Who was Saint Valentine and How Did His Death Become All About Love?

By Cassandra Samuels

Happy Valentine's Day for tomorrow! Ahh, the most romantic day of the year for some of us. A day to celebrate love, whether it be potential or committed. But who is this St Valentine and how did all this Valentine's Day malarkey all come about?

Short history:

The truth surrounding the origin of Valentine's day is a little sketchy. One theory says that Valentine (a priest) conducted outlawed weddings during the third century in Rome. Weddings for soldiers had been banned as the Emperor Claudius II thought that unmarried men made better warriors. It is told that Claudius had Valentine killed when he discovered the outlawed marriages.

Another theory is that Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter while imprisoned for helping Christians escape said prison, and sent her love letters signed "from your Valentine." A phrase we still use today.

courtesy of Catholiconline

So why February 14th? The theory is that the Catholic church introduced a feast day in the middle of February in order to make the pagan celebration of Lupercalia (traditionally February 15th, and during which women were slapped with bloody goat skins for fertility) more Christian. It was moved to the 14th after the pagan celebration was outlawed at the end of the fifth century.

Lupercalia courtesy of paperdroids.com

In the middle ages, it was thought that the 14th of February was the beginning of bird mating season. Mating season was when birds would compete for mates and indulge in the rituals of courtship. So it isn't hard to believe that people came to compare this time with courtship and love as well.

In the Victorian era, Valentine's Day was one to be savoured, and many spent a lot of time making or purchasing cards for their special someone.

Victorian Valentine's Day Card Courtesy of VictorianPaperlace.com

I'd like to think we have moved on from whips made of bloody goat's hide and now prefer to wine and dine our lovers.

courtesy of nursetogether.com

Or present flowers

Courtesy of HDimagesNew

and chocolate instead.

Courtesy of DramaFever.com

Much nicer don't you think?

How do you like to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Love to Love sharing time with my hubby. I am one lucky gal.

Love to Laugh at my husband's dry wit. He always surprises me and makes me laugh.

Love to Learn how things are made - like yummy chocolate.

How to Achieve Your Goals (When You Haven’t Even Started Yet)

with Marilyn Forsyth

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

Did I set my writing goals for the new year? Yep. :)

Did I start working towards them on January 1st? Nope. :(

So what was stopping me?

It was the actual 'getting started' bit. 

Wth? I mean, I’m a writer. The Farmer's Perfect Match was published last year and my next book, Falling in Love Again, is coming out in April, so what the heck was going on?

This…

It’s hard! Being a writer is hard work!

Image courtesy of onsizzle.com

There’s self-doubt. Life getting in the way. Brain drain. That kitchen drawer you've been meaning to get around to cleaning out. 

There’s, like…at least a million things to stop you from achieving those goals you set yourself. 

But here’s the good part: you can do something about it.

In no particular order, here are some things that got me back on track. Maybe they'll help you, too.

1. I re-read some completed stories and story ideas from my bottom drawer and realised I had some great stuff there. Maybe I wasn’t as useless as I thought.

2. I started writing a diary in the words of my new MC – just a few sentences about her daily life and innermost thoughts, to get to know her better (the book’s a historical time-slip, a total change of genre for me)

Own photo

3. I began using the ‘Don’t Beak the Chain’ method. I have to write every day — I don’t want to break that chain!

4. Before finishing writing for the day, I’ve been making a list of specific things to work on the next day. (Love to tick things off a list!)

5. I’ve broken my big goals into small, achievable outcomes. Nothing’s guaranteed to upset your equilibrium more than having a goal that’s just too hard to achieve.

6. This was a biggie! I skipped writing the first chapter. I had an outline and I knew where I wanted my story to go but I just didn’t know how to start it and that was causing me angst (we all know how important that first page is, don’t we!). The pressure really came off after that.

Link to listen to or buy

7. I’m writing to music. I’ve tried this sporadically in the past, but this time I have a proper playlist. I’m also using headphones and finding it a really nice way to work.

8. Before I start work on the computer, I’ve been handwriting what I want to achieve with the scene I’m working on. This is giving me a focus.

9. This might sound a bit airy-fairy but I’ve been saying out loud to myself ‘You are a writer. You can do this.’ (You know what they say – talk to yourself and you’ll always hear what you want to hear.)

10. I light my ritual citrus-scented candle, and off I go.

So there you have it: my guide to getting started for 2017. Hope it helps you. (And fingers, legs and eyes crossed that it continues for me!)

Have you had trouble getting started this year? What did you do to overcome it?

Love to Love…a thunderstorm after a sweltering day, and the smell of earth after rain.

Image courtesy of bestanimations.com

Love to Laugh…at Game of Thrones memes.

Love to Learn…by doing on-line writing courses. The last one I took was through the Margie Lawson Academy; it was about writing Historical Fiction and it was brilliant!

Favourite Aussie Romance Reads of 2016

By the Breathless Bloggers

So great to have our favourite reads get the thumbs up from Keith Urban (courtesy of giphy.com)!

It hasn't been easy! With all the wonderful Aussie Romances published last year, the Breathless Bloggers have somehow managed to select just one favourite Romance read from 2016. 

We hope you enjoy our reviews as much as we enjoyed reading these fabulous books.

CASSANDRA: THE EARL AND THE HIGHWAYMAN'S DAUGHTER by Maggi Andersen

link to buy this book

With so many great romance authors to choose from, it was a hard decision but my pick for 2016 is Maggi Andersen's The Earl and the Highwayman's Daughter. Maggi has an easy to read style which lends itself so well to novellas.

Eugenia Hawthorne and Brendan, Earl of Trentham are thrown together when he is wounded in an attack by highwaymen on his way home. Eugenia patches him up but when her father returns he and Brendan make a deal and Eugenia ends up as Brendan's unofficial ward. But there is more to this arrangement than meets the eye. There is a mystery, an emerald necklace and plenty of sexual tension to keep you turning the page.

MARILYN: THE ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Rachael Johns

link to buy this book

While not strictly a romance, The Art of Keeping Secrets contains powerful romantic elements. In it, we meet Felicity, Genevive and Emma, three ladies attempting to deal with issues and situations that many women will be able to identify with: life after divorce combined with a life-threatening health problem, a ‘perfect’ marriage that isn’t as perfect as it appears, and a forced reunion with an old flame who happens to be the father of her son (although he doesn’t yet know it!). One of the story-lines in particular had me on tenterhooks till the very last page (no, I’m not telling which one; you need to read it for yourself J).

Flick, Neve and Emma are believable and eminently likeable characters, and the strength of their friendship is something I could easily relate to. I greatly enjoyed spending time with them all. ’Onya, Rachael. Another winner!

MIRANDA: THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne

link to buy this book

This book is sharp and edgy in its writing; fresh and funny and a total winner. A perfect office romance between the geeky but ohmygosh gorgeous Josh, and the diminutive-in-size-only Lucy. It's told in Lucy's point of view, which gives you just enough information about how she's feeling about Josh - and what she thinks he's thinking and feeling about her - to keep you guessing. For half the book Josh remains somewhat of an enigma, although the paintball work-bonding day was a bit of a heroic giveaway. By the end of the book (and a lot of laughs and a few tears later) I was in love with both of them. Thank you, Sally, for bursting onto the romance scene with such a brilliant debut. Please write more!

Favourite funny quote:

I stumble into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. I pee, flush, and then realize how unladylike I was. Oh, well. He's seen and heard almost everything now. There's nothing left to do but fake my own death and start a new life. 

There's more about Sally Thorne here: https://www.hachette.com.au/sally-thorne/the-hating-game if you want to follow her slavishly (which I now do).

SHARON: THE SUMMER BRIDE by Anne Gracie (Chance Sisters series #4).

Link to buy this book

Daisy Chance was raised in a brothel from which she helped two young women escape. Together with the sister of one of the women, they declare themselves sisters of the heart, and vow to support one another through life's challenges.

Daisy is a talented seamstress, determined to have her own shop and make it the best in London. She has no interest in marriage; a husband would get in the way of her ambitions. Patrick Flynn, a self-made man, orphaned in tragic circumstances he has never fully dealt with, is attracted to Daisy, but wishes to marry the finest lady in London. He feels he is good enough for anyone, and needs to show this to the world by marrying a high-born lady.

The well-constructed characters, captivating dialogue, sense of fun and poignant moments that tug at the reader's heartstrings which Anne brings to her writing make this book a must read.

ENISA: SUNSET SHADOWS (Goodabri series #3) by Bronwyn Parry

link to buy this book

In the stark isolation of the Australian bush there’s a madman on the loose. As sinister shadows in the untamed wilderness herald danger, police officers Steve Fraser and Tess Ballard put their careers on the line to save the lives of 50 cult members, and the people they care about. In a race against time, their pasts return bringing heartbreak, and as they wonder if they will survive, a romance slowly blossoms.

Wow! From first page to last, Sunset Shadows had me enthralled. I was there, in the isolated surrounds of the bush amidst the fast-paced action, tension gripping me by the throat as surely as it gripped Steve and Tess as I immersed myself in their rush to catch the madman and bring justice to those threatened. I was there hurting along with Steve and Tess confronting pasts too painful to face, and I was there watching in wonder as romance flickered through their friendship, the flame slowly burning, turning to love. Packed with emotion, edge-of-your-seat suspense and twists you don’t see coming, Sunset Shadows is a brilliant read. Is it any wonder Bronwyn Parry is a must-read author for me?

KAREN: BEYOND THE ORCHARD by Anna Romer

Link to buy this book

I am choosing Anna Romer's latest book, Beyond the Orchard, as my favourite romance for 2016 because it is an absorbing read shrouded in suspense and mystery from the very start.

A family saga of love, heartbreak, deceptions and discoveries written in the authors unique voice, it easily transports the reader from the present into the past and back again, while providing such detailed descriptions of the time periods and Australia's beautiful landscape, flora and fauna, that you almost feel it surround you.

An ominous old house full of secret crevices and hidden truths with supernatural elements that hang heavily in the readers mind, igniting fear only limited to one's own imagination. Rich characters with their own demons, sorrows and stories to tell. And a tale of love that keeps you hoping and wondering until the end.




DANA: THE FARMER'S PERFECT MATCH by Marilyn Forsyth

Link to buy this book

I've chosen The Farmer's Perfect Match as my favourite romance read of 2016 for so many reasons. The setting, the characters and the plot brilliantly pack the book full of tension and romance. Our own Marilyn Forsyth weaves the story in and around the setting, creating and building tension so beautifully that you think you're there! The characters filled my heart with so much emotion that I ached for them! I wanted Evie and Adam to succeed at their goals but feared that if they did then they would never get together.

This is one of those books that you read from cover to cover and at THE END you want more...you need more. The Farmer's Perfect Match is one powerful read!

Did your favourite romance read from last year make the cut? No? Then please let us know in the comments of any books published in 2016 that you'd recommend. We're always on the lookout for wonderful romances.

We LOVE TO LOVE Aussie Romance Writers.

We LOVE TO LAUGH!Our monthly Writers' Group meetings are always a lot of fun.

We LOVE TO LEARN who each other's favourite Aussie authors are.