So I was just over on Romance By the Blog, and the guest-blogger today is a professional love-letter writer. And I got to thinking about how I owe Mr. Dare an amazing love letter.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and so is our 5th anniversary – and he has been so good to me this year, supporting my writing and just supporting me.

So, give me some suggestions. Tell me about the best love letters you’ve received or written. Any ideas for thoughtful little touches or gifts to accompany it?

Or, are any of you writing books that include love letters? I wish I could work one into my book, but the h/h are almost always together. Are there some great examples of love letters in romance novels I should read for “research”? Of course, loyal Janeite that I am, I think instantly of those wonderful letters from P&P and Persuasion.

“You pierce my soul.” Siiiiiiigh.


9 comments to “Love Letters”

  1. Gillian
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    · February 8th, 2007 at 2:38 pm · Link

    Look at that word count!!
    You are so close….

    Have you read “The Historian”? I am unable to resist a Dracula story. The mother writes a series of letters to her daughter, most of which she believes the daughter will never read. Although not romantic love, the poignancy is undeniable.

    My WIP regency has a love letter of sorts, in which the heroine writes a ‘I love you- goodbye’ letter when she goes to confront the bad guy. Bet I re-write that thing a hundred times before I’m done.



  2. Maggie Robinson
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    · February 8th, 2007 at 4:50 pm · Link

    Read Sullivan Ballou’s letter to his wife before he died in the Civil War. It is extraordinary, especially because he was just an ordinary guy.

    (And you can always get your cat Penelope to write to your husband, LOL.)



  3. Ella Enchanted
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    · February 8th, 2007 at 8:55 pm · Link

    Hello. 🙂 Before you go and ask yourself, who the hell is this little girl and why is she commenting on my blog, I should explain I found your blog through Mary’s (MerryDay). I just wanted to say I read the snippet of your story and it sounds *amazing.* And… that’s pretty much all I wanted to say.

    Oh, and that I adore Persuasion. “One man’s ways may be as good as another’s, but we all like our own best.” Sigh.



  4. Tessa Dare
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    · February 9th, 2007 at 2:10 pm · Link

    Hi, Ella! Thanks for coming by! I recognize you from Merry’s blog and the “other” Fanlit. Congratulations on your success in the teen contest!

    Maggie – oh, that letter. So heartbreaking. Extraordinary really is the word. Unfortunately, my own kitty Penelope went to the happy litter box in the sky several years before Mr. Dare came into my life. But I suppose it could have a paranormal twist.

    Speaking of paranormal, Gillian, yes – I did read “The Historian” back when it came out and really enjoyed it. I’m not really into vampires or paranormal romances at all, but that book was also extraordinary.

    Extraordinary seems to be the word for today! Back to the WIP, which is, sadly, extraordinarily maddening today.



  5. Pam Skochinski
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    · February 9th, 2007 at 2:52 pm · Link

    I’m a little late in chiming in. I know I, too, owe a love letter to my man — he’s been simply extraordinary to me since we brought the boys home and I’ve been able to stay home with them.

    I don’t have any suggestions. Just popping in to say hi and to notice you are REALLY close to THE END of your WIP! Yippeee!



  6. Maggie Robinson
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    · February 10th, 2007 at 7:50 am · Link

    Congratulations! I read you won help with your letter from the expert—not that you’d need it, I’m sure.

    I’ll be curious to find out the results. In these days of e-mail, stamp collecting is in decline and the love letter is close to being dead. “luv u, mean it” hardly counts!



  7. Santa
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    · February 10th, 2007 at 11:03 pm · Link

    Congrats on being so close to finishing your manuscript in six months time! M’hat’s off to ya!

    Sighhhh, just thinking of the love letter from Persuasion makes me all dreamy inside!

    My DH used send me love letters on tape cassette. We met in college but lived over two hours away from each other and his telephone personality, well, sucked. So he started to send me weekly letters on cassette. Not only were they gorgeous but I got to hear the quiet strength in the timbre’ of his voice whenever I felt like it.



  8. beverley
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    · February 11th, 2007 at 6:37 am · Link

    It’s GOT to feel wonderful to be that close to the end. Whew! You’ve come a long way…

    I see in the next week or so there will be indeed reason to celebrate. I knew you had it in you to do it. 🙂

    It would have been a waste of talent if you hadn’t attempted a novel.



  9. Sara
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    · February 11th, 2007 at 11:36 am · Link

    You know, that word count makes me want to hate you, but I just can’t bring myself to do it…

    It’s not a love letter precisely, but Berthe Morisot’s final letter to her daughter is a gorgeous expression of love:
    “My little Julie, I love you as I die; I will love you when I’m dead; please, don’t cry; this separation was inevitable…Work and be good as you have always been; you haven’t made me sad once in your life…Don’t cry. I love you even more than I can say.”
    Sniff, sniff.