Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Susan Lovell's name was meant for this holiday....plus a book giveaway

"I feel it in my fingers. I feel it in my toes." No, we're not talking about Christmas here. (Sorry, Billy Mack!) This time around, we are featuring a new holiday for Holiday Month. Can you guess what it is from the header? We'll wait...

Yes, Susan Lovell is here to talk to us about Valentine's Day, which is her favorite holiday!

Susan Lovell earned undergraduate and graduate degrees with honors in English from the University of Michigan and taught high school and college English. She co-founded Cadence, a weekly newspaper in East Grand Rapids, Michigan and is the author of four non-fiction histories. Her first fiction novel is The Sandpiper. Susan currently sits on the Grand Rapids Salvation Army’s Advisory Board. She and her husband live in Grand Rapids.

Thanks to BookSparks PR, we have one copy of The Sandpiper for a lucky US reader!

You can find Susan at Facebook.

Favorite holiday from any time of the year:
When the man of your dreams is named Lovell and he asks you to marry him on a snowy February 14, how could Valentine’s Day not be my favorite holiday! Best of all, for three years together at the University of Michigan we had been in what C.S. Lewis called "philia love."  In fact, I liked F. Raymer so much I fixed him up with my favorite Theta sisters and dated his fellow Sigma Chis. So of course I was happy to take notes for my tall handsome friend his senior year when, as captain of the golf team, he couldn’t make our one o’clock moral philosophy class.

What is a tradition you partake in for this holiday?
Writing our own Valentines. Part of our tradition is trying to read each other’s. My handwriting peaked in second grade. His was honed to a fine illegibility in medical school.

Favorite memory from this holiday:
One Valentine’s Day, without warning, our philia friendship turned into heart-stopping eros love. We couldn’t get married soon enough. Lovell became my name, my life, and my joy.

Favorite song related to or from this holiday:
We knew it was written for us the first time we heard Frank Sinatra sing the words by Rodgers and Hart: "I Could Write a Book." Closing lines: "Then the world discovers as my book ends; how to make two lovers of friends."  And lo, these many years later, I have written a book! And The Sandpiper is all about what Emily Dickinson says on the back cover: "That love is all there is, Is all we know of love."  What better quote than that for Valentine’s Day?

Romantic movie:
Dr. Zhivago if the lovers were married. Love Story if she had lived. So The Sound of Music it is.

What is best about this holiday?
Starting in grade school, everyone sends love notes to each other. And ever after, Valentine’s is the one day a year lovers stop to appreciate each other. And then tell them so.

Thanks to Susan for chatting with us about her favorite holiday and to BookSparks PR for sharing The Sandpiper with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends November 17th at midnight EST.

8 comments:

Janine said...

My favorite Valentine's memory goes way back to when I first started dating my ex-husband. We both got each other the same card with a cute white cat on it. We opened them at the same time and both busted out laughing.

Jessica said...

I guess getting cards in school.

Thanks!
-Jessica

Nova said...

I liked it when the kids were small and they always made Valentine cards for me. I still have most of them. Now since they are older, they just buy them, and I still keep them. :)
sparkle40175 AT hotmail DOT com

rubynreba said...

Mine is very romantic! I received my diamond engagement ring!!

Unknown said...

Outdoor ice skating with my fiance and his family!

(Also re: the song quote - totally went through with Love Actually last weekend!! It's not quite Christmastime but still so worth it!)

Bonnie K. said...

Getting Valentine's day cards when I was in elementary school was fun. I also had fun going through my great aunt's bag of vintage valentine's cards she received when she was a teacher.

bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

A favorite memory is that we got married the day after on February 15, because we had to make a car insurance payment before we could go on our honeymoon, LOL and we have been paying bills check to check ever since. LOL

Mrs Mommy Booknerd said...

I was able to sleep in, but my two little guys woke me up to cuddle them we all slept late...bliss

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