Happy Almost Valentine’s Day, everyone. I’m so lucky to get
to blog about this holiday every year. Although I’ve never written a book set around
Valentine’s Day, I’ve considered various plots, but have never come up with one
that could carry an entire book. This holiday has a warm place in my heart
because I sold my first book on Valentine’s Day many years ago. It was so
exciting. Recently, I received a call from my editor who called to tell me that
Heartwarming is buying another book from me. This sale is just as exciting as
the first one.
Even though Valentine’s Day has become incredibly commercialized,
it still represents something we all need, and need to show, which is love. Not
simply romantic love, but love for friends, family, even strangers. The crazy
thing about love is that the more you give away, the more you get back.
However, love of any kind always comes with risks. People
change, circumstances change, love turns to something much less desirable.
Recently, a friend of mine completed all the requirements for
the Foster to Adopt program here in Arizona. Within days, she got a call that a
four-day-old boy needed a home. She eagerly took him in. I immediately began
wondering what it would be like if she couldn’t keep him, couldn't adopt him. Giving him up would be
impossibly hard if she had to do it, but there was no way she could stop
herself from loving him. Then I met him. I put him up on my shoulder and he
snuggled into my neck as if it was his favorite place on earth. Instant love. I
realized that no matter how long my friend gets to keep him, her love will
always be with him.
So, I guess in my roundabout way, I’m saying that love is
worth the risk, which is what we romance writers are always trying to say in many different voices.
Beautifully put, Patricia, especially the last line. And so cool that you sold your first romance on Valentines Day! It is wonderful to write about romance, isn’t it?
ReplyDeletePatti, major congrats on the newest sale. So looking forward to reading the finished love story. You nailed it about love and the importance of love in life. Which is why I have always wondered why so many people make fun of books in the romance genre.
ReplyDeleteValentine's Day IS so much more than romantic love. How true. I have friends who are fostering a newborn and it's so easy to fall head over heels for the little guy. Even if they don't get to keep him, the love they show him now will lay a foundation for the rest of his life. *Sigh*.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new book sale. I don't think there is a better sign that you were made to write romance then getting your first book deal on Valentine's Day! Lovely!
Your post really touched my heart. I never met the woman who fostered my son for the first five weeks of his life before we got the call that he would be outs. She wrote us a lovely note telling us little things about him and his first weeks. I've never forgotten her, and she'll always have a place in my heart. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCuddling a baby is the definition of love, isn't it? A great omen that you sold your first book on Valentine's Day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post. Loved hearing about your friend <3 <3
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