Don’t you love lists? Especially arbitrary ones? And don’t you hate it when you have to wait through all the lesser items before you get to the number one? Let’s cut to the chase. Here is my unscientific determination of the top romantic gesture: FLOWERS Giving flowers is the number one romantic gesture. Why? Picture … Read more
When I was handed a promotional trading card at a romance writers’ conference, the cover model somehow looked familiar. Many romance book covers have similar poses and styles of illustration, but this one had me asking, “Where have I seen this guy before?” Turns out, quite a few places. Today, small press publishers, self-publishers, and … Read more
We’ve all heard about famous women stalkers, such as the crazy lady in the movie Fatal Attraction, and the real-life astronaut who had plans to kill her rival for another woman’s affections. Then of course there’s the Long Island teenager who tried to murder the wife of her married lover. Over-the-top fiction or tabloid news … Read more
Have the long-stemmed red roses wilted yet? Did he bring you a heart-shaped box of candy, even though you’re always on a diet because you think your behind is too big? Are you now the proud owner of a random piece of expensive jewelry and no place to wear it? What about all those “seasonal” … Read more
We’re excited to announce the release of “Sticky Girls: Why Women Stay in Bad Relationships” just in time for Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to stop being a Sticky Girl! STICKY GIRLS: WHY WOMEN STAY IN BAD RELATIONSHIPS By May Woodworth Keep attracting the wrong type of guy? Do you stay … Read more
The ideal of romantic love is to find your soul mate, the one person with whom you can be happily together the rest of your life. That’s a long time these days, often as much as sixty years. Sixty years could seem like life without parole in some marriages, and not enough time in others. … Read more
Green is the theme this time around, as I bring you images from the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book conference. I like to pick up promotional materials at the conference and analyze them. You get to look at the pretty pictures. Of three promotional postcards, our first is Jaded, by … Read more
This panel from Superman #141, published nearly fifty years ago, is to me the most heartbreaking comic book panel ever produced. Why? Because in it, Lyla Lerrol is shown realizing that the man she loves, Superman, has been ripped away from her and can never return. There are no words. There is no need for … Read more
There’s a lovely, sentimental song in that old Broadway musical, Call Me Madam. It’s called “Marrying for Love,” and is sung memorably by George Sanders in the movie version. Strangely, this song claims that marrying for love is “an old-fashioned ideal.” But marrying for love is actually a “newfangled” ideal. The genuinely old-fashioned ideal was, … Read more
Now’s your chance to win a free eBook copy of In Pursuit of Miriam, a new regency romance by Helen A. Grant. See below for the first question. Have fun. Be creative. Email your answer to helenannettegrant@gmail.com. Helen will announce the first winner on August 24th. Good Luck! Look for the release of In Pursuit … Read more
