Okay, I
know it’s only the 3rd, and Valentine’s Day is 11 whole days
away. But hey, it was just July last
week and as soon as I blinked, I was taking down the Christmas tree. Did time fly for you, too? Or was it just me? Either way, I figure I’d better get focused on Valentine’s now!
You’d
think Valentines is an easy holiday, right?
It’s pretty well defined as a Romantic Holiday (oooh, I love romantic
holidays!) Heck, from grade school when we exchange cartoon greetings in white
paper bags colored in red and purple crayon (again, was that just me?) to the
jewelry commercials flooding the networks right now, the message is
clear... Valentine’s Day is a big deal.
And I
know this.
So why
am I coming up blank and struggling to think of a gift or fun way to
celebrate???!!!! (picture me pulling my
hair out, because that’s what I want to do whenever I try and think about
it. You can see why I need 11 days to
figure this out, right?)
Now we
do have some traditions. My husband
always gets the girls and I each a box of Sees chocolates. I always make his favorite dinner that
night, even if we do a dinner out together a different night (reservations and
crowds are always a pain on Valentines, so we usually do another night the same
week). Usually he brings me flowers. Always I make him a card.
And
always I struggle to come up with some gift or celebration idea that will tell
him how much I love him. Or what it is
I love about him. Or make him feel
loved. Or amused. Or wishing he’d bought me diamonds.
The
problem is, I’ve never come up with that perfect gift. I’ve come up with some pretty good ones,
though. I’ve gone the chocolate route,
and even baked my husband a giant heart shaped chocolate chip cookie. I’ve made sassy gift certificates; one year
I got him a teddy bear. But I’m tapped
out. I have no idea what to give him
this year.
Ack! 11 days!!!
If I’m going to make something, I have to get started. If I’m going to buy something, I have to get
shopping. If I’m going to cop out, I
really should chill.
Hmm... Well, whining aside and as much trouble as I make it, I do love Valentine's Day. So much so that I wanted to end my Under cover Ops series with a Valentine's wedding. Now that's romantic, right?
Well, it is if you ignore that the best man is home under FBI duress, his 'girlfriend' is an agent, out to bust his father, and his brother is now the town sheriff...
Well, it is if you ignore that the best man is home under FBI duress, his 'girlfriend' is an agent, out to bust his father, and his brother is now the town sheriff...
 |
| Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, eHarlequin |
SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES
Con artist Gabriel Black just got busted. By a babe. Drool-worthy (and clearly sneaky) FBI agent Danita Cruz is forcing Gabriel to choose between hard time and scamming his own family for an undercover sting. Now he has to present Danita to his family as his girlfriend. And it's the perfect opportunity to get wickedly even with her....
But Danita has some tricks of her own, and Gabriel's control begins slipping away as raw sexual energy takes over. Their sham relationship starts feeling a lot like...well, the real deal. The Big Question is, will overwhelming desire be enough to make a liar go legit?
Here’s a peek
at Gabriel’s first day back in Black Oak, just after he hears the news of his
brother’s upcoming marriage: Except
Yeah... I think there’s plenty of romance to be had on Valentine’s Day. J
Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com
Yeah... I think there’s plenty of romance to be had on Valentine’s Day. J
So, how about you?
- Are you a fan of Valentine’s
celebrations?
- Any clever gift ideas or fun
ways to enjoy the holiday I can add to my list of maybes?
- And do you have a favorite Valentine’s memory?
Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com
22 comments:
I used to love Valentine's Day when married not so much fun now.
Yvonne.
I don't understand Valentine's day these days. When I was young the idea was to send a secret Valentine to the one you loved, not to grandmother, mother, kids, and everybody else. That makes a nonsense of the whole occasion.
After 40 years, its difficult to do anything special, we just echange cards these days. Love is still in the air though.
Definitely get all four boys a special treat. And my DH and I always go to a remote get-a-way adult only cabin deep in the woods for relaxation:)) Have a great VDAY!
We don't really do Valentine's Day any more. Like you, we'll go out to dinner, but not on Valentine's Day (too many people). I'll give him a box of chocolates simply because he loves chocolte. He might buy me flowers, but I won't be upset if he doesn't. I look at it this way. I don't need a special day to celebrate our love. It's clear every single day that we love each other. He's just spent the last two months taking care of me after I broke my ankle. I spent 6 weeks before that taking care of him after a hip replacement. We still hold hands when we sit together and watch TV at night, and we take a few minutes to kiss and cuddle and say "I love you" several times a day. I don't need a card or a piece of jewelry. Everyday with Hubs is all the gift I need.
Coupons for personal favors always works, and no I don't mean for that to sound dirty. You know - back rubs, quality time on the couch watching a movie, permission to play his favorite computer game for five hours straight... Well, your husband's tastes might differ from mine!
Hi, Tawny and Sia--
This was a fun post to read! The dh and I do celebrate Valentine's day, sometimes with dinner out, a homemade card from him to me, and a card from me to him.
Our bigger day in February is the anniversary of the day we met. We always go out for that, and I always receive flowers. We exchange homemade cards. When our son was small, we discovered getting a sitter is much easier when it is not a holiday, and flowers are generally cheaper. So this was way less hassle for us.
Sorry I can't help with ideal gifts, Tawny, but the dh is one of those guys who, when asked what he wants, responds with something like, "Oh, I dunno. Maybe a hammer?"
Forgot to say I read Sex, Lies & Valentines and loved it! It's a terrific conclusion to the trilogy.
My husband is the big celebrator of holidays, and I love him for it. But my favorite thing is just having that moment when you remember and feel why you're together. It could be a stroll along the sea, sipping wine or sharing some gelato--but you feel that connection.
I don't need the ostentatious expressions, but I do like it when he surprises me occasionally.
Hugs, Yvonne! The fun of the holidays definitely changes as our lives shift.
I hear ya, Jo :-)
I remember when I was a kid, everyone brought valentines for their friends and a special one for their crush.
By the time my oldest daughter was in school, it was mandatory that every child be included in valentines. Now, given the hurt feelings when I was a kid, I can see why - but I don't think that's quite the message of Valentines Day.
It was cool when I was in high school -the student council sold roses, which would be delivered (anonymously or not) to the recipient in class :-) It was all about that one crush (or crushes LOL).
and a big YAY for the loving air after 40 years! That's so awesome and inspiring.
Tonya, I think I'm having remote adults only cabin in the wood envy *g*
I hope your valentine's is great, too!
Awww, Kat, that is so lovely :-) And really, that year-round love is what it's all about!
Take care with your broken ankle!!
Alex, I love doing the coupon book. I am giggling about the 5 hours of straight computer gaming LOL. My husband would want 5 hours of the Military Channel, but really, it's the same thing. Permission to be a boy without interruption. Its cute :-D
Nancy, great point about the costs and sitters on non-holiday celebrations. I've found it to be the same here. I usually tap family to babysit, and they're much happier to do it if I'm not messing with their celebration LOL. And I love that you and your husband exchange handmade cards. I love even more that you celebrate your first meet anniversary :-D That's so awesome.
ROFL at the hammer gift idea. One year, thats exactly what my husband asked for. I rolled my eyes, but got him the best hammer I could find that met his requirements. Then I wrapped it as a hammer - in other words, you could see exactly what it was because I didn't use a box or bag or anything. I think he enjoyed the laugh as much as he still does the hammer :-D
But... yeah, he's hard to buy for. Guys can be such a pain that way :-D
Wooot!!! Thank you so much, Nancy for the Sex, Lies & Valentines love :-D I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the books!!
VA, thats so lovely. You're right- that really should be the message and the focus. Not just for Valentine's but for every day.
And, of course, those surprises are always nice, too :-D
When I was single I never minded Valentines Day and liked the chocolate--but now that I'm with a fantastic guy, it's one of my favs. He always remembers and we always celebrate how great our lives are together.
Tawny, We've never made a big deal of it. Like Nancy, we make a bigger deal of the day we met (Blind date and kinda of a whirlwind romance because we were married 4 1/2 months later).
Conda, how great to see you!
Conda, that's so awesome :-) It sounds like you not only have a fab outlook about Valentines, but also a fabulous reason to celebrate with a fabulous man *g*
Sia, I love your blind date/whirlwind romance story!! That's just so exciting and fun. And definitely something special to celebrate.
I have a very romantic husband. He never forgets and often brings chocolate and flowers. Depending on what the kids have going on, we may celebrate later in the week. Often we're just happy to be home and together!
Hi Sia and Tawny - love the sound of your book "Sex, Lies and Valentines" ..
But Sia - I have no extra ideas to add to your thoughts .. the most important thing is you still love each other .. I suppose a good sexy book - could add to the mix?!
Cheers to you both - Hilary
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