Angel Lane, Sheila Roberts: Author Guest Post

Keep the heart in Heart Lake. That’s exactly what three small-town shop owners hope to do when they launch their crazy-ambitious “Have a Heart” campaign—asking neighbors to commit one random act of kindness every day. Emma, Sarah, and Jamie love their lakeside community, but the little town is growing too big too fast, and a doing a good deed never hurt anyone. Or so they thought…

AUTHOR GUEST POST…GOOD DEEDS

No good deed goes unpunished – ever hear that expression? The first time I heard it I thought, “Well, how strange is that?” Until the man who used the expression told his story. It seemed he generously loaned out his ping-pong table to a local youth club and received it back warped and ruined. No good deed goes unpunished.

That got me thinking. How many people did I know who have had a good deed backfire on them? Right off I thought of someone I know who generously took in a family in need of a place to stay. Once the family found her house they morphed into that disgusting mucous family you see in the TV commercials – “Hmmm. Nice digs. Think we’ll stay here forever. What’s for dinner? Want us gone? Ha! Just try and get us out.”  I have another friend who managed to get sucked into bizarre situations on a regular basis, all of which spring from something as innocent as offering to give someone a ride. Her life is like a sitcom: Good-Deed-Doing-Never-Saw-That-Coming-Semi-Desperate-Housewife.

I must admit I’m no one to look down my nose and laugh. I’ve had a few good deeds backfire myself. Just the other night I was hurrying home at dusk only to get picked up by a friendly stray dog. I saved him from getting squashed by a car and I guess, because I saved his life, the little fella figured I expected him to be my slave and companion forever, and so he accompanied me home. And what’s not to like about my house? There are flowers to trample and vegetables to dig up! No good deed goes unpunished. Sigh.

But is that really true? Not necessarily. I have done some good deeds that left me feeling as good as the person I helped. And I remember many good deeds done to me over the years with extreme gratitude. One year, when my husband and I were newlyweds and struggling, we found a box of groceries left on our porch by some anonymous angel after he lost his teaching job. That simple act gave us the shot of hope and courage we needed. I remember a friend taking his valuable time to work on my car. And I still smile when I think how my new neighbor Bonnie took me in during a big winter storm when I found I was locked out of my house . . . with no key hidden anywhere yet. That was pathetic, let me tell you. I’d just taken my husband to the ferry at the crack of dawn, wearing what all well-dressed wives wear at six a.m. – my ratty jammies with a jacket thrown over and some clogs. What a fashion statement! Bonnie let me use her shower and loaned me some clothes (including her brand new Victoria’s Secret bra – now, that’s sacrifice!) and, when the flooding hit after the big snow and my husband (who had the house key, thank you very much) got stranded at work, she put me up for the night on her couch. (Yes, I guess I was Bonnie’s “no good deed goes unpunished”!)

Those small kindnesses are what connect us to each other, give us warm memories and even some pretty funny stories. Those good deeds are the tools we use to build community. So I think risking a little “punishment” is worth it.

I’m a big believer in good deeds, which is what my new book, ANGEL LANE, is all about. Yes, in some cases my characters learn the meaning of “No good deed goes unpunished” – but mostly they come away feeling satisfied and happy . . . which is how I hope my readers will feel after they read the book! Who knows, maybe one or two will even be inspired to get out there and commit some random acts of kindness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. She’s happily married and has three children. Writing since 1989, she has had 24 books published, both in fiction and nonfiction under different names and in different languages. However before she settled into her writing career, she did lots of other things, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. But writing and helping others to find ways to make their lives better are her greatest passions.

Her down-to-earth wisdom and quirky upbeat sense of humor make Sheila a popular speaker to groups large and small. Her books are becoming perennial hot sellers. Her book Bikini Season was a Bookscan top 50, a Target Breakout Novel pick and an Amazon Beach Read pick. On Strike for Christmas will be released this year for the third year in the row and has been optioned for film. Love in Bloom has been chosen as a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book. Now… if she could just get on “Dancing with the Stars”! You can visit her website at www.sheilasplace.com to find out about her latest women’s fiction novel, Angel Lane.