The Joy of Romance
August is Read-A-Romance Month (RARM) and I'm thrilled to help promote RARM, which Bobbi Dumas started three years ago--Thank you, Bobbi! You can find the list of authors blogging about The Joy of Romance all month long at readaromancemonth.com.
And see what other Tall Poppy Writers have to say about The Joy of Romance ... Anita Hughes CathyLamb Amy Reichert Sonja Yoerg Katie Moretti Amy Impellizzeri
How do you define romance? According to Urban Dicitionary.com -- true romance is doing something special or unexpected for someone you love, even though you don't have to--and there within lies the JOY. Romance can be as individual and unique as you are. There is no right or wrong way to show someone you care about them. A simple note left by the coffee pot, a text message with a heart emoticon or going out of your way to stop at the store and buy your partner's favorite candy after work. (My hubby always knows when I need my berry flavored Lifesaver gummies). These simple acts of kindness express your love and add so much JOY to your romance.
When your partner "romances" you with a special gift that's rooted in emotion and not their libido, you may find yourselves connecting on a deeper level, which will strengthen your committment to each other. Back to the Urban Dictionary definition...these special gifts and thoughtful gestures usually take us by surprise and happen when we least expect it. Too often the demands of daily life--work, raising children, paying bills--deplete our energy and we forget how important romance is to the overall emotional health of our relationship with our partner.
When was the last time you did something special or unexpected for your partner and what was it?
Giveaway Alert!!
I'm offering three winners a signed paperback of my Harlequin Special Release *The Cowboy Collection July 2015* (2 Novels in 1 book) : No Ordinary Cowboy and A Rodeo Man's Promise. All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog post. Domestic readers only --apologies to international readers.
QUESTIONS FOR THE AUTHOR:
1) A moment in my life when I experienced sheer joy…..
When I was able to call my mother and share the news that I had sold my first book to Harlequin. My mother had always been my biggest fan and encouraged me never to give up. I inherited my love of reading from her and wish she had been alive to share another writing milestone-the sale of my first women's fiction book...THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS (Berkley/NAL March 2016).
2) A place that brings me joy or is attached to a memory of joy…..
A library…I spent many summers as a child in my local library. My family rarely went on vacation but I was able to travel to faraway lands through books. I always feel at peace when I'm in a library—maybe because there's a sense of freedom, liberation in setting one's imagination free inside a book.
3) A sound that brings me joy, or is attached to a memory of joy…..
A train whistle…when I was a child, my mother would allow me and my brother to stay up past our bedtime on summer nights when it was too warm to sleep in the house. We'd sit on the front porch and tell ghost stories and listen to the train whistle echo when it traveled through town at the night.
4) A book I read that brought me so much joy I've never forgotten it… The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein—I read this book to my children when they were younger and it will always hold a special place in my heart, especially now that my kids are young adults and have chosen to pursue "giving" careers that help others--social work and clinical psychology.
5) Pick my Chris! …I pick Chris Rock because a lot of joy can be found in laughing so hard you cry. "I may not be Fred Flinstone, but I sure can make your bed rock."
Romance Book RECOMMENDATIONS
Young Adult fans, I highly recommend I'LL MEET YOU THERE by Heather Demetrios.
Women's Fiction Readers, I love Billie Letts' THE HONK and HOLLER OPENING SOON
Paranormal Romance fans, VENGENCE BORN by Kylie Griffin & THE FIVE DEATHS OF ROXANNE LOVE by Erin Quinn, and for western romance fans THE CASH BROTHERS series by me!
