February 11, 2026
Hi there, Dear Readers!
February is a special month for me, not just because it's my birthday month, but because without Valentine's Day, I wouldn't have one special collection in my possession: antique valentines.
It was a roundabout way that I started collecting them. Sometime around 2002, I read an article in Parade magazine about a woman named Esther Howland. She lived in Worcester, MA in the mid-1800s and made valentines for her family in her father's stationary shop. Her hobby turned into a business, and soon she employed a dozen women who crafted the cards in assembly-line fashion in the attic of her home. The New England Valentine Company grew so large that it earned more than a $100,000 at the height of its popularity.
At the time I read about Esther, I was writing for children. I loved the idea of writing an article about her for kids, so I researched her story, wrote the article and sent it off to Highlights for Children magazine. They eventually bought it. To celebrate my success, my husband gifted me one of Esther's valentines from a collector. It's now framed on our wall.
My passion for collecting valentines also found its way into LOVE, LIES and VALENTINES (Book #6 in the Blueberry Point Romance series). In the book, museum curator Maggie Patton travels to a midwestern auction once she gets wind of a rare valentine amidst a collection open to bids. At the same time, family archivist Ry Murray learns his long-deceased relative's valentine has resurfaced, and he needs this piece to complete his family's ancestral puzzle. A twist of fate inserts itself smack dab in the middle of their opposing plans, adding a fun element that reluctantly pushes them together. Read more about LOVE, LIES and VALENTINES below.
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Here's a little love straight from my bookshelves: the first Clean My Shelves Giveaway of 2026.
If you're a new subscriber, let me clue you in on the fun. Clean My Shelves giveaways began as a way to pass along some paperbacks that I've bought, read and enjoyed. But I can hardly pass a good paperback sale or a Little Free Library so I continue to bring more books into the house than I give away!
I’ll pick TWO lucky winners this time from those who send me their title of choice by replying to this e-mail. Please take note: all of these are lovingly USED paperback books. And so sorry, non-US friends, I can only ship within the country. If by chance I choose someone outside the U.S., I’ll offer a $5 Amazon gift card instead. The contest closes this Friday night, February 13, at 7 p.m. CST. Winners will be notified via e-mail by Saturday morning and have 24 hours to respond. PLEASE check your e-mail on Saturday! Winners will also be announced in the next newsletter.
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If you've got a soft spot for holiday romances, all of these swoony stories center around Valentine's Day. You won't find any spice between these covers, but they ARE filled with all the sweet moments closed door readers adore. Check out the titles here.
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
This year I'm featuring a new author in each newsletter with a free novella to sample, too.
Today I'm thrilled to shine the spotlight on EM Chandler! Her Amazon profile reads, "Just a lover of books who finally wrote her own happy ending." I love that!
Visit her website to see all of her books: EM Chandler, and don't forget to download her FREE novella, Trusting Fate, below.
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I'm still reading Remarkably Bright Creatures and loving it! It's a longer book, so slow reader me isn't quite halfway through yet. I'm also just about finished with The Let Them Theory, an audiobook my daughter recommended. I hope you're in the middle of a good book this week!
(Click on the Cover to go to the Download Page)
She’s spent her life surviving. He’s built his around staying.
When they collide, walking away is the easy choice…
choosing each other is the hard one.
Click on the cover above to get this free novella by EM Chandler.
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Port Chance Series (4 books)
New, small-town romance series! It's in Kindle Unlimited too.
That Woman on Thistledown Lane
Apple Blossom Dreams
Locked on Love's Landing
Christmas in Port Chance (NEW RELEASE!)
Hearts in Hendricks series (4 books):
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited! See the series page here.
Blueberry Point Romance series (7 books)
More small-town romance in Hendricks, MN with Darcy and Sean Stetman's romantic inn as the backdrop. Seven books plus a season-inspired, four-novella collection. Find the series here.
A Cafe Au Lait Kind of Love. Read this as a stand-alone romance or as part of the multi-author small-town Coffee Loft series featuring swoony romances set in charming coffee shop settings. They're in Kindle Unlimited, too!
Silver Leaf Falls series
Multi-author small-town romance series, all in Kindle Unlimited! Read my book as a stand alone or as part of the series. You can find A Forever Kiss in Silver Leaf Falls here as well as the rest of the Silver Leaf Falls books.
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