Valentine Giveaway: And the winner is...

The deadline has just passed for the Valentine Feature Week giveaway to win a copy of The Trouble with Valentine's by Kelly Hunter.  And the winner is entry 23....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Emma, I've just sent you an email for your postal address to enable me to post this book out to you later this week.

Thanks to everyone who entered.  Keep an eye out for more giveaways shortly as I already have another one lined up for Irish Fiction month in March plus a couple of others in the pipeline.

Valentine Feature Week Review: Fiona O'Brien - The Love Book

In 1980, three schoolgirls visit St. Valentine's shrine in Dublin, to write their petitions for love. By 2010, these same women have discovered that finding love was the easy part - it's what you do with it once you've found it that's tricky.

When one of the women returns home unexpectedly from California, all three are forced to examine their choices, loves, and lives, which have proved surprising, and in some ways, precarious. So much for St. Valentine - if the saint has taught them anything about love - it's be careful what you wish for . . .

But real love is always a work in progress - and Vonnie, Abby and Diana must learn they need to open their eyes and more especially their hearts - because St. Valentine has some unfinished business with them . . .

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Sheena Lambert

My final Valentine Feature Week guest is Irish author Sheena Lambert whose debut book, Alberta Clipper, was published at the end of last year.

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad?
As poor students, myself and my now-husband got chip butties (fries in a bread-roll with mayonnaise) one Valentine’s night, and ate them parked in his Dad’s car at the beach. (Well….it’s cold in Ireland in February.) The following year, my Valentine’s card had the exact price of another chip butty taped to the inside. I still have it.

Have you ever had a disastrous date on Valentine’s night?
No, but I did get a very creepy Valentine’s card from a client once. Complete with a very creepy poem about me having his creepy children. Creepy.

If you were to receive a book as a Valentine’s Day present, what book would you like to receive?
A book of Oscar Wilde poetry, with special lines highlighted… Tread softly, because you
tread on my dreams…

Valentine Feature Week Review: Juliet Ashton - The Valentine's Card

The Valentine's card was meant to be Orla's fairy tale ending, but really, it was only the beginning . . .

Orla adores her actor boyfriend, Sim, who's away filming a sumptuous costume drama. Although the long-distance relationship means that she can eat toast for dinner and watch as much reality TV as she likes, she misses him like crazy.

But Valentine's Day changes everything . . . The same morning Orla learns that Sim has died, she receives a card from him. As Orla travels from Ireland to London, to live and breathe Sim's final moments, can she bring herself to open the Valentine's card and read his final message?

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Miranda Dickinson

Miranda Dickinson is one of my favourite authors so when I tweeted asking for contributions for my upcoming Valentine Feature Week on the blog, I was delighted that she responded agreeing to do a Valentine's related interview.  

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad?
My worst Valentine’s experience was when I sent a really good male friend of mine a Valentine’s card. I’d liked him for ages but as soon as I sent it I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. He was living with my band-mates and they all guessed it was from me. So mortifying! Thankfully, he was lovely about it and is still a fab friend today. The experience is what inspired the opening scene of It Started With a Kiss when Romily tells Charlie she loves him. I sent the card from one of those online card websites and now every time their advert comes on TV I have to switch it off – eight years after the event!

Have you ever had a disastrous date on Valentine’s night?
No, thankfully, although I’ve had my fair share of disastrous dates at other times of the year…

Valentine Feature Week: Fun Trivia & Quotes

Unless you're an alien from outer space you cannot fail to notice that tomorrow is Valentine's Day as there's constant reminders everywhere... magazines, TV and the internet.  So I decided if you can't beat them, join them, so have been busy looking up completely useless facts and trivia.... enjoy!

• The origins of Valentine’s Day are not clear but many sources believe that it stems from the story of St Valentine, a Roman priest who was martyred on or around February 14 in the year 270 CE.
• Cupid is associated with Valentine's Day because he's believed to be the son of Venus, the Roman god of love.
• Valentine's Day is mentioned in Hamlet by Shakespeare (Act 4, Scene 5)
• The film 'Letters to Juliet' is based on an actual occurrence.  Over 1200 cards and letters are written to Juliet on 14th February every year.  Most of which are left at a special wall in Verona, Italy.  
• It is believed that 15% of women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day. 
• Hallmark produced its first Valentine Day Card in 1913. 

Valentine Feature Week Guest Post: Liz Harris talks about her most memorable Valentine's Day gift

Today I'm delighted to welcome Liz Harris to the blog to talk about her most memorable Valentine's gift from her husband... I bet you won't be able to guess what it was ;-)

With the 14th February fast approaching, and with hearts racing at the thought of cards and gifts, I thought I'd pick a memorable St. Valentine's Day present from the past, and tell you about it.

Next August, I'll have been married to the same man for 35 years. I can hardly believe it's that long, but it is. It was going to be extremely difficult to choose just one of the many St. Valentine's Day presents I've received over the years , I thought.

But it wasn't. One present stood out above all the others, despite it having been given to me some 31 years ago. 

Valentine Feature Week Interview: Carole Matthews

When I decided to do a Valentine Feature Week on the blog I tweeted asking for contributors, one of the first authors to contact me was Carole Matthews.  I've previously had the pleasure of doing blog interviews with Carole before but I'm delighted that she offered to take part in this fun Valentine's chat.

What has been your most memorable Valentine’s experience, either good or bad? 
When my novel The Chocolate Lovers’ Club was out my partner, Lovely Kev, took me to The Pudding Club at the Three Ways Hotel in Mickleton in the Cotswolds. They have a Chocolate Suite there which he’d booked for the night. We have a really lovely time and, more importantly, lots of chocolate! That earned him a lot of brownie points.

If you were to receive a book as a Valentine’s Day present, what book would you like to receive?
I would like hardback of any of Philippa Gregory’s Tudor novels - probably The Other Boleyn Girl is my favourite - signed by the author.

Valentine Feature Week Review & Giveaway: Kelly Hunter - The Trouble with Valentine's

This Valentine's falling in love could be murder...

Hallie Bennett loves flirting with danger. So when a man with trouble written all over him walks into her shoe shop, she finds him impossible to refuse. 

Nick needs a "wife" for a week to seal a Hong Kong business deal, Hallie needs £5,000. It might not be the most traditional Valentines Day proposal, but shes hardly a traditional girl... 

Two beautiful (and borrowed) Tiffany rings later, and Hallie's on her way to live the high life. But the trip comes with a deadly twist. 

Will Hallie survive the week with her body - and her heart - intact?