Samhain Publishing

Last October my eldest son finally left the nest – I've still got my youngest home, but he's pretty self-sufficient these days, leaving me lots of time to write. So what on earth possessed me less than two months after I'd gained some measure of freedom to take on another responsibility? In this case, a nine week old Shih Tzu puppy we've called Seamus.

It's like being the parent of a newborn all over again. Instead of getting a regular night's sleep, we had to respond to a tiny puppy's nature's calls. Which meant getting dressed up in our winter coat and boats and take him into the cold at two in the morning. Not fun when you've just rolled out a nice warm bed and had your lovely deep sleep interrupted. And not fun to try to write when you have a puppy yapping for attention every time you turn your back to him. Or when you're yawning because … well, he's gotten you up at 2 a.m.

Oh sure, there have been the inevitable mistakes on the carpet. And on the brand new hardwood floor in my office. (They've eased up somewhat but I quickly learned that Shih Tzus can be notoriously challenging to housebreak. It's their natural stubborn nature more than anything, I suspect.) And the corners he's chewed off my printer stand while he was teething. Though he learned how to go up the stairs very quickly, going down took him another two months, and then only after a great deal of coaxing and bribery. (He'll do almost anything for a dried liver snack.)

When we adopted Seamus, my husband used all his high-powered testosterone and insisted I promise that I would never–ever–dress the dog in one of those silly costumes he'd seen people doing on television. Three weeks later, he bought a Santa outfit and made Seamus wear it. Poor Seamus. Little did he know that wearing that silly Santa hat was far better than what he's forced to wear this week.

Last week we stepped up as responsible pet owners and had him neutered. Which means he's now wearing the Cone-of-Shame. Or as we call it the Cone-of-Seamus. Poor little guy looks so pathetic. For the first few hours, he just lay down, refusing to move. We thought he was having problems shaking off the anesthetic so, figuring he was too doped up to lick his missing boyparts, we took pity on him and removed the cone. At which time he popped right up and started prancing around. Obviously it wasn't a reaction to the anesthetic but the cone. Which had to go right back on him as he plopped his little butt down and started worrying the stitches in that tender part of his anatomy.

Eventually he had to accept it and now wanders around providing unintentional moments of hilarity. Especially when the edge of the cone sticks in the ground when he's trying to sniff the grass and he ends up doing a faceplant into the lawn. Or when, going up the stairs, the cone gets stuck on the riser of the next stair and he can't move, but he doesn't have the sense to ease back.

All of which mean someone has to go rescue him.

Usually the one who works from home all day.

That would be me.

Do you think my editor will accept "but the dog ate my manuscript" to explain missing a deadline?

Like most authors, Leah's always had stories revolving around in her head, talking to her late at night. College, marriage and raising a family had her pushing them aside until a conversation with her eldest son about how he needed to follow his dreams was thrown back at her. One year later Leah was thrilled to get her first contract for her sizzling romance Private Property from Samhain Publishing. In January 2010, the reviewers at The Romance Studio nominated Private Property for a CAPA award for "Best Erotic Romance." Leah was also nominated in the "Best Erotic Romance Author" category. Reviewers have since awarded her books numerous Top Pick and Recommended Reads designations along with another CAPA nomination for Deliberate Deceptions as "Best Contemporary Romance of 2011." Look for her upcoming release, Hidden Heat, book 4 in the Hauberk Protection series, on May 1. You can find out more about Leah's books on her website, or you can follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

A couple of weeks ago, my eldest son moved into his own apartment on the other side of Toronto. Since I’d been using the only space available, a dark and tiny cubbyhole under the porch eaves, I claimed his airy, bright and spacious bedroom as my office. (meaning it’s a couple feet wider and longer, and there’s actually a window with curtains I can open so the sun can shine in.)

We’ve torn out the ’70s era multilevel loop carpeting, and had the dark green walls repainted a light creamy peach. Today my house has been invaded by workmen installing a hardwood floor; tomorrow a different workman will install new baseboard and paint it along with the rest of the trim. On Friday, my new desk with lots of storage space arrives. (Hallelujah! There shall be harps playing and angels singing in the Braemel household that day.) 

But what I’ve noticed as we are redoing this single room, is that the upgrade is making me look at the rest of the house with a jaundiced eye. After spending untold hours in the paint sections of our local hardware stores comparing hues, I’m thinking that since we already have a painter in, maybe we should also get him to keep on painting right out into the hallway and down the stairs. Oh, and the living room really needs a fresh coat too.  My husband sighed when I slowed as we passed the selection of external doors and compared the various options. After all, the front door has needed replacing for years. You don’t want to imagine the expression on my husband’s face when I lingered in the kitchen cabinet section and dreamed aloud of drawers specifically for my pots and pans, and corner units that would let me use the entire space for my cups and glasses. What bliss!

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As  you’re reading this, I’m partying at Lori Foster’s Reader and Author Get Together. When I was writing this I was frantically making lists for everything I needed to bring. My passport was high on the list, since I live in Canada and Lori’s event is in West Chester Ohio. Yet somehow I kept misplacing it. I knew I got it out earlier today but couldn’t find it later when I was going down my packing list checking things off. Turned out it had fallen off my desk and was hiding in the shadows. 

My husband travelled for his job and has packing down to an art. Me? Not so much.  On my wedding day, I forgot to bring my going away dress to the reception hall. (The church we married in was 25 miles from our rural home, and I claim distraction because the photographer arrived while everyone else was off having their hair done. My father saved the day by dashing home during the reception to retrieve it for me.)  Only problem was unbeknownst to me while my father was grabbing my going-away outfit, he decided to have a little fun. He very discretely and inventively loaded every piece of clothing in my suitcase with confetti. So when I opened the suitcase on our wedding night, I couldn’t tell that when I went to pull out my white lacy come-hither nightgown, a flurry of confetti would fill the air. I still remember the maid at the hotel having to get down on her hands and knees the next morning trying to hand-pick the confetti from the floor. *blush*

I claim distraction for not realizing it at that point in time. It wasn’t until the next day when I pulled out a pair of socks and discovered them stuffed with confetti too, that I realized what he’d done. That’s also when I discovered I’d forgotten to pack any tops. I still claim that Dad removed them while he was loading the confetti into the rest of my clothes and that he'd forgotten to replace them. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Are you an expert packer? Or are you a compulsive list maker? Have you ever forgotten anything important on a trip? Or have you forgotten something at the hotel…

As for what I’ve forgotten this trip? Well, I’ll let you know when I return…

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If you want to know more about Leah Braemel or her latest novel, Deliberate Deceptions (where the hero and heroine are expert packers, I’m betting) visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook or Twitter.

Vivian Arend and I were scheduled for back-to-back blog posts so we decided to get together and talk about our favorite movie and book lines.

Viv posted some of our favorite movie lines yesterday and you were asked if you recognized where they were from. Some of the commenters got some of them right, but here are the answers:

1. Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (Airplane)

2. What makes you think you can just walk in there and find, uh, what we need?_? _They’re called boobs, Ed. (Erin Brockovitch)

3. I’m your number one fan. There’s nothing to worry about. You’re gonna be just fine. I’ll take good care of you. (Misery)

4. Listen, I – I appreciate this whole seduction scene you’ve got going, but let me give you a tip: I’m a sure thing. OK? (Pretty Woman)

5. Look, you shoot off a guy’s head with his pants down, believe me, Texas ain’t the place you want to get caught. (Thelma and Louise)

6. Are you crying? There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball (A League of Their Own)

7.Schwing! (Wayne’s World)

8. Looks like Chuck’s takin’ the old log to the beaver. (Grumpy Old Men)

9. Good morning…Oh, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!” (The Truman Show)

10. _I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper?_? (Fargo)

11. Oh, he’s very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads – they all adore him. They think he’s a righteous dude. (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Then Viv asked what lines immediately came when you saw some of her favorite movie and book titles. Today we’re posting our answers:

Here are Viv’s favorite lines

• Star Wars I’ve got a funny feeling about this
• The Wizard of Oz There’s no place like home.
• Lord of the Rings Speak ‘friend’ and enter
• 2001, A Space Odyssey What are you doing, Dave?
• Harry Potter (your pick of particular book)) Snogging again?
• The Sound of Music Brigitta can climb up with a whole jar of spiders in her hand.
• Forrest Gump Life is like a box of chocolates
• Gone with the Wind (Viv blanked out)
• Princess Bride You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means
• Grease I feel like a defective typewriter.
• When Harry met Sally You’re the worst type. You’re a high maintenance woman who thinks she’s low maintenance.
• Outlander (Viv, don’t tell me you haven’t read Outlander!)

And mine:

• Star Wars: Luke, I am your father. Okay, I know that’s technically from the 2nd (or do they call it the 5th now, but when it first came out, the people who knew us constantly quoted it to us. So now when I think Star Wars I think of that line.)
• The Wizard of Oz: Well, I initially thought the same line as Viv, but then I remembered the line I probably quote the most myself is I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too! (insert evil cackle here)
• Lord of the Rings: What? I can only choose one? Really? Oh, all right. My preciousssss.
• 2001, A Space Odyssey: Same as Viv’s What are you doing, Dave? (Did you know Dave was played by Keir Dullea, a Canadian by the way?)
• Harry Potter: (Ron about Hermione in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)_ She needs to sort out her priorities! _
• The Sound of Music: So long, farewell, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen!
• Forrest Gump: Life is like a Box of chocolates.
• Gone with the Wind: Tomorrow is another day (my philosophy of life )
• Princess Bride: Oh, I adore the line Viv chose too, but there are so many. I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die is probably a close second if not first.
• Grease: Um, never watched it.
• When Harry met Sally: I tried to watch it. Really I did. But the only scene that I remember is her sitting at the restaurant table faking an orgasm.
• It’s a Wonderful Life. Um, I’ve tried watching this, I have, but the only part I’ve ever really watched (and it’s more because it’s the most-often shown clip) Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings
• Outlander: Any time Jamie referred to Claire as Sassenach.

Now for part two — tell us a line that’s stuck with you from a movie or a book. One that has become a part of your regular speech. – -
Leah Braemel is the only woman in a houseful of males — even her cat Spike is male. Her last Samhain book, Personal Protection, is now out in print as well as e-book format.

For more information about Leah or her books, visit her website or her blog

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

Ah, yes, that famous line said by Rhett Butler in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. But does any contemporary hero—any man these days, for that matter—actually call their girlfriend/significant other/wife ‘my dear’ anymore? Would it jar you to hear a contemporary hero using that term in a romance?

I did a quick survey of some of the diminutives various heroes have called their heroines. Darlin’ was common for westerns, along with sugar or its shorter form shug. (These two terms only seem to work for me in westerns. I can’t see someone form Connecticut or the Yukon using shug.) Then there’s the more common, sweetheart, doll, honey (or its shorter _hon) babe or baby.

(Some readers cringe when a hero calls the heroine babe or baby, finding it insulting, In real life, my husband calls me babe but I don’t find it insulting. Maybe because I call him babe right back. Or maybe because I know he doesn’t mean it as an insult but that he says it with love?)

Heroes from different countries can use romantic terms in their own language; why is there something so much more romantic about my love being whispered to the heroine in Greek or Spanish or Russian? Same goes with paranormals—the author can make up a term for the hero to use that may sound romantic even though it means nothing.

In my erotic novella, Private Property , secondary character Sam Watson refers to the heroine, his best friend’s girlfriend, as sweet pea. To me that is something only a southern gentleman would call a woman, and Sam being from Georgia is definitely a southern gentleman. In Personal Protection, Sam often refers to the heroine as Rosebud. Now that’s not such a stretch considering her name is Rosalinda Ramos, or more commonly, Rosie.

Are there any nicknames a romance hero uses that you absolutely adore? Or are there any that drive you insane? Any you think no ‘real man’ would use? Got any favorites? Or ones that make you want to toss a book across a room?

Excerpts of Leah’s Private Property and Personal Protection are available on her website or through My Bookstore and More

I can’t tell you the thrill of actually holding a book in my hands with my name on the cover. A book with a cover I can stroke—and yes, with the hotties on this cover, it’s been stroked a lot. Inside is even better, because Sam Watson is one of my favorite heroes, and the lady he falls in love with, Rosalinda Ramos, is a real spitfire who challenges him on all fronts.

There are several excerpts you can read, either on my website or my blog . Then you can follow the buy links on either site or at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy!

She can cover him with one hand tied behind her back. Maybe two.

Hauberk Protection, Book 2

Sam Watson excels at keeping other people safe. Now a stalker is targeting him, but so what? A few doctored photos and a couple threatening phone calls are no big deal. He can watch his own back. Then again, the view from behind the sexy spitfire assigned to protect him isn’t so bad…

Rosalinda Ramos has managed to keep her attraction to Hauberk Security’s owner tightly under wraps. It’s just as well he doesn’t know. One slip—in the bedroom or on the job—will cost her her heart and her career, so she’s got only one thing on her mind. Protect Sam, whether he wants it or not.

The stakes—and the heat—rise exponentially when she discovers Sam belongs to an exclusive sex club—one she must investigate for potential suspects. Suddenly she finds herself immersed in a world that pushes her boundaries.

Sam delights in leading Rosie deep into his sexual shadows—until they go one game too far. Making him wonder if he can allow the woman he loves to take a bullet for him.

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On yesterday’s post, Vivian Arend wrote about how some books’ first lines have become a part of our culture, that you can say them and instantly know which book is being quoted.

But what about the last line? Is that just as important? Do you recognize these?

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I’m so glad to be at home again. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both. E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

According to an editor who spoke at a conference I attended a couple years back, most romance readers flip to the last page to ensure that the story will have a happy ending before they’ll buy the book. Yes, I know, most of you suspense/mystery readers are probably gasping, horrified. But romance readers want the promise of a Happily Ever After. And so, according to this editor, they flip to the last page to ensure they won’t be wasting their money on a Happy for Now ending or that the heroine doesn’t end up with the wrong guy entirely.

I’ve wondered about this stat ever since I heard it, so I did my own informal poll over on Romance Divas. Out of fifty-seven respondents, only one person admitted they always read the end first, nineteen said they sometimes do, and thirty seven said No way would they read the end first.

Still, although I don’t peek, I need that satisfactory ending, where the couple cuddle up together and know they’ve made the right decision, or head off into the sunset. Okay, so Charlotte’s web didn’t end up too happily for Charlotte though it wasn’t a romance, nor did Scarlett O’Hara end up with Rhett in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind which ends with Scarlett saying Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.

I did a quick check of some of last lines from some of my favorite Samhain romances. Like Vivian’s post yesterday, see how many you recognize and if you can match them up with their titles that I’ve listed below.

1. I know that of all the perfect, beautiful memories that Alex and I once shared, of all the new memories I’m forging with Rebecca and Andrea—and of all the most tragic times in my life—one thing is true. For better or worse, they’re all a part of me.

2. “We know, doll. After all, you came back to us.”

3. She leaned in and caught his lips with her own, pulling his bottom lip between her teeth. “Mmmm hmmm. I’ll follow you anywhere. I might even let you get to second base.” He threw his head back and laughed and they drove off, heading for that country road.

4. Antonio pulled him back down saying softly, “Always as you wish, gatito. Always as you wish.”

5. He lifted Sylvain into his embrace, and Arygon kissed him, sliding his arms around them both. His mates.

6. He kissed me on the earlobe, hugged me tight, and whispered, “So about that check…”

7. They never made it to the bed. They had sex on the floor.

8. His own sleep would always be haunted by nightmares, but he knew he’d rest easy as long as Tyler was in his arms.

9. “Yep.” Colby kissed her. Long. And hard. “I’d much rather ride you, but hey, I can adapt to anything you throw my way.”

10. Carefully crossing his hands over his heart he dipped his head. I love you, little bird. Shall we go become Alpha? / “With you, anything. / Good. You get to share the brownies.

Here are the titles – can you match them with their last line?

Lux in Shadow by RG Alexander

Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend

Colters’ Woman by Maya Banks

Mexican Heat by Laura Baumbach & Josh Lanyon

Bound by Love by TA Chase

Giving Chase by Lauren Dane

Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James

My Fair Monster by Lila Dubois

Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight

Let’s Dish by Catherine Wade

What do you think? Happy endings? Yup.

I’d include my own line from Private Property – but I think it’s too easy to guess …What do you think? After all, I can’t have anyone else getting their hands on my private property.

Leah Braemel hides out in her office to avoid the dust bunnies that are breeding beneath the furniture. It’s much more fun to write steamy romances like Private Property or Personal Protection

Wow, it’s been such a whirlwind these last couple of months. First with Private Property releasing at the end of January, and now Personal Protection releasing today. Sam, who is in both stories, is one of those characters a writer dreams of creating. He came alive as I was writing Private Property, almost overpowering the storyline and I was hard pressed not allowing him to take over. Writing Personal Protection was fun because he was such a vivid character in my head, as was his heroine, Rosalinda Ramos.

If you’re into video trailers, you can check out this video I had a lot of fun taking apart Natalie’s cover and making that video. It was the music that sold it for me because Sam and Rosie are definitely doing a dance around each other. It comes as quite a surprise to Sam who is used to leading when he realizes Rosie’s the one in control.

Sam Watson excels at keeping other people safe. Now a stalker is targeting him, but so what? A few doctored photos and a couple threatening phone calls are no big deal. He can watch his own back. Then again, the view from behind the sexy spitfire assigned to protect him isn’t so bad…

Rosalinda Ramos has managed to keep her attraction to Hauberk Security’s owner tightly under wraps. It’s just as well he doesn’t know. One slip—in the bedroom or on the job—will cost her her heart and her career, so she’s got only one thing on her mind. Protect Sam, whether he wants it or not.

The stakes—and the heat—rise exponentially when she discovers Sam belongs to an exclusive sex club—one she must investigate for potential suspects. Suddenly she finds herself immersed in a world that pushes her boundaries.

Sam delights in leading Rosie deep into his sexual shadows—until they go one game too far. Making him wonder if he can allow the woman he loves to take a bullet for him.

Sam was a joy to write – and you’ll be seeing more of him in future books. Although I’ll try not to let him take over. Even if I have to ask Rosie to tie him up on occasion. Which he’d probably enjoy. (And the characters Mark and Jodi from Private Property would definitely applaud.)

To read more about Sam and Rosie, you can find the PG rated excerpt here at Samhain or you can read a slightly racier version over on my website

Samhain author Catherine Wade and I joined the Samhain loops at about the same time since our books were released fairly close to each other. We’ve struck up a friendship, sharing our experiences in the journey leading from ‘hopeful writer’ to ‘published author.’ Earlier this month Catherine admitted she read my story, Private Property (which definitely is on the Red-Hot side) in the privacy of her bedroom with the door closed. I thought that was ironic since I write stories that leave the bedroom doors wide open and Catherine writes stories where the bedroom door is definitely left shut. So when we discovered we’d been scheduled to post here on the same day we decided to team up and discuss the differences in writing about sex.

I think it’s natural that since I love reading stories that leave the bedroom doors wide open, I’d write stories equally as hot. It’s not as easy as it looks though. It’s tough to write explicit love scenes without getting stuck in the ‘insert tab A into slot B’ instruction manual format.

Let’s face it, there are only so many times Tab A can be put into Slot B without becoming boring if there’s no reason for it other than gratuitous sex. A good sex scene is about the emotions bouncing between the hero and heroine. A really good love scene should advance the storyline or highlight the internal conflicts the intrepid characters are facing. It should give the reader an intimate understanding of the character’s personality. It should further the relationship or highlight the problems in it. Just like in real life.

We all have personal foibles secreted away that leave us vulnerable, ones that we’re only willing to trust with the people we’re closest to. Maybe it’s a fantasy, or something we’re ashamed of. Maybe it’s real or maybe it’s all in our head. It’s the same with our characters. Perhaps the heroine has said something during their love making that will come back to haunt the hero later, or cause him to doubt her later. Or vice versa. Perhaps one of the characters is worried about how the other will react in ‘the big reveal’. Maybe they have a body image problem or a scar they’re ashamed of, and the very act of opening themselves, revealing their inner most secrets during their love making allows them to get past whatever is haunting them. That intensely private act may be the only time the masks may be dropped, or the barriers raised, or the leap of faith made. Yes, I recognize the irony in calling it an intensely private act when I “leave the bedroom doors open” but I think that’s what draws me to the scenes. I love getting that insight into the characters that no one else in that world can get since they’re standing outside the closed door. I love being that ‘fly on the wall.’

‘But do you have to do that through sex?’ I can hear some people complaining. To that I can only say that it all comes down to what the story demands. And what the reader demands.

Since I write hot stories, does that mean I immediately head to the erotica section and bypass everything else? Nope. I read everything from sweet to hot. From Catherine’s Let’s Dish to Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series and Maya Banks’ Colters’ Woman . I like sweet stories too. But those red-hots draw me in every time.

It’s like having the same dessert every day. Apple pie is nice, but sometimes you just need to spice it up with a little caramel and whipped cream. Which gives me an idea for a love scene I’m working on …

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  If you want to see just how open Leah leaves the bedroom doors, read her red-hot Private Property or watch for Personal Protection that releases on May 12th.

My son’s girlfriend did a posting over on Facebook the other day that intrigued me. So when I found out I had today’s post, I figured I’d follow her lead and get you involved in today’s post. Below you’ll find 25 quotes from my favorite romantic movies, one or two of which I’ll probably be cuddling up to my husband with tonight since, for the first time in years, both our sons are out of the house.

If you know the movie associated with the quote, leave a comment with the number and the title. As someone guesses correctly I’ll cross them off the list and put your name beside the quote. If you’re like me you’ll read them and think “I know what that’s from, I’ve seen it, but what’s the title?”

(Edited I’ve posted the answers to the unsolved ones in the comments so you can still have fun but check your answers at the end.)

Have fun!

Oh, and one rule – no Googling or checking them out on IMDB!

1. I don’t know what this guy did to piss you off, but that is the best apology letter in the history of mankind. Answered by Angeleque Ford – Kate & Leopold

2. I was looking up… it was the nearest thing to heaven! You were there… Answered by Angeleque Ford – An Affair to Remember

3. You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you. Answered by Fae – Last of the Mohicans

4. It’s as if I’ve taken love heroin, and now I can’t ever have it again. Answered by Fae – Notting Hill

5. I know something of a woman in a man’s profession. Yes, by God, I do know about that. Answered by Lisa F – Shakespeare in Love

6. We had a nice couple of minutes together. She threatened me, I patronized her. Didn’t have anything to eat, but I thought there was a connection. Answered by Lisa F’s Hubby – American President

7. You make $100 an hour and you have a safety pin holding your boot up? Answered by Michelle Lauren – Pretty Woman

8. All I know about walruses is that out of all mammals they have the second largest penis. I have the first. Answered by Aislinn Kerry – 50 First Dates

9. There’s this huge space between us, and it just keeps filling up with everything that we don’t say to each other. What’s that called?

10. She did her best to convince me she was still in love with me but that was over long ago. For your sake she pretended it wasn’t and I let her pretend. Answered by Meg Benjamin – Casablanca

11. Do you know of Dr. Freud, Mr. Ismay? His ideas about the male preoccupation with size might be of particular interest to you. Answered by Aislinn Kerry – Titanic

12. Verbal ability is a highly overrated thing in a guy, and it’s our pathetic need for it that gets us into so much trouble. Answered by Angeleque Ford – Sleepless in Seattle

13. It was a lot different from hugging. Hugging’s very different. Hugging involves arms and hands; and leaning is whole bodies moving in like this. Answered by Meg Benjamin – While You Were Sleeping

14. Have you never met a woman who inspires you to love? Until your every sense is filled with her? You inhale her. You taste her. You see your unborn children in her eyes and know that your heart has at last found a home. Your life begins with her, and without her it must surely end. Answered by Lisa F – Don Juan DeMarco

15. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry. Answered by Michelle Lauren – Pride and Prejudice

16. And in that moment, everything I knew to be true about myself up until then was gone. I was acting like another woman, yet I was more myself than ever before.

17. C’mon now, you’re sleepin’ on your feet like a horse. My mama used to say that to me when I was little. And sing to me…

18. There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. Answered by Aislinn Kerry – Princess Bride

19. …but let me tell you what he did to me. He kept me up all night singing ‘I’m Henry the Eighth I Am.’ Answered by Fae – Ghost

20. You know the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: ‘Did he have passion?’

21. Hey, a burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic.

22. This is an honorable proposal of marriage made at what I consider a most opportune moment. I can’t go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands. Answered by Delle Jacobs – Gone with the Wind

23. He’s all right, I suppose, if you like dark, handsome, rich-looking men with passionate natures and too many teeth.

24. She’s great. She’s really exotic! She’s a princess! She’s Polynesian – well, half Polynesian, and half American. She’s… Amnesian.

25. …this is possibly the most adorable creature I’ve ever been in contact with, and if she turns out to be as good looking as a mailbox… I would be crazy enough to turn my life upside down and marry her. Answered by Jess Dee – You’ve Got Mail

And if you still need some inspiration to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day, check out my website for a quick peek into my latest release, Private Property.