Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband

Harlequin Blaze 10th Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Harlequin Blaze is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband is helping the party. Listen to us live on Monday August 29th at 9:00 PM Eastern as we welcome Blaze Senior Editor Brenda Chin for an hour of great discussion and fun. Scheduled to join Brenda are Blaze authors Cara Summers, Joanne Rock, Rhonda Nelson, Julie Leto, and Leslie Kelly.

Call in live to talk to some of your favorite Blaze authors at

(347) 215-7519

JOIN THE PARTY

and help celebrate

10 years of BLAZE!

Book Signing and LIVE Video Stream

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Saturday July 9th Leslie will be signing books at Turn The Page Bookstore which is located at 18 North Main Street in Boonsboro, MD. The event is scheduled from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. If past experience is any indication, it will likely run past 2:00.

Here's the full line up of authors:

Nora Roberts , JD Robb, Meg Cabot, Leslie Parrish/Kelly, Deanna Raybourn plus local authors Robert Savitt, Bob Hilton, Kathy Weller & Barbara Beadles

You may have heard of a few of those names. :-)

Details for the event can be found at the store's website.

As an extra treat, Avon Books and Avon Romance Live has arranged to broadcast a live video stream of the event starting at 11:00 AM Eastern. Go to the website to watch the event, ask questions, and even purchase autographed books! It's the next best thing to being there. The hashtag #romancelive is also trending on Twitter.

If you're local or traveling to the area try to stop in, if not tune in to the internet broadcast. It's sure to be a blast.

RELEASE DAY FOR COLD TOUCH!

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:07:00 +0000

I have read everything Leslie has written and I absolutely love her writing. Admittedly I may be just a little bit biased but only a little. I've told Leslie this and I'll say it again here in print...I believe that COLD TOUCH is the best book she's written (so far). This book simply must be noticed. Must be read. Please read it and help spread the word. You know how it's done. Post reviews, share on Facebook, Tweet, Retweet, talk it up...

I'm not the only one who thinks this is a great book. Here are just two of the great reviews it's received:

“This is truly a compelling and gut-wrenching tale. Parrish skillfully weaves paranormal elements into a taut murder mystery. Very rarely do you find an author who masters suspense, paranormal, character development, romantic conflict and resolution with such grace and ease. Parrish is top notch and this is a must-read for paranormal and suspense fans. 4 1/2 stars” – Romantic Times Magazine

“Parrish doesn’t do things by halves: the chemistry is hot, the bad guy is truly evil and the paranormal aspects are dark and haunting. Her full commitment to both romance and suspense heightens the impact and sweeps the reader along the twisty path to a satisfying climax.” – Publisher’s Weekly

Who doesn't want to be swept along a twisty path to a satisfying climax? Hey, Publisher's Weekly said it...

For some details on what's happening on release day and in the near future, check out Leslie's blog today over on Plotmonkeys. And for mercy's sake...Read. This. Book!

Happy Independence Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:00:00 +0000

I though I'd share one of my favorite rousing-the-troops-pre-battle-pep-talks. It just happens to be from the film INDEPENDENCE DAY. Today We Celebrate Our Independence!

The President's Speech
Independence Day — MOVIECLIPS.com

Happy Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Happy Summer Solstice!

I was inspired yesterday by Christina Dodd's story and photos of the construction of her own personal stone circle in her backyard (maybe Leslie should be worried, especially if a backhoe shows up in the driveway). This is one of my favorite pictures of me in the center of an ancient circle in Ireland during a family trip in 2005:

I hope this is the start of a wonderful Summer for everyone!

Countdown to RWA 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:07:00 +0000

One week from today will be the start of the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City. I know many of you are shifting into full gear for your preparations. What to bring? What to leave home? Which of your "conference clothes" to press into service, which to retire for this year? Sorting shoes. Etc., etc.

Leslie needs to be there over the weekend due to RWA board business. The kids and I will be joining her and doing our thing in NYC. I'll be in and around the conference hotel until at least Tuesday night, possibly Wednesday. If you're there and want to say hi please let me know.

One of the conference related events I do plan to attend will be the "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing on Tuesday June 28th from 5:30 to 7:30. Leslie will be signing both as Leslie Kelly and Leslie Parrish. Since they seat the authors alphabetically I'm not sure how they pull that off but if anybody can make it work it'll be Leslie. Check out the link at RWA for the full list of who will be signing:

http://www.rwa.org/cs/literacy_autographing

I'll be making the rounds saying hi to a few friends and also just maybe asking a few folks if they'd like to be guests on the Secrets BlogTalk Radio show. If you have a favorite author you'd like to hear on the show drop me a line and I'll see what I can do. I may even be doing some live updates so stay tuned.

Gotta run for now. Too many things to decide on for next week like, what shows to see and do I want Junior's or Lindy's cheesecake...

Never Forget

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:14:00 +0000

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

- Moina Michael

Secrets Welcomes Bestselling Author Kristan Higgins

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:19:00 +0000

KRISTAN HIGGINS

Wednesday April 13, 2011

9:00 - 10:00 PM EASTERN

Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband is thrilled to host two-time winner of the Romance Writers of America RITA Award and USA Today bestselling author Kristan Higgins! Kristan is known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies featuring regular people, quirky families, beautiful settings and, of course, adorable pets. Join us for what is sure to be an hour of fun. Mark it on your calendar and be sure to call in!

(347) 215-7519

Head over to the show page!

THE PLOTMONKEYS ARE COMING!

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:47:00 +0000

That's right. The Plotmonkeys are coming to the Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband show on BlogTalk Radio.

The Plotmonkeys are friends, plotting partners, and best-selling authors (left to right) Leslie Kelly, Carly Phillips, Janelle Denison, and Julie Leto.

Join us on

MONDAY February 28th at 8:00 PM Eastern

for a peek under the Plotmonkey Jungle canopy as we spend an hour talking books, writing, plotting, publishing, romance, fun, and maybe even a few secrets.

Listen to the show and join in the chatroom by going to the SECRETS show page.

Get your questions and comments ready and CALL IN LIVE at 347-215-7519 between 8:00 and 9:00 PM on Monday.

WORDS ARE MEANINGLESS

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:50:00 +0000

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My mind has been churning.

A couple of weeks ago I read a blog post about 'three things men should say to women more often". I liked the post and shared it on Facebook. One of my friends and long-time supporters of Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband commented, "saying it is nice, meaning it is even better".

Last week on my BlogTalk Radio show with guest Alisa Bowman the conversation turned to giving romance advice. I am often asked for such advice and I said I turn the request around and pose this question:

All other things being equal, if you suddenly lost the ability to speak and could never say the words “I love you” to your partner, if they never could hear those words from your lips again, how would they know you loved them?

The point is, it is not your words but your actions that truly convey your feelings.

Words ARE important. Words can be beautiful and moving. They can be hurtful and destructive. Words can be many things and evoke many emotions, but words are symbols. They represent other things. Thoughts, ideas, emotions, actions, objects, places, and on and on. They are the labels we place on things born from nature, from our imagination, and from our heart. The labels, however are not those things.

When someone "gives their word" there is an expectation. This expectation is met only when the actions are consistent with the words. Ultimately, words have no meaning unless backed by sincere sentiment and consistent action. I'll say it again, words have no meaning unless backed by sincere sentiment and consistent action.

Valentine's Day upon us. That time of year when romance writer's are tapped for interviews and advice on romance. When thousands are heading to the store to clog the card aisle. When heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are being sold by the truck load and guys are shelling out $100 for a dozen roses that normally cost $25. If want my advice on romance this Valentine's Day...I will ask you again:

Valentine's Day is a good start but please, men AND ladies, let's see if we can do it all year. Remember, CONSISTENT action. Not constant, that's too unrealistic. CONSISTENT. Walk the walk. Consider it a challenge. Join me in a new movement, and our mantra is simple. Repeat after me:

WORDS ARE MEANINGLESS

Let's see some action.

"I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." - Florence Nightingale

Alisa Bowman Will Be My Next Guest on February 5th

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:56:00 +0000

Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband welcomes Alisa Bowman to the show on Saturday February 5th at 2:00 PM Eastern.

Alisa is the owner of the very popular blog Project Happily Ever After and the author of the newly released book, Project: Happily Ever After, Saving Your Marriage When the Fairytale Falters.

From Alisa's website:

"In Project: Happily Ever After Alisa Bowman bravely tells the story of how she went from wishing her husband dead to renewing her wedding vows. Her four-month project was a last ditch effort to save a marriage that many—her friends, her colleagues and even her own mother—had written off as hopeless...In the first marital improvement book written from the perspective of a recovering divorce daydreamer, it tells an inspiring story coupled with straightforward, prescriptive guidance. Readers will laugh, cry, and, for once, feel oh so normal. And then they will save their marriages, too."

The book also offers great insight and guidance for couples contemplating marriage or happily married couples looking to stay happily married.

Join us on February 5th!

Teresa Medeiros Is My Next Guest!

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 01:46:00 +0000

I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that best selling author Teresa Medeiros will be joining me on Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband for an hour long visit. Teresa will be chatting about the release of her new book, GOODNIGHT TWEETHEART, a book about a man and woman who meet and fall in love on Twitter. We'll be taking calls, answering your questions, talking about her backlist, future projects, romance, cats, Star Trek, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, LOST, life in general, and who knows what else. Teresa is a terrific writer and a terrific person who I love spending time with. It will be a fun hour so get your questions ready and mark the following date a time on your calendar.

Thursday January 13th at 9:00 PM Eastern time

(My apologies to Grey's Anatomy Fans. I'll be recording it)

You can tune in on the Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband show page

or by going to the menu in the upper left of this page and clicking on "BlogTalk Radio Player".

The call in number is: 347-215-7519 (this is not a toll free number).

RWA 2011 Conference Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 03:23:00 +0000

As many of you know I joined Leslie in New York last week after the RWA Board meetings were concluded. We stayed in the conference hotel for the upcoming 2011 National conference. The Marriott Marquis on Times Square is beautiful. We weren't there for long but I spent some time checking the place out. I tried to look at it from the perspective of a conference attendee so I focused on a few things I knew would be important.

The Hotel is 45 stories. Our room was on the 44th floor. When you enter the hotel from the street you are greeted by an information desk, an escalator, and a bank of elevators. There is also a Starbucks but it's not very big and keep in mind it is also accessible to non-hotel guests passing on the street. Floors 2 through 8 are serviced a series of escalators in addition to the elevators. I'm told that a lot of the conference workshops and functions will be held on these floors and the hotel encourages liberal use of escalators on these levels. The actual lobby of the hotel is located on the 8th floor. Once there you are greeted by a 37 story open atrium with a central column which houses the high speed glass elevators. More about the elevators in a minute.

The 8th floor has a series of shops as well as the hotel's second Starbucks. I'm not sure about the weekday hours but this Starbucks closed about 30 seconds after I arrived in the lobby at around 1:00 PM on a Sunday. There are also several restaurants and bars on this level. One of these areas, the Atrium Lounge has a very large and comfortable seating area. When I arrived on Sunday the bar in the middle of the lounge was closed but many of the seats and tables were being used by people having impromptu meetings or just killing time waiting for someone. This particular area takes up a sizable portion of the atrium floor near the desk and I saw nothing to indicate it was a "restaurant". On Monday, while Leslie was on a business call I ventured down to the lobby, picked up a coffee and headed to this lounge to check my email and chill. I put my things down on a table and before I even reached for the chair a waitress approached and informed me the "no outside food or beverages are allowed in the restaurant." Sorry to say that unless you're having something in the restaurant during business hours, this very large, very useful meeting area is off limits.

We did have drinks in one of the lounges which overlooks Times Square. The service was a bit slow (I also heard this from others who had been there all weekend) and the prices were very New York. House Chardonnay $12 a glass, Sam Adams on Tap $8.

Internet is available in the hotel. In your room it can be accessed by connecting with a cable and purchasing the business package for $17 per day (which includes unlimited telephone long distance). Wireless Internet is available in the hotel common areas for $9.95 per 24 hour period or $2.95 for 15 minutes (and $0.25 each additional minute). Be careful if you choose to pay and use it for only one day. Leslie did this and although she only used it one day it automatically billed each day thereafter. The hotel was very happy to remove the additional charges.

While on the subject of the staff, in the short time I was there everyone I observed and/or interacted was very friendly, professional, and competent.

I promised more about the elevators. This hotel is equipped with a "state of the art" high-tech elevator control system which is supposed to move guests to their floors more quickly and avoid elevator congestion (which you regular conference goers know can be a huge problem in some hotels). The system is easy to use once you figure it out. That also is the biggest problem I noticed - the only time(s) the system seemed to get bogged down or not work efficiently was when people who didn't know how it worked tried to use it. With that in mind I though I'd provide a little instructional to make you all experts before you get there.

Step 1. When you approach the bank of elevators you'll see this control pad:

There are NO Up and Down buttons. You approach this pad and simply press the number of the floor you wish to go to.

Step 2: The system assigns an elevator (lettered A, B, C, etc.) and even points you in the right direction.

Step 3: You go to the assigned elevator and wait for the doors to open.

Step 4: Once inside there are no floor buttons, only the few you see here:

Step 5: You watch the two display panels. The one on the left (with the 37) indicates the current floor and direction, the one on the right will have a list of the floors the elevator is traveling to. It is a glass elevator so alternatively you could turn around and enjoy the view, unless you don't like heights.

Piece of cake. There, now you're a pro and you won't gum up the works when you get there.

If you need a little more help here is a short video of me walking through the process:

I hope this helps. There is one more very important thing. Please make note of the dates for the conference. It runs from June 28th through July 1st. This is TUESDAY through FRIDAY. This is a change from previous years. The entire conference has been slipped back a day. This means the conference concludes with the RITA awards on FRIDAY night just before the 4th of July weekend - in New York City. Please make your travel plans accordingly (and bring your patience). You can get more information on RWA's conference website.

Roxanne St. Claire TODAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Join special guest Roxanne St. Claire today on Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband on BlogTalk Radio. We'll be talking to Roxanne about EDGE OF SIGHT, book one in her great new series The Guardian Angelinos. The show in LIVE today at 2:00 PM EST and you can call in to talk to Roxanne at 347-215-7519.

Check it out at Amazon

...they work a wonder Nature cannot do...

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:11:00 +0000

How Nature Plays At Wedding

By Robert King

How Nature plays at wedding: she’s consumed

by matchmaking bees; by moon and stars that dance

with Earth; by continents that, every chance,

collide, just trying to unite, but doomed

to birth mere hills and ridges. She can’t wear

the wedding gown, or ring. She’s not a she

to meet a man and mate. She can’t agree,

dispute, apologise, or fear, or dare

as wedded couples do. A star stays true

to course by gravity, but spouses stay

by weight of choice; together every day

they work a wonder Nature cannot do:

this touch of hands moves more than rock or hill;

this touch of lips moves mind and heart and will.

Mary Jo Putney

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

I'm very excited to have Mary Jo Putney as my guest tomorrow on Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband on Blog Talk Radio. The show will air LIVE tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM EASTERN time and will run until 3:00 PM. We will take live callers during the show so please get your questions ready. The call in number is:

1 (347) 215-7519

There are a few ways you can get to the show. The most direct is simply going to my show page on Blog Talk Radio. The player should start automatically. There is also a link which will take you directly to the page for this specific episode. Going to this page will give you the opportunity to join the text chat room which will be open and active during the show. You can join the chat as a guest but it's to your benefit to register with Blog Talk Radio in advance and log in.

Just a quick reminder, if you haven't already, please take a few minutes to take the romance survey. You can get to it by clicking on the banner at the top of the page. I'd really appreciate it if you could spread the word to others in your travels, the higher the number sampled, the better the results. I'd also like to hear from DHs and Significant Others as well as from Non-Romance Readers. So test your powers of persuasion and see if you can get your Hubby, boyfriend, and non-romance reading friends or family members (you know you have some) to sit down for a few minutes to answer some questions.

I'm looking forward to a great show on Saturday and hopefully you'll be able to join us. Now if I can only shake this ill-timed cold that I now have. Hopefully I won't cough through the whole thing. If that sounds like it's going to happen, I need you all to promise you'll help me out by calling and asking lots of questions. I know I can count on you.

September 11, 2001

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:20:00 +0000

A Real Man - Friday Funny

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Couldn't resist.

A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never stand her up and never let her down.

He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires.

He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible woman she can be.

No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of wine.

Never mind.

Best Day and Time for the Radio Show?

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:57:00 +0000

As I've mentioned, I'm working on setting up guests for the Secrets Blogtalk radio show. We did the first episode on a Saturday afternoon and it seemed to work out well but I thought I'd solicit your help before trying to settling on a "regular" time slot. I put together a little poll and if you could take a few seconds I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

My Elevator Pitch

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Over the weekend I was corresponding with an author who has agreed to be my next guest on the Secrets Blogtalk radio show. Sorry, I'm not revealing her identity just yet. We're still working out the details but I'll be announcing the next show soon and I promise it will be someone you will love hearing from (and speaking with).

In my email to her I provided all my links and information about the previous show so she could see what she was getting herself into (and she still agreed!). I wanted to give her ideas about what we might talk about and thought it would be useful to explain, in a nutshell, what this project is about. Rereading what I had written started me thinking (always dangerous).

Leslie and I have an interest in screenwriting. One of the things you learn about pitching your script is that you need to develop the ability to summarize the concept simply, concisely, and in as few words as possible.The elevator pitch. It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to have an elevator pitch for Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband and to share it here.

Men aren't complete idiots (at least not all the time) but they can do better. They need advice they can understand.
Romance writers and readers, whether they realize it or not are experts, better qualified than most PhDs and relationship researchers, and are in possession of this advice.
I want be a facilitator for sharing that information.
If, along the way I can be a champion for the romance genre and romance in general, then I will be delighted to do what I can.

I know. Probably still too long, but I haven't mastered the art yet. Hopefully the elevator's still moving. In any case, I see a problem, the solution of which would benefit everyone involved. I see an untapped resource rich with information that would aid in solving the problem. While I have plenty of opinions (just ask Leslie), I don't have all the answers so I will need to confer with the real experts. You. I'll be asking for you help, input, and dialog, so don't be shy, we're all in this together.

The Picture That Launched a Thousand Pirate Jokes

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is about romance and who knows more about romance than romance writers? Book stores know this. That's why it makes perfect sense to have an event featuring local romance writers at a book store on Valentine's Day. And that's exactly what happened. Leslie and others from the local writer's group were asked to appear at the book store to participate in the event. They were asked to read romantic passages from books of their choosing. Leslie asked me to help and we read from The Notebook.

What Leslie didn't know was that prior to the event I made some preparations for my own Valentine's Day celebration. After we finished reading I slipped out to the car and got changed. I reentered the store, walked up to Leslie and presented her with a rose and a parchment on which I had copied a verse by hand in calligraphy. Someone snapped the picture you see here.

I was working at the Kennedy Space Center at the time. The story got out, as did the picture. Both made the rounds of pretty much every NASA center. To this day I get pirate jokes whenever I run into old friends at my annual professional conference.

This event was more or less the start of all the "Bruce is a romantic guy" talk. Whatever. As I've said all along I don't have a problem showing my wife how I feel about her. Here's two "secrets" to being romantic. Number one. You can't just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. You can say "I love you" and all the other things that get said but unless your actions consistently match what you're saying...they're just words. Number two. You can't care about how those actions make you look to other people.

Top 10 Dinners When Mom's On Deadline

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

DISCLAIMER

I love to cook
I do not in any way operate under the arcane belief that I am the man, she is the woman, therefore she must cook and have my dinner on the table when I get home.
From a purely practical standpoint, though Leslie has a full time job (in reality, more than full time) she does work from home which means no commuting. I have two to three hours of commuting everyday plus my nine hour work schedule. I'm effectively gone for twelve or more hours a day and usually don't get home before 7:00 PM. So it generally makes sense for her to do dinner. She is also a great cook.
This is not in any way intended as criticism. It's just the way it is.
Some of the things on the list are not favorites, especially of the kids. Under normal circumstances there may be a brave soul who will complain. Under normal circumstance. We're talking deadline here. We all know to tread lightly and stay under the radar...

So with input from the kids, here is the top ten list of dinners when mom is on a deadline (in no particular order).

Hamburger Helper - I used to make this for the kids when they were little and Leslie was working evenings. They are now old enough to make it themselves. I generally used the microwave method. I only recently learned from the Hamburger Helper connoisseurs which they have obviously become that they prefer the stove-top method. Who knew?
Pizza - Kid number 2 had a part-time job at Pizza Hut during which time we discovered that their Chicken Alfredo Pasta is pretty darn good so often it's pizza and pasta.
Leftovers - pretty self-explanatory and the option most likely to be met with resistance from the trenches. Especially if it was something that was complained about when it wasn't a leftover.
Grilled Cheese and Soup - Usually tomato. What's not to love?
Chinese Food - Rarely objected to but does require a side trip to Subway, McDonalds, or another fast food establishment in order to accommodate the one kid who does not like Chinese.
Leftover Buffet - Differs from ordinary left overs in variety and volume and that it also serves the additional function of emptying the refrigerator. Basically involves pulling containers from the fridge, opening them, asking "when did we have this?", performing a visual examination and nasal appraisal in order to determine eatability, putting them on the counter and saying "have whatever you want in whatever combination appeals to you". Knock yourself out, good luck and via con Dios.
Hot dogs with Mac & Cheese - Again, pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes we get really wild and break out the sauerkraut.
Fast Food - I know. What can I say? This one actually isn't as easy as it sounds. Everyone has their preferences as to establishment as well as offerings within. Trying to get everyone to first make a decision AND have that decision involve only one stop at only one fast food restaurant is a true lesson in patience.
Breakfast - I believe this one to be everyone's favorite. Not talking cereal here. Full out breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes...
I have a day off and I cook - Usually something requested from my not terribly extensive repertoire or something new that I've been wanting to try out from my very extensive collection of recipes collected over the years. Doesn't happen nearly often enough.

So there you have it. A peek inside the glamorous life of the romance writer and her family. Now you know what's likely to be on the menu when Leslie's on a deadline and I pull the velvet cord to ask Jeeves what Cook has made for dinner. Bon appetit!

Men lack proper direction

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Continued from Friday...

So what's a guy to do? Well, unfortunately one of the male stereotypes that does seem to be true is that men generally don’t like to ask directions. Nor do they seem to like reading instructions. In spite of this I’d bet that almost all men have, at some point, wished – begged – for an instruction manual for how to have a relationship with a woman. Even the most confident of us will admit to sometimes wishing for a guide to help him through the foreign and sometimes hostile land of romance and relationships.

If only such a guide existed. Think of the possibilities. Imagine, a book that presented detailed examples of romantic relationships between men and women. Relationships that work. Relationships that solve problems and have happily-ever-afters. Example after example of idealized relationships that women fantasize about having with men who treat them the way they wish they could be treated. Oh, if only such a guide existed.

I’m here to give testimony that it does. That’s right. It does exist. This collection of manuals is readily available and is read by millions of women each year right under the noses of men. Even if men noticed they wouldn’t recognize it for what it was because it’s written in a language that most men don’t understand and it has been disguised as fiction and cleverly hidden in plain view like Edgar Allen Poe’s “Purloined Letter”.

This invaluable resource is called the ROMANCE NOVEL.

Yes, romance novels. Romance novels where the hero is strong, confident and always knows how to treat the heroine. Romance novels which are read by about 50 million women a year and in 2008 generated almost $1.4 BILLION in sales. Romance novels which are an endlessly brimming resource full of relationship guidance. The women who read these books and the women who write them obviously know something and it’s time that men learned a thing or two from the people that know.

Any military strategist will tell you that in order to plan a successful military operation you must have intelligence. That is, accurate and reliable information. An age old way of getting that information is to have someone on the inside. In this case that someone is me. My wife, Leslie Kelly/Leslie Parrish, is a multi-published professional writer of romance novels whose first book was released in 1999. Since that time I have been immersed in the world of romance writing. Manuscripts, workshops, national and regional conferences, critique groups, publishing houses, book signings, editors, agents, romance writers by the hundreds. I’ve been in the middle of it all and I’m ready to talk. Not about juicy gossip but about information that guys can use to improve their relationships with women. I want to translate and give men access to the manual that can help them change our image from cluelessness to confidence.

And that folks is the goal of this endeavor.

Author Chat With Leslie Kelly/Parrish

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Just a reminder to tune in to Secrets of a Romance Writer's Husband on Blog Talk Radio today at 1:00 PM Eastern time.

Leslie will be answering questions and talking about her recent release COLD SIGHT from NAL as well as her other books from both NAL and Harlequin. You can call in and talk, join in the chat room, or just listen to the show live. If you can't make it while we're on the air check my show page on Blog Talk Radio any time to listen to the recorded show or download it from iTunes.

To get to the show either follow the link above or click on the Blog Talk Radio tab in the upper left where you'll find an embedded player.

We hope you can join us!

Men do not have a clue...?

noreply@blogger.com (Bruce) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

That’s the message repeated over and over in almost every medium across the country and perhaps the world. Prime time television shows starring husband as buffoon. Commercials presenting helpless and haplessly incompetent fathers. Magazines, movies, mainstream media, and even “bona fide” scientific studies all paint a picture of men as inept, clueless fools and insensitive louts. When man stands alone in this unflattering portrait his image appears less than stellar, however, at no time is his cluelessness more apparent than when he is posed next to a woman. This is where the real analysis begins. Where the natural tendency to compare and contrast kicks into high gear. Where the compare is given a cursory glance then abandoned by the wayside and the focus quickly turns to contrast.

He is from a different planet. He is living in a different era. He has a different brain and different chemistry. His brain is located in his penis and he follows where it leads. He has no brain at all. He has different needs and most certainly has only one thing on his mind – ALWAYS. He doesn’t listen. He doesn’t understand the problem but he wants to fix it anyway. He IS the problem and he has no interest in fixing it. He thinks but doesn’t feel. He feels but can’t share. He can’t communicate. He’s brutish and much too chauvinistic or he’s weak and much too sensitive. He’s too focused on his career yet he’s an irresponsible child in an adult body.

Is all of this true? Is any of it? The most likely answer is…maybe. Depending on the artist and whether the portrait is painted with a broad brush these generalizations can certainly seem to make a great deal of sense. Even when looked at individually these statements have the potential to be true for almost any man depending on a specific relationship with a specific woman at a specific point in his life. The portrait is a moment frozen in time. A snapshot. The truth is that men AND women are both human and both living on Earth. And all of us are subject to human weaknesses and human strengths.

Men and women learn how to relate to the opposite sex first by observing their parents or other adults who serve as examples, some good, some not. These observations serve as a basis but from this point on usually it’s all life experience and trial and error. Sometimes luck intervenes and produces a happily-ever-after but judging by the 50% divorce rate in the U.S. it seems the odds are about even that it could be a not-so-happy ending. The lives of two or more people are at stake when a relationship fails and that is a lot to leave up to chance. The issue isn’t whether men are jerks or clueless or whether or not all those stereotypes are true. The issue is that guys need help learning how to relate to women. Not only do they not have access to the right information but they’ve been trained to believe they don’t need it. In the words of Gordon Clay of Menstuff.org, "Man's inherent nature is to be curious, gentle, intimate, responsible, enthusiastic, sensual, tolerant, courageous, honest, vulnerable, affectionate, proud, spiritual, committed, wild, nurturing, peaceful, helpful, intense, compassionate, happy and to fully and safely express all emotions. When will we stop training him to be otherwise?"

To be continued...