Happy Sunday! And Happy Valentine’s Eve!
Since this is a holiday weekend (sort of), we’re going to do something a little different today. We’re still going to make a gratitude list, but we’re going phrase everything with love. :blowkiss
For instance…
I LOVE that I’ve finally got my father’s family Bible back. This thing is probably a hundred years old—or more!—& there’s a really long story connected to why it wasn’t in his possession when he died. But after a wee bit of ugliness with another family member, followed by (thankfully) a meeting of the minds, I’ve got the Bible back. And not only do I love once again having something that meant so much to my dad, but I know he would be delighted & relieved that his children have it, too. (Thank you, Aunt Carolyn!)
I LOVE that my Top Secret project is done. 
Well, it’s completed, but I won’t claim it’s perfect. It still needs a little polishing, & I also need to discuss it with Editor B to make sure he thinks it’s as great an idea as I do. Otherwise, I may have wasted my time working on it at all. :crazy
I LOVE that I finished the AAs (Author Alterations/line edits) for HER LITTLE SECRET, HIS HIDDEN HEIR. They were actually fun, & quite clean to begin with, so they didn’t take me very long at all. They are also turned in, currently sitting on Editor C’s desk, which means the ball is in his court now instead of mine. (Gotta love that! :tpspspspt )
I LOVE that the bible for my new “Dynasties: The Kincaids” continuity project for Harlequin Desire arrived right on time. It is so much fun to get something like that & be able to sit down, see what the series is going to be about, see who my characters are going to be, start mulling over everything I could do with their story, etc. Yay!
Last but not least, I LOVE that after not being in touch with a friend for nearly a year, we got on the phone & had a lovely, long conversation.
So that’s my list of Valentine’s love & gratitude this week. How about you? :cupid
And while we’re at it…what are your plans for Valentine’s Day, if anything? :kisses
Now to announce the winners of this week’s giveaways…
First, an autographed book from guest author Jill Shalvis‘s backlist—winner’s choice:
:congrats Leni!!! :congrats
Congratulations, Leni! Please contact me with your full name & mailing address, as well as your choice of title from Jill’s backlist. I’ll forward your information to Jill, & she’ll get your book out to you as soon as she can.
Next up, our Free Book Friday giveaway…
:congrats Jennifer Mathis!!! :congrats
Congratulations, Jennifer! Please contact me with your full name & mailing address, & I’ll get your copy of BOUGHT BY A MILLIONAIRE out to you as soon as I can.
I love that I started talking to my dad again after ten years and we can actually have a conversation with each other without arguing.
I love that my hubby’s health is back to normal after having been sick for so long.
I love that my rats can make me smile no matter how bad a mood I am in.
I love that I have so many books my apartment is starting to look like a library. lol
:cantputdown
This Valentin’s Day hubby and I are staying in and he is going to make me dinner. I don’t know what yet because he only knows how to make 1 of 3 things…lol
I love your list, Mary! All wonderful, wonderful items…I would love them, too! :biggestgrin
I love that my husband, family, and kitty cats are being so supportive now that I’ve lost my job of 19 years. I am truly blessed.
I love that there are books out there that can take me away.
Yay for you, Donna! And don’t worry…keep that positive attitude & keep an open mind, & I’d be willing to bet you find a new job lickety-split. Unless you’re aiming for early retirement, in which case— :congrats But sometimes things we think are awful actually turn out to be wonderful. :blowkiss
~I love your list, for starters! How great to have your dad’s Bible back. I love old books anyway – old books with meaning, well, that’s even more special. :biggestgrin
~I love my new vegan diet. In 3 weeks I’ve had more energy than I’ve had in 13 years! It makes me feel amazing that such a change has worked 3-fold: good for ME, good for animals and good for the planet.
~I love my husband for a hundred reasons… one in particular hinges on the fact that I’ve developed a *huge* crush on Henry Cavill so the man is on my laptop screen, desktop screen and Netflix, and Mr. Lemmony is not a bit threatened, though he does tease me about it mercilously. :love
~I love Twitter and Blogs. They have made the world shrink. To get to know you has been wonderful! To get in touch with other inspiring writers, the immediacy of a mention and a response is something that didn’t happen before the ole i’net.
I know I have several more things to be grateful for, but that’ll do for now!
:heehee
~HAPPY HEART’S DAY!!!~
Thanks, Jessica. I’m quite sentimental, too, so I hang on to *everything* that ever meant *anything*.
Today is actually the 8-yr anniversary of my dad’s death (which makes V-Day SO hard for me, to be perfectly honest; I endeavor to put on a happy face & pretend I love it since it probably wouldn’t look right for a romance author to be all bah-humbug! about it every year, but it’s not easy :stinky ) so it makes me even happier to have his Bible back. To be able to see it, touch it, remember how much it meant to him. :cantputdown
I love that you’re so happy with your vegan diet. :yougogirl I’m not as strong as you are…sadly, because I’m just clueless about the cooking & recipes & getting all the right nutrients…but I do try when & where I can, I swear. :notworthy
I hear that – I am a packrat sometimes myself. Of course we appreciate your happy face, Heidi, but I understand the anniversary thing makes it hard!!! :blinkie
And, I do understand what you mean about cooking – good lawdy – it’s a part-time job. And I had to google all sorts of ingredients :question I started a blog b/c a few ppl were asking for recipes. Each one’s an experiment, so I only post the ones that work! (http://www.meateaterseeksveggie.blogspot.com if you’re ever curious). Good on you for trying to cut it out when you can, that in itself is commendable. :biggrin
I love that! Love it! What a fab vegan blog!
So why the heck are you wasting your time writing when you’ve got so much cooking creativity & are such an amazing artist? (Your Xmas card was TOO cute…I actually still have it because I can’t bear to recycle it or even put it away till next year! :dog ) Man, if I had that talent, I do not think I’d spend my time writing. :beerlaugh
Can you tell I possess zero artistic ability & a horribly jealous of those who do? Seriously, I’m not even cute about it, I’m just plain jealous. :ubermad
Aww, shucks, thank you so much – that means a lot to me – especially that you liked the Christmas card! :blowkiss
I think the writing is a passion as much as the other two, but I honestly don’t know what to do with the art part. :question I had some things in an Etsy store a while back, but didn’t do so well with selling cards. Perhaps I lack the marketing skills, LOL.
Haven’t abandoned either of them, I keep hacking away at my keyboard and drawing for friends and family and of course, cooking up a storm. Maybe one of my passions will end with a pot of gold if I simply keep at it. :Bigthumbs
You should do a cartoon strip or something…like Mutts or Tundra. You’ve got the sense of humor (imo) & mad drawring skillz. (Yes, I spelled that incorrectly on purpose. *g*) I’m just so envious of talent like that.
Seriously, folks, you should SEE the card she did for Xmas. Drew & made it entirely herself & it took me about 10mins to figure that out cuz it looks so freaking professional.
Mad skillz, I tell ya. Mad skillz
OH! And PS, hubs got me $50 in Kindle credits for V-day, so “Bought by the Millionaire” has just been purchased! :Bigthumbs :cantputdown
Aw, that’s so sweet—yay! :biggestgrin
Sounds like you’ve got a good guy there. But for the record, I think we should all be allowed to have at least one fictional boyfriend. Some even have a list of up to 5 freebies, a la Friends. So, you know, drooling excessively only over one isn’t that bad.
Yes! What a good point!
Happy Day!!!
I Love having the Dungeon to play in every day!
I Love having met some of my cousins that I have never met before find me on facebook.
I love that Deadliest Catch was back on our tv this morning…it wasnt on last Sunday and I was not the same all day!
I LOVE finally feeling better after having the flu this past week!
I Love having my family at home at the same time! Even though we will take our son back to college this afternoon. Almost nothing better than getting up and looking in and seeing him sleeping in his bed!
Since we are all home today we will be celebrating V-day today with the traditional v-Day dinner…..Steak,Lobster tail,baked potatoes,tossed salad ,broccoli and cherry cheesecake for dessert!
(i will be having the broccoli and salad!) :winkwink
Happy day Everyone!!!! :blowkiss
I love your list, too, Hollie! And so glad you’re feeling better…being sick is the absolute worst. I hate it & avoid it at all cost. :sick
Your dinner sounds yummy, even if you’re only partaking of the salad & broc. I had instant mashed potatoes for lunch, so I’m pretty much envious of anything. *snicker*
I love that I am finally HOME!!! Although we did have a good time at Atlanta, the 7 hour drive home was long!!
I LOVE that we don’t have to go kick butt to get your Bible back. I would do it, but you would have had to given me a couple of days to catch up on some rest!
I LOVE me some Bradley Cooper! (just had to add that in there :Bigthumbs )
Probably won’t get to really do V’day with the hubby until Tuesday since all the restaurants will all be packed and we will have limited time to enjoy our meal since we have to pick up the B’girl from gymnastics practice.
I Love my great husband for too many reasons to put here but suffice to say he is a keeper..big time! :biggrin
I love the Kindle my husband bought me for my birthday in Jan. :heehee
I love the fact that we got a 6 mo. old cat last Tuesday, since we unfortunately had to put our beloved Tess down in Jan..she was 15 yrs old (Liver failure ):cry Leona Mae is an amazing addition to the family.
I love how well rounded and polite my two sons are (18 and 17), they are amazing kids turning into amazing adults… :biggestgrin
I Love and miss my Aunt Geneva who passed in 88 but who always said that she “looked like something the cat dragged in!” hysterical woman!