Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Landis Winner, A New Feature, And My Folks

I hardly ever do contests around here, and I had two going last week! It's time to announce the winner of the copy of Heart Of Stone by Jill Marie Landis. Thanks to Random.org, the lucky winner is:

Keira!
(of Love Romance Passion fame)

Woot! Keira, please drop me an e-mail (you can find my address here) and I will pass it on. A publicist will be sending out your prize.

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As I'm sure is no surprised to anyone who has read this blog for half a minute, I love books. I love new books and I love old books. I'm a total sucker for cover art and back cover blurbs. I love the smell of new books and I love that slightly musty smell you encounter in used bookstores.

Seriously, I'm hopeless.

Which might be how this idea popped into my head. By far and away my favorite thing about Romance Bloglandia is reading about books. Yeah, yeah, the opinion stuff is great - but I'm in it to get my book fix. I also am pretty sure I'm not the only one. So starting this Sunday I'm going to begin a feature I'll be calling:

Random Romance Sunday

Basically I'll post some random book cover and back cover blurb for some random romance novel every Sunday until I get bored with the idea. I'll do my best to mix it up. Old School, New School, over-the-top sounding historicals, Harlequins from the WayBack Machine, paranormals from back in the day when paranormals weren't "cool," well you get the idea. Also, if I find any reviews, I'll post links to those as well.

I firmly believe you can't appreciate where you are, if you don't know where you've been. Plus, the idea just plain tickles me. Hopefully it will tickle some of you too.

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Today is the 40th wedding anniversary for Ma and Pa Super Librarian. My folks have been married for 40 years. If you were ask them, I'm sure they'd tell you that they're not sure where the time has gone. Heck, I know I don't know where the time has gone.

My parents are the bee's knees. Truly. It's safe to say I didn't appreciate them when I was a wee lil' Super Librarian (what kid truly appreciates their parents at that age?), but as I got older, I discovered how truly remarkable they are, and how frackin' lucky me and my two sisters are. I don't know much, but I have never doubted, a single day in my life, that my parents love each other. Even as their children were trying their patience. Even as they were killing themselves getting through college, working full time and raising a family. Even when Ma went on strike at work, or Pa got laid off. I just knew. It's safe to say I probably took their relationship for granted. My parents always seemed (and still do) so solid to me.

And obviously they are - because holy cow! 40 years!

I was a terrible daughter and only sent them a card. Honestly, I could not think of what to get them. They've been married for 40 years. I mean, they've got everything they could possibly want or need. So instead I think it will be dinner out (my treat) when they hit the west coast for a visit in late April. This is, of course, assuming I can pry them away from their new baby granddaughter. Lil' Sis' due date is April 9.

Love you Mom and Dad.

12 comments:

nath said...

Looking forward to your Random Romance Sunday, Wendy :D I have a feeling it's going to be fun LOL. Can't wait to read your comments on it either :P

And congratulations to your parents! 40 years is such an accomplishment nowadays!! :D

I hear you on the gift thingie... after 40 years together, they do have everything they want :) Dinner is good :D

Kay Webb Harrison said...

Loved your comments about parents and children. How true they are! I know that I appreciate my parents more and more as time goes by; I especially appreciated all they have done for me after I had children of my own.

My Mom and Dad met in grade school; he is a year older. In 2009 they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. We had a lovely, informal family gathering at my younger sister's house [there are five of us siblings].

Congratulations to your parents, to your sister and to you!

Kay

Amy said...

Now that's what I love to read about -- folks who have stuck together for that long and made a marriage work. Happy anniversary, Mama and Daddy Super Librarian!

Unknown said...

Congratulations to Super Mom & Dad. My 'rents just celebrated 38 years on Monday.

JamiSings said...

I think it's awesome that your parents made 40 years. Especially now adays when a lot of marriages barely last a single year.

My folks are going to be celebrating their 38th this year. Mom and I are forcing dad to go with us to a Barry Manilow concert for their aniversary. LOL He likes country & western - that super twangy stuff. Mom even told him he has to wear a tux to the concert!

SonomaLass said...

The romantic in me loves to hear about couples who have been happily married for decades. It's a wonderful accomplishment! My parents were married for 51 years before Dad's recent death, and right up to the end, you never doubted their love for and commitment to each other. We gave them a big family party (every kid, every grandkid, every great-grandkid) for their 50th; it was a terrific gift for all of us.

Even though I'm not a fan of epilogues in romance novels, I do play the game of imagining the main couple at their 50th anniversary party. If I can picture it, that's a happy ending I can believe in.

CindyS said...

Congrats to your parents - my parent's anniversaries go by without comment. My parents have always believed it's between the couple so yeah, their 40th which would have been 2 years ago? went by without a peep from their two children. Birthdays, Mom's day, Dad's day all have the fan fare but for some reason the wedding anniversaries in our family go by without any of us being the wiser.

Looking forward to Random Romance Sunday!

CindyS

~ames~ said...

Congrats to your mom and dad Wendy!! And is everyone getting excited about the baby?

Barbs said...

Congrats to your parents Wendy. As you know we had ours last month and I don't know where the time has gone but it must have been fun LOL

Wendy said...

Thanks for all the nice well-wishes for the SL parents everybody! Mom and Dad went to different high schools, but attended the same church growing up. Their relationship was on again, off again, on again, off again - until it was finally on-again and they got married in their very early 20s.

Jami: My parents are going to see a concert to celebrate as well! Not Barry Manilow (who I bet is awesome live!) but Elton John :)

Ames: Everybody is really excited about the new baby (my Big Sis has 2 kids - so she won't be the first grandchild). It's the big reason why my parents are visiting in late April/early May this year. To get their newborn fix :)

Keira Gillett said...

According to my parents, dinner is an excellent option. Gift cards to dinner places work just as well. My dad just loves to eat out at restaurants and tries to do that at least 5 days a week. lol

Thanks so much! I can't wait to read the book!

JamiSings said...

Wendy - not only is Barry awesome, but he's really nice. I got to meet him last year. I kind of shocked him though. I think I'm the only fan he's met who has the chutzpah to interupt him - politely. (He just wouldn't shut up! But I suppose that's because he's used to fans too star struck to speak.)