Fools for Luv giveaway & 5 favourite romantic films

Valentine's Day is coming up, and to celebrate I've joined the Fools for Luv blog hop and giveaway that runs until February 14th.  A crazy number of romance authors and bloggers have teamed up to give away books and swag to make the holiday extra special.

The hop is hosted by Steph at Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust and Dana at Readaholics Anonymous. Thanks for having me on the hop, Steph & Dana!

When I write romance, I like a mix of paranormal elements and sizzling sex.  In ALPHA MOUNTIE, a werewolf and a park ranger get erotic in a canoe, and in GOD OF ECSTASY, a Greek god appears in my heroine's bathtub...

The foundation of a great sex scene is of course, love.  So for Valentine's I'd like to share a couple of my favourite romantic films.

Casablanca

It's a predictable choice, sure, but this classic is still one of my faves.  I'm a sucker for a star-crossed romance, and Bogart and Bergman sizzle on screen together.  The secondary characters and the WWII setting give so much depth to this story.

If you haven't seen it, trust me, Casablanca is even better than you've been told.  Each time I watch it I discover something new that I love about this film.  Wonderful.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

At first, this seems like the opposite of a romantic story: the hero, played by funnyman Jim Carry in a shockingly touching serious turn, wants to erase the heroine from his memories, and a sci-fi element will let him do it.  But Kate Winslet's character isn't easily forgotten.

I've definitely had breakups that have left me wanting to delete a guy from my brain, so this film hit home for me -- asking the question of who are we, but the sum of our experiences and how we react to them?  

Beauty and the Beast

Disney's wonderful fairy tale was the first animated film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.  It's easy to see why: this is a gem full of romance, adventure, and fun, with fantastic music.

Belle is the perfect headstrong but smart and kind heroine, and watching the Beast mellow from a fearsome creature to someone lovable is magic.  Any writer or reader couldn't help but fall for the Beast after seeing that library!  Add in the supporting characters of Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts, plus the hilarity of villain Gaston, and you have a perfect film.

Laws of Attraction

I had to include one goofy romantic comedy on the list!  Laws of Attraction wasn't marketed very well, and this story of two lawyers who find themselves accidentally married is ripped straight out of a Harlequin cliche, but somehow I find it totally endearing.

Julianne Moore is so much funnier than I imagined, and Pierce Brosnan is charming, but also incredibly sweet.  It's a fun movie that makes me smile every time I watch it.

Anastasia (1956)

Ingrid Bergman must be my go-to girl for classic romance!  I adore her.  Anastasia isn't as beloved as Casablanca, but I was obsessed with it as a kid, and I still love it.

The tale of an amnesiac woman pretending to be the lost daughter of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, surviving the murder of her family, is riveting, and Bergman plays her to perfection as she starts to develop feelings for the con man teaching her to behave like royalty.

Plus, Yul Brynner is totally dashing.  In the rags-to-riches makeover, oops-we-fell-in-love genre, I'd take Anastasia over My Fair Lady any day.

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So, how does my list measure up?  Do you love/hate any of these films?  What did I miss?  To win a copy of one of my ebooks (either ALPHA MOUNTIE or GOD OF ECSTASY), leave a comment below about one of your favourite romantic movies.  The winner will be announced on February 16th.

Good luck, and don't forget to check out the other stops on the hop for more prizes!

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