My Heroes... Tara Taylor Quinn

Tara Taylor Quinn is a romance writer. She is on my Must-Read List. I don't own all her books (some aren't available), but I own many of them. I have bookmarks in most of them, specific quotes that have touched my heart. I have several that I re-read, from time to time. I prepare for the arrival of each new book. If it arrives in the middle of the week, I usually save it for the weekend. Then I take as long as it takes. I always find myself stopping and thinking about what she's written. TTQ is a domestic abuse survivor. Our survivor stories are very different, but she shares insights that are applicable to any abuse survivor. So, as I read, I reflect on where I've been, and where I am in my healing process. I love her Happily Ever Afters. I no longer have any hope for one of my own, but I still believe in them. I've seen them happen with others, including TTQ (and she wrote about it), and I love reading about them. HEA is about HOPE, and that IS something I still have.

She is one of several authors who have helped me to explore who I am. As I have developed my varying interests, I've discovered that those interests are, in fact, boundaries. I'm allowed to like football. I'm allowed to like NASCAR. I'm allowed to like romance novels. I'm allowed to be interested in world events, and have my own opinions about those events. I'm allowed to like white bread. I'm allowed to like milk and cookies. What I'm discovering is that these interests help me create other healthy boundaries. These are the easy boundaries: They're obvious, and they're easily defendable. From these easy boundaries, I'm learning to develop healthy personal boundaries that aren't so obvious or so easily defendable.

Carl Edwards won the Nationwide race, in Dover, despite the rain. Go Carl!!