After two months in California, Jill Marie Landis is back in Hawaii getting down to business. Never mind that the weather in the islands has been sunny and warm, she’s been at the computer writing and lining up appearances while last summer’s release, HEARTBREAK HOTEL (Ballantine Hardcover 2005), continues to garner awards.

This month, Library Journal announced the winners of the Best Genre books of 2005 and HEARTBREAK HOTEL was named one of the Top Five Romances! Check out the complete list of all the genre books (mystery, science fiction, romance, thriller, Christian and others)at: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6299507.html

At the end of July, Jill will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, to join fellow writers at the National Romance Writers of America conference at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis Hotel. As always, the organization will host a massive “Readers for Life” autographing featuring most all of the authors in attendance. Funds raised are donated to causes that fight illiteracy. Last year the group raised $60,000 in three hours at the conference in Reno, Nevada.

Jill Marie plans to celebrate Valentine’s Day by whipping up a chocolate chip and tofu pie. She claims. “It sounds gross but tastes GREAT!” You’ll find the recipe on her blog at www.jillmarielandis.com/blog
 

Hello to all the romantics,

This is the month for you to shine. Valentine candy, stuffed animals, flowers and most elegant greeting cards abound. As I was standing around waiting for a prescription to be filled at Walgreens the other day, I took a stroll down the candy isle, just to see what was there.
Of course there were heart-shaped boxes of every kind of chocolate. Looking at them brought back the memory of when I got my first box. What made it so special was that it was from my Daddy. I think I was about eleven or twelve, not sure about the age, but I sure remember what that box looked like. It was bright yellow with a big red flower stuck in the middle of the box. (Daddy was color-blind) He thought the box was red and the flower was black. Why he thought a black flower would be pretty didn't occur to me at the time. I've laughed about it in later years, but it was, at the time, the most glorious thing I'd ever been given. I had the box for years, long after the candy was gone.
As I moved on down the aisle at Walgreens, I ran into the cartoon genre of candy. There was Care Bear and Sponge Bob chocolates, M&Ms in about twelve different styles of containers, and a candy I found particularly odd, candy necklaces and bracelets made out of something that looked like tiny Sweet Tarts. How handy. Hungry? Have a bite of whatever that is that's hanging around your neck. So what if it's a little sticky from being chewed on? So what if the colors from the candies have transferred themselves upon your shirts? And, if a necklace is a little over the top for your loved one, try the bracelet instead.
I was still laughing as I moved to the stuffed animals, which by the way, or soooo my favorites.
I can understand stuffed dogs, cats, bunnies, even the occasional 'cute' stuffed chick or two, but the idea of gorillas and elephants being appropriate romantic figures was lost on me, especially the gorilla that had his finger up his nose. However, I did know a boy in grade school who practiced that habit all the time, but I certainly wasn't going to hunt him up and give him that stuffed gorilla as a reminder. I'm sure he would be properly humiliated by now... or, maybe not.
Some of the stuffed animals had miniature containers of candy attached to them. That's good marketing. Two for the price of one. Some of the large boxes of candy had a tiny stuffed animal attached to them. Again, a two for the price of one, bargain. My favorites were the small, soft puppies that had heart-shaped spots on their bodies and a little black nose that was heart shaped as well. Ooooh. so cute.
Then, just as I was about to break down and purchase some candy for myself, knowing full well that there would be nobody around this year to buy it for me, I heard my name being called over the loudspeaker. My prescription was ready back in pharmacy.
With one last regretful look at the candy... and the extra five pounds... that I was leaving behind, I went to get my medicine.
Thus, I have shared with you, a bit of a day in the life of a romance writer. I am an ordinary woman, but I will admit to being a romantic.
I urge all of you to give in to the romantic in yourselves and splurge just a bit. If there's no one around to buy you flowers, or candy, or send you a card in this month for lovers, then do it for yourself. You must love yourself first, before you can learn how to share it with others. And I can't think of a better way to say "I'm all right with myself and the world" than to say it with chocolate and a good romance book.


Happy Valentine's Day,
Sharon Sala
aka
Dinah McCall