An "Engaging" Post ~ Jean C. Gordon

LETCHWORTH STATE PARK (NY)

With Valentine's Day coming up fast, I was reminiscing about young love--specifically ours--and our engagement. It didn't happen in February but March (close enough). My then-college-boyfriend asked me if I wanted to take a Sunday drive to Letchworth State Park--the Grand Canyon of the East--which was a nice ride from our parents' houses.

I got a little suspicious, though, when he asked me to wear a particular outfit. My husband is not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination. He asked to wear my wool plaid mini-skirt culottes (who remembers those?) and a navy blue sweater which matched the blue in the plaid. When we got to Letchworth, we hiked to a particular rock outcropping he knew of. He got down on one knee and did the deed. Obviously, I said "yes."

But that's not the end of the day. When he drove me home, he came in to talk to my dad. Yes, ask for my hand. The next part, I got second hand from him. Apparently, when he told Dad we were getting married, Dad said "oh." My husband thought he said "no" and didn't know what to do since he was only asking because he thought Dad would like that. Then Dad smiled and shook his hand and gave him a hug to welcome him to the family.

US POSING IN OUR TRAVELING CLOTHES AFTER OUR WEDDING

If you're married, where did you spouse propose to you?

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And Here's a Little Valentine Special for You. This sweet collection of six books and novellas is available only during the month of February and all for only 99-cents.

Sometimes love is right in front of you and you don't even know it...
These six inspirational women have spent their lives watching their friends and family all pair off and seem to move on, even though love never seemed to be in the cards for them. But when past crushes, coworkers and best friends step in during times of need, these heroines start to see their unexpected heroes in a new light.

Strap in for a bumpy ride with these six charming and inspiring friends to lovers romances that will keep you up and glued to your kindle to get to the happily ever after! No Time for Apologies by Jean C. Gordon, Between Love's Promise, Taylor's Legendary Heart, Love's Odds, Healing Hawk, and Mommy Loves the IT Guy. You're going to fall in love over and over again!

I'll end with a public service announcement. February is American Heart Month, and the first Friday--today--is designated Wear Red Day to unite people for the common goal of eradicating heart disease and stroke. Since both run in my family and my husband's family, heart health is something I'm aware of and promote. Are you wearing red today? I am.

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Inexpensive Holiday Cards by Angela Benson

Happy Holidays!  I hope you’re gearing up for a safe and happy holiday season.   

I really look forward to sending holidays cards this time of the year.  Hubby and I like sending out the personalized cards with our photo and a personal greeting.  From the response we’ve gotten, the recipients enjoy getting them.  The good news is that these cards are fairly inexpensive.

On Sunday we’re going to Flash Digital Portrait Studios in the local mall for our holiday photo session.  We usually just use a picture we’ve taken on our phones [the picture above is the one we used last year] but I found a great deal on Groupon that I couldn’t pass up.  The photo session and a package that includes three images on CD and one traditional print sheet cost only $15.99.  We’ve had our pictures taken at this place before when it was Olan Mills and I hope we are as happy with the results this time as we were then.

I’m going out all for this photo session.  I haven’t decided what we’re wearing yet, but I do know there will be some red involved.  And right before the shoot, I have an appointment to get my make-up done at the Clinique counter in Belk, also in the mall. This is a much cheaper route than going to a salon.  At the Clinique counter, they only ask that you purchase one or two items, which will probably be around $30.  A salon would charge at least $30 for the make-up session and you wouldn’t get any products.  Again, I think I’m getting a pretty good deal.

To get even more bang for my photo dollar, in addition to striking some poses for the holiday card, I’m also going to try to find a pose that will work as my author photo.  The photographer’s assistant suggested that I bring a few copies of my books to use as props in those poses.  We’ll see how it goes.

After I get the CD with the pictures, I’ll create our cards on Staples.com. With another great Groupon deal, I’m getting 50 custom cards (with envelopes) for only $10.  I don’t think I can do much better than that. 

In total, I’ll spend about $57 for 50 personalized holiday cards, a semi-professionally done author photo and two Clinique products.  That’s a pretty good gift for me to give myself.  I just may give it someone else next Christmas.

If you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering how we’re going to get our cards mailed in time for Christmas.  Well, we’re not.  Over the last few years, we’ve gone from sending Christmas cards to sending more general “holiday” cards.  That way, as long as the cards arrive between mid-December and mid-January, we’re fine. 

I’d love to hear about your holiday card plans for this year.  Do (did) you send Christmas cards, holiday cards or something else?  Have you already put yours in the mail or have you joined the high-tech revolution and started sending only e-cards?  Feel free to also tell me about any good Groupon deals you’ve found.  I’m always looking for a good buy.

Happy Holidays!

Angela Benson is the author of 14 novels and two novellas.  In the novella, Friend and Lover, Reed Lewis thinks his best friend, Paige Thomas, is engaged to the wrong man, so he devises a holiday ruse to make her see things his way. Celebrate the season with this light-hearted holiday romp about two friends on the path to becoming so much more, and the grandmother who helps them get there.

The Romance of Our Lives by Aileen Fish

 In the comments on Raine English’s post on new beginnings, Helen Scott Taylor recently mentioned second chance romances as a favorite of hers, and I commented that I don’t read them as often as I do strangers meeting. To me, second chances make me look back in my own past and think about meeting one of my past loves again. My feeling on that is there’s a reason they are in my past!

I know I’m not in the majority on that, and that’s what I love about reading romance. We have choices. First love, second chances, friends to lovers, matchmaking gone awry…there is something for everyone, isn’t there?

It’s apparent I think in terms of my own life when reading. What about you? Do you find yourself choosing books by how they relate to your life? If you married your childhood sweetheart, are first-love stories your favorite? If you’re still single or single again, do you gravitate toward older heroines or second chances?

Aileen Fish is the author of the contemporary western series Small Town Sweethearts and Regency historical series The Bridgethorpe Brides. She tends to write about first love, while sneaking in mature romances in the background. Her upcoming The Cowgirl and the Geek is due out April 1st.

You can find her at http://aileenfish.com and on Facebook