It's All About Happily Ever After

"I claim there ain't
Another Saint
As great as Valentine."
~Ogden Nash

Big congrats to Crystal B. of Williamsburg, KY, the winner of my Valentine's Day Giveaway Contest! Crystal will be receiving 2 books, free downloads of my 2 novels, chocolate truffles, and beauty goodies. Thanks to everyone who entered ~ I had a great turnout. And just a reminder: I hold some kind of contest every month right here on my blog. Usually I give away a book, but you never know...I like to toss in other fun things as well. So stop back next month (or sooner!) to see what the March contest will bring...

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Most of my regular readers know that I freelance for the awesome ladies over at WOW-Women on Writing...and Senior Editor Annette Fix is celebrating the release of her novel The Break-Up Diet today! You can order it on Amazon or from your local bookseller.

The Break-Up Diet is the true story of a 30-something single mother/aspiring writer who is working as an exotic dancer, searching for Prince Charming, and trying to find a perfect balance between her dreams and her day-to-day life as Supermom.

~Annette Fix is the Senior Editor for WOW! Women On Writing, an author, and spoken-word storyteller, living in Laguna Niguel, California with her Danish Prince Charming, her aspiring photographer son, and two rescued dogs.

Looks great, right? Also, check out the Break-Up Story Forum, a place where women can go to read and share their break-up and dating stories, the book blog, and her MySpace page.

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Finally, in honor of Cupid's great day, here are two classic poems and three classic movie scenes, all of which should warm your heart and remind you of the power of true love and happily ever after. It's why I write about it, after all :)

Sonnets from the Portuguese XLIII (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

i carry your heart (ee cummings)

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)