Thoughts on St Valentine's Day

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Traditionally St Valentine’s Day was when you let someone know - quietly, shyly and anonymously by means of a modest card - that you loved them. A gentle day, there and gone, leaving a tiny glow behind it.

These days it seems to be rather more full on. Adverts bombard us for weeks beforehand with heart-shaped gifts, romantic meals for two, perfect rose bouquets...

It’s just a bit hard for the comfortably single, the newly alone, or the recently bereaved.

Loving is wonderful, but it isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of life. Spreading laughter and kindness also creates those warm, fuzzy feelings. Pets bring joy. Friends you can talk to are bliss. Reading a well-written love story triggers lightning in your soul. And there is a lot of pleasure in arranging things in a way that makes you happy.

I think what I am saying is remember to love yourself. You are a person too. Treat yourself to a nice book, a box of your favourite tea, a sticky cake and twenty minutes unadulterated you-time. Something that makes you feel good.

Happy St Valentine’s Day x x x

As a St Valentine’s Day treat, I have reduced the first book in all my series to 99p/99c from 14th February for a week.

The Kydd Inheritance ~ the one that kicked off my Newmarket Regencies
A Rational Proposal ~ in which we meet the Furze House Irregulars for the first time
The Jigsaw Puzzle ~ the first Penny Plain mystery
An Ordinary Gift ~ a time-slippish contemporary

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RoNAs Shortlist 2020!

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It's that time of year again! The shortlists for the various Romantic Novelists' Association Awards have just been published, and a splendid set of books they are too.


The full list can be found on the RNA site here

I don't have a book in contention this year, but many of my friends do, so I'm not going to be short of people to cheer on in March.

All the books are worthy winners, so whichever titles are chosen as the best Comtemporary, Popular, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Saga, Debut, Historical, Romantic Thriller or Shorter romantic novels of 2020, they are sure to be an excellent read!

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