Congratulations to StacieD for winning one of my books! Please email me (robyndehart @ gmail. com) your choice and your mailing address. And thanks to all who answered my questions, it was fun reading all your answers.

As part of my most recent bout of procrastination, I’ve been watching trailers, clips from and interviews with the cast of The Hunger Games. (Yes, I’m way late to the party. I just finished reading the first book and then saw the movie last week.)  If you’ve read the books or seen the movie, you know that Katniss Everdeen is one of the strongest female heroines in recent years. She’d tough, competent and unflinchingly unemotional. When a tough job needs doing, she gets it done. She makes male heroines like Jason Bourne and James Bond look like pansies.

The young woman who plays Katniss is a twenty-one year-old, Oscar-nominated actress named Jennifer Lawrence. Today while I was procrastinating, I watched a David Letterman interview with Jennifer Lawrence. I–unfairly–expected the actress to have the same self-possessed confidence that she portrayed in the movie. She … um … didn’t. In fact, Jennifer Lawrence acted like a big ol’ dork. I’m using the term dork with affection and kindness here. She was just goofy. Yeah, charming and funny, but definitely goofy. At one point in the interview, she admitted that in situations like this, she gets all nervous and jittery, like a Chihuahua, and she’s always afraid she’ll pee all over the red carpet. “Yes!” I thought as I watched her. “That’s exactly who she reminds me of! My aunt’s long-haired Chihuahua.” I mean, seriously, her hair was even the right color. In short, Jennifer Lawrence does not come across as the kick-ass heroine she plays in the movies.

I apologize if I sound over-critical. I don’t mean to. I was just so surprised. Though, arguably, it’s the mark of a really talented actress that she can disappear so completely inside a character. Josh Hutcherson–who play’s Katniss’s love interest Peeta in the movie–appeared in his interview exactly as he is in the movie (though, perhaps, just a tad more cocky).

The whole thing made me think of Kristen Bell and how different she always seems from the character of Veronica Mars. Veronica (from the fantastic, but short-lived show by that name–if you haven’t seen it, start now and thank me later!) was such a sassy, kick-ass, smart heroine. She and Katniss totally would have hung out, if their fictional worlds ever over-lapped. But in real interviews Kristen seems like something of a flibbetergibbet. (Click here to watch her melt down over a sloth … seriously!) Again, no insult intended — just surprise.

All of my interview-watching procrastination got me thinking about how others might perceive me and my public persona (ie. my work). On one hand, I’ve written over ten books for Harlequin Desire. My books are known for their babies and their billionaires. But my December 2012 release, The Farm, is a post-apocolyptic YA about vampires farming teenagers for food. I worked on The Farm for three years before it sold. In many ways, it’s the book of my heart. But when I describe it to people familiar with my Desires, they are always shocked. “Where are all the babies and billionaires?” they ask. I answer honestly. “They were eaten by the deadly swarm of monsters.”

Also, I think when people first meet me, I come off as very serious and a little intense. More than one person has described me as “no-nonsense.” Yet, once you get to know me, I’m actually pretty silly. On the inside, I’m all nonsense.

How can I be both? And how can Jennifer Lawrence be both a warrior and dork? How can Kristen Bell be both a sassy, girl-detective and a flibbetergibbet?  Are we all just crazy, or is this just human nature? I like to think it’s human nature.

Do you think other people perceive you exactly as you are? Or are you a chameleon too?

Now I’ve blogged on this before, but it’s been a long time and since I really love this questionnaire, I figure it might be cool to do it again. Especially since life changes and therefore our answers might too.

Ever watch Inside the Actor’s Studio? It’s on A&E and I totally love it. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with it, it’s set in a film school (acting and directing) and the host has one actor on stage and they go through the actor’s work, asking questions about techniques and whatnot. And then at the end the students get to ask questions themselves. I always think it must be a scenario not unlike that RWA’s National conference where the cream of romance’s crop is often available for workshops and questions. And it’s just really fascinating to listen to actor’s talk about their craft in similar terms to how I’m used to creating characters and story. But the best part of the show is right before the host turns the actor over to the students and he ends with a famous questionnaire.

What is your favorite word? CRISP – it’s the perfect onomatopoeia

What is your least favorite word? ENVELOPE – I never know how to say it

What turns you on? MY HUSBAND’S LAUGHTER

What turns you off? ANY KIND OF HARM TO CHILDREN

What sound do you love? My DAUGHTERS’ GIGGLING

What sound do you hate? SQUEALING BRAKES

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? WINDOW PAINTER – I’d love to do those holiday paintings on store windows

What profession would you not like to participate in? PODIATRIST – I cannot imagine wanting to work on people’s feet

What’s your favorite curse word? BASTARD

If heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? YOUR LOVED ONES ARE WAITING OVER THERE

Answer it with me, and then tonight at midnight I’ll randomly pick a winner to receive an autographed copy of one of my books – your choice.

CrystalGB!  Congratulations!  Please check your email for a note from me regarding your prize.   Thanks to everyone who visited with the JQs and Jennifer Bernard on Friday!

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us!  Here are some tributes to our mothers and our thoughts on being mothers.

 Kristan:

My mom is always there to cheer me on. She always seems a little surprised at whatever I do… “You’re such a good mother!” or “Did you really make that pie?” or “This book was so good!” It’s quite cute. Add to that, she loves to laugh. Happy Mother’s Day, dear Mom! Love from your 5′ 8″ preemie, Kristan

Elise:

Mothers’ Day is kind of bittersweet for me because my mother died in April 2010 when she was 49 years old. My oldest daughter was 10 months at the time, and already through my pregnancy and the first few months of my daughter’s life, I had asked for so much advice and shared so many moments with my mother, and I wish that I could share all the moments as she and my youngest daughter grow up. My mother was my best friend (well, after I moved out of the house and though we lived in separate states we would talk to each other on the phone for an hour or more several times a week. I know my mother wasn’t perfect; she was a little too obsessed with cleaning, in my opinion. =) I’ll never forget when she came to my house to get ready for my oldest daughter’s delivery and decided to clean my entire house while we waited. I got a scolding because it wasn’t enough to just remove the lint from the lint catcher in the dryer; you had to take the lint catcher out and dig deep into the crevices to get the lint there, too. I never knew that before, but now you can bet that I do that every time. =) Yet although she wasn’t perfect, she was very close to being the perfect mother. She was always supportive, even when she didn’t understand or didn’t necessarily agree. She was very cautious about not giving advice where it might be unwanted, and she was always there to listen, even if nothing I had to say was the least bit interesting. And when she was in the wrong, she apologized. It might have taken her a little time, but she always did, and I respected her for that. She loved so much, and every day when I look at my daughters I wish that they could grow up knowing her and the love she would have had for them. The picture is of me and my mother the day before my wedding, after she had taken care of all the decorations. I was 19 and she was 42. Happy Mothers’ Day, Mama. I love you.

Catherine:

I never realized what a complex job motherhood was until I became a mom myself, more than sixteen years ago.  My daughter is and has always been an angel, but being a mom is a huge responsibility.  One of the things, though, that I’ve always kept in mind while raising my daughter is how my mother was always there for me, whether she was soothing cuts and scrapes, buying me craft supplies for elementary school projects, hugging me after breakups with boyfriends, or encouraging me to challenge myself creatively and academically.  Thanks to her, I had a strong role model to follow when raising my daughter.  I hope my daughter feels as special and loved as my mom made me feel.  Thanks, Mom!

Margo:

My mom was easy to admire. Her name was Justine McCarthy and she grew up during the depression, graduating from college in the midst of World War II. After joining the Red Cross in 1943, she was sent to Europe – not into battle, but definitely into the thick of things – in England, Italy, Germany. When the war effort wound down, Mom came home and became a teacher, married my dad and raised five kids. She was the most indomitable woman I’ve ever known, fearless and independent. Lovely and loving.

Shana:

I don’t think I ever appreciated my mother fully until I had a child of my own. I never realized how hard it is to care for an infant and how much a mom sacrifices. Watching my mom interact with my daughter is special as well. They have their own unique relationship, and it reminds me so much of our relationship when I was a child. I’m so fortunate to have had such a loving, wonderful mother, and now we’re lucky she’s a fabulous grandma!

Katherine:

Being a mother is the greatest joy I’ve found in my life.  It is sometimes frustrating and challenging but I love my kids and every day with them just makes me love them more.  And it also makes me love my mother more.  My mom is happiest when she is with her family.  Nothing makes her happier than having all her daughters home and all her grandkids.  And I have learned from her that the joy in family is the most pure.  Its the one place where I laugh hardest and just find the most peace.

I’m the oldest of three girls and grew up hearing that I look just like my mother.  As a girl I wanted to be my own person but I love that she and I do look the same and was pleased when my own daughter looked like us too.  My mom put her children first and still does spending most of her time traveling between all of her daughters’ homes to visit with them.

I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to my mom for being the best!!!

Robyn:

My mom is the best. Seriously. I would arm wrestle any of you to prove it too. We’ve always been close, and she’s always been there for me, but this past year while I was learning how to be a mom myself, she was invaluable. When The Professor and I moved back to Texas a few years ago, we decided to build a home, so while we were building we lived upstairs in my parents house. For nine months. That’s a trial on anyone’s relationship with their parents. But we survived. And then once our house was built, my parents loved ours so much and the neighborhood, they bot a lot right around the corner (3 houses away) and built their retirement home, smaller, brand-spanking new and totally delightful. The Professor likes to tell people he lives in Everybody Loves Raymond. But let me tell you, having grandparents that close, in those early days it was a necessity for my sanity. So we see each other everyday unless someone is out of town. We cook together sometimes or cook for the other’s family. But you know the coolest thing about my mom is that she’s the very reason I’m a writer. You see, she’s a writer too. Though she’s not published yet, she’s working diligently at it and someday you will all be able to read her books too. I love being able to share writing with my mom, it’s a magical connection we have and it makes me hope, just a little bit, that maybe one of my daughters will grow up to be a writer too.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

Janette:

Cindy:

Like Jan, my mother has passed away.  Though it’s been a long time, the love I felt for her has not diminished.  Whenever I think back on the closeness we shared, I’m grateful.  And it makes me want to urge everyone who still has a mother –or really anyone who means something to them–to not take that person for granted.  Spend time with those who you love, tell them often how much they mean to you and build those happy memories now, while you still can.

Emily:

I think most of the other JQ’s are writing about their own moms, but I’m going to depart from the norm and talk about my mother-in-law. We lost her this year to pancreatic cancer. It’s funny, because when she was alive and healthy, I never felt particularly close to her. She grew up on a hard-scrabble farm in west Texas, during the dust bowl in the fifties. She was tough and strong and made the best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever eaten. She was the kind of woman who could do anything she put her mind to, and could usually do it better than anyone else. In the twenty-one years I knew her, I saw her show kindness, strength and compassion, but it wasn’t until she was diagnosed that I saw her vulnerability. It was only then that I felt like I really understood her as a mother and as a person. Like so many mothers, she was strong and indomitable not by choice, but by necessity. Now that she is gone, I find myself wanting to be a better wife and mother, partly because I better understand how quickly time passes and partly to honor her, because they were her family, too.

Nancy:  I’m not going to lie, Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me.   My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 19. She passed away when I was 23. The anniversary of her death is May 13… today.  May hits me like a double whammy since it contains both the day I lost my mom and the day our nation collectively celebrates mothers.

While my mom and I were close, we never had the opportunity to experience the lovely, mature relationship that mothers and daughters grow into later in life. Again, not gonna lie, sometimes I feel a little cheated.

However, when I start feeling sorry for myself, I clearly hear my mom telling me to count my blessings.  Because I  have been blessed in so many wonderful ways. One of my greatest joys is my own daughter.  I could wax prosaic and corny about how I adore that child. She is my sunshine, my world, the only perfect work of art I will ever create. See? I warned you…  Unlike my daughter, I was a “challenging” teenager; a handful.  There were many times my mom would hold my gaze and say, “Someday, I hope you have a daughter just like you.”  That would take me down a peg or two, and I would ask, “Is that a curse or a blessing?” She would just smile and shrug.

Time finally revealed that my daughter is indeed a blessing.  If my mom somehow had a hand in the temperament of my child, she would’ve only given me a “blessing.” There would’ve been no hesitation on her part, no matter how many times I smarted off to her when I was growing up. I could just hear her saying, “Give her the kind of kid she should’ve been.” Of course, she would’ve smiled her sweet smile when she said it. My mom led by example and love, especially when she had to be firm with me.

Since there are no do-over’s after death closes the door, the only way I can make up for those teenage years is to live my adult life in a way that would make her proud.  When I face a challenge, I ask, “What would Mom do?” The answer always sets me straight.  Happy Mother’s Day, everyone! Count your blessings and celebrate your mamas.

Please tells us about your mom or about being a mother.

The popularity of ABC’s Once Upon A Time and the release of movies based on the classic fairy tales Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Rapunzel and, less recently, Cinderella all speak to timeless nature of these stories from our childhood. The concepts of good defeating evil, of true love finding a way to bring lovers together despite the odds, and of someone from humble beginnings rising to meet challenges and earn a happy ending resonate for all of us. Sprinkle in some magic pixie dust, royal weddings, and a fairy godmother or two, and you’ve got the stuff of romantic daydreams.

I fell in love with fairy tales and romance stories as a little girl watching Walt Disney movies on the big screen. I had imaginary mouse friends I’d modeled after Cinderella’s pals Jacques and Gus, and I created my own stories of handsome princes coming to rescue me and sweep me off to their castles. Is it any wonder I became a romance writer? To this day, I get choked up when the music swells at the end of a Disney movie and the narrator speaks those magic words…”And they lived happily ever after.” Dreamy sigh.

When I sat down to write TRUST IN ME, I didn’t intend to draw parallels to the Cinderella story, but fairy tale references crept in, just the same. Soon I realized what I had, and the story really came to life for me. While not a strict retelling of Cinderella, I call the story my ‘Cinderfella’ book.

Kevin is a small town guy, working a blue collar job and struggling to get by. Claire is the wealthy and sheltered girl, searching for independence and a fresh start. More than once, Kevin rides to Claire’s rescue, much to her dismay, since she wants to learn to handle little crises on her own. Yet through his good deeds, Claire begins to see Kevin as more prince than pauper, more white knight than frog. For example, when Claire’s car won’t start, Kevin takes her home on his trusty steed…er, motorcycle. Here’s an excerpt:

He pulled up next to her and killed the engine. Tugging off the helmet, he extended it toward her. “Here, you wear this. I only have one, and I’d rather you wear it.”

She gaped at him a moment, unmoving, numb with trepidation.

“A m-motorcycle?”

His chestnut eyebrows whipped together. “Is that a problem? I guess I should have explained … I don’t have a car.”

“Is it safe?”

He grinned. “As long as we don’t crash.”

Her pulse jumped, sending adrenaline scampering through her blood. Her face must have reflected her doubts, because Kevin sobered quickly and raised a hand toward her. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t joke about it. I’ll drive slow, and you’ll be safe. I promise.”

The warmth and concern in his gaze reached deep inside her, calming her nerves more than his words could. Her soul seemed to know instinctively to trust Kevin. She accepted the helmet with a trembling hand and drew a slow breath for courage. Pulling the helmet on, she fastened the chin strap and lifted her gaze to Kevin for assurance she’d put the protective gear on correctly. 

He grinned, then slapped the seat behind him. “Swing a leg over and hold tight to me. On turns, lean with me.”

She nodded and took another deep breath, inhaling the aroma of sweat, leather and soap inside the helmet. The intoxicating blend of scents spun her senses in new directions, all centered around Kevin. She clambered onto the motorcycle, self-conscious over her lack of finesse. If Kevin noticed her fumbling, he had the courtesy not to comment. Thank goodness she’d worn slacks today, a concession to comfort her mother would have never approved of, but which now proved a good choice.

Kevin started the engine, and Claire wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing herself close to his broad back. The rumbling engine echoed the thrum of her pulse, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

As he prepared to drive away, Kevin shifted his weight, and the bike rocked. She gasped and clutched his shirt tighter.

Placing a hand on her leg, he gave her knee a quick squeeze and turned his head toward her. “You can trust me, you know. I’d never let you fall.”

I was tickled to learn that Romantic Times Book Reviews called TRUST IN ME “a thoroughly delightful romance.” I hope you’ll agree! TRUST IN ME is available for download from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/t2XHkr

Now it is your turn. Tell me why you love fairy tales and which fairy tale is your favorite, but hurry, the spell …okay, the comment period …only lasts until midnight ET on May 13. I’ll choose one comment at random on May 14 to win an ebook copy (so international readers can play too!) of either my award winning romantic suspense UNDER FIRE or REYN’S REDEMPTION (winner’s choice). Thanks and happy reading!

Beth Cornelison

Award winning author Beth Cornelison received her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. After working in public relations for about a year, she moved with her husband to Louisiana, where she decided to pursue her love of writing fiction.

Since that time, she has won numerous honors for her work including a final in the Rita contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. She made her first sale to Silhouette Intimate Moments in June 2004 and has gone on to sell many more books to Harlequin/ Silhouette. She has also published with Five Star Expressions, Samhain Publishing, and Sourcebooks.

Beth has presented workshops across the country to numerous chapter meetings, conferences, online classes and book clubs. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, one son and a fluctuating number of cats who think they are people.

Today I’m delighted to welcome debut contemporary romance author Jennifer Bernard to the JQs! If you like spunky heroines and very sexy fireman heroes, make sure you check out Jennifer’s first two books from Avon Romance, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME and HOT FOR FIREMAN. Welcome, Jennifer!

I’m so excited to be here with the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills in celebration of my debut, THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME. I’ll talk about the book in a bit, but first I want to address a Very Serious Issue. Here goes.

I love hanging out with romance fans, online and in real life, for a whole boatload of reasons. One of them being, I don’t get comments like this: “Romance novels, you mean like those Harlequin books? With those covers?” You know what I’m talking about – people who look down on romance and make you feel vaguely ashamed of reading it, let alone writing it.

I used to take an “each to his own” approach. You read your gory serial-killer thriller, I’ll read my light-hearted Regency romp, thank you very much. But now things are getting nasty. People are writing poorly researched articles claiming that romance novels are a bad influence on women and promote unsafe sex. It’s time to take the gloves off.

So I’m here to say, I not only read, write and adore romance, but I think it ought to be REQUIRED READING.

Think about it. The world today is filled with so much antagonism. War, oppression, prejudice, mistreatment of people, animals, the planet. In so many ways, we find ourselves pitted against each other. This country against that one, this political party against that, this town against the next one over. Hostility and suspicion are everywhere.

Enter the romance novel.

Romance novels are about breaking down the barriers between two people. They’re about hope – optimism – happy endings. And no, a happy ending doesn’t mean we think everything’s going to be perfect forever. It means moments of perfect harmony are possible. Romance novels bring a note of sweetness and joy into a world where there’s so much conflict. Conflict exists in romance novels too, of course, otherwise there wouldn’t be a story. But the conflict is resolved. Which implies that it’s possible to resolve conflict in real life too. What a concept!

(Message to our leaders: take a break and read a romance. It’ll do you good.)

Romances show heroes and heroines overcoming challenges, looking beneath the surface, reaching new heights. Romance is about relationships, which are the foundation of our society. Romances are built on the idea that love is paramount, that committing yourself to another person brings joy, that harmony between two people is possible. No wonder it’s such a popular genre around the world. Love of romance crosses boundaries, geographical differences, cultural divisions.

Don’t you think our world could use a little more of that?

I’m not sure I’ll have much luck making romance required reading.  I’m just putting it out there. A little more hope and love would do us all good. Read a romance, save the world!

What do you think? Am I crazy? Or do I have a point?

Now here’s a little about THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, available now in bookstores everywhere. The next book in the series, HOT FOR FIREMAN, will be out on May 29th.

Fearless, smoking hot and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it’s their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.

News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn’t be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they’re both convinced they’re perfectly wrong for each other.

But when Melissa’s matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a bachelor auction… Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.)

Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix and Melissa and Brody’s love may not be the only thing that burns.

If you’d like to win a signed copy of THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, please leave me a comment agreeing with everything I say. (I’m kidding!) But I’d love to hear what you think about saving the world, one romance novel at a time.

The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Sunday, May 13th (open internationally).

JENNIFER BERNARD LINKS

Jennifer’s Website

Facebook

Twitter

Order THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME!

And just for fun… Hunky Fireman Shower Curtain. C’mon, you know you want one!

As some of you know, we had to euthanize our black Lab Nick last week. He was just shy of his 11^th birthday, but he had a very aggressive oral cancer that was untreatable unless we wanted to put him through some radical surgery. The vet advised against it, and I was appalled by the idea of it, anyway.

It occurred to me this morning that Nick has been around for most of my writing career. He was born in June 2001, and my first book came out in 1999. He came to us at 6 weeks old as a 17 lb puppy who curled up under my desk by my feet while I wrote. He turned into a typical Lab – a goofy 95-pounder who was obsessed with playing fetch. He was the craziest “fetcher” I’ve ever seen and would run himself to death chasing a ball or a stick if we let him. The kids called him “The Hustler” because he was always on the make – for treats, for attention, for games. 

So now we’re down to one cat and one dog. Bob and Ranger.

Bob has been perfectly happy since we lost our other cat – Kokomo – two years ago. He adjusted right away, becoming the Alpha Cat in the household. I thought it was interesting how he developed a lot more personality and became much more affectionate after his “boss” was gone. He is definitely King Kat around here now, and I doubt that he would take well to another kitty in the household.

I’m not so sure about Ranger, our six year old yellow Lab. He’s been moping since Nick died, although he had a happy moment yesterday when my friend brought her 1 year old pup to play. It makes me wonder whether we ought to jump right in and get another dog. In the past week since Nick’s been gone, I’ve realized how high-maintenance it is to have two big dogs. So, what do I do? Get another dog for Ranger’s benefit? We got Ranger for Nick’s sake when he was grieving over the loss of our old Schnauzer. But I’m not sure that’s the way to go. Don’t get me wrong – I love dogs. But  I’m pretty much on the fence about this.

What do you all think? Should my poor Sad Sack here get a buddy?

The winner of THE GREATEST GIFT: A MOTHER’S DAY COLLECTION featuring A MOTHER’S DAY MATCH from my Time Flies blog is…
Janet!

Please contact me via my website and I will get your prize in the e-mail to you!

Thank you everyone for stopping by.

Katherine

Those of you who know me know that I am a procrastinator. Why do something in advance when you can do it last minute? So, it shouldn’t surprise most of you that I tend to write my blogs at the last possible moment…as I’m writing this one just before midnight….

Tonight though, my heart is heavy and I find it difficult to write something light and funny.  So let me tell you about true love.

Maureen and Len married 37 years ago and Len would proclaim to everyone who would listen that Maureen was the love of his life.  Every six months when they came into the dental office where I’ve worked for the last 20 years, they would continue to talk to each other across the office even as their appointments continued. They ALWAYS scheduled appointment together and rarely came without the other. Len usually began his conversations with ‘my wife Maureen’ and then would go on to tell anyone who would listen about the wonderful woman he loved and had married.

They raised three daughters and Maureen taught school for almost 3 decades, in a struggling school system and never talked about retiring until the year before she did. Len had already and they had lots of things they were going to do together — because that’s how they always did things. Together.

Then, just after retiring ( I would run into them at the local health club pool — spending time together in the exercise pool and class), Maureen was diagnosed with lymphoma. Through it all, Len and the girls were at her side, encouraging her and supporting her through all kinds of treatments and were optimistic when the docs thought her through the worst. And hopeful when she went into remission.

We got a call today at the office letting us know that Maureen died suddenly last week – a powerful infection struck her down and she went from recovery to ventilator to death in only a few days. Len called to apologize for not letting us know that his wonderful wife, the love of his life, had passed away. I happened to take the call and all I could do was cry as he told me once more about the special person she was and how he could not imagine how he would live without her.

As I thought on all he’d said, all he’d ever said about his Maureen, I realized I was hearing true love. Through the good times and the bad, through decades of married life and raising children, into retirement and through trials, they were always together. They were soulmates — the other half that was never far away. And even now, I know their love will remain strong between them….how could it not?

And, as I grieve tonight for the wonderful man who lost the woman he loves, I know I was privileged to see real love in action. Not the fictional love I create in my stories, no, this love was true and deep and abiding and won’t end just because she’s passed away.

So, help me celebrate this true love by sharing a story about a true love you’ve witnessed. Your own? A family member or friend? Please post it — I’ll appreciate hearing about true love during this sad time.

Terri is working on a new proposal for Harlequin Historicals, another MacLerie Clan story, and recovering from her recent month on the road for various work assignments. Visit her website for more info about her upcoming books and events.