Yes or No to Valentine’s Day?

By Kimberly Quinton

Have you made Valentine’s Day plans? Are you going for the traditional romantic date or are you doing something different? Maybe a weekend adventure or a surprise evening for your special someone? I love holidays and am having so much fun plotting my Holiday Hearts series. Christmas has it’s own magic that surrounds the season, so it was easy to get into the romance and emotion when writing HerWish Before Christmas. Valentine’s Day is unique and presented it’s own challenges when I wrote Cupid’s Promise.

I started the book knowing who the main characters were and that the story would revolve around a lingerie store and Lena would have to put Marcus through a series of romance related tests. Everything else fell into place while I was pantsing my way through it.

When Lena and Marcus agree to work together, he claims to know exactly what women want when it comes to romance and that figuring it out is easy. Of course, Lena has to try to prove him wrong, but her tests backfire on her.

I had so much fun thinking about what I would put them through as they grew into a couple. Marcus does pretty well, he wasn’t joking when he said he knew how to woo a woman. Especially in what I consider the “light romance” activities, like picking a bouquet of flowers or cooking a romantic meal. But Lena pushes him and he eventually has to open up to genuine emotion instead of keeping his feeling superficial and easily controlled.

I have to confess, my husband and I have been married for almost eighteen years and we don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day. But I love a good date story and I’m a sucker for big romantic gestures. My Dear Hubby won me over when he sang to me on my eighteenth birthday! And that’s a part of what I put in Lena’s personality—the view that romance isn’t about what you give, it’s about the intent and the sincerity of the gesture. If what you’re doing is from the heart and the intent is to give your loved one pleasure or show your love—it’s romantic. Unless it’s a fatal attraction kind of thing but that’s a blog for a different day!

What I would love to know is what do you consider a romantic date for Valentine’s Day? Or are you anti-Valentine’s? I’ve got a copy of HerWish Before Christmas, Holiday Hearts #1 for one lucky commenter. 

Heather and Kim’s Awesome Wish List

Hey Santa,

Heather and Kim here. We got to talking and came up with a list of things that we would never ask for but wouldn’t mind if someone actually got for us. Your challenge readers, should you choose to accept it, is figure which one of us asked for what. There’s ten items on this list- five picked by Kim and five picked by Heather. The commentator who gets the most right will get their choice of any 2013 Decadent title. We will post the answers in the comments on New Year's Eve. If there is more than one winner, we will have a drawing.

1. Doctor Who Tardis Teapot 

2. Hillary Clinton Nutcracker

  

3. Star Wars Accordian Sunshade

4. Wonder Woman Apron

5. Green Army Men Candles

6. National Lampoons Christmas Ornament

7.  Breakfast Sandwich Maker

8. Bubble Wrap Calendar

9. SPARQ Wine Pearls

10.  Portable Bottle Humidifier

Merry Christmas to Me—Her Wish Before Christmas

 

Her Wish Before Christmas available HERE

By Kimberly Quinton

I love Christmas—as in I would stalk St. Nick and keep my tree and lights up all year—love Christmas. So it’s perfect that my first published book is a sweet holiday romance. I can’t think of a better Christmas present. I had the most fun writing Her Wish Before Christmas and now that we are in the holiday season I’m so thrilled to be able to share it.

When I was growing up, Christmas was always the best holiday around my house. It wasn’t a big family affair with lots of people, but it was the holiday my parents went all out for. Most of our traditions revolve around food--hey, we’re southern, everything revolves around food—but I remember the ornaments on the tree were the same ones every year, and putting them up became the ritual I cherished the most. We would cover the tree in decorations that my brothers and I made in elementary school, cross-stitched sayings, paper cut-outs, glass-beaded bells that looked like beautiful earrings, and whatever new style we just had to have for that year. They were packed away to be put back up the next year and it became a patchwork full of little snippets of our lives. 

Never was it the stylish, coordinated center piece that you’d see in magazines, but I think that’s what made it so special.

The other home decorations had to be the same too, from the tree skirt to the white porcelain tabletop Christmas tree to the stockings with bells on them so my parents could hear us checking them out in the middle of the night. Much of this has been passed to me to keep the tradition alive for my children and I still get all sentimental when I decorate every Christmas. Each piece that survived the years brings back memories from my childhood and the years between then and now, since I never miss a Christmas with my folks if I can help it.

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition? Leave a comment to be entered to win a $15 gift certificate to Amazon. For an extra chance to win, like my Facebook page here www.facebook.com/KimberlyQuintonAuthor. And if I get to 500 likes on my Facebook page by Christmas, I will do a drawing for a super fabulous surprise!

Her WishBefore Christmas excerpt:

“Are you the one leaving bloody footprints in the store? Your grandmother’s going to have a heart attack.” The man stared down at her, holding the door open with one arm, the lamp base in the other. He rested the plastic appendage against the doorframe and took a step closer, his face clear in the light of the workroom.

“Connor?”

“Let me have a look.” He knelt and grabbed her foot and held on tight when she tried to tug it back.

“Ouch.” She pulled her foot away from his prodding.

“Sorry. Cut’s not too deep. A Band-Aid and some Neosporin is all you need.”

Connor O’Rourke? The Connor O’Rourke? Twelve years hadn’t changed him much. Except he turned into a man. And one fine man at that.

Jesus, did he grow after college? His arms and chest sure had.

Heat blazed a fire across her cheeks when her roaming gaze met his. Same cocky grin. Embarrassment couldn’t stop her from comparing this Connor with the then Connor. His hair was cut shorter, but the rich chestnut color hadn’t dulled. No hint of gray at the temples, no balding either. So that night of drunken cursing for him to grow fat and ugly didn’t take. Figures. What’s the use of gypsy blood if my curses don’t work?

“I didn’t know you were in town,” she asked, proud she had kept the hysterical out of her voice.

“I wasn’t until this week. I’m setting up a practice at the new clinic down the street.” He stood and helped her up from the floor.

Connor F’ing O’Rourke back in town and looking too delicious by half. She licked her lips and swallowed at the sudden dryness in her mouth. The hurt and anger returned with a swift jab to her heart rivaling the sting of glass in her foot. The feelings so fresh, like she was eighteen again and waiting for the proposal that never came. Don’t go there. You’re over him.