Tonight we dropped by CVS to pick up a few things, and I walked down the aisles chocked full of chocolate candy packed in every sort of box, large and small. Right, I remembered. St. Valentine's Day is on Tuesday. Fortunately, I'd already seen to taking care of that task. If you haven't yet, don't sweat it. There were still oodles of boxes of chocolate candy left for purchase.

February 14th has to be one of my favorite times of the year. It falls right in the middle of the blah month. This year being a leap year adds another blah day to the blah month. As you might've surmised by now, I'm not a winter creature. Anyways, I'm a big chocolate fiend, too, so that only adds to the 14th's appeal.

Oddly enough, I can't recall a single piece of fiction I've written in the past ten years with a St. Valentine's Day theme or setting. That includes the mushy romance stories I used to write and sell to the TRUE magazines line. I should tackle one, perhaps in a future novel project. We'll see.

So then, on Tuesday, take five and enjoy the special moment with your significant other. It only comes once a year, you know. But regardless if you observe the 14th that way, let me just add, happy reading to you and yours!

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Ask the Dice, a hit man crime novel set in Washington, D.C.