Valentine's Day: More than Chocolate

Don’t you agree? And could someone please tell my husband, who stood in line at the local candy store amidst a crowd of sick and coughing chocolate-buyers today so he could cross “heart-shaped box of dark nuts and coconut bonbons” off his to-do list?

…or maybe not, because hi, my name is Emily Ryan-Davis and I do love my dark chocolate. But I also love everything else about the Valentine portion of this month. February is pink and hearts and flowers, chocolate and reservations for French toast piled high with fresh whipped cream, silky lingerie and giggling trips down the feminine care product aisle at the grocery store so you can give “warming” lubricant  a try.

February is also about The Vagina Monologues.

Is that the sound of your reading flow coming to a shrieking halt? Sorry. Oops. I think the V word might require a little forewarning and I snuck it in there. But it’s out, so…

The Vagina Monologues. Says amazing things about our sexuality, our self-respect, the life lessons we learned as girls and as women. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see a live production, you should look into it. (Google “the vagina monologues [your state or city]” and I’m sure you’ll turn up some hits for this year, productions usually scheduled for Feb 13 and 14). I saw a performance live at a local college campus a few years ago, with a pretty blonde senior crawling around on stage belting out sounds of orgasm at the top of her lungs and other womenn proudly shouting the c-word (our c-word, not the man’s c-word) in defiant reclamation. The experience was pretty amazing and I think I’ll take my own advice again this year to find a local production.

But this really isn’t about vaginas. I promise!

It’s about love. Romantic love, loving ourselves, loving one another. This year I get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my first story in print, “Wednesday at the Manporium,” which is included in DREAMS AND DESIRES VOL. 3 – an anthology published for the third year by Freya’s Bower.

The DREAMS AND DESIRES project was launched by Marci Baun, editor in chief of Freya’s Bower and Wild Child Publishing. A collection of stories ranging from sweet to erotic, from historical to futuristic, the anthology is a collaboration undertaken with love. And it’s all about love–each of the three volumes.

My contribution (which I wrote under my real name) came to be after I spent some time last year wishing I’d built a hope chest for myself, and trying to figure out how to physically build one (or find out where to buy a nice one). I was riding shotgun with my husband (as I usually do; I daydream too much to be a safe driver) with “hope chest” playing over and over in my head, and bam–the story appeared with a puff of smoke.

Abigail, a young woman living in an age of virtual wish lists, is shopping for a husband. She’s been preparing for this moment her entire life. While waiting for her special-order man to appear, however, she realizes a grave error. Did she really specify five testicles?!

Want to find out? Want to give yourself a gift of romance while also contributing love to women who are struggling to find a little in the world?

DREAMS & DESIRES volumes 1, 2 and 3 are available in print and e-book format, directly from the publisher as well as from Amazon.com – and in e-book format, it can be waiting for you Saturday.

Happy Valentine’s Day, each of you. I hope your day is filled with love.

And I hope your special someone remembers the chocolate.

x’s and o’s,

Emily Ryan-Davis

http://www.emilyryandavis.com