Sunday, February 14, 2016

The Valentine's Day Interview

I’ve said before on this blog that I’m the Anti-Valentine Valentine. I don’t really care for the holiday, but other people surely do.

On this Valentine’s Day, I’d like to do a little research on the topic. I’d love for you to post answers to any or all of the questions below in a comment here or over on my author Facebook page HERE. I’m thinking I may use some of the ideas in future books, so you’d be doing me a solid favor if you answered any of the questions. You don’t have to answer in complete sentences, but I am a teacher so… you know… it’s what I’m expecting.  :) 
 

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day?
2. What do you like most about it?
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day?
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Why?
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Why?
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day?
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun?
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day?
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither?
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do?

I am excited to read your responses! Do you have any questions you would add?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Toodles,
Chris
Books One to Five in The Maple Leaf Series, available now. Book One, More Than Pancakes is
always FREE! 
More Than Peaches, Book Six, coming 2016.

13 comments:

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day? Twelve years of being alone, listening to other women in relationships ooh and aah about what they'd gotten or where they went turned me against the holiday. It became just another reminder that I'd lost my husband to another woman. A painful one, I might add.
2. What do you like most about it? It's only twenty-four hours long.
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? A blue colored heart, outlined in red, and painstakingly cut out by my then seven-year old grandson. I recall his little hands extending it to me and the sparkle of love in his eyes. It's still on my refrigerator even though he's a senior this year.
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day? A call from my ex-husband's girlfriend telling me about the baby they were having.
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Celine Dion Why? She's just lost her husband. This has to be a rough day for her. I'd ask her to talk about him and share what she felt comfortable sharing.
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Wolf Mackenzie from Linda Howard's "Mackenzie's Mountain." Why? He's of my generation, a Vietnam vet, a man who adores his wife and is a loving patriarch of a large family. He's got many layers I'd like to explore.
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day? Something that makes both Calvin and I laugh...car chases...a few explosions, you know, romantic. :)
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun? Whenever, really. Yesterday, we went out for dinner and Calvin gave me pink roses, my favorite color.
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day? Calvin's a master at that. He worries over me when I'm not feeling well. He tells me when it's time to take my nap. LOL he does household chores so I can keep writing. He brags about me to others. He hands me my morning cup of coffee and gives me a hug. He watches my rankings and tells me when they go down, indicating I must have sold a book. He has to hold my hand all night long and searches for it even in his sleep.
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither? Kindness and hugs and togetherness.
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do? You mean after I rechecked the envelope for the correct address? I'd laugh and think of a story I could write about a similar scenario.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Ooops!! My answer for number 4 is at number 5. How did that happen??? My answer for number 5 is a day of no writing and totally spend with Calvin doing whatever came into our minds.

Jannine Gallant said...

I could care less about Valentine's Day. I do usually get my daughters cute shirts and a little valentine candy. I tossed in an extra candy heart for my husband while I was at it, but we don't generally do anything special for a "Hallmark Holiday." Then--shocker--he brought home a box of chocolates yesterday. I said, "Uh, V-Day is tomorrow." His response, "Yeah, I know, but let's eat them now!" Not the stuff of romance novels, maybe, but he tried!

Christine DePetrillo said...

Thanks for your answers, ladies! Vonnie, you've already got me thinking of story ideas with your responses!

Margo Hoornstra said...

Wasn't going to go all out, until Vonnie set the bar so high. Here's mine.
1. Do you like Valentine’s Day? Any holiday is a nice break from the normal day to day.
2. What do you like most about it? It gives us a chance to take a moment to truly express our appreciation to those we love.
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Anything from my family.
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? A mean card from a boy who supposedly had a crush on me in grade school.
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day? Being together.
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Why? TBD
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Why? TBD
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day? The Other Sister. Best movie to watch anytime.
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun? On whatever day our life situation offers in any particular year.
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day? Respect their thoughts and ideas whether you agree with them or not.
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither? Both are nice. As is jewelry. The best gift though is a loved one’s time.
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do? Smile then throw it away. But definitely put it in a book.

Hilarious, BTW, Jannine!

Christine DePetrillo said...

Thanks, Margo! The mean card is most intriguing to me. Hmmm...

Alicia Dean said...

Well...this is fun! I enjoyed reading Vonnie's and Margo's responses. I'll try my hand at it...

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day? I am not a fan. I am not much into 'romance' which sounds pretty bad considering I write romance. I like fictitious romance, though. :)
2. What do you like most about it? Nothing.
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Can't recall.
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Flowers from my soon to be ex, because he wanted me back, even though he never got me flowers while we were together. Plus, they were ugly and smelled funny.
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day? If I were into Valentine's Day, it would probably be an evening in a cabin with snow up to the windows, with some make-believe hot guy.
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Living or dead? Elvis, of course. Why? Because he was the most gorgeous, sexiest man to ever walk the Earth. Living? Hmmm....maybe Ian Somerhalder or Michael C. Hall. Why? Because I can't have Elvis. :)
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Rhett Butler. Why? He was dashing and exciting and unpredictable, yet soooo sexy. And he only fell in love once, but he loved fully, with all his being.
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day? I like Love Actually and think it's a perfect Valentine movie.
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun? Not at all.
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day? Listen to them, put them first, compliment them.
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither? Chocolate!
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do? I am not madly in love, I do not have a significant other. I would probably make fun of them on Facebook. ;)

Rolynn Anderson said...

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day? Sure. Any time high-end chocolate abounds, I'm happy.
2. What do you like most about it? Eating out, the chocolate, and the fact people are thinking hard about how to show each other love. Good vibes in the air.
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Flowers.
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received? Can't think.
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day? A good morning of writing, a latte and reading the newspaper with my man...out to dinner that night with him and maybe another couple or two we enjoy.
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Why? Geesh! I need a very tall, beefy guy or I'm not interested. Most famous people are small, don't you know? An older, buffed-out version of Jack Krasinski...6 foot four, 250 pounds.
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Why? Jack Reacher (Lee Child character)-because he's a challenge-and a big, macho fellow. Imagine what a catch he would be and how devoted...once cupid (and I) grabbed him.
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day? An Affair to Remember
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun? On the day, we do something special...but we might go out to eat when the crowds are thinner the day before or after the 14th.
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day? Say something nice about the way they look or act or a way of talking about things.
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither? Chocolate (good quality!) of the finest milk variety.
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do? Check his spelling, find out how tall he is, Google him and then make up my mind how to respond after I have the salient info.

Christine DePetrillo said...

An evening is a cabin with snow up to the windows sounds perfect to me too, Alicia! And you'll have to fight me for Ian! LOL.

Alicia Dean said...

LOL, Christina. He's worth fighting over! Uh, did you know I've met him, twice, at conventions, and I've had my picture made with him, twice, even though I'm TWICE his age (well, not quite...), and way too old to be a fan girl, but I don't care! :)

Alicia Dean said...

Oooops, 'Christine' - Sorry about that!

Leah St. James said...

Sorry to be late...again. Here goes.

1. Do you like Valentine’s Day?
No special feelings one way or another.
2. What do you like most about it?
I guess it's nice that culture focuses on love at least one day out of the year. :-)
3. What was the best Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
Probably flowers. I've been married forever, and we stopped exchanging gifts for this type of holiday a long time ago.
4. What was the worst Valentine’s gift you’ve ever received?
Can't recall one.
5. Describe your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day?
A day I could spend with my hubby doing something special and unusual, that wouldn't cost a ton of money, or require us to drive miles, or fight our way through crowds. Hmmmm...sounds like a romantic movie at home with take-out from a nice restaurant. -)
6. What famous person would you want as a Valentine? Why?
I probably wouldn't only because I'd be too shy to enjoy the experience!
7. What fictional character would you want as a Valentine? Why?
Oh, it would have to be the handsome and dashing Capt. Rhett Butler. As the song goes, Watta man, watta man, watta man...
8. Which movie would you consider the best choice to watch on Valentine’s Day?
For classics: Casablanca, a perfect story of true love. For (more) contemporary: Sleepless in Seattle. I love the radio show bit where she listens and falls in love to a stranger just by his story on the radio.
9. Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th or wait until the closest weekend day to have some fun?
We don't celebrate. This year we spent the day doing taxes. (This is what happens after you've been married forever.)
10. What little things do you think people could do to make someone feel loved every day? Say it. Say, "I love you," at least once a day. People would be surprised how little some people in a committed relationship hear it.
11. Chocolate or flowers? Or both? Or neither? Flowers. The chocolate would cause too much calorie anxiety.
12. Assuming you weren’t already madly in love with your significant other, if you received a Valentine’s invitation/love letter from a secret admirer, what would you do? Probably laugh and assume it was a prank!

Brenda Whiteside said...

Wow. Y'all are getting carried away! Good for you Christine. My answer is pretty simple. Don't really care about the holiday. Hubby surprised me a couple of years with something, but I never expect anything and I don't buy anything. Shoot me, but I think it's a silly holiday.