Book Review: First Date Stories

By Cindy Roesel

Chances are, if you’re in your mid-thirties or over and you’re dating, you have a few really good and bad first date stories. In FIRST DATE STORIES: Women’s Romantic and Ridiculous Midlife Adventures (She Writes Press), Jodi Klein shares some of her pre-Mr. Yes stories, along with friend’s triumphs and disasters. Before she begins, Jodi says right up front that being single should be celebrated and this is just some knowledge to have before you go out there. “Jodi writes these stories focus on heterosexual daters and shouldn’t be regarded as purposefully exclusionary of the LGBTQ community. It’s my hope that everyone finds the love they seek.”

FIRST DATE STORIES is broken up into several sections. First are the dating stories and then the takeaways each woman experiences, along with some lessons to be learned. Jodi suggests keeping a journal so you can keep track of what dating sites you use, what you talked about with a date and hopefully it keeps you from not dating Mr. No twice.

Some things to consider while on a first date: does he seem safe, nice, make you laugh or can you imagine kissing him? Remember every no is closer to a yes. Love yourself enough so you can walk away from Mr. Maybe and then find Mr. Yes.

“You’ve got to keep showing up.”

Jodi says you’re not alone on this journey considering how many dating sites, apps and virtual meeting places there are available. She says to grow your network, try activities you’ve never done before, talk to strangers and don’t be afraid to go to social events alone. You never know!

Thanks to SparkPoint Studio for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sara and Melissa talk about...90 Day Fiancé

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. This month we're talking about the reality television series 90 Day Fiancé, just to change things up a bit!

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Melissa Amster:

Back in 2018, a friend of mine kept talking about 90 Day Fiancé, so I decided to give it a try. I'm not much of a reality TV watcher, so this was a step outside of my comfort zone. However, it did sound interesting. I started from the very beginning and binge-watched until I was caught up to the current season. The next time I met up with my friend, we definitely had a lot to talk about! 

A while back, some friends from college had sent me an article saying that a mutual acquaintance was on a reality show. I kind of dismissed it at the time, but then I saw this person on 90 Day Fiancé and it all came back to me. I might not have even known it was them if my friends hadn't told me in advance. This person wouldn't even remember me anyway, so I never contacted them about it. Small world, though!

I got Sara into this show, and sometimes our correspondence delves into what is happening on the episodes. We even watch the "Tell All" episodes together and comment on everything that is happening. We first did this by text, but now I Skype with her and watch it on her TV through the computer screen. We have a lot of inside jokes now, thanks to this show. I even gave her a magnet based on one of the notorious individuals. 

Anyway, in case you were wondering, 90 Day Fiancé is about these couples in extremely long distance relationships, where they decide to get married and the person from another country gets a K-1 Visa to come to the US. Once they arrive, they have 90 days to get married or the person from the other country has to go back. However, this isn't all hearts and flowers. There is a lot of drama. The show thrives on all the drama! Whether it's due to potential catfishing, mama's boys whose mothers are intent on coming between them and their betrothed, money issues (especially when the in-laws are asking for ridiculous amounts of it), infidelity, large age differences, religious differences, etc., there's always someone crying by the end of each episode. 90 Day Fiancé has a lot of spin-offs, the biggest being The Other Way and Before the 90 Days. In both shows, the American goes to another country to be with the one they love. On The Other Way, it's to move there permanently. On Before the 90 Days, it's to hopefully get engaged so they can move onto the regular show with the K-1 Visa.

There are some couples who really put an effort into their relationship and didn't make it a media circus. I'd like to give a shout-out to the following couples, in honor of Valentine's Day and keeping it real: 

• Loren and Alexei (Side note: My best friend sent me a Cameo from Loren for my birthday last year. It was so nice!)
• Alan and Kirlyam
• Kenneth and Armando (The first gay male couple!)
• Brett and Daya
• Kyle and Noon
• Amy and Danny

If you either watch 90 Day Fiancé and want something to read while waiting between seasons (or episodes) or you don't watch yet and want a taste of what it's like when two people come from different worlds, try out these books:

• Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews
• Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles
• Beshert by Erin Gordon
• The Marriage Code by Brooke Burroughs
• Paper Wife by Laila Ibrahim
• Where Jasmine Blooms by Holly S. Warah
• Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter (even though it's just in Hawaii, it's about a woman who meets a much younger man while on vacation, and there's still long distance and similar drama involved.)

If you have other book recommendations along these lines, I'd love to hear them!

Sara Steven:

When the original seasons of 90 Day Fiancé had first aired, I had no desire to see any of them. It had nothing to do with a lack of interest where reality television is concerned, because I really enjoy reality T.V. I love Dancing with the Stars and Survivor and the real guilty pleasure shows that I don’t often talk about, like the Teen Mom franchise and America’s Next Top Model when that was still a thing. So, you’d think that the 90 Day episodes would have fit right in.

My initial hesitation stemmed from the concept of the show; random individuals, seeking love from other random individuals in other countries. I didn’t see the potential enjoyment that could come from watching unlikely duos, at times having never met in person before, using online dating sites or video chat or email or the old standby, cell phones and telephone calls in order to communicate with one another, each with a pressing need to potentially marry due to a K-1 Visa. 

Melissa would often talk about the couples from the show, and she’d gently nudge me into seeing even one episode, just to see what I would think. Well, fast forward a few years, and my fifteen year-old son placed this image of Big Ed as my screensaver on my phone a while back, and it’s still there. I think that means I’m pretty much committed to the 90 Day Fiancé franchise.

In fact, when I decided to take the plunge into relationship disasters and oddly eccentric couples, not to mention their overbearing parents--I’m talking to you, Ron and Betty--I never really knew just how deep I’d get into it. The original series. The Happily Ever After series. Before the 90 Days and The Other Way and Strikes Back, too. But I do have my limits, as in, I won’t ever watch The Family Chantel or Darcey and Stacey, because let’s face it, I have to have some limits, somewhere. But overall, I’ve really enjoyed watching couples either fall madly in love and live wonderful lives together which, I know, is hard to believe, but it really does happen. And, I’ve enjoyed watching the shenanigans of other couples (or, sometimes, a man and his mother, as with Colt and Debbie) when the relationship doesn’t work out, and drama ensues. 

It’s also been a lot of fun to share tidbits and thoughts with Melissa, my partner in crime, when we watch the Tell Alls together, the season’s final end and where most of the chaos collects, considering it’s basically a room full of all of the couples from the season hashing everything out that had happened over the last several months, picking sides and at times, nearly coming to blows (or weird body jerk movements, as with Asuelu when he gets angry) or storming off the set into a fit of mass hysterics. Most of the time, you love to hate them, and hate to love them; the 90 Day Fiancé couples.

Here are a few of my favorites over the years. Whether it’s for the good or the bad, it has been entertaining and engaging.

Paul and Karine, season one, Before the 90 Days: One of the side effects of watching 90 Day Fiancé means having a spouse who has walked into the room and has seen some of the show, too. My husband hates to admit it, but he knows the majority of the couples, just as much as I do. Watching Paul run away or talk about poop water, well, it’s been fun. Watching my husband replicate the run? That’s been even more fun.

From TV Fanatic

Asuelu and Kalani, season six, 90 Day Fiancé: Asuelu hooked me in when he danced for Kalani at the airport. He later solidified his place in 90 Day Fiancé history when he got so mad at his season’s Tell All, that he...

  
Big Ed, season four, Before the 90 Days: Ed and Rosemarie didn’t work out. But Ed left behind so many Edisms and memes and gifs, it’s hard to keep up. He takes it all with a grain of salt and seems to manage to handle all of it with a great sense of humor, witnessed on his Strikes Back season.

Alan and Kirlyam, season one, 90 Day Fiancé : Proof that couples CAN make it work. They are by far one of the cutest couples from any season.

Jorge and Anfisa, season four, 90 Day Fiancé: To this day, Melissa and I will exchange gifs or memes referencing Anfisa and her magical eye roll. She provided a lot of explosive moments for her season.

Elizabeth and Andrrrrrrrrrrei, season five, 90 Day Fiancé: He acts like he’s the man of the house, but we all know it’s really Elizabeth who wears the pants. While Chantel’s season created The Family Chantel based on her own familial drama, I might actually watch a series where Elizabeth’s family takes center stage, given the chaos they bring into this couple’s world. 

Colt(ee) and Larissa, season six, 90 Day Fiancé: There has been a ton of drama surrounding this couple; on again, off again, arrests, potential deportation. But the real couple of the show would be Colt (or as Larissa refers to him, “Coltee”) and his mother, Debbie.

From imgflip.com

If you watch 90 Day Fiancé and all of the franchises, who are your favorite couples?

Kathryn Starke is a sweetheart...plus a book giveaway

Today we welcome Kathryn Starke to CLC. She's here to talk about Valentine's Day. In honor of the upcoming holiday, she has a "couple" of copies of her latest novel, The Perfect Blend, to give away!

Kathryn Starke is a literacy consultant, author, adjunct professor, and the founder of Creative Minds Publications, an educational publishing company. The Perfect Blend is her fifth book and first title in the contemporary romance category. Starke is a former elementary school teacher and the creator of Tackle Reading, an annual educational initiative supported by the NFL. 

Visit Kathryn online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

Synopsis:

She has no time to date. He has no desire to date. Nevertheless, one sweet treat blends the perfect match. This contemporary romance reminds readers of the power of a variety of relationships in life. You never know what could be brewing right under your nose!

Minnie Logan is the owner of Logan’s Coffee Shop, a staple in a small New England town. Struggling to maintain her grandfather's legacy and rent payments, Minnie has less than a month to creatively preserve and renew her family business. Robert Vaughan, the CFO of a giant coffee conglomerate, arrives in the small town in pursuit of a takeover of Logan’s Coffee Shop. Unbeknownst to Minnie, she falls for the mysterious newcomer while she uses the magic of love and the miracle of faith to give back to the community that has given so much to her. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

A Valentine’s Day Memory

As February 14th approaches every year, what goes through your mind? We single ladies wonder if we will have a valentine while couples debate how they are going to celebrate (and hope they have the same plan in mind). When I think about my own Valentine’s Day memories over the years, I realize I am always in school, which in my opinion, is the best place to celebrate the holiday. In elementary school land, everyone is included, everyone is celebrating, and everyone is spreading the love. I always look forward to seeing the sea of red and pink that is present throughout the hallways of the building and inside every single classroom. The students’ outfits, wall decorations, office deliveries, and bulletin board displays are huge clues that Valentine’s Day is underway.

When I was an elementary school student, I loved writing each of my classmates’ names on envelopes at home then dressing up the next day in a red skirt or pink sweater to deliver them all.  I loved decorating my personalized valentine bag or envelope to hold all of the valentines I would receive from my classmates. When I became an elementary school teacher, the feelings remained the same. I was fortunate to always have plans from 8:30am-3:30pm on February 14th and have at least twenty seven-year-old valentines every single year. I purposely planned holiday themed lessons throughout the day including activities like cinnamon red hot candy math and conversation heart sentences. We read a number of Valentine’s Day themed books and even incorporated a lesson about heart health. I also surprised each student with a personalized love letter, which matches my personal passion of writing-another common theme throughout my Valentine’s Day memories.

In high school, I was a guest contributing writer for our school newspaper. I was thrilled when I was selected to write a piece for the Valentine’s Day issue. The assignment included interviewing ladies and gentlemen about the age-old question What do men and women want? Interestingly enough, the article indicated there is not much difference in the thinking between a seventeen-year-old and thirty-seven-year-old. We want honesty, respect, and communication at any age. During all of my questioning, the best response I heard was when a guy confidently said, “a woman wants a man who would do anything for her.” Romance novels and romantic movies are created for us to fall in love with these characters, the man who fights for the woman he wants and the woman who puts all of her love and faith in this one special person. 

This Valentine’s Day, I am sharing my passion for writing once again with the publication of The Perfect Blend, a contemporary romance novel with a Valentine’s Day theme. The book explores romantic relationships alongside the relationship between a mother and daughter, father and son, and grandfather’s legacy and the community. The book’s setting revolves around Valentine’s Day through the eyes of a single woman, a single man, an elementary school student, and the people in their lives. Valentine’s Day is the best time to make the most important people in your life feel extra special.

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, and we are still in the middle of a global pandemic. Therefore, I will not be in a school, but I will be focused on writing. This month, along with the release of The Perfect Blend, I will be hosting a virtual Valentine’s Day tea on social media platforms to chat about the book, answer any questions about the title, and talk about the writing world. This book is dedicated to everyone searching for their perfect blend, so anyone can join in the conversation. Publishing for a purpose will also be a topic of discussion. I believe that making an impact beyond a book is essential.  In honor of heart health month, profits from proceeds from The Perfect Blend will be donated to the American Heart Association. I don’t know for sure what my Valentine’s Day will look like in the future, but I do know one quote from the book is true. “You never know when Cupid is going to strike!”

Thanks to Kathryn for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

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Giveaway ends February 15th at midnight EST.

Sara and Melissa talk about....Romance!

We recently started a new column series to get more personal with our readers. This month, we're talking about romance, since it's Valentine's Day! We're open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our first post here, in case you missed it last month.

Melissa Amster:

As of last week, my husband and I have been together for 18 years. Our 16-year wedding anniversary is next month. When it comes to romance, we don’t rely on flowers and chocolate. Instead, it’s the little things we share that keep our marriage thriving. The number one most important thing in our relationship is laughter. We engage in humor all the time, whether it’s sending funny articles and videos that we know the other will enjoy, sharing inside jokes, doing impressions, joking about something our kids said or did, etc. We love being able to make each other laugh. It’s a natural high for us. Even when there are tough times or someone is having a bad day, just sprinkling some laughter in is enough to buoy us.

Our wedding...16 years ago!

In the beginning, there were typical romantic gestures, like a special date night surprise, going dancing together, making bubble baths, doing stuff for each other’s birthdays, etc. For a date early in our relationship, my husband took me for a carriage ride around downtown Chicago and then for dinner at Signature Room at the top of the John Hancock building. For our one-year wedding anniversary, he re-created that special date and also gave me a necklace he designed and had a jeweler make. (I still wear it all the time.) I also had surprises in store for him on our anniversary. I planned activities that would remind us of our honeymoon, like going to a restaurant similar to Benihana--prior to us keeping Kosher (there was one at our resort), playing billiards, going dancing, and having drinks at Bahama Breeze (although mine wasn’t alcoholic at that time because I was pregnant with our first child).

Nowadays, we go on dates, but we usually just get dinner and go bowling or to see a movie. (Sometimes we’ll see live theater performances, as well.) However, I planned a surprise activity for his birthday this past winter. We went to an escape room for the first time and it was a lot of fun. It brought back an element of excitement from early in our relationship and we also got some inside jokes out of it. Now that our oldest child can babysit his siblings, we get out a lot more often and even go on double dates with other couples sometimes.

I am in love with my husband and the spark in our relationship is still going strong. I’m thankful for him every day.

Since this is a book blog and we are celebrating Valentine’s Day right now, I wanted to mention a few romantic novels I’ve enjoyed in recent years, as well as one that slipped under the radar a long time ago.

Recent:
1. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
2. One Day in December by Josie Silver
3. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
4. The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr
5. Sparing the Heart by Tracy Krimmer
6. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
7. A Girl’s Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber
8. Twin Piques by Tracie Banister

Slipped under the radar:
Room for Love by Andrea Meyer.
It published in 2007. I loved it and I don’t think it got the attention it deserved. (Probably because I didn’t have a book blog back then.)

I would love to hear about your favorite romantic novels. Please share them in the comments section below.

Sara Steven:

I’ll be honest- I’m having a bit of a bah humbug Valentine’s Day holiday this year. Having dealt with health issues since the beginning of the year, and still ensconced within the throes of it, visions of red hearts and pink “I love yous” has taken a back seat to doctor’s appointments and medical exams. It’s funny how quickly a moment or an event can change one’s perspective on things. In researching ideas on how I wanted to approach this month’s topic, I found correspondence between my husband and I circa 2008. This was from before the wedding, before the second child. Before the health issues:

From me, to him:
I love to watch you. I love to watch your habits and the little things you do. Like the way you hold your fork and the 5 seconds it takes you to actually taste food in your mouth, and the facial expression that comes after it. That's a classic Kevin, right there. When you walk away from me or towards me, I love to watch the type of gait you have. It's this self assured step with a little bit of boy mixed in there. It's really cute. I love that you always have to be touching me, in some way, when we are together, whether it's a hand on my back, or entwined in my hand, or when we are on the couch, not even cuddling, our feet have to be touching. You are an AMAZING man baby. Thank you for being the way you are, and thank you for being mine. :)
I love you. Have a good day at work today. :)


And from him, to me:
What I love about YOU, Sara, is that you can send something like this to me, and it's so touching and wonderful that I have no idea how to respond to it. I'm sure there were a few things I did yesterday that you could add to this list, but those things along with all the other things you mentioned here, are all because of you. You are the reason I'm the way I am. This morning I was reflecting on how good I feel and how much more like myself I have been lately. I realized, though, that I'm not like myself at all. I can't say that I'm feeling like I used to so many years ago, because I'm feeling better. Way better. I have all of the same silly playfulness and fun-loving spirit that I used to have, but I also have much more confidence, and resolution, and respect in myself and others. Most of all, though, I have love. I have love that I never knew existed, and cannot live without. I'm complete and happy and healthy and I feel so incredible. I owe that all to you. You are my best friend, my partner, my girlfriend, my lover, my muse...you're my everything. As sappy as it sounds, I don't think a word exists for what you mean to me. I think there's just a feeling that exists for it, and I'm so happy that you feel it too, so you know what I'm talking about. I love you Sara. Thank you for completing me.

Our honeymoon, almost 11 years ago!

It’s not that I don’t still feel that way. I hope he does, too. Only, time has progressed us, catapulted us into an entirely different dimension than 2008. Sweet love notes have been replaced by sticky notes, or notes sent through text. Responsibilities have compounded, with moves and new jobs and two children. Our date night for Valentine’s Day this year will be his accompaniment to another doctor’s appointment, this one roughly an hour from where we live, not counting the Phoenix rush hour traffic. We still hold hands, and while we don’t whisper sweet nothings into one another’s ear nearly as much as we used to, I don’t know anyone who can deliver a much-needed joke when I need it, not like my husband can. He’s Wit On Tap. He’s also stepped up, picking up where I’ve had to slack, steering the kids and making dinners and doing as much as he’s able to, to help me out. My visions of red hearts and pink “I love yous” is knowing I have someone in my life who would literally do all he can for me, in order to ensure that I’m healthy and all right because I am that important to him. To me, that’s the real deal, right there. And really, what’s more romantic than that?

Whether you’re in a new, budding relationship, or one that’s seen a few miles, or maybe you’re spending time with your girls on a Galentine’s Day extravaganza, any and all of it- I hope you have a wonderful time spending the 14th of February with the people who mean the most to you.


Your turn! Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section. We look forward to hearing from you.

Kaya Quinsey will warm your heart....plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Kaya Quinsey here today to share her thoughts on Valentine's Day. She has an e-book of her novella collection, Love, Amour, Amore, for one lucky reader. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Kaya and her publishers at Books To Go Now decided to put together a compilation of her three sweet romance novellas to mark the occasion. But whether it's Valentine's Day or not, it's always a good time to celebrate love.

Kaya Quinsey is the author of Paris Mends Broken Hearts, Valentine in Venice, A Coastal Christmas, which are all featured in Love, Amour, Amore: A Collection of Three Love Stories From Around The World. She holds her undergraduate and master’s degree in psychology. Her work has sold in seven countries and been translated into foreign languages. Kaya’s passion for culture, travel, and psychology blend for a reading style that is fun, full of surprises, and easy to read. A romantic at heart, Kaya’s writing offers a contemporary twist to traditional love stories. Through her stories, she hopes to inspire readers to fiercely chase their dreams. Visit Kaya at her website, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
Love, Amour, Amore: A Collection of Three Loves Stories From Around The World, is just that - a compilation of Kaya's three romance novellas, which take place in Venice, Paris, and the fictional coastal community of Pebble Shores. Love, Amour, Amore is an anthology featuring the stories Valentine in Venice, A Coastal Christmas, and Paris Mends Broken Hearts. All three stories offer something a little different - a story of love rekindled, love found where it is least expected, and finding love after loss.

Valentine in Venice is about rekindling that first love. Valentine Wells returns to Venice. After having visited ten years earlier when she was just sixteen years old, it was where she had impulsively met Lorenzo Dipachio. Her first kiss. Her first love. Now twenty-six, Valentine is a successful wedding photographer in Chicago. Still impulsive, Valentine is recently divorced after being married for about a minute in Las Vegas. And she doesn't miss the irony of being a divorced wedding photographer. Also dealing with her mother's recent diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's, Valentine's father convinces her that she needs a break. Now that she is back in Venice, Valentine wants to prove to herself that she's no longer the impulsive, daring girl who got married (and quickly divorced) in Vegas to a man she barely knew. Now, she is living by a new set of rules: planned, cautious, and carefully executed.

But her plan is challenged when she falls (literally) into the path of her first love, Lorenzo. And with Valentine's Day around the corner, will Valentine be able to keep herself from making another big mistake?

A Coastal Christmas is about finding love where (and when) it is least expected. Successful broadcaster Jessica Beaton has it all: the perfect New York City apartment, high-flying career, and handsome boyfriend. And with Christmas around the corner, she has her sights set on one thing. A ring.

But Jessica is humiliated when her co-host and boyfriend, Brett Fanshaw, almost proposes to her on-air before backing out, leaving her dumped and embarrassed on national television. In the midst of her heartbreak, Jessica leaves to go home to Pebble Shores for the holidays for the first time in years.
While retreating at her family's seaside cottage to evaluate her life, Jessica finds herself butting heads with Dean Adams, the mayor of Pebble Shores, who isn't thrilled to have the media spotlight shed on their small town. Jessica couldn't imagine anyone being more of a Grinch. Over the Christmas season, Jessica finds herself more enamored with life in Pebble Shores, the community spirit, and to her own surprise, Dean Adams. Can a small-town mayor and big-city broadcaster have the romance that Jessica always dreamed of?

Paris Mends Broken Hearts is about finding love after loss. Gwendoline Delacroix finds herself fleeing Paris in a desperate attempt to escape the memories that haunt her in her French countryside chateau. Following the aftermath of WWII, she had become a widower and desperately missing her husband, Jean. Although her loyal and quirky staff do their best to keep her afloat, Gwendoline eventually takes charge and in a quick turn of events, finds herself at the Hotel de la Belle Paix - the hotel run by her brother and sister-in-law in the Latin Quarter in Paris. Over the summer, Gwendoline finds work at an animal sanctuary run by an eccentric aristocrat. With new friends, an elderly cat, and a glass of wine in hand, Gwendoline proves to herself and everyone else that there is life after lost love.

When it comes to holidays, I personally love any occasion that can be celebrated with chocolate. So whether you have someone special in your life, are having a Galentine's Day celebration with your best friends, or are taking advantage of indulging in some me-time, I hope you enjoy! Given the international destinations within Love, Amour, Amore, I thought it would be apropos to feature some of the Valentine's Day traditions across the world.

In Germany, while Valentine's Day is certainly celebrated, it is an adults-only kind of celebration. No mass giveaways of Valentine's Day cards in kindergarten for them! The Germans seem split when it comes to giving flowers or chocolate. According to Statista, 48-percent of gift-giving Germans give flowers/plants and another 48-percent give chocolates, pralines, and sweets. Which would you prefer? As they say in Germany, einen frohen Valentinstag!

On Valentine's Day in South Korea, it's the women who give men gifts as a token of their affection. But don't worry - these gifts are reciprocated shortly after on White Day, another holiday one month later on March 14th where the men have a chance to shower their loved ones with presents. Another month later on April 14, there is an entire day dedicated to singles!

In the small, romantic fishing town of Camogli in Italy, Valentine's Day celebrations are expanded over an entire week! Innamorato a Camogli, or 'Lovers in Camogli', is a week-long celebration that leads up to Valentine's Day where the whole town is transformed into a lover's paradise. You can put your name, along with your sweethearts, on a red paper heart and string it up along the harbour on a fishing net, enjoy art and poetry competitions, and celebrate with a fantastic dinner. Buon San Valentino!

It seems like Parisians get to celebrate La Saint-Valentin every day, living in the most romantic city in the world. But they amped up the romance a notch higher in 2017, when the Paris Metro line allowed certain stops to have 15-second love-filled messages broadcast over the train's speaker systems. That would certainly be one way to brighten up your loved ones morning commute!

In North America, I remember Valentine's Day as having been a big deal in elementary school. Getting the perfect cards, filling them out for the whole class, and receiving them in turn always felt so special. It always brightened up February! According to Statista, candies, sweets, and chocolates reign as the top gift for adults in the USA at a whopping 63-percent, followed closely by flowers and plants at 40-percent. But the most money spent on Valentine's Day in the United States comes from dining out at a restaurants together.

With new traditions emerging each and every Valentine's Day, I can't wait to hear what fun, thoughtful, and appreciative trends come up this year. And ultimately, it doesn't matter how much you spend or what you do, Valentine's Day is a chance to show your significant other, friends, pet, or family just how much you care. How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

Thanks to Kaya for a lovely guest post and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends February 19th at midnight EST.

Go-to-Gay: My Funny Valentine

L to R: Keith and Andy

Our Go-to-Gay, Keith Stewart, is here to help us celebrate Valentine's Day! He has a predicament this year, but we think he resolved it pretty well. We hope his idea goes over well with Andy and that Keith gets a special Valentine's Day surprise, as well.

Take it away, Go-to-Gay!

Valentine’s Day is a stressful holiday for me. After being with the same person for 17 years now, I am all out of original gift ideas.
It was a good run.

I have done well over the years. It was so easy in the beginning. I can remember the first few VDs when just a romantic dinner and a card was enough.
When love is new, romantic gifts are great. Rubbing oils, sexy underwear, satin sheets. Those are really the years a couple appreciates Valentine’s Day.
Then, there were the spa years—massages, facials, mani/pedis, and day passes.
Tickets to shows and concerts and other events were also good years.
Even shifting into the staying home and cooking a nice meal year worked out well.
But this year, I have hit the wall. I am blank. I’m tapped out.
The bloom is off the Valentine’s Day rose.

We are both dieting, so chocolate or candy is out the question. The thought of sexy underwear on either one of us at this point makes us both guffaw. We already eat out most of our meals these days. So where does that leave me? In V-Day Wasteland.

The only idea I could come up with that wasn’t totally lame, and if I’m being honest, it’s still a little lame, was a homemade game of Valentine’s Day Trivia. Andy is a trivia buff, so I figure this would be fun for him.
I am not sure how the scoring will go or what the winner will get. That is still to be determined. We could always go adventurous and make it a strip trivia game, or we could take a shot of whiskey after each wrong answer. Odds are we will end up arguing over the legitimacy of some of the answers and call it night, but after 17 years, what more can you expect?
I thought I would share with you a few of the Valentine’s Day trivia facts I scoured the internet to find, just in case you find yourself in the same predicament as I am in today.

Valentine’s Day Trivia
• Who created the first Valentine’s Day box of candy?
o Cadburys

• Who receives the most Valentine’s Day cards?
o Teachers (followed by children, mothers, then wives)

• What state produces the most roses?
o California

• Statistically, a woman who purchases flowers on Valentine’s Day is most likely buying for whom?
o Herself

• How many Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year?
o One Billion

• Who is Cupid’s mother?
o Venus, the goddess of love

• What year was the first Valentine’s Day card sent?
o 1415

• On average, how many wedding proposals are given on Valentine’s Day?
o 220,000

• How much does the average man spend on Valentine’s Day?
o $130

• How many roses will be sent during Valentine’s Day?
o 110 Million

Pretty cool trivia, huh?! OK, I admit the game may not go over gangbusters. I’ll probably throw in a bottle of bourbon just in case.

What are YOU doing this Valentine’s Day?


Keith Stewart is the author of Bernadette Peters Hates Me – True Tales of a Delusional Man. A native of Appalachia, he splits his time between his hometown of Hyden and nearby Lexington, Kentucky. His blog is www.astrongmanscupoftea.com. You can find him on Twitter at @Shiglyogly and Facebook at @AMSCOT (A Strong Man’s Cup of Tea). He is a regular contributor to HumorOutcasts.com and the GoodMenProject.com. He lives with his husband, Andy, and their two dogs, Duke and Dudley.

Kathryn R. Biel's practical romance...plus a book giveaway

We're glad to have Kathryn R. Biel back at CLC today to help us close out our Romance month. Her latest novel, Queen of Hearts, published last week. It's part of her New Beginnings series. Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone, but they are fun to read together. She has an e-book of Made for Me,  the first novel in the series, to give away!


Telling stories of resilient women, Kathryn R. Biel hails from Upstate New York where her most important role is being mom and wife to an incredibly understanding family who don't mind fetching coffee and living in a dusty house. In addition to being Chief Home Officer and Director of Child Development of the Biel household, she works as a school-based physical therapist. She attended Boston University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges. After years of writing countless letters of medical necessity for wheelchairs, finding increasingly creative ways to encourage insurance companies to fund her client's needs, and writing entertaining annual Christmas letters, she decided to take a shot at writing the kind of novel that she likes to read. Kathryn is the author of eleven women's fiction, romantic comedy, contemporary romance, and chick lit works, including Live for This and Once in a Lifetime. Visit Kathryn at her website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
And then they lived happily ever after...

That's how all the fairy tales end, right? And certainly Maryn Medrovovich's life is a fairy tale. It was love at first sight between her and Crown Prince Stephan. He didn't care that she was a commoner, working multiple jobs to make ends meet after her father left the family in dire straits. He only knew he loved her and wanted to make her a princess.

But that's where the fairy tale ends and real life begins. Being a member of the royal family isn't everything it's cracked up to be, especially when your father-in-law, the king, only has interest in your ability to produce an heir. The mounting pressure to maintain a royal image and perform her royal duties become too much as Maryn realizes Stephan is not the white knight she once thought him to be.

Seeking solace in her childhood home, Maryn's path again crosses with that of George Panagogus, her childhood best friend and first love. He really is a good guy. Too bad she shattered and stomped on his heart all those years ago. It's time for Maryn to step up and start being her own hero. Will she finally get her storybook ending? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

As much as I love romance (obviously), I’m also somewhat a pragmatist. While I’d love for my husband to shower me with sparkly jewelry, I’d probably rather use the money to refinish the basement or to be able to get takeout instead of the more cost-effective cooking dinner after a long day’s work.

Most romantic gesture that happened to you:
My husband (we’ve been together almost 18 years now), is NOT a romantic. NOT AT ALL. I find the romance in the little things he does, like making me coffee and bringing it to me (unsolicited) or by doing things around the house without me asking. It’s nice to come home from a weekend away to a clean house.

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "romance"?: 
The first thing I think about is books! I love a good romance novel, one that gives all the feels!

Favorite celebrity couple:
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky. I mean, look at them. I hope they’re relationship is as perfect as it seems. At least in my fantasy world it is.

Favorite marriage proposal that you witnessed (okay if it's your own): 
The only one I’ve ever witnessed was my own. My husband put a lot of thought into it (and he’s not a planner). He proposed to me in a park, under the tree where we’d kissed on our first date. Got down on one knee and everything. We were both crying. However, in true rom-com fashion, just minutes before he’d intended to propose, while waiting in line, I put my hand on his chest and felt the ring box in his coat. He’s not a great liar (another plus), so I sort of had a clue it was coming. Otherwise, I’d have been totally blindsided. We’d also been eating chocolate, so when he finally stopped to propose, he had chocolate on his teeth. But that’s so us. We’re not super romantic, and when we try, we usually end up laughing. Humor is very attractive to me, so it all worked for us.

Most memorable date: 
Gosh, it’s hard to remember specific dates. There was one date that we went on after we were married with two kids. We’d gotten tickets to see an afternoon performance of Spamalot. He took off work and we snuck out, enjoying the frigid January day to ourselves. It sticks out in my mind because it was the only light spot in a terrible week in which we have a very sick baby, my grandmother had pneumonia, and our son was diagnosed with autism. That date was an oasis in a very bad week.

Best movie or TV show kiss: 
I’ve got to go old school on this and say Rhett and Scarlett in Gone with the Wind when he tells her she should be kissed and often and by someone who knows how.

Thanks to Kathryn for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends February 5th at midnight EST.

Loretta Nyhan sows the seeds of love...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to introduce you to Loretta Nyhan today. Her fifth novel, Digging In, is coming to bookshelves in early April, just in time for spring gardening! In the meantime, Amazon Publishing is giving THREE lucky readers a sneak peek!

A reader before she became a writer, Loretta Nyhan devoured everything she could get her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and the instructions booklet for building the Barbie dream house. Later, her obsession with reading evolved into an absolute need to write. After college, she wrote for national trade magazines, taught writing to college freshmen, and eventually found the guts to try fiction.

Loretta lives in the Chicago area with her family. She previously wrote All the Good Parts, which published September, 2016. Previous titles include The Witch Collector, a mysterious paranormal thriller from HarperTeen, an epistolary novel co-written with Suzanne Hayes, I'll Be Seeing You, and Empire Girls, a jazz-age mystery.

When Loretta is not writing, She's knitting, baking, and doing all kinds of things her high school self would have found hilarious. 

Loretta is answering our questions about romance to go along with our theme this month.

Visit Loretta online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig.

As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite romantic movie: 
While You Were Sleeping. I love everything about this movie. Especially Sandra Bullock. And Bill Pullman. How can you go wrong casting those two?

Favorite celebrity couple: 
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick (alive)/ Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman (not-so-alive)

Most romantic song:
True Love Ways by Buddy Holly

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "romance"? 
Kissing, the slow, high-school-making-out kind.

Most memorable Valentine's Day: 
Honestly, the first time my boys were able to curl their chubby toddler fingers around a red crayon so they could make me a valentine.

How did you meet your significant other?
This is a tricky one for me, so I'll keep it lighthearted. I met my late husband, Tom, in fourth grade. Seriously. We didn't start dating then! That came later. I met my boyfriend, Gus, because my sister set us up. She kept running into him at the grocery store and thought it was a sign she should take action. I'm so glad she did!

Thanks to Loretta for chatting with us and to Amazon Publishing for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends January 30th at midnight EST.

Tracie Banister has the "Hallmark" on romantic novels...plus a book giveaway

We're thrilled to have Tracie Banister back at CLC to launch her latest novel, Izzy As Is. Melissa A is currently enjoying this novel. She has read three of Tracie's previous four novels and loved them all. Izzy As Is follows a different character from In Need of Therapy. While it can be read as a stand-alone, there are some spoilers for In Need. And trust us, you will want to read that one anyway! (See Melissa A's review.) 

Tracie is here to talk about romance (and being a Hallmark movie aficionado, she has a lot to say on the subject). She also has one e-book of Izzy As Is to give away!

An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her fourtth grade class performed an original holiday play she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)

Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the back burner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. She is the proud winner of the 2017 Independent Press Award (Romantic Comedy) and a Bronze Medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards (Chick Lit). Visit Tracie at her blog, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
The party is over for bikini model Izzy Alvarez. For six years she’s made a good living by flaunting her God-given assets on runways and in front of cameras, but now as she approaches the big 3-0, the bodacious Latina is shocked to learn she’s aged out of the profession that’s kept her in mojitos, mani/pedis, and designer thongs. What’s a girl with a taste for the finer things in life and no marketable skills to do?

Getting a regular job is too boring to even consider, so Izzy decides to follow in the footsteps of her newly-engaged frenemy and become a trophy wife. Although she’s desperate and too broke to get a chipped nail fixed, Izzy still has standards for her future husband, which means no uggos, no vertically-challenged guys, and no geezers who need to pop a blue pill to perform in the bedroom. Enlisting the aid of her computer whiz nephew and her closest pals, Izzy goes on the prowl for a rich, marriage-minded man, encountering likely candidates in a lot of unlikely places.

The high life she’s dreamed of may be within reach when Izzy meets a charming, successful man who’s not only hotter than a steamy summer night in Miami, but ready to settle down. Now all Izzy has to do is make sure her loud, crazy Cuban family doesn’t scare off el hombre perfecto—oh, yeah, and squelch those pesky, romantic feelings she keeps having for the sweet, cash-strapped guy she's known forever.

Will Izzy’s hunger for money win out, or will her fiery heart demand to be heard? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Best Hallmark movie you saw this past year?
Hallmark’s holiday movies are always my favorites, and there were several good ones this past Christmas. If I had to pick one, I’d say, Christmas Getaway starring Bridget Regan (a.k.a. Sin Rostro for all you Jane the Virgin fans) and Travis Van Winkle. The actors had great chemistry and there was a lot of humor mixed in with some really poignant moments. I liked that the movie poked a bit of fun at some typical Hallmark tropes like the interrupted kiss. When this happened for a second time in Christmas Getaway, the heroine not only expressed her irritation, she grabbed her love interest and planted one on him!

Romantic gesture of your dreams:
Being whisked away on a private jet to some faraway location and I don’t have to do anything except enjoy myself. No planning, no packing, just lots of fun surprises. (This happens to the heroine in my new release, Izzy As Is!)

Favorite romance novel (or author, if you can't pick just one book):
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen—I like humor and witty banter in my romance, so it doesn’t get any better than Darcy and Elizabeth’s story for me. I’m a fan of all the modern interpretations of this story as well.

TV show characters you are shipping:
Liza and Charles on Younger. I love that they connected on a cerebral level first, talking about books and writers and how their experiences with both shaped them. The way the two of them have fought their attraction, then given into it, then pulled back for various reasons and pined for each other is hot, hot, HOT! I am dying to know how Charles will react when he finds out that Liza has been lying to him about her age all this time and I can’t wait to see the backside of Charles’s ex-wife who recently guilted him into a reunion. Roll on, Season five!

Who is your book boyfriend?
Well, that changes on a pretty much weekly basis depending on what I’m reading. ;) The book boyfriend I’ve been hanging on to since I read An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne during the holidays is Mark Blakely. Rowr! First of all, his physical description in the book was drool-worthy, and he was a chef, which is the sexiest of professions in my eyes. And I loved the slow burn of his romance with his bestie, Kelly. Men who are loyal and devoted like Mark was are very appealing!

Do you consider yourself a romantic person?
I’d better be since I write about romantic relationships for a living! I’ve always been a sentimental, hearts and flowers kind of girl who swoons over big, romantic gestures in chick flicks and cries at weddings. Love makes the world go ‘round as far as I’m concerned!

Thanks to Tracie for spreading the love and for sharing her book with our readers!

How to win: Use Giveaway Tools to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Giveaway Tools on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends January 29th at midnight EST.

Eliza Gordon is in the mood for love...plus a book giveaway

A few months ago, we had an author named Peggy here. Now it's Eliza's turn. (Hopefully we'll find an Angelica soon to complete the trio! #HamilNerd fun...) 

We welcome Eliza Gordon to CLC to talk about romance with us in honor of the upcoming publication of her latest novel, Dear Dwayne, With Love. If the cover doesn't give you a sugar rush, perhaps what's inside will sweeten up your day! The icing on top of this treat is that Eliza is giving away an audio book, two e-books, and a signed paperback version with a bookmark and pen.

A native of Portland, Oregon, Eliza Gordon (a.k.a. Jennifer Sommersby) has lived up and down the West Coast of the United States, but since 2002, home has been a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite the occasional cougar and bear sightings in her neighborhood, there’s no place she’d rather rest her webbed feet (except maybe Scotland).

When not lost in a writing project, Eliza is a copy editor, mom, wife, and bibliophile, and the proud parent of one very spoiled tuxedo cat. Eliza writes stories to help you believe in happily ever after; Jennifer Sommersby, her other self, writes young-adult fiction. Both personalities are represented by Daniel Lazar at Writers House. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.) 

Visit Eliza online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Wannabe actress Dani Steele’s résumé resembles a cautionary tale on how not to be famous. She’s pushing thirty and stuck in a dead-end insurance job, and her relationship status is holding at uncommitted. With unbearably perfect sisters and a mother who won’t let her forget it, Dani has two go-tos for consolation: maple scones and a blog in which she pours her heart out to her celebrity idol. He’s the man her father never was, no boyfriend will ever be—and not so impossible a dream as one might think. When Dani learns that he’s planning a fund-raising event where the winning amateur athlete gets a walk-on in his new film, she decides to trade pastries and self-doubt for running shoes and a sexy British trainer with adorable knees.

But when Dani’s plot takes an unexpected twist, she realizes that her happy ending might have to be improvised—and that proving herself to her idol isn’t half as important as proving something to herself. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite romantic movie: 
Who can pick just one? I think I'd have to say Leap Year with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, the 2005 Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen, The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, and (don't laugh), P.S. I Love You with Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (yes, bad Irish accent and all). I watch these over and over again. They make me happy.

Favorite romance novel or author: 
I'd have to say Jojo Moyes because I love the way she paints characters. Me Before You was a real heartbreaker but the follow-up, After You, is terrific. I liked it better, to be honest. Another of her books, called One Plus One, is among my favorite books ever too. I don't read a lot of pure romance novels -- I prefer character-driven stories with elements of romance in them -- so I can't forget to mention Marian Keyes and Cecelia Ahern. These women are my writerly role models.

TV show characters you are shipping:
Hmmm, Brienne of Tarth and Jamie Lannister from Game of Thrones. Also, Carrie Mathison and Peter Quinn from Homeland but yeah ... season six ... never mind, just in case.

Most memorable date: 
My first date ever -- it was with a rebellious, spiky-haired, leather-jacket-wearing, brown-eyed boy named Tony. We went to see The Princess Bride and then we sneaked into his dad's church where Tony played the piano for me as I fell asleep on a pew. It was magical and perfect ... and then the next day, Tony realized I was a nerd and that one of the hot, popular girls liked him so that was the end of my fantasy. (I've used this date in one of my books, actually. It was that awesome.)

Do you consider yourself a romantic person? 
This is a tough question. I'm not very romantic, actually, not in real life. Lack of imagination, perhaps? Sadly, I'm pretty cynical, which is a weird demeanor for someone who writes romantic stories. But I try to temper my cynicism with the dreamier side I think a lot of us have. That's why I love movies so much, and why writing books is such a suitable occupation for me; I can live in a fantasy world where people are falling in love, and I can make it as messy or as perfect as I want. Real life is both messy and perfect, which is why my stories are never billed as a straight-up romance. More aptly, I write comedies or real-people stories with brushstrokes of romance to keep things interesting.

Best movie kiss: 
I love, love, love the Lord of the Rings movies, so at the end of Return of the King, when Aragorn sees Arwen again -- that is a kiss for the ages. Here's this man who possesses mythical powers, who has survived what should've killed him a hundred times over, who is the newly crowned king but is also a humble servant of his friends and subjects, and he sees Arwen after thinking she has died ... When he kisses her and tucks his head against her, you can see that he is a man desperately in love, that no crown or kingdom will ever come between him and this elf-woman. It's a perfect kiss, perfectly delivered by actors Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler.

Thanks to Eliza for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers!

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends January 23rd at midnight EST.