Welcome Guest Blogger Shawna Moore!
Second Chance at Love
With the approach of Valentine’s Day, I’ve been pondering the profound effect a loving relationship has on us women and our lives. Every day we fulfill many demands and sometimes it seems life’s pleasures are waning. But we find we can always rely on the love of our significant other to provide moments of bliss and romantic escapism. Moments on which we cannot put a price but which gain more romantic interest in our hearts with every passing minute. When we find ourselves separated from our heroes and hunks for even a day, the desire for a re-connection becomes quite intense. We miss their delicious kisses, comforting words and the role they play in planning a life together. Though we know we’ll usually see them within a span of eight or so hours, what about the times life necessitates a longer-term separation? Times when we have no choice in the matter? Our careers, family or other circumstances may find us miles away from the one with whom we’re romantically involved. When this happens, we tap into the love stored in our hearts and practice patience knowing the reconciliation will find the loving feelings stronger than ever.
The heroine in my paranormal erotica romance novella, Helle in Heels, is dealt a far more devastating blow in regard to her romance. Helle Hawthorn, the Devil’s daughter, finds herself banished from Hell. Though she’s never been one to allow even Satan to dictate her path in an otherworldly life, she’s forced to use her wits and intelligence to mastermind a way out of a dismal situation. Daddy Devil threatens to unleash his ultimate wrath on Earth if she fails to meet his demand within a certain time frame. Once she escapes Hades and emerges in Sin City, Helle is faced with many setbacks and temptations—among them handsome men.
Since she’s reconciled herself to the fact she’ll never see her former lover again, she decides to bring her own brand of pleasure and a healing touch to The Strip—one man, one massage at a time. She finds herself unable to forget Menlikus, but she also knows her survival, and the survival of her friends, depends on them keeping their cover as the owners and operators of a day spa for men. Helle indulges some fantasies with a few of Las Vegas’ finest, including a sexy stranger who listens as well as he makes love. Despite being able to satisfy some carnal cravings, Helle finds it impossible to forget Menlikus, and she finds herself measuring other men’s efforts against memories of times spent with him.
Confession time, readers. If you were almost 100% certain you’d never be reunited with your significant other, the love of your life, how easily would you make the transition to romance with another? Do you believe in second chances at love?
Hmmmm....
Welcome to Cigars! I love your cover, BTW.
I'm very honest; I've always told my husband that if Gerard Butler ever knocked on my door, he'd be history (my husband, not Gerard!).
Seriously, though, I used to travel a lot with my job, sometimes for periods of three weeks or more and it was absolute hell! I'd start feeling so sorry for myself that we weren't together, and when I'd hear his voice on the phone, I'd cry.
I'd have to be absolutely 100% certain (not even a tenth of a tenth of a percentage of doubt) that I'd never be reunited with him before I could even think about moving on to another man, and even then...it would be very, very difficult. Unless, of course, it was Gerry...
Absences Makes the Heart Grow...
Good Morning, Karen!
The coffee's brewing, the wind is howling outside and I'm looking forward to today's guest blog and readers' comments :)
I can only imagine the difficulty of sustaining a marriage when career necessitates travel. I admire you! Gotta admit, Gerry is an ultimate temptation :)
As you mentioned, it would be very hard for me to move on romantically, and I would need to know without a doubt that I'd never again see my hubby before I'd even think about loving another in such a special way.
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Shawna
Cover Art
Hi, again, Karen!
Many thanks for your compliments on the HIH cover art. My covers at EC have rocked!
Shawna
I have mine...
My hubby is my second chance at love, and so he's IT. Obvious celebrity fantasies and laminated card lists aside, I don't want anyone else, and no, I can't imagine really being in love with anyone else or even wanting to be. This is it for me, he's the one, and if anything happened, then I would find other things to do with my life. Date, probably, (after all, a girl has neeeedddsss), or who knows what, but no, this guy is it for me. When you've had love the way it should be, I don't know if that comes along twice, or if I'd even want it to...
Sam
Second Time...
Hi, Sam!
Many thanks to you and the other gifted LIAEC authors for granting me this opportunity to guest blog today :)
I'm in complete agreement with what you posted. When you've found satisfaction in all levels in a romance, it's hard to say if that intensity and degree of romantic success will ever come along again. Here's hoping we'll never have to worry about second times around :)
Have a wonderful day!
Shawna Moore
http://www.grant-moore.com
Great Post!
I have to admit this is something I have pondered way too much. I tend to do it even more so in the winter, when the weather is so bad and accidents abound. I play that What If? game. And in the What If? game I always move on and find another love. It's not instantaneous by any means--comes with a lot of pain and anguish--but in the end I face the hand I've been dealt and do what I can to make my world feel complete again, if not in the same way it once did (perhaps the fact that I divorced and found a second, much stronger love is part of my motivation). I am not the type who needs a man to be happy, but at the same time, I do love that daily interaction, the warm hugs, the sweet kisses and so on.
BTW, still loving the cover, Shawna! :)
~ jodi
Never Scoff at a Second Chance
Hey Jodi!
Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments. I, too, find myself becoming more introspective in wintertime. The 'What-if' game is a familiar one. The thought of never again enjoying the physically- and emotionally-bonding moments with my hero is saddening and scary.
You make a good point that we must face reality when it presents and carry on with our lives. I'm so very happy your current romance is a strong and satisfying one! This proves second chances do come and we can't close our minds and bodies to the passionate possibilities :)
Thanks, too, for the cover compliments. EC's covers rock!
Friends always,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
I believe in 2nd chances...
Heck, I'm my hubby's second chance! :-) As of this minute, I can not imaging loving another man the way I do DH. But I know time can change things, so I'm not going to rule it out. I also know that he loves to see me smile and be happy. If we were never to be reunited, and I started feeling something for someone else, I think he would not want me to sacrifice possible happiness because of what had been..
(So, should I admit I have no idea who this Gerard person is?)
I'm a Believer
Hi, Cathy!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts :) You've made a solid point about life and changes. Also about sacrificing a possible second romance by hanging on to past relationships and sentiment. On several occasions, my hubby said he'd want me to find another love if we were ever permanently parted. Something to definitely consider, although I'm such a sentimentalist and it would be difficult moving on.
Hope you have a fabulous rest of the week!
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Nahhh...
Being more the "if it leaves you and doesn't come back again, chase it down and trap it" sort, I would like to say were the situations reversed, "Go ahead honey, be happy without me"... but no. He could be with someone, he just couldn't be happy. At least not as happy or happier than he was with me... If he was I'd have to haunt him and remind him.... LOL
Sam
If the Second-Chance Shoe Were on the Other Foot...
Hi, Sam!
Okay, I'll admit a fondness for shoes Had to slip that in here somewhere LOL
Love your sassy sense of humor, Sam! Hubby has wished me a HEA with another if life finds us apart, but I've never said the same to him LOL Those words simply won't come out of my mouth :) Maybe they will someday, but every time I think of uttering this sentiment, visions of Ralph Parker suffering the Life Buoy soap come to mind :)
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
I don't know that it would
I don't know that it would be easy! But I like to think it would work out.
LOL Sam....much as I'd like to believe otherwise, I am probably in that same boat when it comes to him. I'm too possessive, I'm afraid. Hhmm, I like the idea of haunting. That could be fun!!
:-D
Haunting Him
Sam, I'm grinning at your mention and Cathy W's of haunting our guys if they dared have more fun with someone else LOL Might be tempted LOL
Shawna
I've played the What If game too...
Although, I think that stems from my brother's sudden death at the age of 27. I look at my husband, even my children sometimes, and wonder what I would do without them. My mother raised us all as survivors, so I'm pretty sure I'd go on...eventually. It would take an incredibly special man---someone Gerry like would be good, lol---with a lot of patience because I truly don't let many people that close, least of all men. Eventually, I might meet someone, but I wonder occasionally if I'd ever love him the way I love my husband and if it would be fair to even try.
All my hopes that I never have to find out.
Dee
Survival Instinct
Hi, Dee!
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts. I, too, hope I never have to find out if a second love/romantic relationship is possible. It takes time to build the foundation of a real romance, and we all share so many intimacies with our significant others/spouses. I'm closer to my hubby than I am to anyone else--physically and emotionally.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Sold a Historical Erotic Romance to Ellora's Cave Today
Talk about multi-tasking. I'm typing this message and doing the happy dance in my desk chair LOL Good news arrived in my inbox in the form of another contract with Ellora's Cave--this one for a historical erotic romance set in New Orleans. What's perfect is this sale happened while The Big Easy is celebrating Mardi Gras :) Thanks for letting me share :)
Let the good times roll!
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Woo-hoo!!
Congratulations, Shawna!!!! What great news!
Thanks for Celebrating With Me
Hi, Karen!
Thanks for celebrating the sale with me :)
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Yee haw!!
Congrats Shawna!! That must be a good omen!
Thanks for the congratulations
Thanks for the congratulations, Cathy! Definitely a good omen :)
Happy weekend wishes,
Shawna
I do believe in second
I do believe in second chances, and though I don't know how actively I would pursue another love, I would definitely not close myself off to the possibility.
Keeping an Open Mind
Hi, Cathy M!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! You're wise keeping an open mind to possibilities the future might bring. When we think about the happiness true love brings, we'd do ourselves a disservice to shun second chances :)
Have a great rest of the week!
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
My take...
I think of a second chance at love like the Buddhist saying that you can't dip your foot into the same river twice (I think there's a sentence construction problem there - too whacked on cold meds to figure it out...can't dip your foot twice into the same river? Oh crap...).
I might, and I mean MIGHT be able to envision a second chance at love, but a) the thought terrifies me because being without my husband is incomprehensible to me and b) I know it wouldn't be the same. It might be better in some ways, worse in others, but is it really a second chance, or a different opportunity?
Moving on has Its Scary Moments
Hi, Booklover!
Many thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! Hope you're feeling better soon :)
You've definitely posted some great fodder for discussion. I don't like thinking about what it would be like if I were faced with the situation of not being with the love of my life anymore. Guess I'm in a comfort zone, and the thought of being thrust from that safe romantic haven is scary. Even if our minds conjure another romantic scenario, or the right situation presents, our bodies might be kicking and screaming for a grounding in the past we can never revisit.
Well wishes heading your way,
Shawna
Great post
Great post, Shawna. Made me miss my hubby and he'll be home at 5.
Oh, I love your book cover!
Christie Craig
Missing That Man
Hi, Christie!
Many thanks for stopping by the blog today :) Even being separated for a span of several hours often finds me missing my guy, too!
Thanks, too, for the cover compliments. I've been very pleased with my EC covers. Their Art Department and artists are fantastic :)
Have a great rest of the week :)
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
I'd never get married again.
I'd never get married again. Not ever.
Not sure how long it would take me to date, but I think quite a while.
Nice to see you here, Shawna! *vbg*
(Shawna and I belong to the same local chapter of RWA)
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com
Walking Down the Aisle Again
Hey Megan!
Thanks for the welcome and for sharing your thoughts :) Have to admit I'd probably not remarry. The day I said my vows, I also vowed I'd only walk down the aisle one more time--when hubby and I walked down it together and left the church's chapel as man and wife :)
Have a great rest of the week!
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
Ditto
Said it above, but yep, this is me, too. Though we got married in my parent's back yard, same idea. I agree on the dating thing, too, Megan. Even in the years between my first marriage and my second, I never really dated much...it took me several years to want men as anything but friends, colleagues, or casual acquaintances, and then I sort of suddenly jumped into a few short romances, flings really, and then I met Mike, and that was it, all within one year, really. I guess something told me it was time to find him, and it just took me a few tries. ;)
And big congrats on the sale, Shawna!
Sam
The Right One
Hi, Sam!
I didn't date a lot of guys, either. When I met my husband, it didn't take too long to figure out we were meant to be together. That's why I cringe at the possibility of us ever being parted.
Thanks for celebrating with me on the EC contract. I'm still happy dancing :)
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Your book looks great,
Your book looks great, Shawna!
I am at an age where I would not even look for another man if my husband and I were separated forever.
Hi, Estella! Thanks for
Hi, Estella!
Thanks for stopping by and for your compliments about HELLE IN HEELS. I've written the follow up story and her next adventures.
Here's wishing you and your special guy many more years of love!
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Hi Shawna!
Popping over to say Hi and Congrats!! (from another member of your local rwa chapter!)
Love your post! I don't think I'd ever move on if something happened to my hubby!
V.
Waving Hello to Another Local Chapter Friend
Hey Vicki!
I'm so glad you had a chance to stop by today! Glad you enjoyed my guest blog post :) Our local RWA chapter, CPRW, certainly is awesome!
I'd definitely have a difficult time moving on and seeking out another love interest. Agree 100%. There are so many things we share with our spouses/significant others on so many levels. Call me skeptical, but I'm uncertain I'd ever find that again. However, I'll never say never :)
Thanks for celebrating the good news with me, too :)
Have a great rest of the week!
Friends always,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Interesting topic...
Hey Shawna - I'm not sure I'd ever give up on a second chance at love, or any chance at love. It's such a great gift. O, I'd grieve, to be sure - loud and long and, then, quietly and long.
We write this theme all the time in our stories, and we want this guy or that girl to find someone and have that HEA, or as close as we can come to it. Would there be doubts? Oh, yeah. Terror? Absolutely.
I absolutely adore my man. Can't imagine life without him...as it should be. But, if for some reason we were not together, I would hope to have a heart open enough to find love again. We're very lucky when we find it.
Great Gifts
Hey Elen!
Many thanks for stopping by today and sharing your thoughts! Absolutely, we're lucky when we find love--no matter how many times. Like you, I can't imagine life without my hubby.
Second chances at love are one of my favorite storylines to read and write. Keeping an open heart and mind to love another time around is something on which I'd have to work harder than most, but I would never surrender :)
Have a great weekend!
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com
Ugh!
Hi, Shawna!
Morbidly, I have thought about this a little before, mainly about how devastated I'd be and how we could possibly continue. You'd have to, somehow, of course. And I agree with whoever said that I'd have to be 100% certain before I could even consider the possibility of moving on. I'd need the closure of knowing for sure. Having said that, I do think that there are second chances, and am glad that there's such a hopeful thing!
And yes, definitely a gorgeous cover!
Closure
Hi, Fedora!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts today :)
Closure is something I want and need in most circumstances. I don't like being left in limbo. You've put it well by mentioning devastation and that we must be glad for the fact second chances are granted us :)
Thanks for the cover art comments :) I love my EC covers :)
Have a fantastic weekend!
Let the good times roll,
Shawna
Congrats!
on your new sale--can't wait for that one, too! Thanks for posting today!
Thanks
Hi, Fedora!
Thanks for your kind words and for participating in the discussion :) It's been a lot of fun! Writing came become a very solitary pursuit, so I'm always glad for opportunities to chat with readers :)
Have a fantastic weekend!
Best wishes always,
Shawna
http://www.grant-moore.com