25 Years To Life by CJ Ives Lopez 💕 Book Tour, Guest Post and $10 Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Sweet Contemporary Western Romance)

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Love through the Ages: Every Generation has its Story

In a heartfelt journey through small-town Iowa, a forbidden love challenges destiny, unveiling secrets that could alter the course of many lives.

The emotional, family drama romance "25 Years to Life" captures the essence of forbidden love and the relentless pursuit of truth. Shelly and Esteban, torn apart by societal norms and personal sacrifices, leave behind a legacy of mysteries and unspoken promises that threaten the fabric of their family.

The story unfolds in the lush fields of Iowa, where Shelly and Esteban's love blossoms against all odds. Their deep and undeniable connection faces the ultimate test when external forces and cultural divides pull them into separate worlds. As the years pass, the silence around their separation grows heavier, casting long shadows over their loved ones.

Without revealing the identity of their offspring or the intricacies of their hidden past, the narrative weaves through the challenges and emotional scars left in the wake of their unresolved romance. The ripple effects of their love story set the stage for a powerful tale of discovery, identity, and the enduring strength of love.

"25 Years to Life" is a poignant exploration of love's complexity, the weight of secrets, and the healing power of truth. This novel invites readers into a world where past and present collide, offering a lens into the hearts of those bound by love and separated by circumstances. For fans of deeply emotional narratives and stories of love against all odds, this book promises a journey of heartache, redemption, and the infinite possibilities that come with uncovering the truth.

What inspired you to write this book? 25 Years to Life was born from another book that is about to come out in November. The book I’m talking about is Broadway or Bust, which is being turned into a trilogy. 25 Years to Life is within the Hopeless Romantics world and it’s the parent's story from Broadway or Bust, which is the ACE Trilogy (Angelica, Camille, Estelle). 25 Years to Life is Estelle’s Parents' story, and Estelle comes out in the book and the second half of the book is told from her point of view. It’s told from her mother's point of view when she is Estelle’s age, then turns to 25 years later Estelle’s point of view on Estelle’s 25th birthday. I was inspired because, in the beginning, these three girls, Angelica, Camille, and Estelle, came to me, these three Best Friends, and were telling me their story (they are characters, by the way, but in my world, they are my besties LOL) and as everything unfolded, their parent's stories were coming to me too. I’ve got parents, siblings, and all the family’s stories and Christmas stories coming alive in my head, and I couldn’t stop. I stopped for a while because I got jumbled up about who was who and which story to tell first, but I felt this sense of urgency to tell Esteban’s story, so that is why 25 Years to Life came out under CJ Ives Lopez and the other stories will come out under Clara Jay.

What can we expect from you in the future? I have moved all the Friendship Fiction books under Clara Jay, she writes the sweet make your heart melt and break and mend again all at the same time. She has The ACE Trilogy, with Book 1 coming out in October. That trilogy will have Christmas Story companions coming out each Christmas. From there, she will tell the rest of the Parents stories and eventually, you will know everyone in their family. You will know Camille’s Parents and Angelica’s parents. There are siblings stories. It’s going to be so much fun as paths cross over, and there is so much love and friendship because the parents were best friends, that’s how the girls ended up in dance class together.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters? Oh yes, all of the characters will have their own stories.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in (Name of book)? in 25 Years to Life, I have:

Shelly is the main character. She’s from Iowa and graduating from college. She’s a sweet girl who never plans on leaving home.

Todd - Shelly’s boyfriend who is a small-town guy with a good heart and graduated college

Adriana - Shelly’s Best friend and ride or die and is Latina but was born and raised in Iowa. Her parents migrated there

Santana - Adriana’s boyfriend and the only other Latin family in the town and his family had migrated there as well.

Esteban—He is there for the summer doing migrant work and finds out about doing ranch work on Shelly’s farm. Shelly describes him to Adriana as some ‘Greek God’ standing in her kitchen, to which Adriana corrects her and says, ' He’s a Mexican girl, not Greek. '

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

My husband is of Mexican descent and I live in an area that is 95% Hispanic. I love the vibrant community along with the story of migrant workers and immigration, to which my great - grandfather was an immigrant from Italy. I believe in telling stories that are culturally diverse because our world isn’t one or the other; it’s all the things. I’ve resonated with the Hispanic culture for the majority of my life, and I wanted to show characters that look like what I see almost every day when my children went to school down here, they were welcomed into the Hispanic culture like they had been here their whole lives and they were accepted more than any other place that we had ever lived. I find it important to show the beauty in everything. The book's concept was somewhat of my husband and me where we were friends losing touch and gaining connection again for six years before we actually met in person, then were inseparable and are married now for 12 years. Love finds its way when it’s meant to be, no matter how long you must wait for someone.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

25 is how old Estelle is at the time when her story comes in. Life is how long they plan on spending their time together. It’s a play on the storyline, which I try to do with all of my stories.

"Tears cascade down my face, uncontrollably like the rainfall in the Amazon, and I can no longer hold back my emotions. I give up trying to suppress them and clutch a pillow that carries Todd's lingering cologne. I release a scream, expelling every ounce of energy from my body. The fabric absorbs my voice, just as the summer leaves me in silence. Tonight feels like the worst night of my life. He'll probably find some enchanting Italian woman and leave behind a simple country girl like me, and I'll be left here alone, slowly withering away like an old lady with no hope in sight. I'm aware of my own dramatics, but Todd never bothered to involve me in his decision-making, and I can't help but feel deceived. This was supposed to be the summer when we took the next step, when we got engaged, planned our wedding, and started building our life together. It was never meant to be the summer when I buried my face in a pillow and forgot my own existence because the man I love chose to fly away to Italy and enjoy himself without a second thought about me. I should be angry, letting loose and showing him what he's missing. But deep down, I don't have the strength for it. I'm just a blubbering mess, completely helpless. I need to call Adriana. She's always been the one who knows what to do. I wish Holly were here too, but she's off sailing the seas on a cruise with her family."

CJ Ives Lopez, a proud 20-year Air Force veteran, originally hails from Festus, Missouri, before relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana. After her distinguished military service, she founded The Authors Porch, leading the organization for four years before refocusing on her writing. As a best-selling, multiple award-winning author in various genres, including heartwarming children's stories under her Pen name Auntie Nann, CJ's literary journey is a testament to the transformative power of pursuing dreams. Explore CJ's captivating literary world and inspiring journey as she dives into diverse worlds with multiple pen names. at www.cjiveslopez.com.