt and we started dating. We’ve been together 3 years and I’ve never been so happy!
I’m so happy you found each other, Kim. I especially love that you kept meeting at the library, too! Thank you for replying!
I was the new girl on campus. A bunch of us huddled together on cold mornings before the school doors opened. He was a tall, quiet, polite, but funny young man that everyone liked. They called him Carlisle. I thought that was his first name, which I thought was very unusual. As our senior year in high school wore on, he started walking me to class, always making me laugh on the way. He asked me to the senior prom and a year later, that name became mine!
High school sweethearts, just like my parents! Thank you for sharing your story, Jenny!
just okay! went to play cards with some friends!
But just okay turned into great, right? Thank you for reading!
My husband was cruising around
and spotted me at the lake. I thought he was so cocky and full of himself lol. He wound up charming me and 3 months later we got married
I usually try to stay in the background and let my guest author shine. But I know Yvette personally. Cute story. I didn’t know how y’all met. I knew it was fast though. And thirty-some-odd years later, still going strong. Miss seeing y’all.
Three months into thirty-something years? Wonderful, Yvette!
Funny how perspectives change! Thank you for stopping by the blog!
I met my now spouse at a church event. I had gone to pick up a friends daughter. We wound up talking until 2am ((I had to take a college final at 8 am). I knew as soon as I met him I would spend my life with him. He had his life together, loved the Lord, wasn’t into the party scene. He was everything I was looking for. Funny thing though, I had just come out of a bad relationship and had sworn off romance of any kind. I vowed if God wanted me to get married, he was gonna have to show me a guy that had all the things I had just listed off. We met in May of 2002 and married June of 2003.
Now you’re coming up on twenty years of marriage! Wonderful, Gayla! Thank you for sharing your story!
I met my future husband at my first job after high school. The moment I met him and looked into his eyes, I knew ‘he was the one’. He’s told me the same. Well, 43 years later, he’s still the one. ❤️
Love at first sight! Wow, 43 years! Wonderful! Thank you for stopping by the blog, Jeanette!
You asked about our first meeting, how it was. Well … let me tell you this short version. Met 01/15, engaged 2/14, married 6/18 — SAME YEAR!!! Yep pretty quick. It worked for us!!! 45 years so far!!!!
Oh, my stars! So fast, but when you know, you know! Thank you for reading the post and commenting, Sheila!
I met my husband at the Frat House in Orlando, FL. We often frequented the same places for several years, but I guess the time was right to meet on this particular night, October 12, 1994.
We went out 2 days later (I followed him to the restaurant in my own car).
We have been doing life together since then.❤️
Sephanie, I love that you remember the exact date! Thank you for sharing your story!
We spent a great deal of time talking, getting to know each other and becoming friends, before coming to realize there was more than friendship between us. Our first date was at a Carrabas Italian Restaurant. We hung out afterwards for awhile and enjoyed some cookies and cream cheesecake I baked for him. He had told me in a previous conversation that his favorite dessert was cheesecake so I would surprise him. He was thrilled.
Blue hot flames burn out more quickly than less hot ones. With that in mind, maybe relationships that begin slowly tend to be more secure and stable. I guess I
prefer romance to build rather than explode.
Betsy, our romance took off quickly, but we had to navigate a few obstacles before our happily ever after! Thank you for responding!
Nice! You took the slow route to enduring love! Carrabas has delicious food! Great choice for a first date. Thank you for sharing how you met your husband, Cherie.