happy galentine's day!

shoutout to leslie knope and the fine people of the fake town of pawnee, indiana. this fictional holiday, initiated and popularized by the former (and brilliant) NBC hit series parks &. recreation, is a day for ladies to celebrate ladies, as the episode in which it first appeared qualifies. if you’re unfamiliar with the series, leslie knope was unabashedly pro-woman and propped up the women around her (mostly…it’s questionable when it comes to her interactions with donna if i’m being perfectly honest but that’s another story for another day), rooting for their successes and triumphs.

when thinking about my own work, a compliment that i often receive is that i write women’s friendships/platonic relationships just as well as i do the ones between the heroine and hero in the projects. this is literally because i am surrounded by wonderful women who are supportive, caring, kind, and genuine. the bonds you see between my characters are very much reflective of the real life relationships i have with friends on different levels that honestly are a major part of me being able to continually do this thing called write.

it’s why cadence and celena are able to snatch devorah’s edges with love and care when she’s tripping about ellis.

or why aeryn just wants to see cali get back to happy.

or how corin and tina talk kailene into not being a scardey cat.

the bonds between the women i write are impenetrable. they’re unafraid to root for each other unabashedly, gather wigs when their homegirls are tripping, prop them up when they need a little boost. they’re full of agape love in its highest order, proving that not only is the central HEA romantic love essential in these books, but also how the love from your chosen family is just as essential to creating a life that is fulfilling.

so on today, i wanna say a special thank you to all my gal pals. because of you and your multi-faceted dopenesses, i am able to shine. love y’all.

xo.

nic