National Read a Road Map Day - Can You Find "LOVE"?

Happy National "Read A Road Map" Day! I thought I'd skip going into the boring details of checking road maps...don't you use a GPS system now?...and branch off to a different tangent on this.

Let's see...read a road map and find your way somewhere. Isn't the journey to LOVE kinda like that? Don't you have to follow a "path", go in a certain "direction", to find true love?

Romance books use a road map/path/directions to get their heroines to their heroes. It's called a PLOT...and it's never an easy journey. There are always bumps in the road, detours, obstacles, slowdowns, wrong turns...just as you might find if following a map to some unknown destination.

Usually, you manage to find your way...just as our heroines manage to find that "happily-ever-after" ending despite all the setbacks. Flat tire? Run out of gas? Or, Hero's ex-wife shows up to create havoc? Heroine thinks hero is cheating on her? All detours of some type. A road map may not be able to help sometimes, but a crafty plot written to guarantee happiness can set the hero and heroine back on course to romance and love. 

Why don't we send our heroes and heroines on a fantasy journey using a road map and find "LOVE"?

How many cities in the United States are called "Love"? I did some searching on the Internet and here's some that I found:

Love, AZ
Love, IL
Love, KY
Love, MS
Love, TX
Love, VA

Now, you can also find variations for the word "Love" in cities around the country:

Lovers Leap, CA (tragic idea!)                                                Lover, PA
Love Canal, NY  (not very appealing)                                      Loving, GA
Love Hill, AL                                                                          Loving, KY
Lovejoy, GA                                                                           Loving, NM
Loveladies, NJ                                                                        Loving, OK
Lovelady, NC                                                                         Loving, TX
Lovelady, TX                                                                          Loveland, CO
Love Lady, TN                                                                       Loveland, IA
Love Lake, MO                                                                     Loveland, OK
Lovely, KY                                                                            Loveland, WA
Loveless, AL (sad!)                                                                Loveland, OH
Love Point, MD                                                                      Loveland Park, OH
Loveville, MD                                                                         Loves Corner, IL
Loveville, TN                                                                          Loves Park, IL

Most of those sound like interesting places to check out...do they live up to their names? Does "LOVE" define each city and hold some type of special magic for those seeking romance? Maybe I should have checked "Romance" for city names. Or, things to do with love and romance.

I actually did find a couple that might interest you. How about Horneytown, NC? Or, Romance, AK? And then there's my favorite, Intercourse, PA.

I've actually been to Intercourse more than once. Quaint little Amish city...mostly a tourist spot. Will you put that on your list of places to visit? Check your road map (or let your GPS system find it for you!).

Story idea: What if I have my heroine visit cities with "Love" in their names, and looks for "Mr. Right"?

Hmm...sounds like a good idea!

Photos: Flickr: Andii, Amanda "Bake It Pretty", lorigami's photostreams.
Also: Mapquest: Intercourse, PA

For book updates, visit http://www.mariannestephens.net and http://www.aprilash.net

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"Anything You Can Do", by Marianne Stephens: http://www.breathlesspress.com
Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer Top Pick: 5 out of 5 STARS!
Top 7.5% Best Selling Romantic Comedy at http://www.allromanceebooks.com
 

Interviewing a Romance Hero and Heroine

"Anything You Can Do" now available at: http://www.breathlesspress.com
Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer Top Pick: 5 STARS!
Top 7.5% Best Selling Romantic Comedy at http://www.allromanceebooks.com
 
I've done romance book character interviews before, but this time I'll do both the hero and heroine at the same time.

Today I'm interviewing Allison Minetti (A) and Jeff Ryan (J), the hero and heroine from " Anything You Can Do".  To give you a little background, Allison wants Jeff's company to become a partner with her childcare facility. It sits directly across the street from Ryan Industries and all her clients work for Jeff's company. When he calls what she does "babysitting", she challenges him to spend a week in Ryan's Rugrats with her. I'll let them tell you more.

Q: Why did you make/accept the challenge?
A: I really needed funding for the center. I was annoyed when Jeff called what I do "babysitting" and thought he needed to see what goes on in a childcare facility. Throwing in the part about him losing and considering helping financially seemed like a plus. I never expected him to make it through the week. (She shifts in her seat and frowns) I didn't expect Jeff to add that part about spending the weekend with him if I lost, but it kinda thrilled me.
J:  She surprised me. Hey. Kids in daycare? I figured all they did was play all day. How hard could that be? She surprised me by daring me to spend a week with her. But, I wanted to get to know her better anyway so I figured, sure. I could do it. And, get her to spend the weekend with me when she lost.

Q: That elevator episode sounds interesting. What happened?
A: (Pink blush stains her cheeks). We, uh, fell together when it jerked into motion. I landed in Jeff's lap, and, well, we kissed. Kind of a-
J: Instinctive move on both our parts. Allison wanted it as much as I did. We hugged and-
A: Kissed. Yes. But it stopped and the elevator door opened.

Q: Did you make things hard for Jeff?
A: (sits up straight in her seat and gets defensive) Certainly not. He just got to experience what I do every day. Of course, he had it easy since some of the kids were missing.
J: (frowns) Hey. That wasn't my fault. I did pretty good the first two days with all the kids. Mostly, anyhow.

Q: Moving on, Jeff...did you give Allison a hard time?
J: I couldn't keep my mind off her and wanted to touch her all the time. She kept enticing me with her looks, great body, sexy voice, loving comments-
A: Sure. That's all I had time for. Enticing you. You drove me crazy. Always within reach, so wonderful with the kids. I couldn't resist your charming charisma and how you kept drawing me to you.

Q: Any passionate episodes at work?
A: (blushes again) A few encounters away from the kids. Couldn't let them see or hear us. It wouldn't be professional.
J: (runs a finger along Allison's cheek) We couldn't stay away from each other. The need to touch, kiss, desire to hold each other, all exploded at times. But, she's right. We had to be careful with the kids.

Q: Tell me about the weekend.
J: Glorious. We finally had time for just us and could let our passion loose.
A: (rubs her hand on Jeff's thigh) We spent most of the time exploring ways to satisfy each other. I never felt so wanted.

Q: You two ran into a "black moment". What happened?
A: (serious look on her face) Someone interfered in our challenge. Things got very confused.
J: (leans forward in his seat) Can't tell you everything, now can we? Let's just say a series of events happened and made us rethink our relationship.

Q: How does this story end?
A: (laughs) We can't tell you. Readers have to buy the book and find out.
J: (nods in agreement) Lots of stuff happens throughout the book leading up to our final page. Some of it is funny, some serious, some sexy encounters. Guess you'll just have to buy the book and read our story. (smiles at Allison)

Q: One last question. I heard something about a second elevator episode. Can you talk about that?
A: (smiles and giggles) Nope. Read the book.
J: (laughs loudly) Let's just say we know how to make use of elevators for other things than just riding up and down.

You can find out the missing pieces of Jeff and Allison's story by buying "Anything You Can Do" at http://www.breathlesspress.com.
Visit http://www.mariannestephens.net for information about my contemporary/paranormal romance books.
Visit http://www.aprilash.net for information about my erotic contemporary romance books.
TWO BIG CONTESTS! Lots of prizes for two lucky winners. Visit http://www.mariannestephens.net for information!
JOIN A NEW YAHOO GROUP: ROMANCE BOOKS R US AT:
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Lots of fun, contests, information! No spammers allowed!

It's Working Woman's Day

What a hoot! Isn't everyday a "Working Woman's Day"? Like, we don't work all the time, either at home or somewhere else? I don't know about you, but my days are always crammed with things to do!

This should be called "Every Woman's Day" since working happens without needing to be mentioned. Then again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there are some women out there that don't work...ah, but they're called "the rich and famous". And, they probably have to "work" at staying that way.






I propose a "Take the Day Off Day" for all females not in school...gotta keep the kids in school and getting their education. So, let's combine the two: "Working Woman's Day" with "Take the Day Off Day" and honor women everywhere. Period.

Ladies, go pamper yourselves. Enjoy the day. Relax. Be catered to. Forget your daily stresses and focus on pleasure. Kudos to all working women...and that means every woman reading this!

Another suggestion: read a romance book to "whisk you away from it all". You know...Fantasy Land. Where you can drool over the hero and forget it's snowing outside, your preschoolers are screaming, your boss is bitching, your clothes are pinching and hinting you either need to lose weight or buy new clothes, or people are asking, "What's for dinner?" as soon as you walk through the door.


"Work" at something different on "Working Woman's Day". Work at pleasing yourself and have a great time!

And while you're doing something for YOU, enter the two contests that I'm running at my website to celebrate my new book, "Anything You Can Do": http://www.mariannestephens.net. I've got lots of goodies to give to two lucky winners!

Visit http://www.mariannestephens.net for information about my mainstream romance books.
Visit http://www.aprilash.net for information about my erotic romance books.
"Anything You Can Do" is now available as an ebook at: http://www.breathlesspress.com.
"Gone to the Dogs" is now available in print at: http://www.jasminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspx
Photos: Flickr: NIOSH, kharind, juliejordanscott's photostreams.

Shameless Self-Promotion

As Garth Brooks Sings...

I'm shameless! I've got a new website up and I want to invite ya'll to come visit and sign up for my newsletter. I promise I won't inundate you with tripe. Just the occasional contest and announcement. Stop by!

http://juliarachelbarrett.com/

I also got a new title for my book with Siren - Captured - one word that describes the story and my heroine and hero to a tee - wait until you read this sci-fi romance! It is a joy. The first six people to sign up for my newsletter from this blog will win a free copy of the book when it's released.

So...short but sweet. Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was amazing, interesting, bountiful, hopeful and all good.

Tearing My Hair Out!

I'm Hopeless!

Even with professional, hands on, personal guidance, I am useless when it comes to working with technology. I'm about as tech-savvy as an infant!
All right...so...coming soon, Julia Rachel Barrett's new website. You'll be able to sign up for a newsletter, contests, freebies, and lots and lots of fun.

Get ready for announcements galore with all the books coming out next year! Edits are finished on my story, You Might Just Get It, for The Cougar Book with Logical-Lust, arriving on Valentine's Day. Yay!

Once the website is up and running, at least reasonably well, you all will be the first to know!

The Rains Have Returned

My Favorite Time of Year...
Optimal for Writing!

Every year I wait for the rains, because once the rains stop in California, you can be pretty certain they won't begin again for six months....So basically, you have six months of glorious weather. Sometimes it becomes a bit too glorious because who wants to sit still when the birds are singing, the sun is shining and there are any number of amazing places to visit, sit, drink an espresso, hike, bike, ride....
To me, the rains are life-giving, rejuvenating, invigorating. Just like the re-emergence of the sun, once they start, they don't really stop for six months and I hope that's the case this year because last year, the rains were late and ended early and we've suffered through a drought this summer.

Such is weather. I'm a big fan of weather. When I lived in the Midwest, it was tornadoes, hail, marvelous thunderstorms, blizzards, ice, wind. In Utah, I experienced the greatest snow on earth, in Texas, where everything is bigger...bigger hail and louder thunderstorms and hurricanes. In Arizona, monsoon season. In California I've known feast or famine. Too much rain and flooding or too little rain and drought. Fires, earthquakes - which aren't exactly weather, Santa Ana winds - It's been fascinating.

So now that the rains have begun, I don't have to feel guilty about staying inside to write. Oh...I'll still hike. I've hiked in the rains for nineteen years. I was even washed away in a flash flood one time along with my dog, but we survived.

Back to the WIP!

INSTALLING LOVE IN YOURSELF AND BOOKS

My passion is writing romance books, stories of love and happily-ever-afters. A writer needs to know herself/himself and understand or have experience with all the feelings that complicate love and romance before penning that next book.

Have you experienced envy? Jealousy? Hurt? Forgiveness? These are just some of those feelings along the rocky road to love. The following is an edited, whimsical rendition of Installing Love in yourself before a writer can successfully portray romantic heroes and heroines in novels.

(NOTE: There are various versions of this on the Internet and I can’t locate the original author. I did find a version in the Winter 1999 issue of Hopes & Dreams newsletter of the Illinois Chapter, Huntington's Disease Society of America.)

Tech: How can I help you?
Writer: I've decided to write a romance book and figure I need to install Love in myself first. Can you help me?

Tech: Certainly. Are you ready?
Writer: Well, I'm not very technical but I think I am. What do I do first?

Tech: The first step is to open your heart. (Pause) Have you located your Heart?
Writer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Can I still install Love while the others are running?

Tech: What programs are running?
Writer: Let's see. I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech: No problem. Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs.
Writer: Okay, that sounds great. What about Low Self-Esteem?

Tech: Love will also eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem.
Writer: And the other programs?

Tech: You'll have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?
Writer: I don't know how. Can you tell me?

Tech: Sure. It's really easy. Go to the start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Writer: Hey! I did it and Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program right now. You'll need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Writer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error-Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech: Stay calm. Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Writer: So then...what do I do?

Tech: Pull down Self-Acceptance and click on the following files: Forgive Self, Realize Your Worth, and Acknowledge Your Limitations.
Writer: Okay. Done.

Tech: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it's completely gone and never comes back.
Writer: Got it. Hey! My Heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is that okay?

Tech: For some it works that way. For others, it takes awhile but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
Writer: Great! What about the other things that crowd my Heart program like Responsibility, Obligations, Distractions, Jealousy, and Envy?

Tech: Sorry but there's no way to delete these from your permanent memory and operating programs. Those will pop up at any time and you'll have to just deal with them when they do.
Writer: I guess now that Love is installed in My Heart, I'll handle those as they surface. You've been so helpful. Thanks so much!

Writers need to have their characters go through much the same process. Love isn't automatically installed. Obstacles have to be overcome, hearts have to open, so many complications must be addressed and conquered. Then, happily-ever-after will happen!

The heroine, Katie, of "Gone to the Dogs", by Marianne Stephens, has lots to go through before Love installs in her Heart program. Read an excerpt and reviews of "Gone to the Dogs", published by Cerridwen Press, at my web site: http://www.mariannestephens.net

Marianne Stephens has three ebooks published by Cerridwen Press, http://www.jasminejade.com and one of those is also available as a paperback.
April Ash has two erotic romance books available: www.ellorascave.com
and one is also available in print.
www.mariannestephens.net
www.aprilash.net

Eeek!

There's a Mouse in My House!

I would like nothing better than to promote my new releases and my soon-to-be releases, but I ain't got none! Everything is coming out in 2010 - You Might Just Get It - a short story included in the Cougar Anthology will be released by Logical-Lust on February 14th, 2010.

Beauty and the Feast - a contemporary romance comes out in March, 2010, with Resplendence Publishing - under my other pen name, Chana Alexander.

Daughters of Persephone, Books One, Two and Three - Exile, Return, Reborn - futuristic romance, also with Resplendence, arrive in July and August of 2010, again by Chana Alexander.

And then...a sequel to Beauty and the Feast - if I can get my act together - three current WIP - and OMG! Two little brown mice just ran across my kitchen floor and my cats are nowhere to be found. This is their job! Gotta go find the dang cats and make them patrol the kitchen!

The Biker and the Chick

Why we love biker dudes

When I was a teenager, I sneaked out of the house all the time to ride with my biker boyfriends. You see...my parents didn't allow me on a motorcycle. But my grandmother was a different story. I'd spend the night at her house and meet my boyfriends there - one at a time - I mean. I had a series of biker boyfriends. There is just something about a guy on a Harley that is sexy as hell.

Rick, of course, was the sexiest with his really big Harley, and we dated for a year. Then there was Cal, the older biker dude who belonged to a motorcycle club in the nearby big city. We spent a lot of time cruising the countryside. The last of my teen crushes was Happy who nearly got me killed when we wiped out on a steep, wet, winding brick street. We were young and still immortal and we'd been making out at the Black Angel (look it up) in the middle of a thunderstorm. Just going too fast, I guess. When I was in college, a biker boyfriend bought me my own Honda 250 to ride to my university classes. I loved that little bike. Riding with nothing between myself and the wind, aside from the helmet he insisted I wear, made me feel free as a bird. Our breakup was friendly and I gave him back the bike.

I watched Sons of Anarchy last night for the first time and all those fine memories came rushing back. Even after I got married and had kids, I still had this thing for bikers - not a crush - but a trust. Once my husband, our three little kids and I were camping through Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas and found ourselves in the middle of the Sturgis crowd. Every campground was packed, but the bikers made room for the family of five in the mini-van towing the pop-up tent trailer. Every morning it was - "Mornin' ma'am." and "Can I help you carry that load of firewood, ma'am?" and "Night, ma'am." I don't normally sleep well on a camping trip because I worry about grizzlies and crazy mountain men. I slept soundly on that trip because I had every confidence that those bikers would watch out for us like they watched out for their own. They did. They rode my kids around the campground. They helped my husband chop wood and ate s'mores with us. They pushed our van down the road to get her started when the alternator went and then they replaced it for us for the price of a steak dinner.

So...coming soon...The Biker and the Chick, by Julia Barrett.

Talk Dirty to Topaz - First Review

Sorry I don't have much to write about today. I have a ton of personal things going on. But I want to share my first review for TDTT. Hope you enjoy!

TALK DIRTY TO TOPAZ
AMBER SKYZE
ISBN#: 9781601682307
July 2009
Aspen Mountain Press
www.aspenmountainpress.come
Book$3.00
63 Pages
Contemporary Erotic
Rating: 4 Cups


Teagan Topaz has no faith in love. After catching her fiancé in the arms of another woman and the betrayal of her best friend, she never wants to be vulnerable again. That is until Frank; but she is confused by the crank calls from a man who sounds eerily like him.


Frank Black is determined Teagan will be his. No matter what it takes, he is the one to show Teagan what true love is. Frank has a plan and with the help of someone who cares for Teagan, his plan will be a success. The question remains as to whether Teagan is ready to love again and if she can trust Frank not to break what remains of her heart.


Talk Dirty to Topaz is an original story that is a pleasure to read. Teagan is a realistic portrayal of a betrayed woman; I found I could sympathize with her pain. Frank is a very sweet man who is determined to get his woman. A very relaxing read to fit into a busy life.


DelaneReviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More