Romancing Riley

VALENTINE’S DAY


Valentine’s Day 2002 promises to be a little different. Instead of concentrating on Cupid, I’ll be hard at work. Romancing Riley, my newest release from Dell, hit bookstore shelves at the end of January. That means February, the month of hearts and flowers and love in the air, is also a month I’ll be busy with book signings.

On Valentine’s Day, I’ll be at a downtown Cleveland bookstore promoting "Riley" and having the chance to meet all those last-minute, lunchtime shoppers looking for the perfect gift. I have to admit, it’s not a holiday my book’s heroine would ever celebrate. Riley Callahan is a hell-raising rock princess who doesn’t have the time or the patience for Cupids and lace. She’s famous for her skin-tight outfits, her tattoos (found in the most surprising places!) and an attitude that is as tough as her legs are long. It’s not that she doesn’t believe in love, it’s just that she’s never found any proof that it lasts. Riley has a string of ex-husbands, a long list of ex-lovers, and the firm belief that every man she’s ever met is only looking to bask in the heat of her fame.

Of course, that’s all before she meets Charlie Zap.

Zap isn’t exactly the kind of guy who’s comfortable with the leather clothes, wild and crazy, rock music scene. He’s a deputy US Marshal and he’s following Riley, pretending to be a bodyguard sent by her father until he can untangle a scheme he thinks Riley might be involved in.
They may not know it when they meet, but Riley and Zap are about to make beautiful music together! Hearts and flowers are a definite possibility-as well as a happily ever after fit for a rock princess!

Now that I think about it, celebrating Riley and Zap’s romance is the perfect way to honor Valentine’s Day! After the signing, I’ll be celebrating with my own romantic hero. I’ll admit, I’m a whole lot more traditional than Riley. I love the whole hearts-and-flowers thing. Though it’s supposed to be a surprise, I’ve heard rumors of a get-away at a romantic bed and breakfast a few hours from home. There’s a cozy room, a fireplace, a patio where (if we’re lucky and the weather cooperates) we can watch the sun set over the rolling countryside. Dinner in the inn’s dining room is a definite possibility but sometimes, a picnic in front of the fireplace is more fun. It’s always more romantic. I know just what to pack: icy cold shrimp and tangy sauce, a bottle of wine, a variety of cheese and crackers, maybe even a decadent dessert drizzled with chocolate.

No doubt about it, Riley would think the whole thing is very old-fashioned.

But me . . . I’m thinking it sounds like an ideal way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!