My favorite Indie bookstore owner, Lynn Rosen (Open Book Philly) wonders why I’m so committed to stories with happy-ever-after’s. She is obviously a well-read person, and her tastes vary and run all over the book world, but she is not beholden to the HEA.

Want to know why I am? Because of my day job. I’m a dating and relationship coach, and I wouldn’t give it up for a million dollars. I might cut back on my hours if I had a million dollars, but I wouldn’t give it up.

It is a humbling honor to walk along with people on their journeys to find love, from young people just figuring out what their relationship goals are, to widows re-entering the dating world. And it’s tons of fun. If you don’t think you can have a great time picking out profile pictures for Tinder or searching profiles on Spiritual Singles, then you don’t know what fun is.

I’ve been invited to weddings, received texts of engagement rings, and experienced the joy as my clients settle into the long-lasting relationships they had searched for.

The journey isn’t always pretty. Along the path, we step over potholes from past relationships and kick away the litter of childhood demons. I’m humbled and honored that my clients include me in this process, and never take for granted that I am merely a guest.

People ask if I come up with story ideas from my work. I never do. The hat I wear and the part of my brain I use are so different that it never occurs to me to use anything I hear as a basis for a book. But the emotional struggle and the triumph of love is something that sticks in my heart and permeates everything I do, not just my writing.

PS-This is my favorite Disney movie. And possibly the only one I really like.