A Valentine for Harlequin's Anniversary Read Online Free PDF

work?”
    “YES!”
    He brought the papers over to me at work, and I know I practically snatched them from his hand. I sent him on his way, then I sat at my desk and stared at the Harlequin letterhead for a long, long time, reading the letter over and over again.
    And then I panicked, because I realized the letter said to send the signed, notarized forms back in the pre-addressed overnight envelope-which wasn’t in my packet! There was a phone number to call in case I had any questions, so I called it. I spoke with Adrienne Macintosh, who was wonderful and didn’t laugh once as I stumbled my way through the conversation. All I could think was “I’m talking to a real, live Harlequin editor! Holy cow!”
    She told me she’d get back to me about how to handle the lack of envelope, and I tried to get back to work. I’d sort of managed it when my phone rang, and I looked up to see “Harlequin Enterprises” on the phone display! That was pretty darn cool. Anyway, we got everything squared away, and I sent everything off to Toronto.
    Back to the Big Finish 2 board, though. I’d been asked not to share the information that I’d won with anyone in the Community, so I’d sort of been avoiding posting on that particular thread. Then Olivia Wayne started speculating that if someone didn’t post, maybe they’d won. I was stuck! My husband kept laughing at me as I came up with ways to stay involved on the board without mentioning I’d won, and without lying about not winning. I didn’t even tell my own sister, Nini, because she’s also a Community member. (OK, I’ll be honest…I caved and told her a few days before they announced the winners…I couldn’t take it anymore!!) It was a long couple of weeks before the winners were posted.
    When the day finally arrived, I was so excited to see my name on the Harlequin site!

    So that was my fun moment. I can’t help but think if I was that excited over the contest, what will I be like when I get The Call? That’s my goal these days. I’ve gotten two rejections so far, but I’m still holding out hope and working toward my goal, which is made so much easier with all the great support on eHarlequin, both from Community members and from the terrific authors and moderators who share their love of writing and their immeasurable skills with us in so many ways.
    — Jodie Gergel

Why I believe in Love
    #24
    How can I not believe in love? To love is to live.
    And how can I not embrace stories of romance? The hero and heroine’s journey toward a ‘Happy Ever After’, told over and over and over again, and in so many different ways, are, to me, stories of the human race and it’s triumph of survival against all odds.
    What matters is in the heart. And you cannot put out that fire.
    — Loreth Anne White
www.lorethannewhite.com
    #25
    As writers we do our best to show readers a glimpse of love. It can be at various stages of falling in love, but a glimpse is all we can really give anyone. For love is too vast and layered to be easily pinned down onto a page of prose. That doesn’t stop us from trying, but it’s naïve to think that we ever fully succeed. As much as I love romantic stories, they aren’t why I believe in love. They do however allow me to see what’s possible. I believe that’s romances greatest gift. It presents what could be.
    A long time ago I was told that my ‘version’ of love wasn’t realistic and that I should “settle” for reality. For a short period of time, I accepted those words as truth. I later realized that if I couldn’t have my version of love, then I didn’t want love at all. It was a tough decision to make. I had to accept the fact that I might be alone for the rest of my life. I was okay with that. You have to be comfortable with yourself before you can be comfortable with others.
    I suppose that’s why I was so caught off guard when real love walked into my life. I certainly didn’t recognize it. Took a while before that