As part of an on-going feature of my blog, I’ll sometimes interview characters from romance novels. These interviews are uniquely different from my author interviews because they involve make-believe people who exist only in the pages of a novel and in the mind of the author who created them.  Stacey Winchester is one of those characters. So, I’ll have to interview her creator, author Laura Browning, since Stacey doesn’t really exist.   So, did deep, Laura. We need to know what motivates Stacey Winchester to do and say what she does so she can answer the questions from her own perspective.

Stacey Winchester is the heroine in Broken Heart  a romance novel by author Laura Browning. BTW, Laura, I love that cover! But now the interview with Stacey.

Where were you born, Stacey?

My family, the Barlow-Barretts, are from northern Virginia, not far from Alexandria. I’m the third of six children. I guess you might say I’ve grown up with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth as one of the heirs to Barrett newspapers. Think Kennedy meets Hearst and you’ll be close.

Well all-righty then. That’s a lot of money and privilege.  Where do you live now and what do you do for a living? Or do you even need to work?

Jace, my husband, and I have a great townhouse in Georgetown. I’m an interior decorator, and a lot of my clients are politicians. They’re such a revolving door in this area, it makes for a constantly renewing client base, which is great, but sometimes our house seems like more of a showpiece than a home.

There are some politicians I wish would revolve more than others, lol! But enough of politics. What’s going on in your life right now?

I’m under a lot of stress. I try to keep it under control. After all, not making waves is what my family is all about.  Jace and my mother are both pressuring me to have a child, but…I just don’t know. I’m not ready for that.  Jace…he’s…well about half the time I’m not even sure why he married me. He doesn’t really seem interested in that part of our marriage. That he’s even talking about babies makes me nervous.

Ouch. I’m sorry to hear that.  Kind of makes it difficult to think of children and happily ever after if you’re not happy.  And, it doesn’t sound as if you can talk to  your mom or your husband about your doubts and fears if they’re pressuring you to have a child.  But it seems as if you need to talk to someone who’d understand. So, is there someone? Is there a special person in your life whom you can share these feelings with and get some perspective?

There was. Right before I met up again with Jace. I try not to think about Mason Hatch, but he is difficult to forget. There’s also the fact that since he’s an art dealer, I end up taking clients to his gallery pretty often. It’s not a good situation. Mason hates me now. I don’t really blame him.

Hmm. That’s interesting. But, I don’t want to sound like a wanna-be therapist so I’ll just ask how you two met.

I thought he was a delivery boy. I was at a client’s house waiting on a shipment of artwork to finish decorating. Mason let me know pretty quickly and in no uncertain terms that he was the man in charge. We ended up having sex right on the dining room table. Lord, I had never done anything like that.

Oh. My. Well, it sounds as if there is an attraction between you and Mason that didn’t die when you said “I do” to your husband.  And you’re obviously not happy in your marriage. So, why the pretense?

Let’s see. Jace, and the fact that Mason Hatch, self-made man, wouldn’t exactly be on my parents’ ‘acceptable for Stacey’ list. There’s a lot more to it, things I never even told Mason. I just let him think I married Jace for the money. The truth is, what money there is belongs to me.

It seems like an impossible situation. So, how would you like to see it resolved?

I don’t want to hurt Jace, and I’ve never been the kid in my family who rocked the boat. The thing is…I really miss Mason. Forget I said that.

But can you forget? It doesn’t seem likely. So why not divorce? If you weren’t married, what other obstacles would stand in the way of a  happily-ever-after with Mason?

I’m Catholic. My mother’s on a first name basis with the pope. So divorce is not an option. Besides, like I said earlier, Mason hates me now. Maybe it’s better that way.

You seem so resigned to the fact that you’re stuck in a loveless marriage with no way out. Is that the case? Is there a happily ever after in your future?

I don’t see how.

But it’s always possible. Right? Laura’s your author. Think she may have found a way to make things work out for you and Mason?

Well, yes. You know I’ve read a couple of romance novels, and the whole idea is that there should be a happy ending. Since I’m the heroine in this one, maybe that means there is a happy ending for me. Whew. The whole idea makes me nervous, but for the first time in almost a year…nervous in a good way. I’m ready for something to change. I’m ready to change.

Laura Browning is an ex-TV journalist, current English teacher, full-time student and squish-it-in-where-you-can-find-time writer. She grew up with a steady stream of books, and can thank her junior high school friend, Debbie Ebersold, for introducing her to her very first romance novel. When Laura’s not reading or writing, she still manages to take a few seconds to look outside at her horse and her dogs—wondering if they still remember her—and occasionally manages to speak to her teenager—who would probably like to forget her. (Love you, son)

Broken Heart is a Lyrical Presents Embrace and Book Four in The Barlow Barretts: An American Dynasty series

Perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Stacey Barlow-Barrett has the perfect life–or, at least, the illusion of one. She’s married to the man her parents approved, and she’s making it work. But keeping up appearances is wearing her down. Her husband, Jace, wants to start a family. Her former lover, Mason, is a business associate she can’t cut off, and he twists the knife at every opportunity. Trying to make everyone happy–everyone except herself–has her on the verge of a breakdown.

When Jace’s best friend moves in, everything that seemed tenuously tolerable is now completely unbearable, and Stacey realizes something is very wrong in her marriage. Jace is keeping up appearances too, and it’s at Stacey’s expense.

Mason is the only one she can turn to for help…if he can forgive her for marrying Jace while the sheets were still warm from their last encounter. And even if he does forgive her, and she does dig her way out of the mess her marriage has become, Stacey may not be ready for what he needs in return: love.

Excerpt:

Avoiding him was nearly impossible. Wherever Stacey looked, Mason Hatch was in her line of sight. Since she was attending her brother Brandon’s wedding, she couldn’t leave, but she sure wished Jace would stick by her side this once. She scanned the room, but her husband was nowhere to be seen.

“Hubby MIA again?” Mason’s voice was as smooth as silk in her ear. The fact he simply echoed her thoughts didn’t make his intrusion into them any more palatable. “I could tell you where to look, but I don’t think you’d like what you’d find.”

“Stop it!” Stacey hissed between clenched teeth. Every time she encountered Mason, he made some cryptic remark about her husband. Stacey was tired of it, in part because she had enough doubts concerning her marriage. But not today. She refused to have them today. Today was supposed to be perfect. Jason had made love to her last night, had tried once again to talk her into starting a family. She wanted children. She did, but something always held her back. She couldn’t stall too much longer, doing so wasn’t fair to either of them, yet the mere thought of a divorce in her oh-so-Catholic family made her shudder. God, was she really contemplating divorce? Her mother would flip.

“Just trying to make conversation among these Virginia purebreds,” Mason purred, once again barging into her brain. Why was there always a hint of amusement in his voice, as if he were actually laughing at her? Yes, she had been unfair to him, but had his contempt been there all along? Had he always regarded her with a smirk?

Author links, webpages, fan pages, and book trailers.

http://lyricalpress.com/broken-heart/

www.laurabrowningbooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Browning-Author/216152421732408?ref=hl

Thanks, Gayle! The book officially releases October 1. It is the 4^th in a series: Bittersweet, Balancing Act, Remember Me and Broken Heart.

Sounds like a great series, Laura. I’m going to have to check them out, especially, Broken Heart. I’m dying to find out how Stacey gets her HEA.

Every woman has her own idea of what is sexy. I like a man who can make me laugh. A man with honest eyes and a caring nature. A man like my husband who has been making me laugh for thirty-three years.

I tell people it was love at first sight, and in a way it was. Our eyes locked from across a crowded bar and…the girl I was with–a young woman he once dated–introduced us. He and I talked and laughed until I was called back to the table where my sisters and friends were listening to the band. A while later, I wandered past his table. When I saw him sitting alone,I said, “Why are you sitting here all by himself?” To which he answered: “If you sit with me, I won’t be alone anymore.”

It was such a corny line, I had to laugh. He laughed with me and we began dating the next weekend. 

Nine months later, we were engaged, and nine months after that, we were married.

But what was the initial attraction? Was it those gorgeous blue eyes with the streaks of silver? Was it the contrast of his dark hair or the cuteness of his tight little butt? Or was it something as simple as the symmetry of his face?

Some scientific research on attraction suggests that animals (humans included) are drawn to symmetry because it’s viewed as a sign of health and vitality. In the animal kingdom, it is preferred over asymmetric faces or bodies as a sign of strength and survival. It all goes back to survival of the fittest and is often referred to as The Evolutionary Advantage view.

Some find this view controversial and feel it is an insult to human intelligence. Discounting instinct and evolutionary views, other researchers have stated that symmetric faces are preferable because visual symmetry is more easily processed by the visual part of the brain than asymmetry. The visual part of the brain sees half of a whole and processes the information as a whole image, but if the left half of a face is dissimilar or asymmetric, it takes longer for the brain to process the information to create the whole image. Thus, attraction is more spontaneous when visualizing a more symmetric face. This is known as The Perpetual Bliss view. Or, more fittingly, in my opinion, the He’s Hot, He’s Not view.

Attraction is definitely a visual thing. And while I believe I was attracted to my husband at first sight, it took something deeper and more meaningful to sustain that attraction. It took mutual love and respect.

One of my favorite pictures of my husband doesn’t even show his face. It’s a picture of him holding our up youngest daughter so she can see over a walled enclosure at Sea World. I think the reason I find this picture so incredibly sexy is that it shows him as the wonderful father he is. And, he has a really sexy jaw line. 🙂

Even as my husband has aged, he’s still sexy to me. That dash of salt with the pepper adds to his appeal.

Is it because he’s always been such a great dad and husband? He’s always spent time with his family, taking us on trips and making us laugh. And, he was there for me when I needed him the most. He’s supported my dreams of being a writer and he supported me when I had breast cancer.

He also looks more like Richard Gere now that he’s gotten older, and I’ve always found Gere sexy.

Sexy comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. I’ve been called nuts for thinking Robin Williams is sexy. Maybe it goes back to his Mork and Mindy days

Or maybe it’s because he makes me laugh and has the sexiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.  But I’m not completely nuts. Like most woman, I think Hugh Jackman is sexy.

So is Matthew McConaughey  and Shemar Moore.

Hubba, hubba!

Yep, a lot of celebrities are considered sexy, but in real life, it takes more than just a handsome face to make a man sexy. It’s the way he carries himself and the way he treats others. It’s his personality and personal hygiene. While a man with a bit of scruff on his face might be sexy, a man with stinky pits, rotten teeth and body odor is not, I don’t care how buff his body is. And while I wasn’t a huge Ashton Kutcher fan before I saw his speech at the Teen Choice Awards, I’ve now added him to my list of sexy Hollywood stars.

Kutchesaid  “I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work.”  and  “The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap, I promise you.” With any luck, all those young girls who saw Kutcher’s speech will remember what’s most important, and physical good looks has little to do with it.

It’s time for another blog swap and today, I’m trading blogs with Maripoza Cruz! Cruz is a sister rose and while she’s answering my interview questions here, I’ll be answering her questions at: http://mariposacruz.blogspot.com

Welcome to my blog Maripoza! What is your latest release and when will it be out?

Roar! is my latest release and it is currently available from The Wild Rose Press.

Give us a quick back cover blurb:

Focused on the bottom line, corporate paralegal Linda Underwood answers to no one. Her world is torn apart when a bear shifter turns her romantic weekend rendezvous into a desperate struggle to stay alive. Now a recently-turned shifter herself, she is determined to beat the affliction by ignoring her newly awakened beastly impulses.

After the accidental death of his wife, shifter Flynn Cromwell finds solace in a remote mountain cabin, immersed in his computer network security work. When he discovers Linda’s ravaged body near the brink of death, he’s compelled to protect her.

Can Flynn save Linda from her own stubborn nature and defend her from a vicious shifter with a taste for her blood? Can Linda soothe the beast within, even the score with her maker, and gain Flynn’s trust as well his heart?

Who’s your publisher? Do you write for any other publishers?

Both Howl and Roar! are published by The Wild Rose Press.

I love TWRP! What do you like about your current publisher?

Since both The Wild Rose Press founders are authors, the press is very writer-oriented in its focus.  They have always responded promptly and professionally to my questions.  Given the many authors in their house such personal attention is impressive.

I couldn’t agree more! Have you ever attempted self-publishing? Why or why not?

My novella, Mixed Blessings, published under my legal name is self-published.    It is a bit of a twist on the usual adoption story focusing on the aftermath of the search.  After receiving several favorable rejection letters, I realized Mixed Blessings was not a likely fit for traditional publishers due to its short length (less than 50K words).

My experiences with traditional and self-publishing have been both challenging and rewarding in different ways.  I prefer having control over my own work and my future releases will be self-published.

What inspired your latest novel?

When I was six, before we left for a camping trip in Yosemite, my dad gave me a very stern lecture about bears.   No bears raided our camp, but they roamed through my dreams and have resided in my imagination ever since.  When I finished Howl, I knew my next story would have to be about bears.

How many other books have you published?

In addition to Roar!, I have two other books.  Howl by Mariposa Cruz is published by The Wild Rose Press.  Mixed Blessings by Susan Winters is self-published.

Where do you get your ideas for books?

Day-to-day life with its quirks is a great starting point.  Both shifter heroines in Howl and Roar face similar struggles as their real-life counterparts (job drama, coping with co-workers).  However with shifters losing your temper with a co-worker can have deadly consequences.

What are you working on next?

I’m in the draft phase of a contemporary romance, Package Deal, which centers on salsa dancing (another one of my passions).

Can you share a brief excerpt?

Widowed attorney, Liz Grant, buries her grief in a deluge of paperwork.  On a rare whim she takes a free dance lesson at the club Eclipse where the mojitos are cold and the salsa is hot.  She soon falls for salsa’s sultry rhythms and Patrick Cavanaugh’s sexy grin.  But can Liz handle the dramatic change of tempo in her well-ordered life?  Patrick has all the right moves, but struggles to keep his balance as his adult daughter spins out of control.  Will their love survive off the dance floor?

What’s the one thing you hate most about being a writer?

I have a love-hate relationship with the editing process. I’m frustrated how many clunky sections surface during my initial edits.  At the same time certain character nuances emerge during the editing process so it is also very rewarding.

What do you love the most about being a writer?

Whether I’m writing fiction or non-fiction, any new project is uncharted territory and I’m always amazed where the journey takes me.  Being a writer means having a license to daydream.

How long have you been writing?

As a college sophomore, I published my first short story and also wrote a few articles for the school newspaper.  About a month before I started my first paralegal job, my first paid article was featured in a local parenting magazine.  I’ve been balancing fact and fiction ever since– writing romance as Mariposa Cruz and freelance articles and women’s fiction as Susan Winters.

How difficult was your road to publication and how long did it take you to get that first, coveted contract?

Hoping something positive would emerge from a dark time, I submitted Howl! to The Wild Rose Press on New Year’s Eve with a court date for my divorce looming at the end of January.  The editor said in her response in February, that she liked the story, but it was not ready for publication.  I worked on edits while getting my life back together.  Several months and drafts later, I finally received a contract in October.  I will always be grateful for the editor seeing the potential in Howl! and having the patience to work with me through publication.  For those of you who exist in “cope” mode, lighten your writing schedule, but don’t give up.  Continue your creative pursuits on whatever level you can manage and you’ll have something wonderful at the end of the storm.

What authors inspire you?

Geraldine Brooks-her well-researched novels span a variety of subjects from the Black Plague to Louisa May Alcott’s father and they always ring true in setting and in character.

Charlaine Harris-I thoroughly enjoy  Sookie Stackhouse’s world of Bon Temps and its characters.

What are you reading now?

Ireland, by Frank Delaney.  A traveling storyteller entrances Ronan, a nine-year-old boy with his tales.  When he grows up, Ronan goes in search of the storyteller.  Set in 1951, the novel is a rich tapestry of modern Irish life and folktales.  Visiting Ireland is at the top of my bucket list— but for now I’ll just have to enjoy travel-by-novel until I can make the actual trip.

For more about my writing, please check out my blogs:

Mariposa Cruz: http://mariposacruz.blogspot.com

Susan Winters: http://createontheside.wordpress.com

Thanks for being here today Maripoza. It was a pleasure having you.

 

There’s a saying in the south: “Trouble comes in threes.” In my case, I think it comes in nines.

It all started the weekend before July 4th. My husband fell and injured his wrist. X-rays showed an occult fracture of the navicular–a small carpal bone at the base of the thumb. The doctor put him in a splint that encases his thumb and he has to wear it for 4-6 weeks. Since he was injured, I thought I’d help him in the yard instead of spending my weekend writing,

Earlier, he’d mowed around the pool and there was grass on the concrete. I got a push broom and started sweeping.  And somehow, I managed to forget there was a pool behind me and I fell backwards into the shallow end.

My elbow hit concrete.

My hip hit the first step and I rolled into the water–fully dressed. I wound up with a scraped elbow and a bruised hip that left me limping for days.

Then the week of the fourth, my aunt, cousin, and cousin’s daughter went to stay in our camper at the beach. They arrived on Tuesday and tripped a circuit breaker running the A/C and microwave at the same time.

My aunt called me at work and I told her where the breaker box was. When she and my cousin stepped out to flip the breaker, my cousin’s four-year-old daughter, Gracie, shut the door and locked them out. I guess my luck was starting to rub off on them.

My aunt called me at work again and I walked her through the camper breaking and entering processes.

My cousin is the same age as my oldest daughter. She’s young, pretty, athletic, curvy, and limber. But like me, Carla has a hefty booty.  She and her butt look like J-lo. My butt looks more like a giant sack of wiggly Jell-O.

Despite Carla’s bodacious  booty, she managed to wiggle through the storage bin under the dining table and into the camper to unlock the door.

Another crisis averted.

Then I showed up.

My camper is no longer located ocean front but in a park 6 miles away, near the sound. We don’t normally have a problem finding public beach access, but it was a holiday weekend.  By the time I arrived and we packed our stuff for a day at the beach, there wasn’t a parking spot to be found. So, we went to Fort Macon State Park instead.

Gracie seemed to have a good time.

Spending July 4th at a historic site seemed appropriate. 

Later that afternoon, we found a parking spot at Radio Island–a beach access on the intercoastal waterway between Morehead city and Beaufort.

Then we headed back to the camper to shower and change for supper. We ate at a seafood joint outside of Swansboro and watched the fireworks from the parking lot afterward.

TThen we tried to get back to the camper. On the other side of town.

And got stuck in festival traffic. As we sat idling on the bridge between Cape Carteret and Swansboro, my engine sputtered.  I looked down and the needle on the temperature gauge was pointing to OMG It’s About to Blow!

I pumped the gas pedal, said a prayer,  and turned in front of on-coming, 2 mile an hour crawling traffic to get to a side street. I cut the motor and we all piled out the car.

As luck would have it, I had a 2 gallon bottle of water in the back of my Equinox. I’d bought the distilled water for the golf-cart batteries and had never taken the jug from the car.

So, my aunt, Carla, Gracie and myself sat on the sidewalk waiting for the motor to cool so we could add the water to the radiator. We were parked in front of a gorgeous, “Looks Like a Plantation Home Instead of a Bank” bank. The bank sported a long front porch with four white rockers out front.

We started making jokes about climbing onto the porch and waiting in those rocking chairs instead of sitting on the hard sidewalk waiting for the engine to cool.

The fireworks and festivities had ended and it was getting late. The only thing on the street besides us and the occasional car driving by were the port-a-johns.

We had water and we had a place to pee. Things could have been worse.

Then we noticed a couple of  skanky surfer dudes slink by a couple of times.

Being the big fans of Criminal Minds that we are, we discussed survival strategies in case the thugs attacked.  I suggested throwing a rock through the bank window to set off the alarms and bring the cops running. My aunt asked why I wouldn’t just chunk the rock against the thug’s head.

Then Gracie cried, “Help! my fingers are stuck!”

We looked down to see that poor little Gracie had somehow wedged her  fingers into a crack between the sidewalk and  curb.

While Carla was trying to pull Gracie’s fingers out, a firetruck drove by. My aunt and I cracked up as we discussed flagging it down so the firemen could cut Gracie from the concrete.

But Carla managed to get her daughter’s fingers unstuck and we eventually made it back to the camper.  The next day, my aunt and cousins went home and my husband, Johnny, arrived.

He replaced the cables on the golf cart and added the distilled water to the battery cells. Then he tried charging the batteries only to learn the battery charger had gone bad. And golf cart chargers are almost as expensive as the batteries.

We said screw it and went to the beach. 

 When we got back to the camper, my husband asked if a roof leak he’d repaired the last time we were there was still keeping the rain out.

“Sure,” I said. “It doesn’t leak at all anymore.”

Then I stepped in the corner to show him how dry the ceiling was and my foot nearly fell through the floor.  So, I pulled back the rug and discovered mold, mildew, rotten wood, and a giant, freaking hole.     

So, we said screw it again and we went to the Dock House in Beaufort. We sat on the balcony, ordered a couple of drinks, had supper, and listened to the band.

Johnny pointed out the irony of the prominent use of electric guitars in a group called Acoustic Highway.  Despite the Oxymoronic name, the bad was good.

 

On Sunday, we tore the carpet out of the camper, covered the hole in the floor and went home. And exactly one week later, the sump pump in our basement at home died.  With all the rain we’ve had lately, the ground was saturated and without a sump pump, the basement flooded.  It rose about three feet and short circuited the hot water heater.

.It took two days to pump all that water out.  By then, the insulation sagged and everything was moldy and mildewed.  My dad replaced the sump pump and temporarily fixed the hot water heater. He brought his supplies to my house in the back of a trailer. He left the trailer parked in my yard on Sunday night. And on Monday morning, I backed into it.

I now have a long scratch down the side of my car. But hey, I managed to pop the bumper back into place all by myself.

I know bad things come in three’s, but I think we’re on something like nine. Granted, it’s nothing catastrophic.  Just damned annoying and expensive.  But things seem to be turning around for us now. Although the damage to the camper wasn’t covered by insurance, damage to the house was.

As for the camper, the kitchen vinyl ran the length of the camper beneath that moldy carpet. Once we pulled up the carpet and repaired the hole in the floor, we were able to save a small strip of carpet to cover the area where the vinyl stopped. We now have a large square of vinyl surrounded by carpet trim. It actually looks better than it did before. And a vinyl floor at the beach is a hell of a lot easier to vacuum than carpet.

Then on Tuesday, an author from the Author Roast and Toast blog invited me to join them.

The Author Roast and Toast is a fun blog that hosts virtual parties for new book releases. The gals at Roast and Toast are multi-published, talented women I am going to love spending time with. We will be roasting and toasting most every Friday. So, if you’re an author and you want to celebrate a new release or the one year anniversary of an older title, check us out. If you’re a fan of romance, stop by and see what fun we have with our “guests.”

We’d love to see you at http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/

Today, we celebrate the birth of a nation. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was America. 1013 years ago in 1000 AD, Leif Erikson landed on the shores of North America. A Viking warrior, he was looking for land south of Greenland that his father had written about years earlier. He headed south and found rich forests and sandy beaches. Traveling south west, he found richer lands with grape vines that  produced the sweetest wines. He and his crew set up camp and named the settlement Vinland (The Wine Land) and stayed all winter. Come spring, they headed back to his Scandinavian homeland.

It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that archaeologists discovered the remains of Norse housing in what is now  Newfoundland. It is believed that Erikson and his crew explored further inland into the northern reaches of America. Other Norse explorers followed and were supposedly chased away in a hail of arrows by Natives the Vikings called skraelings, or “wretched people.”

Then in 1492, Christopher Columbus left Italy and showed up with his three big ships and better weapons than Norse broad swords and knives.

In 1584 Queen Elizabeth I, authorized Sir Walter Raleigh to colongize America. The first English Colony of Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. Virginia Dare, the first Euorpean American, was born in 1587. Her father returned to Europe for suppllies and when he returned, his new daughter and the entire colongy had disappeared. His only clue was the single word carved into a tree that read: Croatan.

The colony was abandoned in 1590, but 22 years later, Jamestown was settled and the story of a nation truly begins.

The United States declared its independence July 4, 1776 and we went to war with Britain, a Revolution that gave birth to a new nation. The constitution was drafted  in September, 1787 and ratified in June 1788.  The nation began as 13 colonies but Manifest Destiny stretched the US borders from the Atlantic to the Pacific, leading to violent confrontations with the Native people.

The United States now consists of fifty states and several territories including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. People of every color and nationality call the US home, making it one of the most culturally diverse countries on the planet. But we still hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

What the hell is a Greybie, you might ask. Well, I was wondering the same thing before Entertainment Tonight ran a segment on Greybies. Apparently, Greybies are babies who were conceived after the mothers read EL James’ Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Supposedly, these mothers were burnt out in the bedroom or tired of making conception a chore, and reading James’ novel/s was like CPR to their love lives.

To be honest, I haven’t read Fifty Shades–I seldom read popular fiction because I often find the hype is better than the book. Although I have several friends who’ve read and raved about the book (although none have miraculously conceived) I just don’t find the premise appealing to my personal tastes and the hero sounds like a controlling asshole. At least, that’s my take-away when I read the blurb:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

The fact that I don’t generally read erotic romance isn’t even a factor in why I haven’t rushed out to buy my copy of  James’ book. It’s the blurb. The first half of it sounds a bit like the description of a Lifetime Movie about domestic violence and abuse. The heroine is described as unworldly and innocent but it’s not a historical romance and when I read the word innocent, I think virgin. Is Anastasia Steele a virgin–in this day and age? Really? Unless she’s a young adult, I find that somewhat unlikely. And if she is a virgin, I don’t think a real “hero” would go out of his way to deflower her or introduce her to a world of “erotic pleasures.” Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds kind of skanky on his part.

Friends who’ve read the book claim it’s a wonderful romance about a woman finding herself and fulfilling her own romantic fantasies and a man who experiences character growth and learns to love. It sounds like a good thing on the surface, but if I think about it, I wonder what kind of message this sends to young women. Are they really supposed to believe they can change a controlling, emotionally abusive man if they only love him enough.

Yikes! I’m seeing Lifetime Movies in my head again and it sets my teeth on edge. Women who think they can change a man if they only love him more are destined for heartache and possibly some broken bones.

Fifty Shades may not be a story about abuse, but it takes three whole books for the controlling hero who wants her “on his own terms” to realize love isn’t about erotic role playing or control. That alone, should be a red flag to women who think they can change a man through love alone. No matter how much we love someone, we cannot change them or make them love us in return. That sounds desperate and pathetic. That’s another thing that  bothers me. The author describes the heroine as “desperate to get close to Grey.” And once she embarks on this purely physical relationship, she begins to explore her own dark desires.

Really? Are those desires her own? Or is she just trying to grasp any straw that will bring her closer to Grey? Is this yet another attempt to “love him enough” so he’ll love her in return? Does she think this will change him and make him love her? A man’s failure to change isn’t the result of “his” woman not loving him enough. It’s because he’s usually an asshole or a really screwed up individual who could use some counselling.

I’m not saying people are incapable of change. I just happen to believe that change has to come from within. As for these Greybies, I have to wonder how the husbands/boyfriends feel knowing their wives and girlfriends needed to read a book to get into the mood. Do they see this as a blow to their egos? Or is this a case of not caring where the appetite comes from as long as the women “eat’ at home?

I’m all for spicing up the love life and if reading “mommy porn” worked for these women, then more power to them. But they should remember the old goose and gander analogy and not to get offended if their spouses are surfing the net for porn or looking at girly magazines for inspiration. After all, men are more visual than women.

Frankly, I find spending time together as a couple and concentrating on one another to be the most powerful aphrodisiac of all. Batteries need not be included and no toys required if the couple sets aside time for romance. Spontaneity is a fine concept, but in today’s busy world, most couples don’t have time to be spontaneous and sex sometimes takes backstage to jobs, kids, the house, the yard, church, or other responsibilities. Planning a date night is the best way to breathe life back into a neglected sex life, and whatever the night entails should be fun and enjoyable for both partners.

As for recommending Fifty Shades to couples having difficulty conceiving, I wouldn’t recommend it. Those trying to conceive probably have enough well-meaning friends giving them pointers without one of them suggesting that reading an erotic romance might help. If that’s all it took to conceive those “Greybies,” then I suspect the problem wasn’t physical. Without the use of birth control and with more frequent “exposure,” I’m sure those women would have become pregnant with or without  reading Fifty Shades.

Am I missing out by not reading James’ book?

Whether Fifty Shades is the best romance ever, mommy porn, or just another book hardly matters. Fifty  Shades of Grey is practically a household word and I’m sure Ms. James is very pleased with her success. Kudos to her!

Heroes don’t wear capes. They are not born; they are created. They are men and women forged in the fires of chaos and tragedy. They are ordinary people who risk their own lives when others duck or run. In times of great need, heroes are the men and women who step up and do what needs doing to save lives and get the job done. Heroes are our soldiers coming home from war. And the ones who never made it home. They are doctors, therapist, nurses, and technologists who tend the sick.  They are policeman, firemen, paramedics, EMT’s, and social workers. They are our neighbors and friends.

Heroes wear helmets and carry guns. They leave no one behind and they carry the wounded. They are Vietnam Veterans.

And they are World War II Veterans like my mother’s uncle.

Heroes served in the Korean War like my father-in-law.

They served on land…

On Sea…

And by air.

They are newly graduated cadets destined to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.

And they are soldiers like my son-in-law who served abroad.

Heroes are the men and women who reach out to help a stranger when others don’t wish to get involved. They are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They are the brave men and women of our armed forces.

This Memorial Day, remember those Americans who served and those who gave their lives.

“There are no extraordinary men, just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men have to deal with.” ~Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.