Saint Valentinus of Terni was a priest, a healer, and a hieromartyr. As a priest, Saint Valentine offered aid and succor to Christians in a time when persecution of Christians was a long-standing policy of the Roman Empire. As a healer, he restored vision to the blind daughter of Judge Asterius, who had held him under house arrest. When taken before the Prefect of Rome and Emperor Claudius II, he refused to recant his faith. He was tortured, beaten with clubs, and on 14 February 269, executed by decapitation. That day became the Feast of Saint Valentine.

Today, we call it Valentine’s Day.

With the end of February comes the conclusion of SteemPulp’s inaugural open call, Swords of Saint Valentine. From 14 February to the 28th, SteemPulp writers serialized pulp-influenced tales of science fiction and fantasy centered around the themes of love and chivalry. Fun, action-packed stories that place entertaining the reader first.

On his Steemit page, Benjamin Cheah summarized the whirlwind two-week event, listing the stories involved and sharing the future of the Swords of Saint Valentine event:

“The stories written for SWORDS OF SAINT VALENTINE spanned a dizzying scope. We have a Weird Western, a tale of battling airships and a princess, a story set in ancient Rome, even a pair of wuxia romances. Here’s the full list of the SWORDS OF SAINT VALENTINE stories:

Ruat Caelus by @cahoutek
Our Song by @clarastorm
Glade’s Edge by @everhart
The Tower of Benshi by @jimfear138
The Green Knight by @kenmwolfgang
Tinstar by @kkalvaitis
The Privateer and the Princess by @notjohndaker
A Turn of the Key by @noughtshayde
White Hawk and Sable Swan by @t2tang
Realm of Beasts by @cheah

“SWORDS OF SAINT VALENTINE wasn’t just a writing event; it was designed to promote the pulp aesthetic and invite other Steemit users to join the movement. Now, the next phase of SWORDS OF SAINT VALENTINE begins.

“Now, the next phase of SWORDS OF SAINT VALENTINE begins. Under the direction of Chief Editor Jesse Abraham Lucas, we will compile these stories into an anthology and publish it on Amazon. Thanks for your support, and do keep an eye out for the anthology, the above-mentioned writers and for future stories tagged #PulpRev and #SteemPulp.”