I am sure my daughter saw every animated Disney classic ever produced. One summer evening, we watched the latest Disney flick in a drive-in movie theater and watched Quasimodo’s mother killed by the French police forcing him to stay with the monks of Notre Dame. I thought this rather violent for a kids’ cartoon, especially in the first five minutes. Still, it followed the Disney theme of protagonists losing their mothers.



Think hard about all the Disney movies you sat through with your daughters. Did any of the protagonists have a mother? A few had fathers that had the bad taste to marry evil stepmothers and promptly die. Another handful had absent-minded fathers who end up endangering their daughters. Even Bambi lost his mom. To be fair to Walt, he didn’t write all these tales. Most came from fairy tales.

The dynamics include a young heroine in peril without a mother to turn to for help. Often her father doesn’t understand her, which forces the girl or mermaid to strike out on her own. I noticed romances follow the same dynamics. I kid you not.

I just finished reading Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell. It was an amazing book, a total five stars, but also a good example of the bad family history. Our heroine is on her own because she’s been ostracized by her social climbing family. She also wants nothing to do with them. This forces her into a situation where she has to make things work on her own. There will be no help from her family if things go wrong. I don’t want to say much more and ruin the story.

Often authors will kill the parents off and make the heroine an orphan. I can’t even count how many orphaned heroines populated the various books I’ve read. I can understand this in historical romances. The mother is absent to force the daughter into an unfortunate situation. Even in contemporary novels, we often find the heroine in a hard spot with no parents, neglectful parents or really horrible, rotten parents.

I guess I wonder why the parents matter so much. In the Disney classics, the lack of a mother caused the princess to fall into an evil plot twist that needed the help of cute animals and a prince to rescue her. You can have female protagonists with perfectly fine mothers.

Julia Quinn introduced a warm and loving family unit with the Bridgertons. Their calamity was a lack of money. Romance complications depended on other things as opposed to a neglectful or missing mother.

Does not having a mother make the heroine more sympathetic? I don’t know. I do know that my latest heroine landed on her aunt’s doorstep as her mother chased after her latest military bad boy. Even though, Amy, my heroine, has an aunt who is a much better maternal figure than her mother ever could be, she still feels unlovable. This perception causes her to miss love that is right in front of her nose.

I also noticed that heroes could have perfectly wonderful families. They often bring their new found love into the family. What’s up with that? Do you have an opinion either way?

Thinking over all the movies I’ve watched, I did notice that Dumbo had a mother. Was that because he was male? Was a baby elephant in the circus without a mother too unbelievable? Do only human females suffer the lack of a mother? Too bad, Walt isn’t alive to ask. 

What do women find romantic? Not obviously, what men think they do. In a recent blog on AskMen, the blogger suggested a complex scavenger hunt for the woman after a hard day at work. I looked at my husband after reading the suggestion, and shook my head emphatically no. I have never liked scavenger hunts. This would not amuse me in any way. I decided to ask women what they found romantic. I am betting it is different from what men think. This is in no certain order. Some of the ladies were from across the pond too.

1.      Dancing. Anytime. Anywhere. I remember my husband dancing with me at an open-air concert we attended and the various women elbowing their escort because they didn’t do likewise.

2.      Small token gifts for no reason. These presents can be a favorite candy to a book by a favorite author. They show that the man is aware of the woman’s likes and is currying her favor.

3.      Handwritten love notes or letters. (Texting is not the same, but it is better than nothing.)

4.       Making her something from a poem to dinner wins a man mega brownie points.

5.      Cleaning up. This can be done when you’re gone or together.

6.      Trying something, she likes. It could be anything from walking to scrapbooking.

7.      Be supportive, which could be standing up for the woman or just letting her unload after a rough day without telling her how to solve her problems.

8.      Unexpected calls to say I love you.

9.      Being told you’re beautiful

10.  Cover her eyes and lead her to a lovely surprise

11.  Whisk her away somewhere exciting for the weekend

12.   Tell her that she is the most wonderful woman you have ever met

13.  Run her a relaxing bath after she has had a bad day at work  

14.  Wake her up with breakfast in bed

15.  Offer her your coat when she is cold

16.  Send her a bouquet of flowers, or a box of chocolates at work

17.   Make her a compilation of her favorite music

18.  Wake her up to see a meteor shower together.

19.  Walk through the forest together.

20.  Watch the sunrise or sunset together holding hands.

It depends on the woman too. One woman might think getting tickets to a football game is cool, while another might want to see the Ice Escapades.

My husband has done several romantic gestures. One that was infinitely dear to me is when he got the cover of my first book framed. What a sweetheart.

It shouldn’t be surprising that my book heroes are kings of the romantic gestures. Of course, I base them on my husband. :)

Here’s an excerpt from Incognito.

Setup: Marcus remembers that Teresa had her grandmother’s pearls stolen. He wants to do something special to show how much he cares.

Excerpt:

 His body hummed as his hand continued to stroke her legs. A glimpse of her contented face made him realize it was time. Reaching over her body, he touched the bag he carried into the bedroom in their impromptu flight. “I have something to show you the depth of my feelings. Let me preface this by saying it’s not a ring. I know Millie expects a ring, but I hope you will like what I got you for now.”

Teresa pulled out the gift-wrapped box in awe. She offered up a shy smile before tearing into it like a five year old. She held the lustrous string of pearls with the heart charm. “Just like grandmother’s.” She hugged them to her chest, tears filling her eyes. “Only better because it’s from you.”

Her hand caressed his hair, pulling him closer for a long kiss, providing a hint of pleasures to come.

Marcus placed the pearls back on the bedside table. “Let’s put the necklace up before it gets hurt.” He rolled her on her back, hovering over her, his weight balanced on his elbows. “So tell me, how would you feel if I hung around all the time?”

Love to hear from you. Visit me on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. I have an amazing collection of Star Trek Pins. 

I am still running a contest on my Author Facebook Page. The person who is 200th like gets four free books of  their choice.  www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt

Americans are obsessed with size. The current price of a healthy self-esteem is being able to squeeze into a size smaller than a six. Female movie and television stars somehow manage to work into interviews that they are a size zero. The way I figure it, they must not exist. As a teen, I was a size five, the smallest size available. Many people accused me of being anorexic because I was skin and bones. I can’t imagine how tiny a woman must be to wear a zero.

One plastic surgeon recently made the news because he offered free plastic surgery for anyone who can introduce him to his future wife. His requirements include college graduate, natural blonde and a size zero. You can understand why the average American woman believes any size above an eight is obscene.  

Every generation struggles with image issues. The beautiful Marilyn Monroe was a voluptuous size fourteen. No one seemed to have issues with that then, but women were squeezing their feet into shoes too small for them. A small shoe size was indicative of femininity. My own mother has ruined her feet because of this preference.

Seriously, why are we torturing our daughters with unrealistic Photo-shopped images of models and celebrities? One British magazine publisher just went with computer-generated images because they couldn’t find models thin enough. Shame on you, I expected better of the Brits.

It is for these reason, I am excited to introduce a novel about a real sized woman. Skin by Lydia Michaels tells of a real-sized woman at first can’t believe the hunky hero finds her beautiful. Please check out Lydia’s story and the Skin trailer.

BLURB:
When Finnegan McCullough gets a flat tire he bumps into a woman he’s never seen before. After a stern lecture on trespassing, he offers her a ride and a friendship takes shape. Mallory Fenton is unlike any girl he’s ever met. She’s funny, sexy as hell, and sweet as pie, but she doesn’t see herself that way. 

After literally crashing into Finnegan McCullough, Mallory is a hot, tongue-tied,mess. A true lumberjack, he wears his flannel well and possesses the sexiest smile she’s ever had thrown her way. Unfortunately, men like that don’t look at girls like her. When Finn confesses his desire to be more than friends, Mallory is shocked. After years of being the ‘fat girl’ she knows better than to believe a man like Finn could ever find her attractive. But she’s gotten under his skin and Finn is determined to show Mallory how beautiful she truly is.
 A realistic and heartwarming romance that proves love and beauty come in all shapes and sizes.

There has been a lot of talk about my new book, SKIN, and I’d first like to say thank you. Thank you to all the readers out there who share my dreams and make it possible for me to follow them. Without you, I couldn’t do what I do.
 
So everyone is curious about the book SKIN and they should be. The fact that so many readers are connecting with this topic gives me such joy. SKIN is different from any book I’ve ever written or read because the heroine is real. She is you. She is me. She is every woman who has ever looked in the mirror and not liked her reflection. My decision to write SKIN was inspired by the media's sudden overzealous interest in celebrities packing on baby weight, respected clothing chains making disrespectful statements about not wanting girls bigger than a size twelve wearing their attire, and the inescapable fact that I have been shopping in the plus size department since I was thirteen.

Here’s some real news. I am curvy and I am beautiful. I have skinny friends and they're beautiful too. Beauty doesn’t come in a shape or size.Beauty is defined as a quality in a thing or person that gives pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind. Beauty is a smile, a laugh, a look. Beauty is confidence. Beauty is love, loving yourself and others. When society tries to pigeonhole beauty we often don’t laugh. We see ourselves and frown. We look at ourselves differently,unfavorably. Our confidence becomes shaken and we love ourselves a little less.Why? If everyone looked the same, our minds would lose interest. Variety keeps the world beautiful.

Beauty is about perception and we must, as a whole, begin perceiving ourselves as beautiful, not on levels, but on a diverse plane where no quality outweighs another. We are all beautiful.

I love writing and reading romance, but never have I read a book where the heroine’s thoughts matched mine. I don’t think there is a woman out there who has not contemplated how her body appears in the midst of an intimate encounter. Nobody is one hundred percent confident one hundred percent of the time. When I wrote SKIN, I wrote it honestly. I wanted the reader to truly know the character’s thoughts, fears, insecurities, and dreams. Mallory Fenton wants to change the SKIN she’s in. Her journey is an emotional evolution that does indeed change her, but not the way she assumed it would.

I hope that you enjoy this story and the rest of the McCullough Mountain Series. SKIN releases on August 22, 2013 and it is dedicated to you.

Read an excerpt from Skin. Because the excerpt is so steamy, I can't post it here. (blushes)

EXcapades by Debra Kay is an erotic romance centering on the evolvement of the abandoned wife, Lila. It opens with Lila and her husband dropping off their only child at college. Lila is looking forward to a little more freedom and fun activities as her mother role decreases, but her husband has other ideas. He leaves her in the first few pages, admitting he was tired of her and has impregnated the former babysitter.

Lila finds herself in a tailspin because she never saw it coming. She wrestles with anger feeling as if she gave up her dreams to support her husband with this as her reward. As with many women, the anger turns inward and she becomes depressed stumbling her way through the divorce.  The one shaft of light in the brown fog of depression is the memory of her ex, Blake, and the wild sexual adventures they once had. She was fearless then, not a beaten down shell of her former self.



Not surprisingly, Blake and Lila do bump into each other and find the spark still exists, but medical issues and family obligations rear their heads disturbing what should be an easy second chance at love. Ask any divorced middle-aged woman, she’ll concur that love is never easy after an emotional devastation of a divorce, but it is infinitely sweeter.

The chemistry and romantic dance between Lila and Blake is delightful. There’s a natural growth of Lila from dutiful wife and mother to free-spited woman. Jane is a great secondary character as the friend, who for some reason, I kept picturing the actress from the Shirley Valentine playing the part. The cover may mislead you into thinking this is a tale of loosely patched together sexual exploits. It is not. It’s a tale of growth, self-discovery, hope and love.

EXcapades is for the romance reader who enjoys tales on the sensual side. It is also a book for women and men who want to believe in second chances and adventure. Two thumbs up to Debra Kay who not only went with an older woman as a protagonist, but also included all the troubling details of being that woman.

Self-published equates to self-promoted too. What this means if you have a book to peddle, you need to know where to send it. I am going to share some of the sites you should consider. Before you fall into dreams of what life would be like if you signed with some of the major publishers, remember the tables of books in the groceries, the kiosks in front of the bookstore and the ads in popular magazines are only for a few selected popular authors. Ironically, only authors who have made it get promoted heavily. The irony of this is not wasted on me. James Patterson fans or even E.L. James groupies know when the next book is coming out.

I know when my favorite authors have a new book out because I am on their fan page and newsletter.



·         Every author should have a Facebook Fan Page. This isn’t your personal page. It is difficult to move people from your personal page to your fan page. People really don’t want to be exposed to your bickering cousins. Get a fan page and post on it every day. Put things that will catch people’s interest, but never go political. My biggest share comment was when I quoted Gandalf. Who knew I am so LOTR fans.

·          A fan page is not the same as a website. You will want both. You can do a bit more with a webpage. Run a blog. Have contests. Have guest bloggers. Sell your books on your website with one click buttons. Keep your site current. It is distressing to click onto someone’s dated website.

Your website is your brand. Don’t make it too busy with falling leaves and sidebar ads that crowd the content.

·         Join Facebook groups that are pertinent to writing and your genre. Don’t do this just to post ads to buy your book. You can discover great info about submission calls, publishers, and even cover art.

·         Join blog hops. There are FB groups for this too. Be prepared to have prizes.

·         Giveaways and contests attract interest. Do they attract potential readers? Jayne Ann Krentz commented that giving away big items like a Kindle brings in people who do not read your genre. They only visited for the Kindle. Give away your books and small prizes to attract real readers.

·         Goodreads. Have a presence there so you can at least put up your own titles.

·         Amazon. Develop your own author a page. Then go put one up at the UK Amazon. Remember the 63 million readers in the UK.

·         People are visual. Use photos whenever possible. In a review and interview, a photo of the author is important. Joan Stewart, the genius behind The Publicity Hound, points out no one want to converse with a Twitter photo of your dog, cartoon avatar or your two year old. Some people won’t even bother to follow you because you chose not to use an actual photo. This is the place for your book cover either.

·         Pinterest is a good bet, especially if you are writing a genre that has a female following. You can post book covers with links to buy site.  Characters get more pins because how many people type in book covers? Not many, but many will type in Hot Guy, Sexy Italian Man, Alien Attack, Couple Embracing. You get the idea. Make sure to put keywords in the box for your cover. Often you’ll find fans by researching subjects for your book too.

·         Reviews. How do you get them? Book tours are one way. Many book tours ask potential reviewers simply not to post a review if they can’t post a good one. It’s good business since no one want to pay for bad reviews. Numerous sites review your book free including Novelspot and Writer Wonderland. Be aware it never happens, as fast you would like. Still, any interview is good because it keeps your book in public view.

·         The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages is a great place to find reviewers for your genre. Read the entries carefully because it tells you how to approach each reviewer. Never pay more than $25 for this book. I’ve seen people offer it for sale for as much as $350 as if it were the Holy Grail to becoming a bestselling novelist.

·          Fellow author Charles O’Donnell has generously put together a list of place you could go to promote. Many are genre specific.

·          Puretextuality www.puretextuality.com

·          acqweb www.acqweb.org

·          BookBrowse www.bookbrowse.com

·          BookPage www.bookpage.com

·          Danny Yee's Book Reviews www.dannyreviews.com

·          The Good Book Guide www.thegoodbookguide.com

·          electronic book review www.electronicbookreview.com

·          The Mystery Reader www.themysteryreader.comAllreaders.com www.allreaders.com

·          Reviews of Books www.reviewsofbooks.com

·          Book Reporter www.bookreporter.com

·          Predatory Ethics www.mad-gods.com/blog

·          bookmatchers www.bookmatchers.com

·          Ask David http://askdavid.com/free-book-promotionCreatespace https://www.createspace.comPebblefoot

·          Park http://www.pebblefootpark.comArc.

·          Indie. Reviews. http://www.arcindie.com/Succotash

·          Reviews http://succotashreviews.blogspot.com/Silver's

·          Reviews http://silversolara.blogspot.com/The

·          Indie View http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/eBook

·          Daily Deals http://ebookdailydeals.com/Author

·          Marketing Club http://authormarketingclub.com/Kindle

·          Boards http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,114408.0.htmlAddicted

·          to eBooks http://addictedtoebooks.com/Author

·          Marketing Club http://authormarketingclub.com/members/submit-your-book/eReader

·          News Today http://ereadernewstoday.com/Free

·          Booksy http://freebooksy.comKindle

·          Nation Daily http://kindlenationdaily.com/The

·          Frugal Reader http://thefrugalereader.wufoo.com/forms/frugal-freebie-submissions/Super

·          e-books http://super-e-books.com/submit-your-book/Centsible

·          eReads http://www.centsibleereads.com/p/for-authors.htmleReader

·          iQ http://www.ereaderiq.com/free/Free

·          Kindle Books and Tips http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/Free

·          eBooks Daily http://www.freeebooksdaily.com/p/contact.htmlIndie

·          Books List http://www.indiebookslist.com/Pixel

·          of Ink http://www.pixelofink.com/Kindle

·          Spice http://kindlespice.com/submissionsShaina

·          Richmond http://www.shainarichmond.com/myblogs/spicy-romance-submission-form/Unknown https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFNrbUVhS3JUQW5EREtaOTB6UUwtUnc6MQSquidoo http://www.squidoo.com/going-free-kindle-ebook-promotional-campaigns-for-authorsScienceThrillers.com

·          http://www.sciencethrillers.com/Yvonne's

·          Thoughts http://centralcaligrrrl.blogspot.com/Traditional

·          Mysteries http://traditionalmysteries.blogspot.com/Tammy http://reviewsbythedragonsden.com/Srivalli

·          http://srivallip.blogspot.com/Sammy Writes http://sammywrites.blogspot.com/Reading

·          is a Way of Life http://readingisawayoflife.blogspot.com/Puss

·          Reboots http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/Pretty

·          Sinister Books http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/Peace

·          & Love Reviews http://peaceloveandreviews.com/Passion

·          Reads http://passionreads.com/Partners

·          in Crime Tours http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/fiction-blogs/action-adventure-mystery-horror-thrillers-espionage/

·          www.partnersincrimetours.netA

·          Novel Source http://www.anovelsource.com/Mystery

·          Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews http://mysterythrillerandromanticsusreviews.blogspot.com/Mary's

·          Cup of Tea http://www.mmbearcupoftea.com/Kindle

·          Mystery http://kindlemystery.blogspot.com/Kindle

·          Joy http://lostinebooks.blogspot.com/I'd

·          Rather Be Reading At the Beach http://ratb2.blogspot.com/Ginger

·          Nuts of Horror http://thegingernutcase.blogspot.com/Genre

·          Wench http://genrewench.blogspot.com/Fair

·          Dinkum Crime http://www.fairdinkumcrime.com/Existential

·          Ennui http://existentialennui.blogspot.com/Cyber

·          Bookworm http://cyberbookworm.wordpress.com/Criminal

·          Pages Book Review Blog http://criminalpages.blogspot.com/Cmash http://cmashlovestoread.blogspot.com/Castle

·          Macabre http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/Books

·          Are Life - Vita Libri http://www.booksarelife-vitalibri.blogspot.com/Book

·          Reader's Heaven http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/

·          Book Den http://bookden.blogspot.com/Best

·          O'Books http://thebestobooks.blogspot.com/The

·          Audiobook Guy http://www.theaudiobookguy.com/Ashedit http://www.ashedit.wordpress.com/anachronist http://booksasportablepiecesofthought.blogspot.com/Alive

·          on the Shelves http://aliveontheshelves.com/Alchemy

·          of Scrawl http://alchemyofscrawl.blogspot.com/African

·          American Mystery/Authors Opinions On http://www.lawillis.blogspot.com/



 If you read this far, then you are interested in self-promotion. Write first, then promote. You have to have something to promote. Promotion will gobble up your time. Decide what works for you. I like Ask David because once I finished my ad I didn’t do anything else. I also found FB groups to be helpful too. The blogging helps keep my name out there. I am better known for my reviews and blogging, but it’s a start. What is your best self-promotion idea?

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Seeking Shelter, which is the tale of woman growing into a beautiful creation despite a humble start, rather like the sunflower. All you have to do is comment.














A Writing Lesson from a Sunflower and a Bee

It is sunflower season in my backyard. Sunflowers are amazing plants that take forever to grow. Their name while alluding to their sun-like appearance is more about their ability to follow the sun with their heavy heads. Sunflowers do grow towards the sun as do most plants, but they tend to be more extravagant in their solar devotion. Plant them near a wall or fence to protect their long stems from wind and storms. I planted them in May and then waited, and waited. A few green sprouts appear and that’s all for the first weeks. I walk out to the seedlings and stare at them willing them to grow faster. Two weeks of torrential rain reward me with plants that sprout almost a foot overnight. The long green stalks soon top my six-foot privacy fence by the end of July, but no hint of a bud.

Almost ninety days after I buried the seeds in the ground, a small green flower head begins to form. I know this because I am checking the plants every day. Sunflowers are a constant in my life. No matter where I live, I grow sunflowers. Actually, the sunflowers pretty much grow themselves. They aren’t like fussy roses who refuse to bloom without the proper nutrients. Give them water, sun and time and they’ll produce often plate-sized blossoms.

Time seems to be my sticking point with these bright yellow flowers. I plant Russian Gray Mammoth seeds every year. My seeds are from the previous year’s crop. This variety grows between ten and twelve foot high. It takes a while to get that big. Finally, in August when summer shows signs of ending with the cooler nights, they bloom erupting into a forest of suns atop waving green stalks.

Sunflowers are amazingly hardy not prone to the traditional pests as many flowers are. Along with the bright blossoms come the bees. Huge bumblebees and their cousins the honeybees crowd each flower gathering up nectar for the hive. Despite the fact, I stand mere inches from them watering the plant they keep on working. Out of courtesy to the bees, I only water the plants at their base.

Bees are becoming exceedingly rare and I don’t want to jinx our local population, which is currently residing in my backyard. The bees teach me a great deal about writing with their single-minded focus. They have a job, which is to gather nectar. There is an obvious shadow, my own, blocking the sun, still they continue to work. There is even a known menace in the spraying garden hose. Bees with wet wings are flightless. Even aware of this on an instinctual or experiential level, they persist.  How many of us have that type of laser tight focus on our writing?

Sigh. I do not. My daughter left early for work informing me how much work I'd accomplish without her interruptions. Somewhat true, but I become distracted by other things too. Bob Mayer, renowned author, at a workshop I attended, spoke about having the importance of having two computers. One had no Internet and was just for writing. That meant no checking sports scores, Facebook or a quick break at Pinterest. When is a break at Pinterest ever quick? Even though we are a nation of multi-taskers, numerous tests have proven no one does multi-tasking well. The result of doing several things at once is a mediocre product. It even takes longer to make this product too. Here we thought we were doing such a superior job.

If I can be like the bee, then I can focus on my project and complete it before checking on why my dog is madly barking. Usually his frantic alarm is due to the school bus driving by or a leaf falling. As for the burning smell, I might need to check on that since it’s probably dinner.

The sunflower reminds me it takes time to become something great. A day spent making corrections after I changed a character’s motivation may seem like a wasted day, but it isn’t. Writing takes time to do it right. I imagine or at least hope the more I write the better I will get. That’s the plan. The sunflower also needs the silent support of a fence or its stalk will be broken in a random storm. We writers can be like that too, but are storms tend to be rejection letters and scathing reviews while our support is often other writers. This is my lesson I learned from a sunflower and a bee.  What does nature teach you?

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Seeking Shelter, which is the tale of woman growing into a beautiful creation despite a humble start, rather like the sunflower. All you have to do is comment.

Are you looking for something sweet to satisfy your craving for romance? Then you've come to the right place. This weekend 13 SCP authors will be sharing excerpts from their newest books. Think you know the difference between romance and sweet romance. Check out the movies below to be sure.

Make sure to comment to win  a copy of Seeking Shelter or my favorite sweet romance movie, LEAP YEAR.


Click on banner to visit other blog stops.http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com/

When Anna’s (Amy Adams) four-year anniversary to her boyfriend passes without an engagement ring, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Inspired by an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on Leap Day, Anna follows Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin to propose to him. But after landing on the wrong side of Ireland, she must enlist the help of the handsome and carefree local Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. Along the way, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

Free to one commenter. DVD format. US Entries only ( sorry)
Two digital copies of Seeking Shelter to other commenters

This blog hop is about sweet romance. The most obvious difference is that the hero cherishes the heroine. He wants to protect her from everything bad as opposed to just jumping her bones. I noticed an online expert explained that any romance movie with a happy ending is a sweet romance. That’s part of it. Still some of you might have trouble distinguishing between sweet and not so sweet so I made movie list for you.

My Top Ten Sweet Romance Movies

1.       Leap Year

2.       Sense and Sensibility

3.       Pride and Prejudice

4.       The Wedding Singer

5.       Princess Bride

6.       Grease

7.       How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

8.       50 First Dates

9.       While You Were Sleeping

10.   Made of Honor

I had to read endless lists to come up with these ten. I was surprised with what people thought were great romantic movies. What doesn’t cut it for me in books or movies?

1.       The hero or heroine dies. This makes it hard to have that happy ending.  A Walk to Remember

2.       The hero leaves. Gone With the Wind

3.       The hero is married…to someone else.

4.       The married heroine prefers her husband's brother. Legends of the Fall

5.       The heroine can’t make up her mind who she like, so she stays involved with both men, playing them against each other. Twilight

6.       The hero is a jerk.

7.       The romantic couple is in an illicit affair and the woman tries to kill him. Fatal Attraction (Yes, someone did think of this as a great romantic movie.)

Here’s your sweet romance movie primer.

1.       There’s only two people in the relationship

2.       Both unmarried

3.       Healthy people who will outlive the movie

4.       Humor and misunderstandings, along with zany friends, unusual incidents and adorable pets are a must.

5.       There will be long looks, whispered promises, kisses, handholding and possibly a proposal.

Saying all this, my novel Seeking Shelter doesn’t mean the requirements at first, but it does evolve into a sweet romance. Part of it is that our lives are changing. I remember watching The Love Boat episode where one of the cruisers was an obviously pregnant single woman and still an available man courted her, which was unheard of at the time. Currently, at least as Americans, we spend time transitioning from one relationship to another. Maybe that’s why we want to see people already in relationships or ending one entering into another, possibly better on

What is your favorite sweet love story or movie?

Blurb:
 Megan’s goal of being a loving wife ended the same time her husband, Jason, tried to choke the life out of her. She flees the scene with her young children with the help of the police and her neighbor. Heading back to her home state, she realizes Jason will follow and terrorize anyone who gets between them.

Megan becomes Elaine. She changes her appearance along with her name to escape her vengeful spouse. With the help of new friends at the women’s shelter, she pieces together the broken shards of her life. Megan finds the strength to trust and love again when she meets soft-spoken Kevin. He supports Megan’s transformation from abused wife to confident woman. Life is full of potential with her new place, love and career, but Jason looms like a dark cloud. Unfortunately, Jason is not a big fan of happy endings, especially hers.





Seeking Shelter Excerpt

(Denise and Megan are eating in a restaurant when Kevin and a friend enter.)

“Is something wrong?” Denise started to turn in her seat to survey the customers.

“Stop, don’t turn around.” Megan nodded her head in the direction of Kevin.

“Okay, whatever. I do expect details when we get in the car. I feel like I’m in seventh grade again. Maybe you like to pencil a note on your napkin, and I could kick it over to the next table.”

“Denise, could you please talk about something else.” The object of their conversation stood and walked toward them. Oh my, he heard us. Megan was ready to crawl under the table in embarrassment. He was right next to their table, and he kept walking. There was a swish of a door, but she didn’t dare look back.

“Is he still there?” she whispered.

“Relax, Megan. He went to the bathroom.” Denise dabbed at her mouth with the napkin to hide a smile.

“Good, let’s leave now.” She motioned to the waiter for the check.

“What a time for you to suddenly get assertive, just when I was ready to dig into my chips.” She eyed the remains of her club sandwich, which sat beside a generous pile of kettle potato chips.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Could you take them with you? Maybe wrap them up in a napkin or something?” Megan had already shoved her arms into her sweater sleeves and was picking up her purse.

“Absolutely not! That’s something my grandmother would do. I don’t need the fat or the salt, anyway. But I will finish my sandwich.” Denise took enormous bites and chewed vigorously. Wiping her hands, she reached inside the purse for her wallet to pay the bill.

“Hey, I’ll meet you outside.” Megan jumped up like a jack in the box, knocking into someone who was abreast of their table into the next one.

“Umpf,” he managed to utter as he hit the wood table. 

Blurb: 
After a horrible day at work, I came home to find my boyfriend...in a curious position. After determining why he was unhappy, I, Anne Watson, decided to try and fix our broken relationship. My four closest male friends, however, had another idea. Revenge.  
**Content Warning: This book contains a sexual assault scene and mature material. ** 









Excerpt Ben and Annie in the park after a night of drinking: 

             “Oh, look!” I shouted, pointing ahead.  Ben looked ahead at the large park in front of us. “Do you have any idea where we are?” I whispered. He shook his head. I laughed so hard that I snorted. “Come on; let’s go see what trouble we can get into over there.”

                We walked through the park for a while before I complained about my feet hurting from my high heels. In front of me, I saw a fountain, so I let go of Ben’s arm, running towards the monument.

I yanked off my heels, tossing them and my pocketbook onto the ground before climbing into the fountain.

                 “What are you doing?” he shouted in exasperation.

                “Cooling off,” I explained as I began running around in a circle. When I made my way around to him, I splashed him with water. “Come on in.”

He glanced down at his now wet clothes, then up at me.

                “That’s it. You’re going to get it now.” I shrieked as I began running in a circle, wading through the water, making sure that I didn’t slip on the coins littering the bottom of the fountain. I heard splashing behind me, so I knew he was gaining on me. I turned around, kicking water, spraying him from head to toe. He wiped the water off his face, before splashing me with water, his strong arms being able to spray me with more water that I could ever hit him with in one try.

                My hair and polka-dotted dress were soaked, and I wrung my hair out before shrieking and running away from him.

                “Watch out! I’m gonna getcha!” he shouted as we ran around the fountain. On one trip around, I was looking behind me and smashed right into his chest. When I looked up, I realized he had figured out to run in the opposite direction. He flashed me a cocky grin as his hands grabbed my arms to keep me from falling over as I laughed loudly. I placed my hands on his chest to steady myself more as the world began to spin, feeling the wet cotton beneath my fingertips, his chest heaving. I glanced up into his whiskey-colored eyes, who were staring down at me with an emotion I couldn’t place. They slowly made their way down my face, stopping on my lips before his brows pulled together.  He took a step backwards, and then hopped out of the fountain.

                The world was still spinning, though, so I stumbled backwards and held on to the statue in the middle of the fountain, throwing my arms around the marble. I wrapped my right leg around the base, while my head rested against cool tile as the water sprayed down onto my body. I licked a drop of water hanging from my upper lip and when I opened my eyes I found Ben looking at me with that same expression I had never seen on his face before.

                “Why did you get out?” I asked.

                “Someone needs to watch out for the cops while you frolic around like a faerie.”

                With my head still against the cool stone, I said, “What can I say? Every once in a while, a girl needs to frolic.”

                I could feel rather than see his smile. “In that case, keep on frolicking, Princess, just be ready to run when I tell you to.”

              I yawned while enjoying the feeling of the water pouring down on my overheated, alcohol flushed face.             “God broke the mold when he made you, Ben.” I rolled my stiff neck to listen to it crack. “He really outdid himself that day.”

             Chuckling, he pulled his cigarettes out of his back pocket. He opened them, and groaned in annoyance before sliding them back into his jeans.

                “Too wet to smoke? What a shame.” Part of me thought that I was being a brat for mocking him.

                He threw me a half-dirty glare, though he smirked. “Just get your dancing out now. I still need to get some food in you.”

                “Yes, food does sound good,” I admitted.

                “Let me guess. You skipped dinner.” I heard the tone of disapproval in his voice.

                “Maybe.”

                 He made a tsking noise, and I didn’t bother to defend myself. He was right; I had been stupid.

                “Come on. Let’s get you some food.” I released the marble statue, walking towards him. I stumbled to get out of the fountain, and he caught me before I fell. He shook his head. “You’re such a mess.”

               I glanced down at my shoes and grimaced. My feet were still killing me.

                “Do I have to wear them?”

                He rolled his eyes. “You can hop on my back while I hail a cab.”

                I smiled widely at the idea and he turned around while I picked up my shoes and pocketbook. I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped up. He grabbed the back of my knees as he starting jogging out of the park. 

Top Ten Book Boyfriends 

1. Travis Maddox 
   
2.  Kellan  Kyle 
   
3. Edward Cullen 
   
4. Gavin Blake 
   
5. Bennett Ryan 
   
6. Max Stella 
   
7. Gideon Cross 
   
8. Lucas 
   
9. Shades 
   
10. Rule

Five Fun Facts: 

1. I am a chocoholic. I have reserve stashes strewn about my house. 
   
2. I grew up horse-back riding and competed seriously. Instead of turning pro, I went to college instead. 
   
3. My favorite color is purple. 
   
4. I have thirteen piercings on my body-9 in my ears, 1 in my nose, 1 in my labret, 2 in my belly button. 
   
5. Large crowds make me nervous. 
   
   

About the Author: 

She loves going to NJ diners on the weekend or inspiration, drinks a pot of coffee a day, and loves finding new music to add to her playlist.  Author to Just Good Friends and Winning Back Ryan. 

 Getting Back Annie, Office Perks, and Sirens and Sweethearts are soon to be released.

If you ever watch the movie Julie and Julia, you’ll remember it wasn’t easy for Julia Child to get into cooking school or get her cookbook published. What you didn’t see her do in the movie is write while cooking. I think this would stretch credibility too much for at least the writers who cook.


I want to preface this article with a humble aside. I can cook. I have cooked for large numbers in the institutional setting and for smaller groups too. I watch cooking shows while on the treadmill with the same avidity most men display while girl watching on a crowded beach. I enjoy trying out new recipes and growing my own produce. My family legacy is a long line of superior cooks, but it all goes to pieces when writing enters the mix.


About two years ago for Thanksgiving, I treated myself to a new set of cookware. At this time, I have ruined every pan and destroyed a few in my husband’s collection too. How did I manage this in less than two years?  Writing. That’s it. I get caught up in a chapter or dialogue and I attempt to finish what I am doing. I don’t hear the timer going off.

My husband urged me to start setting the timer after I boiled the eggs dry. If you’ve done it, you know it is not a pleasant smell. Part of my mind noticed the timer and I think a couple more minutes is all I need. Then the burning scent drifts back to the office. I look at the computer suspiciously. Could it be overheating? Then I remember and sprint to the kitchen to retrieve a burnt offering from the stove or oven.

Often I can save the food, paring away the burnt part. The pans are another matter. I’ll scrub them, soak them, even use over cleaner with some limited success. My last fiasco was burned potatoes.  I read that if you heat up salt water it will loosen up the burnt residual food. I filled up the pot, threw in a hefty hand of salt and set it to boil.  I drifted back to the office to work on some edits when I noticed a peculiar aroma. Oh no, the salt water. I sprinted to the kitchen to remove the pot. Throwing it in the sink, I noticed the white salt residue left behind. Turning on the cold water, I filled the pot.

My daughter comes in, sniffing the air suspiciously, and asks me what I burned. She makes it sounds as if I do it all the time. I hesitate telling her, finally I mutter, “Salt water.”

“You burnt water. I thought that was an old joke.” She shakes her head and walks away.

I go to the now cool pan and scrub around on the bottom only to discover it is mysteriously clean. Salt water does clean away burnt food.

 Cooking and writing do not mix. If I cook, I must stay in the kitchen. I picture my stove as having a malevolent personality that turns up the heat when I walk away. Whatever cause the stove to misbehave in such a fashion, I decide it needs watching. I have come to the assumption that I cannot write and cook at the same time. How about you?  

The Last Victim by Karen Robards is one of her latest romantic suspense stories with a paranormal twist. Ms. Robards’ reputation is for writing edgy tales. This book is no different, or is it? The romantic hero is a dead serial killer. Yep, you’ve read that right.

Charlie, our obsessed conflicted heroine, witnessed a serial killing when just in her teens. That marked her so much that she decides to study serial killers for the rest of her life. Yep, you read that right too. It is similar to someone one who experienced a shark attack immersing themselves in a shark tank every day for eight to ten hours. Not likely.

Garland our romantic lead starts the tale out alive. It is very important to know he’s the bad boys of all bad boys. He is so good looking and charming that Charlie has to mentally prepare herself for their encounters.  Apparently, not everyone at the prison finds him equally hot because one of the prisoners kills him.

The FBI shows up when another killing spree erupts similar to the one Charlie witnessed. Since she is a serial killer expert and she saw the previous killer, then she’s the perfect person to help. Oh, Garland her new ghost friend gets to travel with her. It is his job to taunt her with sexual suggestions and show up while she’s undressed.

This story offends me on so many levels. Let me say first, Robards is generally an excellent writer. I enjoyed her book, Maggie's Child where the woman actually escapes from an abusive husband. I have enjoyed several other of her tales, but not this one. There are logic holes big enough to drive a semi through.  At one point, Charlie remarks she has friends and activities outside the prison, but there is no evidence of any. Charlie is lonely, pathetic and difficult character similar to the serial killer groupies who write killers and send them gifts. Garland the ghost can become visible and physical when needed. I never heard that detail bout ghosts mentioned before. Charlie tries to justify her action by hooking up with a serial killer ghost by saying he doesn’t seem like he’d do such bad things. Okay, she’s an expert on serial killers, please. Can anyone say Ted Bundy here?