Leave Romance Novels Alone--A Rant.

I read the following article on the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/31/romance-novels_n_869004.html ) After seeing it discussed a lot today on Twitter amongst the romance community. If you haven’t seen it, take a look.

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Romance novels can be as addictive as pornography

May 30th, 2011 @ 6:07pm

By Kimberly Sayer-Giles, ksl.com contributor

SALT LAKE CITY -- Romance novels are a booming business. Analysts believe book sales are increasing because romance novels provide a perfect escape during tough times.

Romance novels revenue topped $1.36 billion last year, while religious, self-help and inspirational books combined sold only $770 million. Romance novels accounted for 55 percent of all the popular mass-market fiction sold.

This seemingly harmless pastime, however, is not as harmless as it may seem.

“In fact, some marriage therapists caution that women can become as dangerously unbalanced by these books’ entrancing but distorted messages as men can be by the distorted messages of pornography,” said best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn, who studies the differences between men and women.

“There is a neurochemical element with men and visual porn, but an emotional element with women and these novels," she wrote.

Men are very visual, and viewing pornography produces a euphoric drug in the body. This drug is the reason pornography becomes addictive. When the natural high wears off, a man will crash and feel depressed (as happens with any drug) and crave another hit.

Women are more stimulated by romance than sex, so when they read romantic stories (and they don’t have to be explicit to work) they can experience the same addicting chemical release as men do.

For many women, these romance novels may be more than a necessity; they may be an addiction -- and Slattery said she is seeing more and more women who are clinically addicted to romantic books.

Many women do not see their love for reading romantic books as a problem, while others are admitting dissatisfaction in their marriages that may stem from reading these types of books.

“For many women, these novels really do promote dissatisfaction with their real relationships,” Slattery wrote.

Women may find their standard for intimacy begins to change over time because may not be able to get as satisfied with their partners as they can reading a book.

Pornography addiction counselor Vickie Burress said reading romance novels or viewing pornography may eventually lead to an affair for some women.

"Women involved in pornography have a hard time keeping their family together,” she said.

Help fighting the addiction

If romance novels are a problem for you, there are things you can do.

First, commit to stop reading any books that are contributing to this problem. Recognizing you have a problem and making a firm commitment to quit is the most important step.

Then, commit to working on your real relationship, if you are in one. Spend alone time with your partner on a regular basis. Invest in help to make that time more enjoyable. Read self-help books together or contact a relationship professional or coach, who can help you to rekindle the flame in your marriage.

If you are not in a real relationship, you may want to focus on finding one. Are you spending time reading instead of getting out there making new friends and meeting people? There are many kinds of social groups you could join.

Find a hobby or other activity you could do instead of reading romantic books. Get some exercise, take up a sport, learn to paint or play a musical instrument.

If you love to read, just choose a different type of book. There are many interesting choices that do not include arousing scenes. Try some books on creating healthy relationships or self-improvement.

There is a wonderful real world out there to explore. Get out there and invest in your real life.



Kimberly Sayer Giles is the founder and president of LDS Life Coaching and www.claritypointcoaching.com and was named one of the top 20 Advice Guru's in the country by GMA. She is a popular speaker and life coach who resides in Bountiful Utah.

Okay? We’ve all read the article now? Good. I don’t usually respond to articles by blogging about them. Oh sure, occasionally I rant on Facebook or Twitter. More of then that, I let my family hear me roar until I feel better or they’ve had enough, whichever comes first. But today, I’ve decided to write a blog post about it.

Like everything else in this blog, which is entitled Rebecca’s Random Musings, these are my opinions and should be taken as such. Also, I have been known, on more than one occasion, to change my mind about things. I think most of us, if we are honest, do this a lot. Or at least I hope people do.

Lately, I feel like every time I turn around someone is attacking Romance Writers or Romance Books. Just a few weeks ago, I was hugely impressed by the outcry of the Romance Community on the side of a woman who writes erotic romance novels. Some local people had found out that she wrote for Ellora’s Cave, a publisher whose work I love to read and who publishes some of my favorite authors, and had decided to petition to have her removed from her teaching job because she must be looking at their children in inappropriate ways.

There was so much wrong with their arguments and I really don’t want to rehash the whole thing right now. From what I understand, their witch-hunt didn’t go very far and I am very grateful to hear that.

But here we are today. Romance Novels are helping to destroy marriages. Really? You’re serious about this?

Let me ask you a question. How many of you have heard about a couple that divorced because the husband looked at porn? It might just be me, but I have never heard a friend, colleague, or acquaintance tell me that they divorced because their significant other looked at too much porn.

But I digress. Because the argument here—that Romance Novels are akin to Porn—just doesn’t hold up for me.

Let’s talk about what a Romance Novel really is. It’s a Novel. It is words on a page put together by an author, or sometimes authors, for the purpose of entertainment. For the most part escapism, but I would hasten to say that I have read several highly researched Romance Novels that I would hold up against books I read in college where I graduated with a degree in English.

So why is everyone always up in arms about the Romance Novel? I don’t hear people getting that upset about say Horror Books or Suspense Novels or the books my parents like that usually have an old, worn out former police officer chasing serial killers all over the country? Why decide to blame the Romance Novel for the breaking down of marriages?

Oh yes, I know. Sex. Yes I said it. The three little letters that makes some people really uncomfortable. Sex. Sex. Sex.

If a woman is reading a book that has SEX in it than she must somehow be causing a problem with her marriage. She must somehow be neglecting her husband’s real needs because she is reading about Vampires falling in love. She must not be fulfilling her real life obligations because she is reading about SEX.

Most of the people I know who read Romance Novels do not read them for the sex. Oh sure. They like it in there. It’s fun to read the smutty words telling you about adventurous things you would not or possibly could not get away with in real life.

They read the books because they believe in love. And who believes in love? Mostly its people who are, in fact, in love. People who don’t believe in love are not, in general, reading romance novels. Why would they waste their time? They don’t like the subject.

But all of that aside, I also can’t help but wonder if we spend so much time attacking Romance Novels because women read them. And anything a Woman does, even in 2011, that somehow takes her away from what is considered her essential roles: family, work, responsibility—that must be to blame for the breakup of her marriage. It’s a problem that she spends so much time reading? She should—what was it the article said—take up a hobby? It won’t be a problem for her marriage if she spends too much time collecting stamps? Somehow that won’t break up her marriage?

This self-proclaimed romance writer and reader is rolling her eyes today. Come on, get a life.

“Oh you know John and Jane, their marriage broke up because Jane read too many Romance Novels.”

Happy Birthday To My Brother!

I love you!!

Happy Memorial Day

To all my friends and family in the United States, Happy Memorial Day! As we pause today to remember why we have this holiday, I'd like to thank all our men and women who serve in our Armed Forces as well as their families who sacrifice so much to help ensure our freedom.

Enjoy your parties and sales!! Don't get sunburned.

Best

Rebecca Royce

Six Sentence Sunday

Here are six from my story Behind The Scenes soon to be released by Decadent Publishing.

But her body had liked the attention. It had been too long since someone she was attracted to had looked at her like that, and she’d craved him since she’d watched his movie the week before. But there was nothing to be done about it. She needed to ignore how wet her panties had gotten. Still, the British accent would feature heavily in tonight’s fantasies. She tried to picture it as she picked up her pace to a near gallop, but it was no use. Her imagination didn’t want to wait until she was alone in bed to think about him and the things they could do together.

What Is Your Favorite Movie?

And what do you love about it?

For me, I love the Usual Suspects because I think it is brilliant storytelling. It is one of the few movies that I legitimately did not see the ending coming. And Kevin Spacey is amazing in it. Oh my goodness.

How about you?

Eh

I'm a red-head. A real life, pale skinned, freckled red-head. The sun, as much as I love it, does not love me. I can't spend five minutes outside in really hot son even wearing the highest level of sunblock without burning instantly. I love the beach as long as it has a TON of shade. I spend most of my time running for the shade when I am outside in the sun.

That being said, I also don't do all that well in winter. I hate the cold and if I don't wear sunblock I burn on the top of ski mountains.

Out of the two, I actually prefer the sun because there is, at least, the possibility of finding the shade and running for it or finding the perfect shade and sitting still in it. Long walks on the beach? Not til five pm at least.

But it is Memorial Day weekend in the United States and everyone around here will be outside in the sun tanning their pasty white bodies until they've gained a healthful glow. Not me. I'll be inside.

We are not going away this long weekend. So I feel sort of 'eh' about the whole thing because while I know I would spend the whole time running for the shade and come back home as pale as I was when I left--or maybe worse, red--I would prefer that to the alternative, not doing it.

Hope you guys have a great weekend!!

An Additional Thank You

Pippa Jay nominated me for the same Blog Award from yesterday. I am so touched and honored. If you are not following Pippa, you should be. Here is the URL of her blog!

Go check her out!!

The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award!!

So first of all, let me thank Lyn Midnight for nominating me and my little blog here for this lovely award!! Thank you Lyn!! I really appreciate it. If you are not following her, well you should be. You can find her blog here. Its really cool! I highly, highly recommend it. She just rocks!! You can find her on twitter. She is: lympha13. Check her out!!

Anyway, the rules of this award are as follows:

1. Thank and Link To the Person who Nominated You. --I have done this. Thank you again Lyn! She is linked above but just in case here she is again.

2. Share Seven Random Facts About Yourself. --Look Below

3. Pass the Award on to 15 deserving blog buddies.---15 seems like a lot. I will do my best.

4. Contact those buddies to let them know. ---Okay, will do.

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Seven Facts About Me:

1. I'm 5 foot 10 inches tall. Like it now, hated it as a teenager. Imagine, all the boys were five feet tall.

2. I hace broken my left foot. I walk around all day in this huge black boot. The whole world can hear me coming.

3. I have 3 children. All boys. Hence the problem with the broken foot.

4. I am absolutely obsessed with the A & E Pride and Prejudice. The old one. With Collin Firth. Oh my god. Love it.

5. I reread Lora Leigh's breed books when I need comfort food for my brain

6. I'm a worrier. I worry about everything. I'm worrying about this post right now.

7. I love Broadway shows and I think The Book of Mormon may be the best show I've ever seen.

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And my 15 winners are.

1. Sara Brookes http://www.sarabrookes.net/

2. Hailey Edwards http://haileyedwards.net/blog/

3. Kim Knox http://darknessandromance.com/

4. Lisa Fox http://lisafoxromance.wordpress.com/

5. Layna Pimentel http://laynap.wordpress.com/

6. Alana Coca http://alannacoca.com/blog/

7. Gem Sivad http://www.gemsivad.com/blog/

8. Graylin Fox http://www.graylinfox.com/

9. Stacey Kennedy http://www.staceykennedy.com/blog/

10. Liia Ann White http://www.liia-ann.com/

11. Jessica Subject http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/

12. Dee Carney http://www.deecarney.com/blog/

13. Zee Monodee http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com/

14. Annie Nicholas http://annienicholas.blogspot.com/

15. D.L. Jackson http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.com/

That is 15!! Enjoy!! I do!!

Writing Sprints

Yesterday, I had what I like to think of as a writing sprint. Some days its hard to write a single word. To make my self-imposed word count deadline I have to focus until my head hurts. But, every once in a while, like today, I go through a writing sprint. I cannot get the words out fast enough. I can write 6-12 thousand words in a single day.

I love these days. So much gets done. But what triggers it to happen? I have no idea. Does this ever happen to you? Or can you ever read a ton one day and then not read very much the next?

How do your stories come to you?

How do your stories come to you?

For me they stem from the characters. For example, right now as I write the last chapter of my work-in-progress, I am thinking of the next book in the series. I can see the beginning of the next book. The two characters meet in an odd way. I'm not entirely certain what happens next but I can see the 'meet.' Thats how my books get created.

How does it work for you?

Its Mermaid Week At Paranormal Romantics

Please join the amazing Dee Carney in her guest blog for me today at Paranormal Romantics.

Backing up my computer

My recent foray into near-computer disaster-ville has me very concerned with backing up EVERYTHING I have. I've spent most of the morning working on this problem. Needless to say, I don't foresee this as being a day in which I get very much writing accomplished.

Later today I have to take my middle child to the doctor. This will probably eat up most of the afternoon.

Oh well.

I hope you all have more creatively productive days than me!

Six Sentence Sunday

Today, I thought I would use six sentences from my short story One Night With A Wolf. This story is part of the 1NS series with Decadent Publishing. Anyone interested in finding out more about this series can read about the series here. It is a multi-author series with many authors adding their stories to it's unique world. I know there are many 6 Sentence Sunday authors who are part of this series.

Anyway, my story One Night With A Wolf is coming out June 4th.

And here are 6 Sentences from it:

His stomach rolled again. “Listen.” He hated to admit what he knew he had to say almost as much as he would hate to confess his wolf-problem. “I’m really not doing well with this spinning restaurant thing. I would love to keep talking to you, maybe buy you dinner or something, but I can’t do it here.”

She nodded her head as if she considered his words. “You suffer from motion sickness?”

New Cover Goodness--Angel's Wolf

What frightens you??

I'll admit it. I have a lot of fears. Maybe more than other people. They're not just little 'oh my goodnesses' but actual 'AHHH, I don't want to deal with this things. The bugs above? Yes. They're one of them. My entire life, for whatever reason, bugs have chosen my room, my side of the bed, or wherever I am sitting to choose to go. I've had two bugs arrive to my side of the bed that were so big we thought they must be prehistoric. I don't live in a place that particularly lends itself to large insects. And yet...they find me.
Years ago, when I first moved to New Orleans where I lived for three years, a few of us decided to get out town during one of the tourist events. We drove to Biloxi, Mississippi. That was the first time I saw purple lightening. It was coming down over the ocean. I'll admit, it was pretty. But, I wasn't consumed with the loveliness. No. Because when I was ten years old and in sleep away camp the bunk I was staying in was struck my lightening. I'll never forget that noise and the bright light or the terror. My childhood home was struck not once but twice. (We fortunately had a lightening rod.) Yeah...I don't like lightening. During really bad storms while my family sleeps, I hide under my covers and try to will the storm away.
I love to go new places. This is a problem because of my absolute fear of plane crashes. Well, most people are afraid of the plane going down. But, in my life, my Uncle died in a plane crash. And then years later, on the other side of the family, my Aunt's brother and sister-in-law were killed in a major commercial airline crash. I fly because I have to in order to live the life I want but I don't like it. No, not at all.

How about all of you? What frightens you??

Waiting on Submissions

So lets face it. Part of a writer's--at least this writer's--life is waiting on submissions. I wait for a lot of things. In my instant gratification-esque mentality, it is usually a good thing for me to calm down and develop the patience I lecture my children to have on a regular basis.

But, I thought I would give an example of what I do when I am waiting on a submission. (One that I know, for example, I am not likely to have a response to for six weeks.)

1. Get up in the morning. Wake husband. Turn on the computer.

2. Check e-mail. Scan through e-mail twice to make sure I have not missed e-mail from publishing company. Check junk e-mail to make sure that my response from publishing company has not accidently gotten into junk e-mail folder. Check again. Read the rest of my e-mails. Respond to those that need responses.

3. Take the kids to school. Check Twitter, Facebook, Post, Give responses. (Sometimes these two are reversed. Sit down to write.

4. Check clock. Has enough time passed? Maybe. Check e-mail. Check junk e-mail.

5. Post on Twitter, eat lunch, write, read, pick up children, write, pick up more children, take children places, make phone calls--generally try to get through day. Check e-mail on I-phone. Check it again.

6. Come home and check e-mail again and check junk e-mail.

7. Eat dinner.

8. Check e-mail.

Are you getting the drift here? I'm lucky I don't sprain my fingers clicking on the e-mail button constantly. So if you are out there, rapidly checking your e-mail on submissions you can't possibly have heard from yet, you are not alone.

This writer does it too.

Its Shifters Week at Paranormal Romantics

So please come and join me there as I talk about Westervelt

Great Quote

The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back.-- Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abbey”

I think I can...

Sometimes when I'm writing I have to pretend I am The Little Engine That Could...

I think I can write this, I think I can write this, I think I can, I think I can...

Six Sentence Sunday

Yay!! My book Driven released on Friday with Decadent Publishing. I am so thrilled to have it out there for people to read. If you're interested, it is available here. Also, the first book in the series, Initiation, is available here.

Okay, in honor of the release I thought I would share 6 more sentences this week from Driven and then next week I would go back to my adult writing.

Here they are:

My name is Rachel Clancy.

Forty-six years ago, life as humanity understood it ended. Armageddon. Well, that’s what we call it, anyway. What other term works as well to describe the day the Vampires and Werewolves slaughtered nearly all of humanity?

For me, all of that happened so long ago I almost never think about it. I’m much more concerned with what just happened and what will be occurring next.

Read Your Reviews But Don't Live And Die By Them

I recently got asked by a newly published author what she should think about having her book reviewed. This is what I told her. Read Your Reviews But DON'T Live And Die By Them.

When I first published Her Wolf: The Westervelt Wolves Book 1, I lived and died by each review that came out about the book. This was before I became aware of Goodreads and that was probably, at the time, a good thing for me. Every professional review that appeared either made my day or it ruined it.

I saw that other authors were, and some still do, posting their reviews constantly on Facebook and Twitter as if showing other people what a reviewer thought of their book would somehow make someone else want to buy them or in some ways validated them as a writer. I did the same thing.

But I quickly learned a lesson. Reviews are quite frequently right, most of the time they are and I am enormously grateful for them, but sometimes people have their own agendas. Sometimes people post so-called review sites to promote themselves, their friends, and to trash others that have strong feelings about. It happens. Believe me.

So what to do with your reviews? Take the ones that are the most helpful to you and try to learn from them. They are not always the most positive reviews but they also tend to not be the worst reviews you get either. If someone says something that sounds downright cruel to you, then assume that is what the reviewer meant it to sound like.

Also, if you find that reading reviews stops you from being able to write, to continue to tell your stories, then stop reading them all together. The most effective thing I find to do with reviews is to thank the reviewer--assuming they wrote you a fair and honest review and didn't say "This books sucks. I hate her." The reviewer took a lot of time to read and comment constructively on your book. They deserve to be thanked.

Do not live and die by your reviews. Work on being a better writer, keep telling your stories for the readers. I try to limit my posting of reviews on Social Networking to ones that, for some reason, were really significant in what they said.

I have google alerts set up on my computer. Most of the time, I see what is written about me. The longer I do this, the thicker my skin becomes but I still need to take my own advice. If I get a bad one--a legitimate bad one--then it hurts. Of course it does. But I keep writing. And so should you.

Release Day!!---DRIVEN: The Warrior Book 2

I am so happy to announce that Driven, the second book in my YA series The Warrior, released this morning! I am so thrilled about this book and about the entire series.

If you are interested in buying Driven it can be found here as well as at most 3rd party sites.

Here is a blurb and an excerpt:

My name is Rachel Clancy. Forty-six years ago, life as humanity understood it ended. Armageddon. Well, that’s what we call it, anyway. What other term works as well to describe the day the Vampires and Werewolves slaughtered nearly all of humanity?


When Rachel Clancy turned sixteen, she inadvertently changed the lives of everyone around her. Now, six months later she has to figure out how to live with what has happened.

Sent back into the wilderness—this time with a new love—she will find herself face-to-face with two people she never thought to see again: the boy she thought she loved and the man who wanted to destroy her since birth. If Rachel can learn what drives her forward, there may be a chance for everyone to start again. If she fails, all is lost.



Genre: YA, paranormal, urban fantasy

Heat level: N/A

Cover art by Dara England




~Excerpt~

My name is Rachel Clancy.

Forty-six years ago, life as humanity understood it ended. Armageddon. Well, that’s what we call it, anyway. What other term works as well to describe the day the Vampires and Werewolves slaughtered nearly all of humanity?

For me, all of that happened so long ago I almost never think about it. I’m much more concerned with what just happened and what will be occurring next.

Six months ago, when I turned sixteen, I changed the way life was conducted in the small portion of the planet I called home. I’m not sure exactly how any of it actually took place. When I let myself dwell on that time, which I don’t very often, it usually feels like it was something someone else did. Like I wasn’t there at all.

But I know that I was.

I have the scars to prove it. One of them on my cheek—long and jagged—out in the open to show the world I survived a Vampire attack. The other is hidden on the inside of my soul—not visible to anyone but me—and it was placed there by a boy, a Werewolf, who betrayed my innocence and will forever hold the title of being the first guy to break my heart.

It’s May—we have started keeping track of the months again like they did before Armageddon Day. The weather is beautiful and warm in our tent city; which sits over the remains of Genesis, the habitat that I lived in for my first sixteen years of life.

I can’t help but feel that something is coming. Something bad that we can’t stop. I haven’t told anyone about this sense I have. It’s not like I’m psychic or anything. I’ve never been able to predict the future. I’m not even particularly good at figuring out what’s going to happen to me next. But I can’t let this go—not this time—and I’m wondering if I’m going to have to let someone know about the dread that is eating away at my stomach lining.

Maybe I’m just being dramatic, but I can feel a black cloud of death on the horizon, and it’s going to swallow us all.

I've broken my foot....

Last week--Monday to be specific--I was walking on some bad pavement in less that appropriate shoes. To my credit, I hadn't intended to take such a walk in those shoes. But I ended up having to park much further from my son's school that I had anticipated. A few minutes into my mad dash (because I was running late.) I turned my ankle on some uneven ground. Ouch.

But I didn't stop running and I served lunch at my son's school. It wasn't until hours later that I noticed how much pain I was in. Still, I wasn't swollen or bruised so I didn't worry too much about it. I figured it would stop hurting.

It didn't.

I ignored it for a week. I walked around on it for a week. Finally, after a week I decided it might be smart to go to the Orthopedic doctor. Yep, stress fracture.

I am now wearing a walking boot. But the strangest part was what I did today. At ten Am this morning, I was standing in an orthopedic shoe store getting fitted for my foot that isn't hurt. The walking book raises me up and if I didn't find a shoe to do the same, I was going to hurt my hip.

So I am limping around now in a walking boot and an orthopedic sneakers. I should be stylin at my cousin's wedding in two weeks!

Making A List...

I frequently get asked if I'm going to write the next book in a series or what I'm writing now. I'm going to share with you my Works-in-progress list. This is subject to change and alteration. But this is how I think of it right now. (Thank you Liia for helping me sort this out.)

1. Embraced/ The Conditioned: Book 2

2. The next book I'm writing for the 1NS series

3. The next book in the Superhero series

4. The next book in The Warrior YA series

5. The next Westervelt book

New Cover Goodness....

Coming Soon With Decadent Publishing...

It's Vampire Week At Paranormal Romantics

Trina M. Lee is talking about Vampires at Paranormal Romantics. What type of Vampire do you like? Go there and check it out!

Release Dates...

Coming May 13th with Decadent Publishing!!

Coming June 3rd with Decadent Publishing!!

Coming June 24th with Decadent Publishing

Six Sentence Sunday

Hi everyone!! Happy Mother's Day to those of you who are Mothers! My kids have given me my mother's day gifts from them. They couldn't seem to wait. I got a necklace with one son's picture on it and a card from the others. The baby, well, if he could be happy all day that would be a gift! If the DH has gotten me something, I'm not sure what it as I post this. LOL. But, everyone is healthy and happy and that is mother's day to me!

Anyway, my book Driven: The Warrior Book 2 in my YA series is releasing from Decadent Publishing this Friday. (YAY!) If you'd like to see the first book, Initiation, you can find it here. In the meantime, here are 6 sentences from Driven.

I stood in front of the Warrior Council, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, as I tried to make myself breathe. The Council was filled with people I thought highly of and who had been good friends to me when I‟d needed them, even staging a revolution on my behalf.

Tonight, however, I couldn‟t help but feel they took some of their anger out on me. They had literally started shouting when I had told them what happened down in Genesis. I hadn‟t made the Vampires dig their tunnel up against the wall. It wasn‟t my fault. I simply had the bad luck to be the one who had felt them.

Dear Muse

Dear Muse,

I am in the midst of writing a very complicated, long book that has many twists and turns. I love it. Thank you for giving it to me to write. But, come on, you have can't keep dumping other ideas on me while I'm in the midst of writing it. Chill out for a few more weeks.

Thanks

Rebecca Royce

What's in a name?

I saw on Yahoo this morning that they've listed the top 10 boys and girls names for 2010. You can read the top fifty here if you are interested. I've listed the top ten below.

Top 10 Names for Boys

1. Jacob
2. Ethan
3. Michael
4. Jayden
5. William
6. Alexander
7. Noah
8. Daniel
9. Aiden
10. Anthony

Top 10 Names for Girls

1. Isabella
2. Sophia
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Chloe
10. Mia

When it comes to naming characters, I see the same names over and over again in Romance Novels. For example? Chase. If Romance was to be believed every navy seal, police officer, alpha of a werewolf pack, spy, and cowboy is named Chase. And yet in real life, I don't actually know anyone named Chase. Do you?

In my 1NS book One Night With A Wolf (releasing June 3rd), I named my hero Joe. I know people named Joe. Several, actually, and someone commented to me that Joe was not a Romance Hero name. Now, Joe worked for me and for that character. But what do you think? Should Romance heroes be all Chase? And Romance Heroines all Imogens? Or can Joe and Nancy work too?

I jumped the gun....

So sorry everyone. I made a big mistake. My release date for One Night With A Wolf is coming out June 3rd!! Please forgive this author for her whoopsie.

Facebook is getting rid of my group

I am really annoyed today because Facebook is deleting my groups. I've made a Fan Page for myself where I will keep updating my writing 'stuff.' If you want, go and Like me Here.

One Night With A Wolf Releasing This Friday!

I'm so excited!!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

It is pouring down rain here today. So hard, in fact, that the wind actually blew my umbrella inside out leaving me to get soaked on my way inside to the diner where I was meeting my friend for breakfast. I did, of course, dry. Despite what my children occasionally think of me, I'm not the Wicked Witch of the West. I won't melt.

I've had two cups of coffee and now I'm going to try to get all of my stuff done for the rest of the day. Hope you are all well.

Best to you.

RR

Come to Paranormal Romantics.

Its Angels and Demons week at Paranormal Romantics. As I am not an expert of writing these subjects, I have enlisted some help in the amazing Guest Blogger Rhiannon Leith. She has a great book out and she is giving away a copy. So stop by and comment for your chance to win!

God Bless Our Troops

You can't imagine the sheer joy here today in the NYC area. I never thought I could celebrate a person's death but I do feel a sense of jubilation today. Thank you to our troops. God Bless you.

Six Sentence Sunday

Hi everyone,

Well in anticipation of the fact that I got a release date for Driven, the second book in my Young Adult series The Warrior, I thought I would show six sentences this week from that book.

Thanks so much for coming here and every week. I love reading all of your entries too and I'm always overwhelmed by everyone's talent. Its so fun to see!

RR

“It’s Glen.” Her face took on a dreamy quality when she said his name.

I nearly threw up in my mouth. “Glen?”

The same Glen who had made my life miserable with his snide remarks and difficult behavior every day I’d been in school with him? She had to be kidding.