Tomorrow is the day that florists, chocolate manufacturers, and restaurants love: Saint Valentine’s Day.
I’m excited that I’ll be flying to Melbourne first thing in the morning to participate in Sisters in Crime’s celebration of the day – a panel discussion tomorrow night, titled ‘She Always Gets Her Man’ with fellow romantic suspense authors Helene Young and Cheryl Wright, chaired by crime writer Leigh Redhead. If you’re in Melbourne, come along and join in the fun – details are on my events page.
And yes, I’m leaving my beloved at home on Valentine’s Day and heading off for a weekend in Melbourne without him. But don’t worry – we’ve been together for 20 years now and there are plenty of ways we express our feelings on many more days a year than just one, so he won’t be feeling neglected! (And there’s a box of chocolates in the fridge and double-choc chip muffins in the freezer, so if he suddenly has any chocolate cravings he’ll be fine…)
Romance writers are often expected to have something to say on Saint Valentine’s Day – and why not, since we write about love? Now I confess that I’m not overly fond of all the hype and marketing of the day; don’t get me wrong, I love chocolates and flowers and intimate dinners for two and celebrating a loving relationship and if you’re doing that tomorrow, have a wonderful, joyful time! But love, and building a loving, committed, lasting relationship is much more than the marketers tell us; it would be wonderful to see more emphasis and discussion on love itself, rather than the pressure to buy things to ‘prove’ your love.
So, in honour of Saint Valentine’s Day, I’m posting in my Articles section an article I wrote a few years ago for the Romance Writers of Australia magazine, Hearts Talk – The Heart of the Matter: Elements of a lasting love. It was written for romance writers, but maybe there’s something in there for readers, and lovers, too. I’d love to know what you think of it!