At I Heart Lesfic, we believe the world could use a bit more kindness after one of the hardest and longest of years. Many authors have signed up to help IHL spread kindness in the world.

Today, the wonderful Laney Webber is here to share a story. Also, Laney is giving away 1 ecopy of The Real Thing. Below the guest post, you’ll find more details about the giveaway.

Take it away, Laney.

New England Kindness

I’m a New England gal. I don’t receive things very well – not compliments, not assistance, not free offers. I was raised to be as self-sufficient as I could be and to “pull myself up by my bootstraps.” If I didn’t do it, who would? If someone offered help, I would usually say, “Oh no, that’s all right.” or “No thanks, I can manage.” If someone gave me a gift, I would say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.”

I’m no different from anyone else. We’ve all had our challenges and hardships.  But I didn’t realize that by refusing these offers of help, I was refusing gifts of compassion, friendship, and relief. I was refusing love.

This realization didn’t happen overnight. But after several instances of saying, “Yes” to an offer of help or like my little story below, nodding “yes,” I began to see that when I opened up to receive these gifts, I was making room for more love in my life.

I was a single parent for many years and had very little money. We lived on a small farm in a small town in New Hampshire. Like most small towns, word got out about who was celebrating and who was hurting. One Saturday when I went to the local feed store to pick up grain, Crazy Uncle Billy (the name everyone, including Billy, called himself), who was one of the owners, took me aside and said that he was getting too old and too cranky to write the monthly newsletter and sale flyer. He asked if I would be willing to take this on. But they couldn’t pay me cash, he said; they would have to pay me in grain and hay. I nodded my head. I couldn’t speak. Crazy Uncle Billy put out his hand. “Then it’s a deal,” he said. I nodded my head again, got in my car, and cried all the way home.

GIVEAWAY

THE REAL THING

by Laney Webber

Allison McDonald has a thriving massage practice and a spot on the local roller derby team. When an amazing woman swipes right on her dating profile, life couldn’t be more perfect. Perfection turns out to be illusion when she finds out she’s been catfished by someone using the photo of the actress, Geena. Determined to protect others from heartbreak, she contacts the dating site and Geena about the fraud.

Virginia Harris’s fans know her as “Geena,” the lesbian star of a popular web series. Playing the role of Geena, and protecting her identity, is Virginia’s latest way of keeping real life—and real love—at arm’s length. Until the woman of her dreams walks into her life. But is it Geena she’s really interested in?

Their attraction is immediate, but when Allison looks at Virginia, she struggles not to see the woman she thought she was in love with. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur, will they know the real thing?

MEET THE AUTHOR

Laney Webber has lived in four of the six New England states. Her love affair with reading and books began when she read the line, “Sit Spot Sit!” in her first-grade class. Laney lives in Vermont with her wife, and their rescue cat Rudy Valentino. She works as a librarian, which gives her free access to shelves and shelves of books. She believes that libraries are the best places to visit on the planet. When Laney doesn’t have a book or pen in her hand, she likes to camp and wander around New England.

CONNECT WITH LANEY WEBBER

Facebook / Instagram / Website

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend.