The
Latina Book Club welcomes author Mia Sosa as our first guest blogger of the New
Year.
She gives us the scoop on her Valentine’s Day traditions and her new
romance novel. Happy Reading!
Romance
shouldn’t start and end on February 14. – Mia Sosa
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| Mia Sosa |
I’m
a romance author, and today is Valentine’s Day, so on this day in particular the
conditions are ripe for smoking-hot romance in my life, right?
Wrong.
I
have a confession to make: Valentine’s Day is just another day in our
household. Hopefully you’re not gasping in shock, because that would be, well, a
bit dramatic. But if you’re surprised, stick with me and I’ll explain why my
confession shouldn’t be all that surprising.
My
husband and I are college sweethearts. Which means we did what many people do
when they’re young and in love (and nauseating). Even though we saw each other
nearly every day, we sent each other several love letters each week—and because
this was before the age of texting, we hand wrote
them. Crazy, no? We took several of the same classes, because, you know,
spending twelve hours a day together wasn’t enough. We spent hours on the
telephone, discussing everything and absolutely nothing. And when Valentine’s
Day rolled around, we lost our minds.
Valentine’s
Day was our special day, of course. I mean, c’mon, think about what Valentine’s
Day is: a day reserved for celebrating romance and experiencing all the joys of
being in love. Finally, finally, we’d been given license to proclaim our love
and shout it from the rooftops. Teddy bears? Check. Chocolates? Check. Pretty
flowers? Check. Multiple Valentine’s Day cards? Check. Dinner at a nice
restaurant? Check. A romantic movie? Check, check, check. If it weren’t for
Valentine’s Day, my husband, who’s a die-hard fan of action flicks, would have
never seen the movies Pretty Woman, Boomerang, or Sleepless in Seattle. Okay, maybe he would have watched Boomerang because . . . Eddie Murphy.
Let’s
fast forward two decades. (Wow. That
was painful to write.)
I’m
not sure when it happened, but somewhere in those intervening years,
Valentine’s Day lost its appeal. Maybe it was the fact that our lives had
changed dramatically – we now have two daughters and busy careers. Maybe it was
our dissatisfaction with the commercialization of the holiday. Or maybe it was
the fact that we realized what Valentine’s Day is: a day reserved for
celebrating romance and experiencing all the joys of being in love.
A
single day, everybody. Think about that.
I
love romance. Not on a single day,
but every day.
I’m
not saying we shouldn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but in my humble opinion, romance
shouldn’t start and end within that 24-hour period, as though the clock hits
12:01 a.m. on February 14, and you hear the voice of James Earl Jones
commanding you to “go forth and be romantic.”
I
suspect some of you are nodding your heads as you read this. Others might be
scratching their heads, saying to themselves, “Every day? Is she serious?”
I
assure you it can be done. It’s as simple as a kiss on the forehead before you
head off to work. A text letting your partner know you’re thinking of them. A
smile and a warm hug reserved for that special person in your life. The
possibilities are endless—and some of
them are well beyond the scope of
this post. Ahem.
So
have fun on Valentine’s Day. Be romantic. Be loving. Show someone you’re
thinking of them. And when February 15 arrives, do it all over again. As for
me, I’m going to convince my hubby to see Pride
and Prejudice and Zombies. Perfect, right?
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| Forever Yours / Grand Central Publishing |
INTERESTED
IN A SEXY ROMANTIC READ?
My
debut, UNBUTTONING THE CEO, the first book in The Suits Undone series, is
available now from Grand Central Publishing’s Forever Yours imprint. Library Journal called it “a sparkling
debut romance.”
Intrigued yet? If you aren’t, go back to bed. If you are,
here’s the blurb:
As the CEO of a large tech company and a semi-reformed
bad boy, Nicolas Ethan Hill is used to calling the shots. But when he’s
sentenced to work two hundred hours of community service—for reckless driving,
of all things—this chief executive needs to keep his real identity under wraps.
Which gets increasingly difficult when he can’t stop thinking about his sexy
new (temporary) boss.
The moment Graciela Ramirez meets Ethan, she’s tempted to
throw all professionalism out the window. She can’t afford to get emotionally
involved, but after a steamy session behind office doors, a no-strings-attached
fling might be exactly what they need. He'll protect his secret. She’ll protect
her heart. What could possibly go wrong?
UNBUTTONING THE CEO is the first book in my Suits Undone series,
and it features a Latina heroine, of which there are few in recent contemporary
romances. Other writers, including the fabulous Sabrina Sol, are filling that
void, and I hope to do my part, too. The second book in the series will be out
in May.
Happy
reading, everyone!♥
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Mia Sosa is an award-winning
writer and 2015 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist. She writes
contemporary romances that are funny, flirty, and a little dirty. Mia once
dreamed of being a professional singer, but practical considerations (read: the
need to generate income) led her to take the law school admissions test
instead. She practiced First Amendment and media law in the nation's capital
for a decade before returning to her creative roots. Now, she spends most of
her days writing love stories about smart women and the complicated men who
love them. Okay, let's be real here: She wears PJs all day and watches more
reality television than a network television censor--all in the name of
research, of course. Mia lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters
and will forever be on the hunt for the perfect karaoke bar. Learn more about Mia by visiting her website:
www.miasosa.com, following
her on Twitter (www.twitter.com/miasosaromance),
or liking her author page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/miasosa.author).