Friday Feature and Thoughts On the Meaning of Love

I normally don't post on Fridays so don't be surprised if this post is still up for next Monday!  But there was no way I would miss out on a chance to host Kelly Hashway's cover reveal for her hot new release, Looking For Love published under her other pen name Ashelyn Drake.  Kelly was part of the first group of people I met within this amazing community of authors.  She is a very talented and dedicated writer and I am looking forward to reading her new book!

 

Fans asked, and Ashelyn Drake agreed. Mike from the Campus Crush companion series needed another story. The final installment of the Campus Crush series, Looking For Love, will release on March 17th. Because this is a companion series, the books stand on their own and do not need to be read in order.

Right now, you can read the other books in the series for FREE. Find them on Kindle and Nook as individual books

or all together in one boxset. (The boxset does not include Looking For Love.)

And now for the cover of Looking For Love!

Mike Hannigan is looking for love in all the wrong places. Maybe that’s because having his heart torn to shreds by who he thought was the perfect girl left some emotional scarring. But that’s about to change. 

Summer Patterson isn’t like anyone Mike’s dated before, and he can’t help but be intrigued by her. Now if only he could keep his foot out of his mouth long enough to win her over. But when a secret involving Summer brings Mike’s past crashing back to the present, he’ll need some backup from his best friend and wingwoman, Mindy, to sort out the mess.

Will Mike find love before he leaves Timberland College for good?

Add it on Goodreads.

*This is a New Adult title and is not suitable for younger readers.*

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Blog: http://ashelyndrake.wordpress.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AshelynDrake

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7075461.Ashelyn_Drake

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshelynDrake

My Thoughts on Love

In celebration of Valentine's Day, I am sharing my thoughts and experience, so far, with love.

Ever since I was 15, I have been "in love" with the idea of "love."  Seriously.  This was also the same age I began my first relationship with a guy who not only was my lover, but became a kindred friend for years to come.  He was my high school sweetheart and I was infatuated with him.  This person was also four years older than me but his charm, wit, looks and humor won my parents over.  He also treated me like a princess. 

Sadly, I did what every young, frivolous girl did and left my high school sweetheart for the bad boy from Brooklyn, New York.  Yep, this born and bred South Jersey girl decided it would be a good idea to go AOL and meet up with a drop-dead-gorgeous Italian guy who's charm and lips could melt the panties off of any girl.  Remember those AOL days?  When our computers had to dial up and it took FOREVER to connect.  My, how the times have changed!

Needless to say, I was blinded by a lifestyle I had only read articles about in magazines like Vogue and watched on shows like Sex and the City.  My heart was in the wrong place and by the time I was a freshman in college, I was burned by this guy's temper and cheating ways.

Obviously, the two of us didn't work out so when I entered my freshman year of college, my self-worth was at an all-time low.  And I only wanted to be "loved" and "adored" by men so I let them take advantage of my most sacred gifts.  I didn't love myself back then so how in the hell could I expect someone to love me?

I had been abandoned by my biological father (still am) because he chose his new wife and kids over me.  I guess some people never really mature or learn how to love, even when they are almost 60 years old.  My other dad who was there for me until I was 17 was shot and killed.  I entered college a year later and no longer having him in my life left me broken, alone and damaged.

I believe something catastrophic happened to me which finally woke up my soul.  I had been in a tumultuous relationship with someone who actually did love and adore me for five years during my 20s.  However, since I didn't have much love or respect for myself, I often took advantage of this person.  I was empty inside and unable to give him the love he deserved. 

So when my old high school sweetheart died of a brain aneurism six years ago, I knew things had to change.  His birthday would have been last week on February 7th and he died on February 6th.

I had been estranged from home until this person died.  But his death brought me back to my hometown and friends I hadn't seen in years.  It also brought my sister and I closer because my high school beau was like a big brother to her.  She was there in the hospital, sitting next to me, while I held his hand on the very last night he took his last breath.  She was also there as I sobbed for hours that same night while we looked through my old photo albums of me and him.

Watching him die erupted chaos within my soul.  But it wasn't bad chaos.  It was like my soul was shifting in more ways than one and I didn't know how to control it.  And as silly as this sounds, deep down, I knew exactly how to control it.  I had to change.  I had to follow my heart.  I had to learn what the word "love" really meant before I was ready to love someone again.

This started with loving myself.  And by loving myself, I had to follow my passion of writing and becoming a children's book author.  For the first time, I put my career and studies ahead of anything else.  My mind became stronger because instead of constantly battling with my heart, the two were working together.  My mind was at ease because my heart started listening instead of being destructive and impulsive.

Fast forward to the present and learning how to love myself, I have finally found the love of my life.  We have been together for almost four years and our love grows stronger as each day passes.  He makes me want to work harder and push myself toward all of my dreams and goals.  When I am wrong, he doesn't let me get away with it.  We talk, compromise and don't let things go unsettled.  He holds me, warms up my car and shovels it out of the snow in the winter, cooks for me, buys me flowers, and makes sure to text me with an "I love you, XOXOXO" text every single morning.

We met on Match.com almost five years ago but were not romantic in the beginning.  He often pursued me but I still wasn't ready for a relationship because I wanted to continue on my publishing path first.  We were friends for a long time when suddenly, during a marathon we ran together, something sparked inside of me.  While we were running side by side, sweating out all of the sweat and glory, it suddenly dawned upon me.  He was the one.  My runner.. my lover.. my handsome man.. my rock.. my best friend.

Here we are running at the Long Branch marathon down the shore.

So my final thought on love this Valentine's Day is to love yourself before you try to love someone else.  And when we love ourselves, we have passion for success, family and our inner and outer skin.  Many years are wasted when we try to fill our empty voids with love.  Instead of doing this, fill it with dreams, goals and passion.  Fill it with love for who you are and what you do for this world.  Then, you will find the love.

And if you have been married for one, two, ten, thirty some years, congrats!!  You obviously know what you are doing.  Hugs to you all and have a safe and warm Valentine's Day!  And Liz, I hope you don't get anymore snow!

What are your thoughts on love?  What are you doing for Valentine's Day?
Don't forget to grab Kelly's new book, Looking For Love, once it is released.  I hope you all do!