With Valentine’s Day almost here, my thoughts are tripping around romance and love even more than usual.
In fact, Valentine’s Day always takes me back to the early days when Captain Cavedweller and I had just started dating. We met the day after Christmas (on a blind date), saw each other New Year’s Eve, then he went back to college nine hours away and I assumed that was all she wrote.
About two weeks later, he called to let me know he’d transferred schools and was back in town. After that, I don’t think a week went by that we didn’t see each other right up to the day we married.
Under all that cavedweller exterior, he really is a romantic at heart (just don’t let him know I shared that little secret).
That very first Valentine’s Day, he brought me gifts every day for a week. They weren’t expensive, elaborate gifts, just little tokens of affection that made this hopeless romantic’s heart melt and then melt again.
Fast forward several years to a point where we were both so busy with life, we’d kind of forgotten about what it felt like when we fell in love. The “spark” had been replaced with getting through one day and then another.
Unwilling to fully surrender what had once been an amazing romance to the mundane of everyday life, I decided we’d spend a year going on a weekly date, just like we did when we first met. And since this was an experiment, I thought writing our experiences in a journal might be fun.
You can read about all our dates and my feelings of each one (even when they were getting a little routine) in Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller. And it’s free right now on Kindle!
A marriage that lost its spark.
A secret journal.
And a woman determined to light a fire under an introverted cavedweller.
Share the adventure of one couple’s efforts at reigniting their relationship in this G-rated journey through fifty dates.
Waking up one day to discover they’d gone from perpetual honeymooners to a boring, predictable couple, USA Today Bestselling author Shanna Hatfield and her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller, set out on a yearlong adventure to add a little zing to their marriage.
This journal provides an insightful, humorous look at the effort they made to infuse their marriage with laughter, love, and gratitude while reconnecting on a new, heartfelt level.
And while I’m on the topic of cavedwellers and love, I have to share a little about another book with cavedweller in the title.
Captain Cavedweller and I celebrated our 25th anniversary back in December. Way last spring, I started thinking of something unique and special I could give him as a gift. I finally decided it would be fun to write a book inspired by him. Then I landed on the idea of making the book about a time-traveling cavedweller.
Oh, my gracious! The book was such fun to write! There’s the handsome cavedweller, a ranch with cowboys, and so much more!
Rob Foote, the amazing illustrator I hired to illustrate my children’s book and the covers of The Friendly Beasts of Faraday, took my whackadoodle ideas along with a wedding photo, and turned them into this fantastic cover.
I was so nervous when I handed CC a wrapped copy of the book on our anniversary. Would he love it? Hate it? Would he get that it was written with a heart full of love?
He opened it and started laughing. And laughing. And he totally got that whole love part of it, too.
Can true love endure beyond the constraints of time?
Archaeologist Hannah Clayton has the unique talent of clearly imagining the past as she unearths artifacts in the present. When she stumbles across a cave with a wall of hidden petroglyphs, she’s giddy with excitement. At least until a man dressed like a caveman appears out of nowhere and scares her witless.
Inexplicably drawn to the cavedweller who calls himself Thor, Hannah has to decide if he’s involved in an elaborate hoax or if he’s a walking miracle. Thor is unlike any man she’s ever encountered. From the moment they meet, she knows nothing will ever be the same.
He acts as though he adores her, makes her laugh, and fills her world with more joy than her heart can hold. But are the bonds they share strong enough to keep Thor beside her and prevent his return to the past?
Capturing the Cavedweller’s Heart is available on Amazon in digital and paperback formats.
To enter for a chance to win a digital copy of Capturing the Cavedweller’s Heart, just answer this question:
Would you rather receive candy, flowers, dinner out, or jewelry from your sweetheart?
Wishing you all a beautiful, love-filled Valentine’s Day!
After spending her formative years on a farm in Eastern Oregon, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield turns her rural experiences into sweet historical and contemporary romances filled with sarcasm, humor, and hunky western heroes.
When this USA Today bestselling author isn’t writing or covertly hiding decadent chocolate from the other occupants of her home, Shanna hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.
I love the idea of your journal. Many years ago when our 7 kids were small and took almost all of the 24 hours of my day. Husband working long hours and we realized our marriage was in rut. So we started having date night once a week by going out and then added in another night where we stayed in, kids asleep and we’d have a late dinner and remember why we married & had 7 kids. :). Thanks for your list Shanna. Happy Valentine’s Day .
I love that you did date nights out and in, Carol! So awesome! Thanks for stopping in today and Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Happy Valentines Shanna & Mr. CC. Oh I’m a Jewelry girl. That’s my favorite thing to receive. Mr. Rob is a romantic too, Shh, but don’t let him know I told you either.
He usually gets me a small box of chocolates, card, and some jerky. I love jerky. He’s even known to surprise me with a book. Before we married he would get me some jewelry and still does every now & then, but since we were married on February 23rd, we choose that day to celebrate and that’s when he really surprises me.
I loved this book you wrote for Mr. CC, it’s one of, if not my favorite stand-alone by you.
Happy Valentines and thanks for making our whole year about love with you books.
Just love that your hubby is a romantic, too, and so fun you’re anniversary is coming right up. Hope you have an amazing day!
And thank you for reading the book. Thrilled that you enjoyed it so much!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! <3
Since I’m single any gift would be awesome! I’d go with jewlery if I could pick among these choices. In the past my favorite gifts were live floral gifts that could be planted out in the yard or put in a pot on the porch. I need Capturing the Cavedweller’s Heart in my life, I hear it’s an awesome book. For the record its hard for me to picture you and your Hubby having falling into a mundane married life!
Hi Stephanie!
Oh, live floral gifts are awesome and can be great reminders of special memories when you see them blooming or thriving outside.
You made me smile with your comment! It’s true!
Wishing you a beautiful Valentine’s Day!
Since I’m divorced a good book would do it for me.
You can never go wrong with a good book.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you, Kim!
First off, congratulations on your 25th anniversary. I look forward to the day I can say that. We’re going on 10 years this year. I always love getting jewelry for gifts, but since my birthday is 3 days before Valentine’s Day, I usually just get one gift. It’s usually a good one, so I can’t complain. My husband is not romantic at all. I usually pick out my own gift. As he says, at least he knows I will like it. LOL! Honestly, I would love anything he picked out.
Hi Janine!
Congrats on your upcoming 10th anniversary! That is awesome! And Happy belated birthday to you! That’s nice you get a good gift to cover both your birthday and Valentine’s Day. Sometimes guys are just terrified of buying the “wrong” thing, aren’t they.
I hope you have a fantastic Valentine’s Day filled with love!
This is a wonderful post. I love those covers. Such a great idea to get the ball rolling again, so to speak. I love the idea of the journal. I love flowers, but dont really care too much for picked flowers they die too soon. What I really love is when my husband cooks the meal and i dont have to do anything other than show up. He is an introvert, but not much of a romantic. So when he does something romantic, I really make sure to appreciate him and let him know. Many times I am the one to get the ball rolling again also. And it is so worth the effort. We have now been married 35 years. Praise the Lord.
Congrats on 35 years of marriage, Lori! That is wonderful. That’s wonderful he sometimes does something romantic – and cooking is awesome! The effort is totally worth it! 🙂
Wishing you a beautiful, blessed Valentine’s Day filled with love!
A book would be the best gift!
Books are always a great choice! Happy Valentine’s Day, Caryl!
Loved both the books you have mentioned here. I need to implement a date night in my marriage we will soon be married 32 yrs in May and we old codgers could use a little spice. I like a lasting gift so I guess I’ll go with Jewelry although I have tendency to loose my hubs finally bought a ring I had been eyeing for a couple of years and to my horror I noticed one day it wasn’t on my finger. I don’t know where or when I lost it but I have yet to tell him thank Goodness he is not very observant. I would lose my head if it wasn’t fastened on
How fun you are coming up on 32 years in May! Congrats! Oh, I’m sorry you lost that ring. Maybe it will turn up someday, before he notices! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed both books!
Thanks for popping in today, Glenda! <3
I got your Fifty Dates with Captain Cavedweller yesterday. Looking forward to reading it. I’m sure it will hold some humorous moments.
I would prefer flowers.
Hope you enjoy it, Linda! Thanks for popping in today!
Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’d like flowers. Thanks for the freebie!
You are so welcome! Thank you for stopping in today, Denise! Happy Valentine’s Day! <3