Here Comes The Groom

balloon-1046658_640

Weddings appear a few times in my novels. I’m one of those authors who honestly believe not every romance story needs to end with an engagement or wedding. Happily-ever-afters don’t always come with a ring and a ceremony.

Some of my couples have been happy without a paper saying they’re promised to one another. BC and Graham, for example, were perfectly content without a wedding. Bishan and Valor were quite vocal while I wrote the Grasmere series about it, as well.

I’ve personally been married twice. We won’t talk about the first one. =) Neither of my marriage involved actual ceremonies. My anxiety would not have handled a wedding ceremony/reception, and financially it wasn’t feasible anyway.

I did greatly enjoy the two weddings in the Sin Bin series. Planning those out was so much fun. I tried to honour the individuals and their backgrounds with the ceremonies, which required quite a bit of research on my part.

For Freddie and Taine, from The Caretaker, I wanted to combine Freddie’s Jewish heritage with Tens’ Maori/Samoan traditions. I also tied in a few Welsh aspects as well. I genuinely adored the Welsh lovespoon concept so I used it as well.

Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/dahliadonovan/haka-ever-after-book-seven-the-sin-bin/

I loved their wedding. The haka performed by the Sin Bin lads. The literal cheese cake that Freddie drooled over. It was the perfect ceremony, reception, and honeymoon for the two of them.

The other wedding I planned in the Sin Bin was for Akash and Wyatt in The Royal Marine. Theirs was a lot easier. Wyatt wasn’t bothered. He didn’t have any traditions he cared to honor while Akash wanted to please his family.

Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/dahliadonovan/the-royal-marine-the-sin-bin-book-4/

Are you married? Did you have a big ceremony or just got hitched without all the drama?

(Image by Peggy and Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay)

An Open Letter To Myself

….well, a letter to twenty-year-old me.

giphy-downsized (2)

Dear Self,

First, you’re going to be okay. Divorce is scary, but it’s not the end of the world.

Second, you’re autistic. I know you think you have some terminal illness because you get so tired after being around people. It’s okay. You’re autistic. And you’re going to be so relieved when you find out.

Third, you will fall in love again.

Fourth, the divorce was about him…not you. He’s been divorced three more times since you.

Fifth, you’re brilliant. And you can write. You just have to believe enough in yourself to try.

Now, stop crying into the ice cream.

He’s not worth it.

You’re going to be fine.

Love,

Puff loves GubGub.

One thing that stood out to me at the RT Convention last year was the number of authors who talked about how their significant others weren’t supportive. Their husbands (or wives or whatever) treated their writing as a hobby. At best, it seemed completely dismissive to me.

It made me appreciate my husband even more. He’s always encouraged me to follow any path or dream I had even the one time I thought I could become a soap mogul. Don’t ask. It didn’t end well. =)

He always takes my copies of my paperbacks and shrink wraps them to make sure they don’t get damaged. He’s so cute. He plans to have a special bookshelf just for my books.

And I think my heart grew three sizes. lol

It’s the little things that always remind me how much I love and appreciate my husband.

Like how he leaves love letters in random spots in my notebooks…address to Puff from GubGub. (Don’t ask.)

We do romance in our own way, but it’s remarkable and special because of it.