Sorry I'm later posting this today. Bad. Flu. *urgle* Glad I prepared in advance cos I can't stand to look at the screen for long. Also why I haven't been replying to comments like I usually do. Sorry! But I have peeked in as much as I can and I must say, you guys are awesome. Thanks for your comments - your advice is great! Just a note - if you haven't left a comment on a previous day and you want to qualify for that day's drawing, you can still comment until Saturday when the winners are selected.
Meanwhile, I am very pleased to bring Melissa Walker back to the blog. Melissa's both a TeenFictonCafe sister and a GCC sister and I had to opportunity to hang out with her in New York a few months ago. Let me tell you, she's as fabulous as she is beautiful (which, as you can see, is a lot!) You may know her as the author the VIOLET series, VIOLET BY DESIGN, VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY and VIOLET IN PRIVATE. 
She's also the one who posts those cool cover stories on her blog I keep talking about. AND, she is co-creator of I HEART DAILY, a free email newsletter and website that keeps you in on all the best of fashion, entertainment, beauty and news one snippet at a time. If you haven't subscribed already, I highly recommend it. In fact, you might want to check out yesterday's topic - Valentines For Guys Gift Guide! (Mentioned in her advice below, too!)AND!!! Be on the lookout for her upcoming summer romance, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, hitting the shelves this May!
You should know that Melissa is the consummate romance expert - she's up to her ears in romance every day, planning her summer wedding! So without further ado, Melissa's advice:
Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Nope! But I do remember my favorite one was going to see WAYNE'S WORLD with my friend Ruthie. Then we went out to dinner afterwards--we were 15 and 16--and
suddenly realized it was Valentine's Day. Oops! I didn't have much high school action until senior year. Is it OK to go out with a guy if you know your friend likes him? They have never gone out and he only likes her as a friend.
This is definitely something to discuss with your friend. It kind of depends on how much she likes him. If she's been pining over him for two years and telling you about it all along the way, he's off limits. But if he's just a passing crush for her, the best thing to do is to talk to her and tell her that you think you and he might have something special, but you don't want that to mess up your friendship with her. I went through this very situation, and my friend gave me permission to date the boy she had a casual crush on. Now I'm marrying him in July! (And she's happily married to someone else too.)I'm a guy who likes a girl at our school. My friends told her that I had a crush on her and now I'm nervous just being around her. How do I find out if she likes me, too?
Sounds like she's already aware of your crush, but hearing it from friends isn't the same as hearing it from you. I'd advise telling her straight out the next time you get to talk to her alone. Just say, "I'm sure you've heard that I like you," and then gauge her reaction. I did this once with a guy I had a HUGE crush on (I did it very spastically, told him I liked him, turned red and then ran out of the room--this I do not advise--though it did end up in a year-long relationship). Once you've told her about your feelings, you can ask her, "Do you feel the same way?" and then the ball's in her court. It's best to be honest about it--no matter what the end result. Good luck!
Do guys care about Valentine's Day? What kinds of gifts do they like? A card? Candy? Just a kiss? Help!
My boyfriend wants to do it, but I don't know if I'm ready. He says if I really cared about him I would. I don't want to lose him. What do I do?
Anyone who tells you you'd do it "if you really cared" is not looking out for you. If he loves you, he'll wait until you're ready. End of story. Don't let him pressure you--if you lose him because you won't do it, he wasn't worth your time in the first place. TRUST me. (From Linda: AMEN!)
Since LOVESTRUCK SUMMER is not out until May (tho you can preorder it now!) Melissa is offering for our freebie today this glam Valentiney Estee Lauder lip gloss!
And - because Melissa attended Chapel Hill High like another one of my favorite YA authors, I am also throwing in KEEPING THE MOON by Sarah Dessen.Edited to add: Hey! Check out Melissa's blog for a great article on her with Sarah Dessen - the Teen Idols from Chapel Hill!!!
To be entered to win, leave a comment below giving your advice on one of the quandries above. Winners will be announced on Valentine's Day.
