Love is in the Air- Everywhere!

 

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.Lovemarcia.com 

Here we are with Valentine’s Day only days away and the scurrying around is already in full force. Everywhere you look there are signs to Buy! Buy! Buy! The price of roses is already sky high and last year’s unsold merchandise has just made another appearance. Store Windows are filled with every imaginable shade of red and pink, and floating hearts tend to captivate. Love is in the air and Cupid has his bow drawn. Even Hallmark has upped its ante. This February, more and more unlikely lovers find each other, despite extraordinary conflicts and incredible odds. Isn’t love grand?

Still, I scratch my head wondering why the strong push only once a year? And why does love, and adoring appreciation, come with a hefty price tag?

Don’t get me wrong, I love roses and wine as much and maybe more, than the average person. But why wait until February 14^th to show me love when there are 365 days in the year?  

Chocolates get eaten. Flowers die. Memories live on forever.

Give me a hug. Shoot me a smile. Buy me a rose for no particular reason. Take out the trash. Listen to me when I’m blue. Rub my back. Show me you love me in a million small ways. But don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to say you love me. Not when there are 365 days in the year!  

Happy Valentine’s Day All!

Oh, and you just might enjoy this Valentine's Day story from my backlist. If you're in the Jacksonville area, come visit me and author Sandra Madden at the Amelia Island Bookfest, February 18th. Doors open at 10:00 am. 

About Marcia King-Gamble

USA bestselling romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean Island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. She has contributed to Michael Fiore’s DigitalRomanceInc and served as a moderator on the now defunct eHarmony advice boards.  Having witnessed the bad, the ugly, and the not so good in relationships, she still prefers to write about happily ever after. Caring for her animal family keeps her grounded and sane.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Be sure to join her newsletter mailing list.

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The Heart of the Matter

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

February is black History month. It’s also the month of love, and so I thought I’d get right to the heart of the matter with some little-known facts about both.

This month’s blog was supposed to be about what touches my heart; and there’s nothing that touches my heart more than learning something new. So, here’s what touched my heart this month, and what I’d like to share with you.

In terms of black history, I was amazed to find out that before Rosa Parks there was 15-year-old named Claudette Colvin who refused to move to the back of the bus. Claudette was thrown into jail. So why is Rosa better known, when only nine months before, Claudette had done something similar? The answer…well the NAACP and other black organizations felt Rosa, who was solidly middle class, and also a secretary for the NACCP would be a better representative of the cause.

Did you know that Martin Luther King’s iconic speech, I had a Dream was mostly improvised? At some point Martin threw away the crafted speech and adlibbed. The original speech was far more political and a lot less historic. It had no reference to dreams.

I bet you didn’t know that the earliest recorded protest against slavery was made by the Quakers in 1688.  And did you know that of the 12.5 million slaves that left Africa only 10.7 million survived the dreaded Middle Passage?  In fact, less than 388,000 slaves arrived in the USA. The vast majority, (4.7) million were sent to Brazil. Now doesn’t that explain its beautiful people?

Another interesting fact I did not know, is that one in four cowboys was black. It is even believed the real Lone Ranger was inspired by an African American man named Bass Reeves. It seems that even back then the west was far more liberal, and tolerant of diverse cultures.  

We all know who Betty Boop is. But who would have thought that in 1930, cartoonist Max Fleischer would create the Kewpie-faced sexy Betty Boop, modeling her off black Jazz singer Esther Jones; better known as Baby Esther? Another woman, Helen Kane claimed it was modeled after her, but Esther was booping long before Helen came along.

Now onto what this month is better known for --------Valentine’s Day and love. Did you know Cupid’s lover’s name was Psyche and their daughter’s name was Voluptus?  Voluptus means pleasure.

Were you aware that Cupid’s mother was Venus? And that Venus was so jealous of Psyche’s beauty she instructed Cupid to shoot Psyche with an arrow so that she would fall in love with the most hideous creature. The irony of the story was that it backfired, and Cupid ended up falling in love with Psyche. The rest is of course history.

On a lighter note, did you know every Valentine’s Day more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold?  It is also the second largest card giving day. Christmas is the first.

And finally, were you aware that Valentine wasn’t just one person, but two? A gruesome fact is that both men were executed on the same day (February 14^th) except different years.

And that my readers are what’s touched my heart this February 2019^th.

Be kind! Be grateful! And to paraphrase  Bob Marley,  you  could be loved! You are loved!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Lose yourself in love this Valentne's Day with my  latest releases :

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About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family. Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS Be sure to join her mailing list.

In the Name of Love!

Be My Valentine!   

By: Marcia King-Gamble
www.lovemarcia.com



On February 14^th say it with flowers, cards, or candy, that's what the media says. In stores, sales skyrocket, and couples look forward to, what for some, can be a dreaded day. Those not in relationships are made to feel hopelessly inadequate or in some way lacking.

But this supposedly happy day, had a tragic start to it. It was the day St. Valentine’s, a Roman priest,  was tortured and beheaded.  While years have passed, and the day has been romanticized, the reality is that a life was brutally taken - and all because of differing religious beliefs.

The year was 270AD and Valentine, the Roman Priest, kept defying Emperor Claudius’s edict not to marry couples. Back then, there was a concentrated effort to stamp out the Christian faith.  Claudius felt that unmarried soldiers fought better than those married with families.

It was a pretty permissive society and polygamy was much more popular than monogamy. But the church believed that marriage was a sacred vow between one man and one woman, and that those monogamous relationships should last a lifetime.

Poor Valentine, who kept secretly marrying couples, was eventually caught and imprisoned. He was tortured because he went against the Emperor’s wishes. His jailer, Asterius, had a blind daughter who prayed with Valentine. She supposedly regained her sight. Asterius became a Christian as a result of this miracle and Valentine fell in love with Asterius's daughter. Valentine's last words in a note to  his love was signed, "From your Valentine."

And that, my friends, is how this day of celebrating love and romance got its auspicious start.

Now with Valentine’s Day around the corner, the age old question surfaces. What is love?

Is it that warm, fuzzy, feeling of being totally comfortable and accepted by another person?
 

Is it the flutter of  hearts and the trembling of limbs - that mouth gone dry feeling- described by we romance writers?

Is it an emotion that develops over time?

Can it be nurtured and cultivated?

When abused will love thrive?

As a writer of romance novels, I believe in love; the kind involving one man and one woman; a respectful love that blossoms and grows over time.

I believe in giving red roses, though truthfully I am more an orchid and sunflower person.

I believe in telling special people you love them, and not just on Valentine's.
 
I believe in showing I care, and that goes way beyond sending chocolates and flowers.

I believe in taking the time to hug or  kiss for no particular reason.

I believe in signing those gifts and cards from, “Your Valentine,” in honor of the saint's memory.

I believe in saying "I love you" and just because you do and can!

This Valentine's Day go forth and pay the sentiment forward. Have a Happy Valentine’s! 

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned 27 books and 5 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com  or “friend” her on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1yZ8QNs. Marcia’s latest release “His Golden Heart” is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Apple.

Cupid In Love?

Cupid, that winged little devil that shoots arrows of desire and passion, is one of the most prominent symbols of Valentine’s Day. He aims his arrows at gods and mortals alike causing them to fall deeply in love.

If you read the Greek version Cupid is Eros the son of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and if you read the Roman version he is the son of Venus, goddess of love.

I decided to take a closer look at Cupid. His story:

The legend goes that Venus was jealous of Psyche, who was a beautiful mortal, and

Venus ordered Cupid to punish Psyche. Instead Cupid fell deeply in love and married Psyche. Since she was a mortal she was forbidden to look upon Cupid or any of the gods or goddesses.

Eventually Psyche’s sisters talked her into looking at Cupid, and she was punished by losing Cupid’s love and her castle and lovely gardens. She was forced to wander aimlessly through empty fields searching for her true love, Cupid.

( Statue -Cupid wakes Psyche from deadly slumber)

One day she came upon the temple of Venus, and Venus gave her tasks to do. The last task was for Psyche to travel to the underworld and gather some of the beauty of Persephone, wife of Pluto, and put it in a box. She was told how to avoid the dangers of the realm of the dead and to not open the box, but deliver it to Venus.

Psyche did open the box and instead of beauty it was full of deadly slumber.

Eventually Cupid found her deep in a deadly sleep. The story goes he was heartbroken and gathered the deadly sleep from her lifeless body putting it back in the box. Cupid and Venus forgave her for looking at Cupid. The other gods, so moved by Psyche’s love for Cupid, agreed to make her a goddess that she might look upon her husband, Cupid, for the rest of their days.

Wow! That’s some kind of story, love, jealousy, conflict, forgiveness, a quest and hoops to jump through, all the makings of a good romance.

When you hear the twang of Cupid’s arrow leaving the bow, remember he’s been there.

This year do something different for Valentine’s Day. Instead of the commercial candy, card and flowers, plan a special time with your loved one.

Pack a picnic and you pick out the spot, a park, beach, in front of the fireplace at home or maybe a tail gate party for two in the snow. Just the two of you spending time together without the interruptions of daily life can be one of the most wonderful gifts of all. You can still bring candles and a bottle of sparkly to make it a delightfully festive time.

The key to having a wonderful Valentine’s Day is creativity and not just money.

Write a loving message on the bathroom mirror with your red lipstick, and start the day off right!

What is your most memorable Valentine’s Day with your honey, family or friends, or how do you plan to spend Valentine's Day this year?

(Leave comment with your e-mail address to be eligible for a Valentine’s surprise)

Introducing SamMarie Ashe

I am member of the national chapter of Romance Writer's of America, the local chapter, Rose City Romance Writers, plus the Seattle chapter, Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America.  I am also a member of Willamette Writers based in Portland, Oregon, and I live just across the Columbia River in beautiful Vancouver, Washington.

I am a former Corporate Presenter and Trainer for the semiconductor industry, managing a busy sales agency. I have long been interested in writing and wished to have the time to just... write.