I’m having fun here this week — not that I don’t have fun every week.
But I’m celebrating the upcoming ACFW Carol Awards with two of my author friends: Deb Raney and Becky Wade. It just so happens that the three of us are finalists in the contemporary romance category. And we’re launching a week-long I ♡ ROMANCE GIVEAWAY where three different winners can win a trio of our books. (More about the giveaway below)
Today’s quote is from Silver Bells, Deborah’s novel that finaled in the ACFW Carol Awards. The words captured me because they speak of first love.
Ah, first love. That one-of-a-kind memory of someone who stole your heart in a way no one else ever will because they were the first. The first person you fell in love with. The first person you gave your heart to … and really, can that first love ever be recanted? And would you want to?
We’re so trusting, so brave with our first loves — so all in. We hold nothing back because our hearts haven’t been wounded yet and we still think happily ever after comes without a cost, without the shedding of tears, without loss.
Such is the beauty — the joy — of first love. We’re fearless because we don’t yet know what we have to be afraid of. We don’t know the full risk of loving another person — or of asking another person to love us in return.
And sometimes first loves become our happy endings. And sometimes they help us become who we need to be to discover our happy endings. But always, always, the memories of first loves linger in our minds, and in our hearts — the sweet and the bitter — to be remembered every now and again.
In Your Words: When you think of first love, what words come to mind? What lessons did you learn from your first love? Was your first love your happy ever after — or did it help you discover who you needed to be on your way to your happy ever after?
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ENTER THE I ♡ ROMANCE GIVEAWAY!
THE I ♡ ROMANCE GIVEAWAY runs from August 18 – August 25 at midnight. Click on the image or enter here for a chance to win one of the three sets of three books from authors Deborah Raney, Becky Wade, and Beth Vogt (me!). The books: Silver Bells, Undeniably Yours, and Catch a Falling Star, are all finalists in the 2014 ACFW Carol Awards romance category.
[Tweet “I ♡ ROMANCE GIVEAWAY: 3 winners/3 books from authors @bethvogt @beckywadewriter @authordebraney #iheartromance”]
Comments 17
First love. I was almost 15, just 3 years from climbing trees and viewing boys as someone to beat when the cutest boy asked me out. We dated for 8 months and I alternated from deleriously happy to deepest despair, sometimes in the same day. I got up at 4 o’clock somedays to help him with his morning paper route. The breakup was painful. But as I told the kids when I worked in the Abstinence program, I survived, and they would too when a relationship didn’t make it. He found me on Linked In a couple of years ago. He was divorced and he asked me out, since I was single too. Only I was in a long-term relationship so I declined. But one day I may take him up on the offer he’s extended a few times since then…just to catch up, see how life has treated him.
Do it, Patricia. Today. Contact him and let us know what happens. I’m all giddy for you. I love that sort of thing.
Author
Oh, Kim! You make me laugh!
🙂
But Kim, I remember him as this really handsome Italian guy. He hasn’t posted a photo of himself on any of the social media. What if he’s fat and bald? I’m not sure if I want to destroy the image I have of him. 🙂
Author
And there is that, Pat.
Such a dilemma.
Hmmm, that is a dilemma, Pat. Well, if you can handle the possibility of disappointment, there’s always “I’d just like to meet for lunch and catch up , not looking for anything serious.” Then, if he’s still cute, “Okay, I’m now looking for something serious.” 🙂 Also, have you googled him? I can usually find a pic even if I have to go to Google Images. I know, I know, this might be a bit much, but I love a good love story.
Author
I like how you mentioned the going from deleriously happy to deepest despair, sometimes in the same day. Emotions are all over the place in first love — that’s part of it. We’re discovering the “what it’s all about?” aspect of love.
I think first loves aid as stepping stones to the real thing.
melback at cebridge dot net
Author
Melanie: I agree. I think first loves help us discover things about ourselves and other people — what kind of person we want to become and what kind of person we’re looking for.
Fun way to celebrate and great post.
In grade school, it was a nice boy who talked of living on an island in the Columbia River–which my current WIP includes. At end of highschool, he was tall, dark and handsome but went away to Navy and we never meaningfully reconnected. However, I hear news of him now, he says nice things about me a close highschool friend married his bro., and she laughingly claims me as her sis.-in-law.
Author
That’s fun how you wove part of your first love into a novel, Dee. We writers, we use everything, don’t we?
😉
I love romance, I love happy endings, and I love first love. I married mine. 🙂 This post makes me reminiscent, so you’ve helped start my day in a fun way also. Happy Monday!
Author
You married your first love? How wonderful, Kim! You put a smile on my face this Monday morning too! 🙂
I love this, Beth. And isn’t it true that we often go into first love with no clue how painful real love is as you grow, and fight, and make up?
My first love was not a pretty relationship. He was a lot older than my 20 year old, innocent self. I didn’t marry the guy, but I did learn what is and isn’t healthy in a relationship. It took me years to see what I needed in a love relationship, as well as what I could offer. I discovered how much words mean to me, especially when they’re used as swords rather than as a gentle blanket. And it’s helped me to be aware of how I speak to my hubby (my real love) and my boys.
Author
Oh, Jeanne. I am so sorry that your first love wasn’t a good relationship. But there you are, learning from it. Of course, I’m not surprised. It’s who you are — who you were, even then.
My first love ended badly too — but I was naive and set a lot of hopes and dreams on the wrong thing — the wrong guy.
Had to think about this one. A lot of my life went down the “memory hole”, and I’m afraid that’s where First Love ended up.
In the end, I;ve found that love is the honor to serve, and anything short of that…I’ll just let the memory go.
Author
I admit, Andrew, I was waiting on your answer. And I also admit that I am not surprised that the idea of honor is woven through the idea of love. Honor is one of your strongest values — and I respect you for that. Very much.