THE SECRET LIFE OF SARAH HOLLENBECK is written from the POV of Sarah herself. Once in Sarah’s head, it doesn’t take long to realize that for every thought about the practical things of life, there seems to be at least one reference to movies and television – or at the very least, the practical things of life pass through the pop culture filter. Here now, to celebrate Sarah’s pop culture-obsessed brain (as well as my own!), my list of the top five not-so-obvious romantic onscreen moments. These are the little moments. These are the moments which make me swoon, but not in all the old familiar ways. Kisses in the rain and dramatic finales need not apply. These are moments of subtle romance and unexpected emotion which, in the end, are actually so much better than what even Sarah Hollenbeck could think she wants out of a love story. (And these moments are actually a lot closer to what she eventually finds!) EYE CONTACT THAT COULD MELT THE COLDEST HEART Pride and Prejudice. I mean, of course. Oh, the words that Jane Austen wrote! But for me, the most romantic moment in the 1995 BBC mini-series (starring Colin Firth… Hello!)…

Ready for a little preview into Terry Spear’s new series? “Okay, well, we’re continuing our adventure and will let you know when we stop for the night. For now, I need to locate a pet hotel.” Candice growled. “A hotel that allows pets, I mean.” Owen smiled at her. Then he signed off with Cameron and Faith. Four hours later, Owen pulled into a service station to fill up on gas and check for a hotel in the area that allowed pets. He found one, made reservations, and climbed back in the car. “Okay, I got a room, but they only had one king-size bed. We can order room service if you still haven’t changed back.” Candice nodded. “I’ll probably have to take you in the side door after I register for the room. Better than parading you through the lobby, since I don’t have the proper ID to show you’re a service dog, in case anyone believes you’re a wolf and won’t let you stay.” He pulled out of the ser­vice station and back onto the road. “Having a pet really narrows down the availability of a hotel we can stay at.” She let out her breath. “I know….

GAME ON is dedicated to two very strong young women who are both in a field that’s dominated by men: engineering. It’s also dedicated to my daughter Bean who is loves her STEM programs at school and talks about building robots all the time. Olivia Dawson’s career path was inspired by all three of them. According to Business Insider (March 8, 2017), women still make $.79 to every dollar men make. It’s a struggle for some women to even get the recognition they deserve in their desired fields. Olivia wants to design and build airplanes, and she knows how much harder she has to work to get ahead of her male colleagues. She fights for every single thing. In this day and age, it’s hard to believe that women are still having this battle. Olivia’s battle isn’t just to prove herself to her male classmates or to her mentor. She’s constantly trying to prove herself to herself. Growing up in a family of all males, she has always struggled to get out of the gender assigned roles she had to take on. It’s a constant struggle. GAME ON may be dedicated to my nieces and daughter, but it’s really a…