J Megan Smith

Though February is short, it is filled with love and sweet surprises.

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February is a fun month for me. We have several family birthdays, I have 6 brothers so super bowl is always a big deal, and there’s a lot of chocolate consumption. Life can’t get any better than that. Just thinking about chocolate and raspberry in anything makes me happy. And hungry.

It’s also a month of flowers and a conscious effort of romance. Life is often chaotic and crazy so I like the idea of a holiday dedicated to making the effort to pause and plan time with loved ones, whether that be a spouse, a family member or close friends. Letting someone know you love them is always a good thing. 

As a child, my mom always made us a red and pink dinner on Valentine’s Day. She’d make spaghetti and spread red-dyed butter on the french bread. We’d have pink frosted cookies and strawberry lemonade. It was always a fun night and we’d sit around the table just talking and laughing. It always makes me feel loved whenever I think of the effort she went to. 

In the midst of scheduling conflicts, winter storms and, for some of us, the dreaded ‘single-awareness day’, I hope you take the time to find moments this month to let someone know you love them and to remember those sweet moments when someone showed love to you. 

Though February is short, it is filled with love and sweet surprises. Read More »

Between the last frost and the first bloom, there’s a moment in March where anything feels possible.

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I love March. I know it’s still chilly and overcast in most places, but it has always heralded the beginning of spring for me. My sister and I love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. We dress in all the green we can find, watch Celtic Thunder videos, cook a dinner of corned beef, soda bread and green jello salad, and speak in truly terrible Irish accents. We hype up those sneaky leprechauns to the little ones and act shocked when the milk turns green, tiny green footprints appear on the toilet seat and the leprechaun traps are tripped, leaving gold coins…but not a one was caught (they’re so fast, those tiny fairy creatures!). It’s just a happy, silly holiday that marks the transition from winter to spring. 

I think it’s the green that makes me feel happy-it’s such a fresh, hopeful color that makes everything feel light and filled with possibility. It’s also a holiday that embraces magic and enchanted creatures and, as a fantasy romance author, that makes me sigh and smile happily. Even in the midst of the coldest, most miserable weather, you can find the promise of spring and all the magical romance your heart desires in a book.  Spring is on it’s way!

Between the last frost and the first bloom, there’s a moment in March where anything feels possible. Read More »

Spring is nature’s way of reminding us that life always finds a way to bloom again.

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April always seems to appear out of nowhere. Maybe because Easter changes each year so it’s hard to anticipate its coming like the other big holidays. Or maybe it’s because you’re never sure if you’ll be hunting (or hiding) eggs in the snow, rain or a lovely mild day. Either way, I love seeing the fresh green on the trees and the pastel coloring everywhere you go. Spring is an awakening where you suddenly notice the world around you after hunkering down in the cold for a few months and everyone seems to be anticipating those glorious warm days to come.

This year, April is going to be busy with bridal celebrations for a family member, visits with my brother and, hopefully, a new release. I’m working hard on getting it finished and I hope you’ll love it as much as I’ve loved writing it. Life seems poised with breathless anticipation of happy change to come and I can’t wait to see what’s around the bend in the road.

Spring is nature’s way of reminding us that life always finds a way to bloom again. Read More »

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Seuss

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Life is full of moments that stick with you (good or bad). I took my half-asleep nephew out of the car to take him inside the house. After wrapping his arms around me and resting his head on my shoulder, he told me ‘I love you. I wish you were part of my family’. I reminded him I was his aunt, so I was part of his family. ‘No,’ he said ‘I want to you to to be a part of my family and always live in my house’. Awww! 

My brother’s toddler twins grinned and played games with me while I fed them in their highchairs. 

And we attended a kid’s chess competition in Las Vegas where we realized in half-panic/half-laughing in shock/half-horrified that there are half-naked pictures of women…everywhere! Including on the road as we’re driving behind a sketchy truck showing what they were offering and on lifesize posters while walking to our room.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen my nephews eyes so big. We had a lot to discuss when we finally made it into the room. 

Yep. Moments can be crazy. We’ll be talking, shaking our heads, and laughing about them for years to come. I hope you have some memorable moments of your own that will become memories for the book of your life.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Seuss Read More »