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Kirk or Spock?

16 May

by Madeline Iva

Pepsi or Coke? Logolas or Aragorn? (Or are you one of those weirdos out there who prefers Frodo?) We women really seem to line up on different sides when it comes to the types of men we like. Why is that?  Does it all come down to the guys who thrill vs. the guy who’s chill?

Of course Spock.

Spock's hittin' it

Spock’s hittin’ it

Of course Legolas–but I have a sneaking suspicion you won’t agree with me.  [Fist pump with my sisters out there who do.]

Chris Pine you are fine.

Chris Pine you are fine.

My first crush was on Spock. (I won’t even tell you what movie.)  And I’ve been faithful ever since.

Original Spock--accept no substitutes.

Original Spock–accept no substitutes.

And I’d bet money that those women out there who prefer Kirk would also prefer Aragorn.  Don’t know why, it’s just a gut feeling.

--And we--love. Men who talk. Using strange...pauses. In their speech.

–And we–love. Men who talk. Using strange…pauses. In their speech.

The latest Star Trek is coming out.  [Let the summer movie extravaganzas begin!] I’ll be interested in seeing it because I don’t know…ladies, I may be jumping ship.

While Spock’s getting it on with Uhura, I’m going to be checking out a third dark horse in the race for yumminess: Bones.Hot!

Karl Urban was recently in a not-too-bad reboot of the Judge Dredd franchise.  He’s cute, people.  Have you noticed that? And I’m saying that after watching him play Dredd–where we never saw his face.  His side kick was kinda okay too btw.

Damn it Jim, Karl's hawt.

Damn it Jim, Karl’s hawt.

So you tell me in the comments below — Kirk or Spock? (Or have you been reading fan fic where they *ahem* are both together?) Who’s open minded out there and willing to toss Bones into the ring as a contender?

Oh wait! You know what–they should call this movie STAR TRECK: VOYAGE INTO EXPONENTIAL HOTNESS.  Because hey look–Benedict Cumberbach is playing the bad guy.  And B.C. –if you’ve been following the BBC’S SHERLOCK — he’s just riveting.Benedict

So you know where I’ll be Friday night.  Meanwhile, if you’re home over the weekend and you’d rather stay inside in front of your own TV to watch some action adventure, here are two DVD’s to check out:

Dredd — as I told you, it’s not. that. bad.  Harsh, with cool slo-mo effects and a great villian-ness.

Dredd and his girly side-kick.

Dredd and his girly side-kick.

I thought that Lena Headey (see my Bad Mommy post) was an awesome–practically stole the movie.  Funnily enough her character’s name was ‘Mama’.

Lena rocks it as the villain--of course.

Lena rocks it as the villain–of course.

Check out John Carter as well.  It got panned quickly for no real good reason that I can see.  Really, it’s just fine.  And the princess isn’t a size zero–that was refreshing.  It’s long though,–so make sure to settle in with a snack–but it’s honest, bouncing fun.  Makes up for the last few wretched Star Wars flicks.

Johnny Boy & a princess

Johnny Boy & a princess

 

Remember you can follow this blog — just hit the button to your right. :)

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Naked People Everywhere!

15 May

Serendipity-Nudist-Pool-AreaA new book I’m outlining has me considering whether it might work in the plot if I plopped my characters in the heart of a nudist colony. Now, believe me, I understand that such places specifically emphasize the fact that they have nothing to do with sex or lewd, provocative behavior. But, you know, I’m an erotic romance writer so methinks I can bend those rules a bit.  Except I started wondering: do people even go to nudist colonies anymore? Do they even still exist? I decided to do a little research, and what I found was rather revealing. :-)

For starters, people who practice this type of living no longer refer to their residences as “colonies.” The word “colony” has a negative overtone, such as “leper colony,” and it also sounds like it might be a cult. Folks who dig 24/7 naked live in “nudist communities” or “naturist villages” and frequently refer to themselves as “naturists.” There’s an organization that represents these clothes-free fans, the International Naturist Federation. According to their website, naturism is defined as “. . . a way of life in harmony with nature, expressed through social nudity, linked to self-respect, tolerance of differeing views together with respect for the environment.” Now you know.

There are also naturist resorts, where families can go for a vacation to get their naked on and enjoy activities such as swimming or tennis. OK, side note here . . . swimming in the buff is fun and I can totally picture that as a vacation kinda thing to do. But naked tennis? I’m pulling up some images in my mind about that one and they’re not good. Certain . . . appendages . . . would be swinging and shaking during naked tennis. And, sheesh, ow. It just seems painful and, you know, not pretty.

Alrighty then, moving on. So let’s say I do put my characters in a naturist village. What are the rules for living there? Aside from the obvious, sans clothes. From what I could find, there don’t seem to be a lot. Photography is discouraged unless you’re taking a quick shot of the family or your friends. But snapshots of others? Not so much. Put towels down wherever you sit. (good). Men who may show obvious arousal should discreetly cover up until said arousal calms down. Also, naturist resorts also claim not to tolerate “lewd and lascivious behavior.” Oh, but there’s where things get interesting.

One of the most famous naturist resorts is Cap-d’Agde in France. There you can live, work, shop, dine, whatever you want, in the buff. Singles live there, families live there. A large part of the place is a resort for vacationers. It’s touted  as a good place to have fun in the sun in the nude. But when the sun goes down, the parties heat up. Several reviews on travel website Trip Adviser mentioned the “swinger like” atmosphere that comes out once darkness hits. People spend the daytime part of their vacation in the nude, and the nighttime part dressed in party clothes (it can get cool at night, apparently) slumming for a good time. The Cap D’Agde website even has a section “for swingers” that provides information on a club called “Le Glamour.” Here we learn that “Downstairs is the sex area. There are some facilities with mattresses, but also a lot of people are just standing around having sex.” Well. That’s interesting. My plotting mind is churning with ideas.

Whether or not I decide to go the naturist route, I’ve certainly learned a thing or two about what I thought was a a leftover relic from the ’70s. For me, when I’m out in public my clothes are staying on. But for my intrepid hero and heroine, perhaps not so much . . . :-)

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Sexy Saturday Round-Up

11 May

By Liz Everly, with the Lady Smut Bloggers

Photo by Dollen

Photo by Dollen

Hello, sexy! What a week. I’m done with my travels for now and back at work. Once again, we’ve gotten some fascinating blogs and even a video for you to check out this week. Sit back, relax, and happy reading.

I sat in on the RITA-nominees Shindig event on Thursday night and this post was brought up several times: Should we allow the historical genre to die?

Nathan Bransford on how publisher should empower their authors.

Writers breaking the “rules” of good writing.

This from the strange, but true. An man dies in Nigeria after being raped by his wives.

Charlaine Harris on killing off a series.

Another from the strange but true. A question about changing the sheets between lovers.

From Madeline:

Always looking for how to manage your time more productively? Me too! Here are 9 tips on managing your time from Colleen Trombley-VanHoogstraat posted on the Washington Romance Writers blog.

“It’s hard to explain or describe how a woman feels about her body—it’s either her friend or her enemy.” If you’re moved by this statement, maybe it’s time to call a truce.  Meanwhile, this fascinating account of post-baby plastic surgery is as soul searching as it is provocative.

How to write fast from the master of writing fast.

Kate Worth shared these links to the latest Harlequin fail– Part 1) Joe Conrath explains the backstory on the lawsuit. Part 2) The Judge Dismisses the Case. Part 3) Snarky commentary on The Harlequin Survey that followed. (You might read this if only for Bob Mayer’s response in the comments section.)

Alma Katzu’s edgy social media blog ENDPAPER NOTES is not for the faint of heart.  But her think tank expert’s take on cutting edge social media is where you’ll find the good stuff.

From Elizabeth:

Sure, Sunday’s Mother’s Day, but it’s also National Limerick Day! Celebrate by reading a brief history of the limerick.

At last, a definitive guide to buying and wearing a properly sized bra.

Beach time! Publishers’ Weekly is out with their list of best summer books for 2013. Stock up!

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Hoarding: The Secret Life Of A Book Addict

8 May

By Elizabeth Shore

In addition to reading romance – lots and lots of romance – I’m also a big fan of the horror genre. Not only Stephen King, whoseBuried in books work I’ve been reading since I was fourteen, but other horror writers as well including Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, and Dean Koontz to name just a few. In recent years I’ve also become a fan of Stephen King’s son, who writes under the name Joe Hill. His work is really good, and I await his new releases with nearly as much gusto as I do his father’s. So when Mr. Hills’ newest book, NOS4A2, came out recently, I dashed to the bookstore the very day it was released in order to scoop it up.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, of course. It’s not like I’m robbing banks. But here’s the thing: my to-be-read pile is at least 75 books long. And I’m not talking electronic books (because that would push the total even higher), but honest-to-goodness printed books. Hardcovers. Softcovers. Bound books, ink on paper, taking up space on my limited bookshelf. To top it off, I  live in a small apartment where space is a premium. Yet what did I do in the face of a space crisis? I went out and bought yet another book. Even more: while I was at the bookstore, I inquired whether or not Ian McEwan’s Sweet Tooth was out in paperback yet. ‘Cause if it was, I was buying that, too. (thankfully, it’s not until July 2. I’ve got it marked on my calendar). So here I am, friendly readers, baring my soul. My name is Elizabeth Shore, and I’m a book addict.

My book addiction sprouted roots when I was a Tween, probably eleven or twelve. Back then, I used to get as birthday and/or Christmas presents a gift certificate to Waldenbooks. Oh, those were heady days! Having that gift certificate in my hand, walking into the bookstore and seeing all those new, fresh books just sitting there, on the shelves, awaiting my potential acquisition. I could barely contain myself. I was like Imelda Marcos in a Jimmy Choo store!

Books take me away, sweep me into a world of fantasy, romance, adventure, excitement. Naturally I love the stories in the books. What reader doesn’t? It’s the whole point, after all. But I also love the books themselves. I love how they feel when I’m holding them. I love running my palm across the cover of paperbacks and feeling the raised lettering. I admire the antiquated look of ragged edged hardcovers and note how handsome they look sitting atop my shelves. It’s an addiction, I tell you, and one that I’m thinking needs to stop.

Once I’ve read a book, I rarely read it again. There are a few treasures, of course. But for the most part, it’s one and done. I read it, enjoy it, and move on to the next, devouring each and every one of them like a starving cookie monster. I’m beginning to fret about the fact that I have no room for more books, as well as the amount of money I’m spending on them. Really, I need to be directing my hard-earned cash toward more practical things. Like food. I don’t actually need to own a single book. There are libraries, after all. I can read books for free and then return them and never have to worry about squeeeeezing yet another book upon my groaning shelves. But seriously, how boring is that? I don’t actually need nice handbags, either. A sack cloth would do the same trick. But how pale life would be stowing my stuff in a sack, just as it would be having shelves with no books.

Whenever I lament to my husband about being struck with buyer’s remose over buying books, his go-to response is always, “hey, at least you’re not snorting the money up your nose.” Well, no. I’m certainly not doing that. I am, however, supporting writers, and that’s assurance enough for me that if I’m going to have a vice, there are plenty worse ones than buying books. If only I lived in an airplane hangar.

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Friday Fun: Sexy Movies

3 May

by C. Margery Kempe

What are your favourite sexy films? What does it take to get you in the mood on movie night?

Okay , it’s noir, so you know not everyone’s going to come out of it well but oh my are the scenes between Turner and Hurt hot hot hot.

 

There’s not actually any sex in this film, but there’s such a sensuality built into the story, yum.

 

This romance isn’t to everyone’s taste, but those who love it, adore it.

 

And of course, my inspiration! Anaïs provides plenty of oohs here.

 

No sexy list would be complete without Joanne Harris’ lovely Chocolat. Mmmm!

What would you add to the list?

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Bad Reviews, Bad manners, and Netiquette

30 Apr

So we all get bad reviews from time to time. Sometimes it’s a good thing, we can learn from them, and it shows that people are actually reading our books. Not everybody is going to love our books. We know that, right? In fact, with my mystery writing, I sometimes like the rougher reviews because it shows that I’m pushing buttons. I like that.

What I’ve learned, though, is to consider the source when it comes to reviews. ANYBODY with a computer can write one, whether they know what they are talking about or not. So many of my reviews show that the reviewer has skipped over parts or wasn’t really reading the book—and ya gotta wonder about some of the reviewers who read like 20 books a week. Seriously. How careful of a reading can they be giving your work? It kind of pisses me off, even though I try not to spend to much energy on it. On the one hand, everybody is entitled to an opinion. On the other hand, if you are going to voice it, you should at least be thoughtful and respectful enough to give it a real reading.

Reviews aside, it seems that the digital world has provided a voice to some very ill-mannered sorts. But what ever happened to manners? Do we disregard manners because we can easily hide behind a pen name or user name? I wonder. Are manners really that difficult, even in the digital world? To me, it’s second nature to say thank you for sending me flowers or a gift as it is to say thanks for “retweeting” my tweet.

Maybe good manners don’t count anymore for some folks. But in my world, they do. Maybe folks are a bit confused about the world of digital manners. Here’s a list I came up with, not meant as an exhaustive list, but as a way to get the conversation rolling. Do you have anything to add?

  1. As mentioned previously, thank people on Twitter for retweets and any public interest they take in you or your books.
  2. Same thing for Facebook. (Even as I write this, I’m thinking “Do I really need to?”)
  3. When you are invited to post on a blog or to be an interview, if you decide it’s a good match and move forward with the post or interview, always help to publicize it and keep checking back through the day to see if there are comments you should reply to.
  4. Never respond to bad reviews. This is just not a “manner” thing it’s a professional thing. It never leads to a good place.
  5. If you belong to a group blog, always help publicize the other writers’ posts and book releases. The Lady Smut bloggers do this and we provide a united digital front for one another.
  6. Concerning emails. Even if you can’t respond to a lengthy email right away, it’s a good thing to dash off an email back saying. “Got your email and will get back with you as soon as I can.” (This is a pet peeve of mine with editors and agents, as well. Not only is it polite, but it’s safe and effective communication. We need to know they’ve gotten our emails and our submissions and so on and it’s not been caught in Spam.)

I found a few websites that off tips on netiquette. http://www.netmanners.com/

Here’s one specifically for Twitter use: http://heidicohen.com/twitter-etiquette/

And one for Facebook:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/169120/facebook_etiquette.html

How about you? Anything to add?

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Seeing Everything In Black & White: Vera Wang’s Totally Whack Bridal Gowns

29 Apr
Bridesmaids--or slutty looking idiots? You decide.

Bridesmaids–or slutty looking idiots? You decide.

I was a child bride, married so long ago I don’t even retain memories of the event.  After a few decades my peers caught up and started pairing off and I’ve been very lucky. I’ve never had to endure spending a bajillion dollars on some funky bridesmaid’s dress with shoes dyed to match.  Which is not to say I haven’t been tormented by being in weddings, because, oh I have.  For all three weddings I’ve been a bridesmaid-ish-sort-of-thing in I’ll admit it, I totally choked under pressure when it came down to what to wear.

In one wedding (to a friend-who-was-as-close-as-a-sister) the entire enormous wedding party was told to wear whatever they wanted as long as it was black.  Yes, black.  Hmmmm.

Wedding? Or extra fancy funeral--you decide.

Wedding? Or extra fancy funeral–you decide.

(I started wondering if I could somehow back out, but given that I’d missed her first wedding…).  So I had a seamstress copy a mauve sheath dress that I loved in black.  Only she convinced me to use this totally cool fabric that was made of some special fancy silk, but somehow managed to look a) horrible on me and b) like cheap polyester when the dress was done.  There was that funny look I got from the bride when she first saw me, but the day was about her, not me, so we pushed past it, and I ducked the cameras as much as I could.

No I did not dip my arms in a pool of black paint.

No I did not dip my arms in a pool of black paint.

With my sister’s wedding I was told to wear something champagne.  So I found a champagne pant suit.  Now, I’ve never worn a pant suit in my life, but I wore it with nylons and no undies to make sure all was smooth, if you know what I mean. The only problem was the photos.  Standing there under blazing lights I started remembering a friend’s telling me about her experience on stage where pictures taken of her in costume under super bright lights had made her cat suit costume transparent in the photos–revealing her nipples and pubic hair.  Quelle horror! What if the combo of light weight, light colored pantsuit, bright lights and no undies…ruined my sister’s wedding photos.

I could marry him, or I could bite his head off and slurp his brains out.

I could marry him, or I could bite his head off and slurp his brains out.

I started standing like Miss U.S.A. with one leg forward, hips turned to the side, torso straight on.  Oh, and with my champagne clutch poised in my hand over my crotch.  The photographer bustled up to straighten everyone out.  He took away my clutch, turned my body, tapped my leg to get it even with the other…but by the time he got back to the camera and looked through the viewfinder I had turned again, my foot was out, and my arm was gracefully hanging like it was broken or something so it happened to dangle right over my crotch…You get the idea. I was relentless. That poor man.

The third wedding was my sister-in-law’s — we got to wear whatever we wanted.  I found a super cute tangerine pink plaid dress made of raw silk on sale for $20.00. (Silk again–will I ever learn!) Of course, during the outdoor summer wedding I got massive sweat stains under the arms while reading a poem for the ceremony.   I learned another lesson.  Blurring sweaty dark stains in photoshop fools no one but yourself.

This one is my fav.

This one is my fav.

Given how hard it is for most women to wear white on her special day, don’t you think that Vera Wang is kinda onto something coming up with black wedding dresses? I mean, it’s sorta crazy, yes, but on the other hand, it probably allows that special bride to feel very bad ass.  Because face it people, some brides just are bad ass.

And Vera doesn’t stop at black.  She’s got a wonderful color of f*** me red too.  Or–ahem–champagne.  Do you think that she was facing another season of wedding dresses and had some kind of nervous fit?  ”Agh! My God–all that white! I can’t take it anymore!!!!”

Grrrr.

Grrrr.

Her collection still won’t save you from a funky bridesmaid dress experience, but it’ll add an edge to the proceedings for sure.

For some people–with their snark-o-friends, their exes, and complicated lives full of schadenfreude–a black dress makes the perfect statement of bouquet chewing bridezilla-esque angst and fury.  But black minimizes all those bulges and bumps, so it doesn’t matter if the bride looks like Theresa Russell in Black Widow, Vera’s bride who wore black is sure to become the Next Big Thing.

Here are a few more photos. I can’t help myself, I am as always –

Jaclyn--is she in mourning for her life?

Is she in mourning for her life? Because that’s a LOT of kids!

obsessed with all things wedding & unnatural.  My first romance manuscript is about a bridezilla who experiences humiliating wedding fail then runs off to Paris with a hot wedding guest and winds up finding true love.  At her wedding she can’t stop thinking about her family–killed in a sick tragedy, she mourns them.  I don’t think she’d ever wear a black wedding dress–but given where her heart’s at, it would be an expressive statement of her true feelings on her Big Day.

Meanwhile, below are the red and champagne wedding dresses.  Delish!RedChampagne

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Sexy Saturday Round-Up

27 Apr
Photo by Dollen

Photo by Dollen

Greetings, sexy! What a week. I’m still in lala land over my blog post on USA Today’s Happy Ever After column. It’s been so busy at home that I barely have time to eat! The next thing ya know it’s time to round-up some blog posts. So we have a group of very interesting posts this week. Sit back, grab a cuppa or glass of whatevah, and enjoy!

From Liz:

Jody Hedlund on tips for finding competent, compatible critique partners.

Forced seduction and its place in romance (or not).

The value of a writer’s life experience.

From Madeline:

Stephanie Frasco tells us how to Market like a Kardashian. Hate them if you will, but you gotta admit–this is their one true area of genius.  (Thanks to Alma Katsu for the blog rec.)

It’s not too late to vote for your favorite ROMANCE CRACK.

Older woman, younger man–yes, it’s a hot sub-genre in erotic romance, but how well does it work in real life? 

Yet again Cosmo gives the worst sex advice EVAH.  (I still recall with helpless giggles the column on trying out BDSM. “take a fork and stick him with it all over.” Hahahahahahaha! ) This one is on how to take that hot new sexy relationship and make it awkward as F***.  (Who are the people who write this stuff and what’s wrong with them???)

Margie Lawson give great examples of writers injecting their words with emotion at Writers In The Storm Blog this week.

From Elizabeth

Is your voice affecting the way others perceive you?

You. Being sexy. In 3D. Oh yes, ladies, it’s here.

Make your break-ups that much more perfect with these handy suggestions for break-up wine pairings.

From Margery:

Book marketing ideas that will change your life.

James Patterson thinks the sky is falling!

How some devious editors tried to remove all the “lady writers” from Wikipedia pages.

An amazing artist who never shared her incredible photographs.

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Praising Men in Kilts

23 Apr

This weekend I attended Scottish Festival in Lexington, Va. Herding dogs gathered sheep on the grassy hillsides. The sun warmed the air,  but with a brisk wind from time to time kept it chilly. With the weather, and the mountains surrounding us, along with the bagpipes and Scottish music playing, you could almost swear you were in Scotland.

Lovely trinkets and crafts lined the festival grounds—chimes, hand carved wood boxes, and knives and swords.  I also enjoyed talking with some of the genealogists who were there. I found one of the names of my ancestors and learned that they were a Sept of the Donnachaida clan, which was huge and were mostly in the Highland area of central Scotland that I actually happen to be writing about right now. Kismet, my friends. My life is full of it.

I enjoyed all this, yes.

But mostly what I liked was this:

IMG_2681

No. Not him particularly though he did look pretty good. But I just love men in kilts. (Not all men in kilts, of course, and there were plenty of unattractive kilt-wearing men at the festival.) But for the most part, a man who wears a kilt with confidence one sexy man.

Maybe it speaks to my ancient gene pool, a “memory” if you will of Highland warriors or some other masculine prowess, tempered by something warm underneath.

I’m not the only one who likes men in kilts. Could it be one of the many reasons for popular Scottish historical romances? And Pinterest is full of pins of men in kilts, and don’t you know, I started a men in kilts pinterest board myself. Check it out here. http://pinterest.com/lizeverly/men-in-kilts/

What do you think? What is it about men in kilts?

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Mmm, Smells Like Heroine To Me

22 Apr

“You’re a bitch, you’re shallow, you’re selfish,” so says Tracey, a matchmaker on the reality TV show Ready For Love.  She’s reporting how she is willing to give it straight up to women about why they’re not married.  Mmmm, smells like a potential heroine to me. 

Ernesto

Ernesto. Can you say cute?

Pamela Palmer admits her love of deeply flawed heroes who must be redeemed, but I love me a flawed heroine just as much.  The ugly duckling, the woman afraid of intimacy…and the woman who has got a lot of great qualities, but some big honking flaws as well.  I think my obsession stems from my mother telling me The Taming of The Shrew as a bed time story when I was growing up.  I found the implied comparison between Kate and myself annoying when I was nine, but the trope of a beauty-in-the-rough who must be tamed obviously stuck with me through the years.

In last week’s show we saw some beauty, but also some beasts as the claws come out over the new guys up for grabs. Ben and Enrnesto were presented to their potential matches, and at the end of the show the women were called out on their bad behavior by the experts.

I watched one woman try to hold it together.  Her chin would come up and her lips tighten like she’d sucked on a lemon.  She did not like anyone—except Ernesto.  She was heartily sick of the other women but managed with sheer effort to rapidly pull her emotions together as soon as he came around and present him with a sense of herself: a flash of flame, and a hint of playfulness.  Yet she shot herself in the foot running down the other women in the house when she had Ernesto’s full attention.  She really just needed to vent a little, but his time is too precious for such ordinary activities and in the end she was sent home, thinking she was misunderstood.

Matt the matchmaker points out that even though she was feeling misunderstood: “She said she was feeling awkward, but her response to feeling uncomfortable is negative.  The dream partner is not an automatic drama queen when things aren’t ideal.”

Ben likes a woman who keeps him on his toes.

Ben likes a woman who keeps him on his toes.

I want to say back to Matt: but so many men marry drama queens! Face it: men love drama.  The next guy after Ernesto was Ben and when his ex is around he snaps to.  What’s going to happen next? Ben doesn’t know when he’s around her and he relishes the cheap adrenaline rush she brings to the table.

Mindy is only 80% selfish.

Mindy is only 80% selfish.

I didn’t really care for the contestant sent home but I was left to ponder what we want in a heroine.  Myself, I find a misunderstood heroine so appealing. After all, misunderstood guys are catnip for women.

Aubrey hates you.

Aubrey hates you.

Edward in Twilight is a classic example of the ‘misunderstood’ guy.   He’s not moody and unsocial, daddy, he’s just a vampire who’s trying not to kill me.  He even says he’s the bad guy and I should stay away…See, he’s totally misunderstood. (Okay Twi-hard haters out there, don’t leap on me in the comments section.  It’s just one example. I’m sure you can think of others.)

We love the misunderstood guy, but what about the misunderstood girl?

Cloe Moretz in the Carrie Remake. Carrie is misunderstood AND scary.

Cloe Moretz in the Carrie Remake. Carrie is misunderstood AND scary.

Could the misunderstood girl become a new kind of heroine in romance novels?

Or the Selfish Girl?

Or the Anti-social girl?

Or the Scary girl?

Or must heroines all be near-perfect, selfless and endlessly giving?

Can you think of a heroine who’s idiocyncratic and a bit indifferent to others? I think I’d be interested in her—especially if her flaws keep me laughing.

Meanwhile, I’m even more convinced that the hero of Ready For Love is Matt the matchmaker. Again, trying to keep the women from succumbing to competition Matt says: “Men value what they have to earn.”  True, Matt, so true.  But so do women.  We watch these shows because it’s 8 women fighting over one guy—if they aren’t earning his love, I don’t know who is.

Matt speaks wisdom. Even though I disagree with him a lot.

Matt speaks wisdom. Even though I disagree with him a lot.

Matt, my hero, then says towards the end of the show: “99% of people allow the quality of their life to be affected by strangers.  Never be one of them.”  Woot!

And then there was this heart-breaking moment for me.  There’s a virgin on the show, and Tracey, another matchmaker said to her: “Instead of being vulnerable you talked about being vulnerable. Big difference.”  It’s so true, that’s exactly what happened.  But come on Tracey, baby steps.  This virgin just doesn’t know HOW to allow herself to be vulnerable.  And my heart goes out to her because she’s trying.

In the end, I deeply admire the women we watch on these shows who are feeling so uncomfortable, but they just keep trying.  These are the women who suck me in and keep me watching.

The guys slay me too.  They are intent, focused, and yes, very vulnerable themselves.  My heart melts watching them struggle to be honest, to be the good guy, and work hard—but not too hard!—at their job of finding love.

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