HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF A VALENTINE - by the Authors at Here Be Magic

We associate Valentine's Day with couples, but the holiday isn't just for lovers. It's a great time to show yourself a little kindness too. After all, how many of us are genuinely nice to ourselves? 

And whether you have a significant other or not, Valentine's Day can be a great opportunity to do a little something for a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. 

The Here Be Magic gang has gotten together to share ideas, treats, and memories from the holiday devoted to love.

PLUS we have some Valentine goodies for YOU at the end of this post!

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LINDA - "Treat yourself to something you haven’t had or been able to do in a long, long time. Whether it’s that decadent dessert you’ve been eyeing but denying, a short trip to a location you’ve been wanting to revisit, or it could be something as simple as calling up an old friend you haven’t heard from in a while and letting them know you were thinking of them.

"After all, bringing a little happiness to someone else will always lift your spirit too." ~ Linda Mooney

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CINDY - "My freshman year at university was mostly an exciting time, but it was also a big adjustment. I wasn't homesick in the beginning, but by mid-winter, it had been creeping in. My roommates were friendly, but not real friends, and the guy I'd been dancing around dating had recently decided he was still in love with his girlfriend back home. Valentine's Day was going to seriously suck...

"That's when the card from my parents showed up. It was the first time they had actually written me, other than sending money, since I'd gone away. It was such a little thing--a Valentine from my folks. But it changed the entire tenor of the holiday, because it made me feel special and loved." ~ Cindy Spencer Pape

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JODY - "Self-care: What makes ME feel the best that I can do for myself? For me, I like to FINISH. I like to write THE END. And since I can’t guarantee I’ll be finishing a book or project around the fourteenth of February, I can instead guarantee I’ll be finishing something on my TO-DO LIST.  :)

"What I plan to do for myself on Commercialized Candy Day is clean out some clutter and donate it. I’ll feel better because I completed a task I’ve probably been putting off for a long time, and donating to the right types of charities is good for society." ~ Jody Wallace

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RUTH - "What do I do to feel special...

• get a manicure and pedicure
• tuck myself into the comfy chair in the living room and read a book - from cover to cover
• take my daughters out for coffee without the grandchildren - a girls thing (sometimes I take them for a mani/pedi)" ~ Ruth A. Casie

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MAUREEN - "If I want to show myself a little love I buy myself something that I don't really need, but something I've wanted. A little indulgence like new books, soft pajamas, or another item that has been in the 'save for later' basket online because it wasn't really necessary. Or else I forget about the endless chores waiting and settle in to watch a favorite movie with a beverage of choice, even if it's the middle of the day.

"Since my girls were little, my hubby has always gotten them flowers and chocolate on Valentine's Day. I didn't want them to ever think they had to wait for a boy to make them feel special, because they always have their first valentine, their dad." ~ Maureen Bonatch

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JENNY - "The perfect Valentine's Day treat is a walk along the beach. Depending on where you live, you might think I'm crazy (hello, blizzard outside), but here in Australia it's summer. Perfect beach weather. Splashing in the shallows and collecting shells is a little bit of joy and a whole lot of peace. Happy Valentine's Day!" ~ Jenny Schwartz

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DANI - "Playing Easter bunny to my daughters was always one of my favorite things. So it was natural for me to play VALENTINE bunny too! After they'd gone to bed, I'd tiptoe around and leave chocolate treats, cards and heart-shaped goodies of the season on their nightstands or beside their beds. When the girls got to be older teenagers, though, I had to change my method - they were awake a lot longer than I could possibly stay up. (Soooo not an night owl!) However, I WAS an early riser, so the Valentine bunny started making her rounds at 6 a.m. It was a sure thing that no teens would be conscious at that time of day!" ~ Dani Harper

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SHAWNA - "I’ve been divorced now for quite a while, and my ex was never one for flowers and chocolates anyway, so Valentine’s Day and I have had a bit of a spotty relationship over the years. Lately, I’ve learned to warm up to the holiday again, and for that I credit my friends. 

"There was the male co-worker who wished me a happy Valentine’s Day (in an entirely platonic and non-creepy way), probably because he knew I was single and didn’t have anyone at home who would say it to me. A colleague from the evening shift came in extra-early one year so she wouldn’t miss me with her Dove chocolate bounty. A friend of mine who loves my Ravensblood series gave me a handmade ‘un-Valentine’s Day card with a raven on the front. Inside it said I’m raven’ about your writing. 

"What really caused a paradigm shift was a card my friend Andrea sent out to all the lucky people on her ‘card list’. She makes lovely cards for each holiday, and the one year in particular she sent cards that listed, without naming names, all the particular, unique things she loved about each of her friends. 


"I got all sniffly, and realized that Valentine’s Day isn’t about choosing the perfect gift for your spouse or lover. It doesn’t have to be about romantic love at all. It can be a day to remember and celebrate the many people in your life that you celebrate in many different ways. So, Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you." ~ Shawna Reppert

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VALENTINES FOR OUR READERS!

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Linda Mooney is offering up a free ebook of her humorous and erotic novella, SPANK MY VALENTINE  (Tales of the Blakeney Sisters, Book 3).

If you'd like a copy, email her through her website at http://www.lindamooney.com/ and let her know what format you need.



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From Jody Wallace - 

"In February, I will be offering the first volume of my science fiction romance choose your own adventure spoof for free:  
EARTHBOUND PASSION." 

http://jodywallace.com/books/earthbound-passion/ 

"If you want to indulge in the self-care of raunchy, dirty jokes, mockery of tropes, terrible snark, and laughter, this is a very inexpensive way to do it! (Beats sorting through unmated socks, anyway.)"

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Shawna Reppert has a free full-length novel for you!

WHERE LIGHT MEETS SHADOW is an M/M fantasy romance 

The Scathlan elf Kieran journeys through mortal lands in search of new songs and tales to renew his people’s dying culture. His most cherished, most impossible hope is to rediscover the powers of bards from legend in order to wake the queen, in a stupor since the end of the war between his own people and the Leas elves...

Ebook is FREE on Amazon for Valentine's Day at 

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Light-Shadow-Shawna-Reppert-ebook/dp/B011DOUS6W/

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Ruth A. Casie has a brand new release:  

The Pirate's Jewel 
(part of the Pirates of Britannia World series)

Free with Kindle Unlimited, 
otherwise a swashbuckling gift at just 99¢!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M81Y7HM


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