February, 2023 - Post Valentine's Day Edition Hello Romantics , it's Robin. My second favorite holiday (after Christmas of course) is Valentine’s Day. That’s probably not a big surprise to anyone who knows me well. A true romantic at heart, I love the expression of love…and by that, I mean the little things. The feeling of loving and being loved. Some of my best examples come from my parents. Their love story was a true romance. Meeting in the Army, my mother tells of coming home after her first date with my father, telling her sister (also in the Army) that she was going to marry that guy. Two weeks later, my father slipped an engagement ring in the stockings she asked him to pick up for her from the commissary. When placing her hand in the stockings to put them on, the ring startled her, and she accidently flung it across the room. Before making it official, they had to find for the ring. Fortunately, they did, and that's them in the picture below on left. The other one is a recent shot of us! My parents' love story didn’t stop there. In their 49 years together, my father never left home without kissing Mom goodbye and honking the horn three times, meaning “I love you.” He delighted in bringing her a glass of orange juice in the morning as she was getting ready for the day. With all his great examples, I wondered if I would ever find a man like my dad. Then I met Paul….and while he would never boast about being a romantic guy, he goes above and beyond to think about and do things he knows I will like. It may be a treat from the grocery store, a drink from the gas station, flowers, or a card. But it may also be things like doing the dishes after I cook, doing the laundry because he knows it is not my favorite chore. Or, taking me and picking me up from the airport on one of my many work trips. I did, in fact, get a guy as sweet as my dad, and I try every day to not forget how lucky I am. One of my favorite ways of showing love is in the kitchen. Whether making a meal for the two of us, our family, or our closest friends, I love to cook things that will tell those around me that I care about them. When Paul leaves me, I say “take care of you," reminding him that I need him to get back home to me safely. I know he hates to shop, so I will try to pick up something new for him while I am out that will look great on him. And finally, we are both so proud of writing romance books together. It is a way for us to share how important it is to stay connected, and be reminded of the need to nurture our own relationship as if it were new, despite the busy days and work obligations. So, how about you? What are your special, unique, quirky, or funny ways of showing love? I want to hear all about them. Send them to me via email at
[email protected]. We'll share as many as we can, names omitted if you prefer! Two New Robin Paul Romances for 2024! We're halfway through the first of two new holiday romances, and guess what? It will be released in July! Christmas Comeback is a charming little story of second-chance romance between the unlikeliest of couples. She's the current high school principal who arrived in Garland Grove three years ago. He's the former math teacher she refused to rehire after his decision to retire. When one of her math teachers goes on maternity leave, Diana Finnegan is in a bind and needs someone to fill in ASAP. With no where else to turn, she goes to see Henry Trumbull about filling the position. Henry is still smarting from her earlier rejection of him, but eventually relents. What happens from there is the stuff that makes great love stories. Be on the lookout for a peek at the cover and some sample chapters. You're going to love this one, romantics! Did You Celebrate "Galentine's Day?" (Yep, It's Real!) Women need other women around who lift them up, love them unconditionally, and are always up for a few shenanigans. I am blessed to have some amazing, smart, beautiful women in my life that I love. So, here’s a shout-out and a wish for many more years together. What Do We Like? We get asked that question every so often, so we prepared a new blog post with all the answers! You can find it on our website by clicking here! Whether you are old or young, you have done something or know someone who has done something totally crazy in the name of love. If you have a crazy story that you would be willing to share, email me at
[email protected] . I promise, all names will be changed to protect the guilty! Can’t wait to hear from you! Until then, here’s a couple of examples to get you thinking: A man robbed a gas station and 3 waffle house restaurants in the name of love. After all, he was just trying to get enough money to pay off his girlfriend’s probation fees. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up – read more here . And how about this story of a 20-year-old man who asked his buddy to shoot him in the arm so his ex-girlfriend would feel sorry for him and come back to him. He took the bullet, but instead of the girl, he got probation and community service. We Do Other Stuff, Too! Even when we're between books we enjoy writing stories with special meaning to us. That's how Searching for Melanie Moffitt came to be. Paul grew up in rural Maryland and spent many August evenings at the local fireman's carnival, a wonderful mix of delicious food and fun rides like the Tilt-a-Whirl and Ferris wheel. Set in the 1970s, Searching for Melanie Moffitt is one boy's pursuit of the girl of his dreams. It's a breezy little story that you can read for free. It's mostly unedited and the cover is something we threw together. Still, it's a wonderful look back at a time many of us remember and cherish. Click here to download your free copy. Or click here to go to all of our freebies! In closing, here's a recent Lucy picture. We recently swapped our Queen bed for a King. Paul says we're sleeping in different area codes. Lucy loves the extra space! That's all for now. Be sure to add us to your contacts so you won't miss future newsletters. See you soon! Love, Robin Paul
