Good news! The Art of the Spark is a semi-finalist in the ninth
annual Independent Publisher Book Awards, which honors the
year's best independently published titles. Winners are
announced May 10. Wish me luck!
I've taken a bit of a break from the busyness surrounding
Valentine's Day. Jim and I went to Hawaii this month with his
family. Always on the look out for things romantic, I'll share
three things I found.
This month's feature story is a follow up to a story in The Art
of the Spark. I never imagined pennies could be so romantic.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." -- James Dean
ROMANTIC HAWAII
The beautifully landscaped gardens at The Contemporary Museum of Honolulu are a delightful place to stroll with your sweetie. The secluded path winding through the gardens would have been the perfect place to steal a few kisses if the mosquitoes hadn't decided to steal a quart of blood. If you go, take mosquito
repellent.
While browsing in an art gallery, we saw some seascapes by Christian Lassen with a romantic theme. You can try to find the hidden hearts and messages with your sweetheart. A moonlit walk on the beach where you can write your own love letters in the sand is even better.
On the plane leaving Hawaii, I sat next to a woman who was relocating from New Hampshire to Hawaii. Dianne had come to buy a house and help her husband get settled before he started his new job. She was returning to New Hampshire to sell their house. Knowing she might be separated from her sweetheart for a while, she wanted to leave loving reminders for him to find. Armed with a tub of lipstick and a stack of Post-It notes, she left 200 lipstick kisses in every nook and cranny.
He'll get unexpected kisses when he unpacks boxes, gets socks from the drawer, and uses the last of the coffee filters.
THE DAYS OF PENNIES AND ROSES
Recently I reconnected with a client I'd helped with a marriage proposal in 1999. Pete and Katherine's story is in The Art of the Spark. (Much to my embarrassment, I called her Joanne in the first printing of the book. It's been fixed in the second printing.)
Here's the story in a nutshell. The concierge at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs had contacted me to ask if I could help Pete. He wanted Katherine to find "Will you marry me?" in an unusual place. Several ideas were considered and rejected for various reasons. Then I suggested using pennies to spell out the question in one of the Broadmoor's lovely fountains. Pete liked that idea.
Later, while supposedly waiting to meet a client in the lobby, Katherine's attention was drawn to a single red rose placed on the edge of the fountain. She saw the pennies in the water, he got down on one knee, and she said yes.
When I talked to Pete a few months ago, he told me the pennies have been a recurring theme in their love story. After he proposed, they had dinner at one of the restaurants at the hotel. Pennies on his plate formed a question mark. On her plate they spelled "yes." Rose petals adorned the table. The band stuck up "It's a Beautiful World" just as they were seated.
They were married several months later. On their honeymoon, a surprise awaited them in their room. A large heart of rose petals covered their king-sized bed. Bright copper coins inside the heart spelled their initials.
Their anniversary is in December. Snow is a rare event at their home in Fort Worth, Texas, but that didn't stop Pete from wishing Katherine a "Happy Anniversary" in their outdoor fountain. The pennies that froze in the ice stayed around for a while as a reminder.
Once Pete and Katherine were meeting some friends for drinks. Katherine ordered a cosmopolitan. The waiter returned with a martini glass filled with pennies, adorned with a key. She knew something was up, but she didn't know what. Pete didn't leave her guessing long. He pointed to her new BMW parked nearby.
Pete knew how to get a lot of mileage out of a few pennies.
IN HOME WORKSHOPS
If you are in the Colorado Springs/Denver area, you can host Art of the Spark workshops in your home. If you invite at least 5 couples, the cost is $25 per couple, which includes 1 copy of The Art of the Spark for each couple, a $16.95 value. The hosting couple attends at no cost and receives a free book. We
schedule this at some mutually agreeable time. We'd need 3 hours.
Additional sessions can be scheduled at $20 per couple for 5 couples if you decide you want more time. In the first session, we cover the basics. In the second session we plan an adventure. My husband usually comes with me so spouses can split into two groups and plan surprises for their partners if they want to.
RADIO INTERVIEWS
"Long Island's Dating"
Live radio from New York
Friday, May 19 from 6:00 to 6:30 (Eastern Time)
WGBB AM 1240
www.am1240wgbb.com
At WGBB website, click "Listen Live" text at lower left, then click "Long Island's Talking." WGBB Call-in Hotline: 631 888-8811
BOOK EXPO AMERICA
I'll be attending Book Expo America in Washington DC from May 19 to 21. It's the largest book publishing event in the US. The Art of the Spark will be displayed in two booths, one for Midpoint Trade Books, my distributor, and the other is Colorado Independent Publishers Association.
SPEAKING SCHEDULE
Sunday, September 10
General Merchandise Distributors Council
Health & Beauty Care Marketing Conference
Dallas, Texas
Spouses Program
UNTIL NEXT TIME
If you enjoyed this free e-zine, please forward it to friends.
I care about people and how they celebrate. If you have any stories you'd like to share with others, please send them to me at mary@adventuresoftheheart.com. We can all learn from each other.
Wishing you a life of adventure,
Mary Zalmanek
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