He knows that his magic, his work, comes from a higher power than the Roman Emperor. When he is visited by Asterius, the chief of the Roman Guard, Valentine falls in love with him. But how can he love someone who is supposed to be an enemy?
Valentine will have to free his heart and face death in order to become the man of legend...
Reviews for Valentine
Deep Eros
A review of Jamieson Wolf's Valentine
Opening with the perfect foreshadowing device-a summary of the legend of St. Valentine-Author Jamieson Wolf sets the reader up for an erotic supernatural romp that's going to have meaning. The story Valentine is fast-paced and well-told, and offers not just a quick-and-lusty romance, but a storyline that makes the reader sympathize with the characters' plights and care about the point Wolf wishes to make.
It is only after Valentine, the child of a Roman god, accepts his destiny to marry people, despite the emperor's order against it, that he gains his full magical abilities. As Valentine tells Asterius, the man he's fallen in love with, "It's not right that those who love can't marry because one man says so. When I took my post as cleric, the power grew in me."
Of course, what Valentine risks by performing marriages is more than his life-he risks his heart. From deeply erotic scenes with blatant, descriptive sexual content to scenes depicting agape love through friendship and loyalty, Wolf has a story for lovers to enjoy (after prime time!) during any season-Valentine's Day, wedding season, winter time in front of a cozy fire, or any time love strikes.
From Sandy Lender, fantasy author of Choices Meant for Gods
Valentine by Jamieson Wolf
Reviewed by Denise Fleischer from The Gotta Write Network
In 270 A.D. Claudius II, Emperor of Rome, issued an edict forbidding marriage. Klaus Valentine, priest to the god Lupercus committed treason along with Anna, his priestess, by helping young lovers to a secret place and joining them in matrimony.
Asterius of the Royal Guard was sent to locate and bring this traitorous priest to the Emperor's judgement. Only one small problem--Asterius fell deeply and passionately in love with Valentine. They had a full day and night of passion.
The next morning Valentine's world turned. His priestess Arrive to let him know that the Romans were on the way to arrest him. According to rumors from the village, it was Asterius who told Claudius who the priest was and where to find him Claudius was on his way to take him into custody.
Valentine sent Anna away, charging her to carry on his work and stay hidden, then went out to face Claudius and the Roman guard. In the guard stood Asterius. Valentine was imprisoned in Rome, condemned to death.
Will the gods allow Valentine to die? Did Asterius really betray him? You will need to read this short but enjoyable story to find out. I like this writer's way with words. He builds a good plot and develops his characters well. I would give it 5 stars out of 5.
Visit Jamieson Wolf's web site
Read an excerpt from Valentine
About Jamieson Wolf
Jamieson has been writing since a young age when he realized he could be writing instead of paying attention in school. Since then he has created many worlds in which to live out his fantasies and explore his dreams.
He is the author of several novels which include: Valentine, Hunted, Hope Falls, Eagle Valley, Dragons Cove, The Ghost Mirror and the forthcoming Finding Beauty. He is also the author of the non-fiction work titled Letting the Mind Wander and a book of short stories titled Light in the City of Shadows.
As well as being an accomplished novelist, Jamieson is a frequent contributor to several book review magazines and writes non-fiction pieces for The American Chronicle. Jamieson also teaches writing courses for The Muse Online Writers Conference and The Long Story Short School of Writing.
Jamieson currently lives in Ottawa Ontario Canada with his husband Robert and his cat Mave who thinks she's people. You can find out more about Jamieson by visiting his web site at www.jamiesonwolf.com or his blog www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com.
Backlist
More information is available at www.jamiesonwolf.com but my other books include:
Hunted
Hope Falls
Eagle Valley
Dragons Cove
The Ghost Mirror
Light in the City of Shadows
Letting the Mind Wander
An Interview with Jamieson Wolf
By Katie Raines, Assistant for The Romance Studio
KR: Jamieson, thank you for joining us at TRS BLUE. Please tell us about your featured work, Valentine.JW: Valentine is the story of Valentine, a sorcerer in the heyday of the Roman Empire. Though Claudius has made a decree forbidding marriage, Valentine weds people in honor of the God Lespercus.
He knows that his magic, his work, comes from a higher power than the Roman Emperor. When he is visited by Asterius, the chief of the Roman Guard, Valentine falls in love with him. But how can he love someone who is supposed to be an enemy?
Valentine will have to free his heart and face death in order to become the man of legend...
KR: A man who defies an emperor and falls for another man who should be an enemy. A legend. Where did you get the idea for this wonderful story? JW: I am a big history buff and I'm always reading to find out more about what happened in the past. I also love myths and legends that surround us. Last Valentines Day I was reading up on the history of the day and was astounded to find out that Valentine was indeed a real person.
I read about how he was imprisoned for marrying people against the edict of the Roman Emperor and the Catholic church. While he was in prison his jailer, Asterius, had a daughter. Before Valentine was executed, he healed the daughter, restoring her sight. He then gave her a note that said "from your Valentine".
The idea of this stuck with me. What would it have been like, I wondered, to defy an empire, to defy a church body and marry people in secret? What would it have been like to have the power to heal, the strength to face his own death?
I started thinking about Asterius, too. I wondered what would have happened if Valentine had gotten to know his jailer in a more intimate way.
And the story sprung to life.
KR: What sort of research did you do for this project? JW: I had to do quite a bit. As Valentine is a historical, I wanted it to be as accurate as possible while playing with history a little bit. I researched everything I could about Valentine and his god Lespercus, the rituals he would have performed, etc.
I also tried to find out information about Pagan practices, vows they would have taken, rituals, etc. I researched the Roman empire at the time and even the Catholic church, though that part did not make it into the story.
While the story was growing in my head, it took me about two months worth of research before I even wrote the first word. It was very intense, but I loved every minute of it.
KR: Did you start with the setting and the story emerged? Or did the story come first? JW: The story came first, I think. The setting ended up not playing too big a role in Valentine. Instead, I wanted it to be about Valentine and Asterius and their struggle to heal themselves and to let themselves love and face danger in such a difficult time.
So the story itself is very character driven.
KR: What do you like best about Valentine and Asterius? JW: I love that Asterius is not afraid to go after what he wants. I love his strength, his ruggedness.
I love that Valentine is not afraid to conquer his fears to go after what he wants. I love that he can be honest with himself, even when he doesn't want to be.
Most of all, I love that, even though they're men, they can put aside their stubborn differences and let each other love each other.
KR: How did you get your start as a writer? JW: Well, I've always written. But I got my real start as a writer doing short stories. I did a lot of short fantasy stories and got quite a bit of exposure with online submissions. The internet market is HUGE! I got a few poems published in print journals but the internet gave me a great starting block.
I then moved into horror and fantasy novels and also started writing non-fiction and book reviews. Though I missed writing short stories all the time, I loved the idea of a novel, of exploring deeper themes, darker stories. I moved more into horror and the paranormal and things got a little dark for a while.
KR: How have things changed for you since then? JW: Well, now, I write primarily paranormal or contemporary romance. It wasn't such a big leap from fantasy to romance writer. All of my books and stories have some element of romance in them, particularly my Hunted Series which is a quartet of books that spoof soap operas with a paranormal edge.
There are still fantasy elements involved in most of my stories, but now I'm free to explore the romantic side that I always felt guilty ignoring.
And I'm having tons more fun writing!
KR: What's the most important thing you've learned in your writing career? JW: To write every day, even if it's only a page and to take rejection well. There's going to be a lot of times where you can't write anything and no one wants to contract your work. Thankfully, there will be a lost more times where the opposite is true. All of life is a balance and in no other career is that balance more evident than in the craft of writing.
I just remember to always take it one day at a time. Life is too short to look at things with a negative eye. Just make sure to enjoy what you do, what you write.
That's what matters most.
KR: What goals have you set for yourself at this point? JW: I want to have a book on Oprah by the time I'm fourty. LOL Seriously, that would be wonderful, but having had a book of mine published in paperback (and one more on the way) I wouldn't say no to another one in paperback or even published in hardcover.
Seriously though, having written so many smaller pieces, I'd love to write a longer novel, something more of a full piece. I've got a story bubbling, so perhaps it's only a matter of time.
KR: What do you have going on that you'd like to tell readers about? JW: You bet! I'm on a virtual book tour for the whole month of June! I'll be stopping off at quite a few blogs all over the internet so make sure to check out my blog at www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com to stay up to date on all the tour information!
KR: Thank you!
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