Real-life Romance: Get Her a Cat

Can a pet spell romance? Maybe not for everyone, but if you're an animal-lover, it just might. Guest author Kara Leigh Miller is chatting today about how it turned into a real-life romance story for her. More than once. ;)

The year was 2007. My husband and I had just moved into a new home less than six months prior, and it was the dead of winter in Central New York. For those who don’t know, this region of NY gets lake effect snow, and getting a foot or more in just a couple of hours isn’t uncommon. One night, we were huddled inside watching some nature program about snow leopards, and I LOVE cats of any kind. So there I am, oohing and aahing about the cute fluffy kitties on the TV. 

Our daughter was barely 3 years old, and she was still learning proper enunciation. Fluffy was fuffy and I jokingly said to my husband, “We need to get a white cat to name Snowball so our daughter can call it, “fuffy noball.” She couldn’t quite pronounce her S’s. My husband laughed and said no. Absolutely no cats. 

Now, I’m a huge animal lover. I always have been, and I’ve always had pets. But at this point in my life, we had none, which was extremely odd for me, but I realized that we’d just moved, we already had 4 kids, and I was due to give birth to our 5th child. My husband was the only one working, too, so when he said no, I didn’t push the issue.

Then, about a week before Christmas, my husband came home from work and told me we had an appointment that weekend to meet some cats for adoption at our local animal shelter. He warned me not to get my hopes up. I mean, we did need to find a cat that would be okay with so many little, rambunctious children.

A few days later, we loaded up our mini-van and drove almost 45 minutes to the animal shelter. We sat in a small room as one cat after another were brought in to meet us. By cat #5, I was losing hope. Then, we met Snowball. 

He was a little skittish at first, but he quickly warmed up to all of us. For me, this was love at first sight. I wanted this boy, but I knew we still had a lot to consider. We spent a few weeks discussing it, but then life happened, and we sort of just dropped the ball.

Fast forward to just a couple of days before Christmas… we’re in the midst of an awful snowstorm. My husband is taking a really long time to get home, which I assumed was because of the weather. But then he walks in with a cat carrier, and inside was Snowball.

To say I was excited is an understatement. I had come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t getting a cat. I shed a few tears, and I spent a lot of time snuggling him and helping him get settled, which didn’t take long.
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We adopted him in December. Our last child was born in March. Snowball was with us for 13 amazing years, and eventually passed away from feline diabetes. I always joke that I had a cat older than my daughter. The night in November when Snowball passed was a hard one for all of us. That June, I came home from visiting family, and there was my husband, sitting on the couch with a tiny, solid black kitten named Salem. 
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Kara Leigh Miller is a multi-genre published author and an avid reader with eclectic tastes that range from the tame to the taboo. She currently lives in Michigan with her husband, three (of five) kids, two pit bulls, and five cats. When she's not busy writing romance novels that leave readers swooning, she's spending time with her family, working out, or binge-watching Netflix. And sometimes, she'll even play golf with her husband, even though she totally sucks at it.
 
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Perfectly Imperfect

​Isabelle Carson is charging into her senior year equipped with a handy checklist to ensure nothing goes awry. Things she didn't account for: a hot, new guy who almost runs her over, a messed up class schedule, and a boyfriend who dumps her for one of her best friends. All of that pales in comparison to the threat of her dirty family secrets breaking free from the perfect façade she’s diligently maintained since the death of her brother.
Grayson Alexander is on his fourth school in as many years. Lakewood Valley High is exactly like all the others, with one shiny exception: Isabelle Carson. She’s smart, funny, beautiful— the perfect package. But Isabelle is hiding something, and Grayson is determined to do whatever it takes to win her trust, except step foot in another hypocritical church.
As Isabelle’s life spirals out of control and her carefully crafted, picture-perfect image begins to shatter, Grayson does what no one else can: he makes her laugh and allows her to be imperfect. With rekindled faith, Isabelle sets out to right all the wrongs in her life. But Grayson has been damaged by his own family secrets, and Isabelle will have to decide if the boy she’s falling for more and more each day is a right or a wrong.
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Read Chapter One Here

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