Raquel Byrnes – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Romantic Suspense author, Raquel Byrnes shares her first date with her husband. Comment on any post dated July 4 – 8 for a chance to win her book: Purple Knot. Deadline July 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Raquel:




I met my husband nineteen years ago when I was just nineteen. Our college arranged for the honors history courses to attend the opening of the impressionist exhibit at Balboa museum. He was someone that I’d noticed before, around campus, and I had to admit my heart raced when he and I were put in the same tour group. We hit it off right away and he asked me out on a date the next evening.
If something could go wrong on a first date, it did on ours. My father, a marine, didn’t like his long hair. Thought his car looked unsafe, and threatened him in general to behave. He’d borrowed his sister’s car out of worry that his own car wouldn’t start and had trouble locating the buttons we needed for the rain.
To top it off we were late to the movies and had to sit way in the back where he couldn’t see because he didn’t bring his glasses. He left in the middle of the movie and I thought he’d gone only to find out that he was waiting for twenty minutes for the popcorn machine, which was malfunctioning. Once we got out of the movie, we went to the car…and it wouldn’t start! The battery was dead and he couldn’t get ahold of anyone in his family to come and help us out.
I had to call my father, who showed up and lectured my date on how to take proper care of a car. He and I were both mortified. The night ended well though. We traded cars, went to coffee, and talked for hours.
We’ve been married seventeen years and he is still my best friend. I love happy endings. And this one was designed by God to last. My husband, David, and I have six children and couldn’t be happier!
About Raquel: Raquel Byrnes lives in Southern, California with her husband of sixteen years and their six children. She considers inspirational fiction a wonderful way to minister to others. She writes romantic suspense with an edge-your-seat pace. Her first book the Shades of Hope Series, Purple Knot, releases on June 3rd from White Rose Publishing. You can visit her at her website: www.raquelbyrnes.com and her writing blog, Edge of Your Seat Romance.

About the Book: A killer strikes. A love rekindled. A life-altering choice.
When her best friend, is murdered, Reyna Cruz doesn’t believe the police have the whole story. An investigator by trade, she has the talent to track Summer’s killer, but when clues lead to a family connection and a vicious gang, she suddenly becomes the hunted. At the end of her rope, Reyna must decide to trust the God she believes abandoned her.
Wanting justice for his sister’s murder, lawyer Jimmy Corbeau agrees to help Reyna—even though she’s his ex-fiancé, and their break-up devastated him. Romance is reawakened, but so are memories of their tragic undoing. Jimmy must decide if he will fight for a future with Reyna or allow their past to derail the investigation and his second chance at love.
When the investigation goes awry and Summer’s infant daughter is kidnapped, Reyna must put her life on the line. Will Jimmy and Reyna survive the desperate measures it takes to recover his niece, catch a killer, and secure a happily-ever-after for them all?
Come back July 6th for Amish Romance author, Kathleen Fuller.