Do You Have Realistic Expectations?

Porn...yes, I'm talking porn.

Every adult has seen some form of it - whether it be a movie (bow-chicka-bow-wow), read it (super hot paperbacks) or you see photos in magazines and on the internet. We are all exposed. I'm not just talking about the obvious porn, but photos of overly-half naked men and women posted everywhere in our everyday life. Advertisements are full of them (Calvin Klein ads were famous for it).

You see these images. Now look at your mate. Are you hoping, secretly, they look like that? Are you looking for that special someone with rippling abs? Can you discern fantasy from real life?

You say, of course I can. But can you? How many times do we fantasize about that unrealistic body you wish your special someone had? How many times have I heard that a spouse no longer loves their spouse because they've gained weight?

I'll pick on men first. They're easiest - sorry guys. From the time your hormones kick in you are looking for big boobs, a firm ass, or long legs. Oh, don't forget the long blonde hair. Where does this come from? I could blame it on men's magazines and XXX movies, but its everyhere - TV, movies, billboards. You're bombarded with it. You have to know, we can't compete with that. There are so few women that meet the fantasy, and can keep it. If you find her, she has to grow old at some point. Wrinkles set in, she gains some weight, the boobs are no longer perky and neither is the ass. Your eyes start to wander. Forgetting with these changes comes maturity, she knows you and your quirks, and she still loves you.

Ok gals, we're just as bad. We long for that guy with bulging biceps, rippling abs, who can pick us up with ease and carry us off to bed. Its in our magazines, movies, TV and books we read. Men have the same issues we do...they age. The arms aren't as muscular as they once were, the abs turn to a round gut, their hair thins. You eyes wander. This guy has been there through children, illness, and family drama - you sure you want to trade him in?

Let's say you're single and 45 years old or older. You look on the dating websites. What do you see? Exactly what you had. There is only so much botox, lifting and enlarging you can do. You can add plugs, lift weights and lose a few pounds. What do you have? Someone over 45...

Moral of the story? Enjoy our differences from what society tells us is sexy. Individuality is priceless. Growing old gracefully, accepting of body changes, can be sexy. Be confident in who you are. You are beautiful and sexy no mantter what age or size. You are handsome and hunky no matter what age or size. The mind is a very sexy organ. Use it more. A good conversation, an intellegent conversation, can be a turn on. Try it.

Stephanie Myer - Dark Revelation

Today I'd like to introduce Stephanie Meyer.  She's a great author with a very interesting book out.  Let's get to know her a bit.

For what are you grateful? I am grateful that I have the ability to share my stories with the world. 

If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be?

Outsourcing… stop it.

If you knew the exact date of your death down to the minute, what would you change about your life starting tomorrow?

Starting tomorrow, I would stop concentrating on the little things and make every moment with my family matter.

If you had two years left to live from this moment, what would you change about your life starting tomorrow?

I would spend the rest of the time travelling the world, taking my children with me.

If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself?

You are stronger than you think you are.  Don’t give up.  And don’t stop writing.

After a difficult day what do you do to recuperate? Does it work?

Difficult day…  I veg and watch T.V.   It works because my brain stops working.

When was the last time you helped someone that was desperately in need? What did you do? Was this person grateful?

The last time I helped someone in need is when they needed a place to stay.  They were kicked out of their own home and I invited them into mine.  Yes, they were grateful.  I helped them in a moment of crisis and assisted them to the best of my ability.

What is one of the most unusual things you have done in your life? 

I don’t know if it is unusual but I grew up overseas as a military brat.  It is more common than you think.  I’ve also travelled to India to train employees who eventually became the reason I lost my job at the time.

 What is or are the genres of your book or books? 

YA and Urban Fantasy

What made you decide to write in your particular genre?

 I didn’t intend to write in these genres, it just happened that way.

DARK REVELATION

Ryleigh Simmons just turned seventeen. 

After the death of her parents, Ryleigh is introduced to her beautiful Aunt Vera and thrust into a family she never knew existed. 

Discovering she is a descendant of the Fae, she must embark on a journey to escape the clutches of her tyrannical Uncle Finar. Finar wants nothing more than to consume Ryleigh and those like her to become the most powerful Fae in existence. 

Ryleigh is the only one who can stop him.

It's on special now! $.99 

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Revelation-S-E-Myers/dp/1470088061/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366029079&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+revelation

Role of Dishonour $.99

Check out Brad Fleming's book Role of Dishonour for $.99! 

What readers are saying about Role of Dishonour:

 “I love a book that allows me to see the characters as well as feel their emotions.”

“Brad Fleming weaves a very real tale of dishonesty, betrayal, and enemies amongst friends, collateral damage, and the horrible stages that go along with a war within a war.”

“…an inside view to what was happening in Ireland of the height of their troubles. But it wasn't that that grabbed me about this story. It was the undercurrent love affair, which had an almost Romeo and Juliet feel about it.”

“I was deeply emotionally involved with the characters.”

“I certainly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good thriller/mystery/suspense. Congratulations Mr. Fleming.”

This is a fast paced thriller centered around the violent and unsteady times of the “Troubles” in Ireland.

For generations Northern Ireland has withstood a vicious campaign of terrorist violence that has left thousands dead and countless more horribly injured. The British and Irish Governments seem powerless and to have settled for what one leading politician calls an acceptable level of violence.

There appears to be no solution to the conflict. But, when a Provisional IRA bomb kills two grandparents and a four-month-old baby on a lonely border road, four men from widely different backgrounds – a politician, a policeman, a soldier and a journalist – decide enough is enough. They embark on a daring plan to exact vengeance – and to end the Ulster Troubles once and for all.

Role of Dishonour is about violence and vengeance, treachery and treason, retribution and reward. Men die – women and children too. It’s a world where one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. For generations the troubles in Ireland have pitted Protestant against Catholic, Unionist against Nationalist and Loyalist against Republican. There seems no end to the mindless spiral of death and destruction.

Yet the book is also a poignant love story, set against the background of one of the most beautiful pieces of earth God ever made. It’s the story of a man and a woman from different backgrounds and different worlds who find one another and tentatively begin to forge a relationship amid the chaos and despair. Are they to be star-crossed lovers or will true love triumph in the end?

Here are several excerpts from Role of Dishonour:

“The reason you’re here is because each one of you has a certain talent, a particular expertise which, properly directed and, properly co-ordinated, could have a decisive effect on the situation existing in Ireland at the present time. I must also tell you that, while the prize is great, the risks to each one of us are considerable. I am speaking of physical risks gentlemen. Failure could result in imprisonment for all of us–or even death!”

“He saw her then–sitting alone on a high stool at the left end of the bar counter. Quite simply, she was the most striking woman he’d seen in a long time. She appeared totally oblivious of his arrival and he found himself stopping involuntarily in order to study her more closely. Dexter was not normally so rude, or so easily impressed, but here was a woman well worthy of a second look.”

“The events of the last 24 hours had put Northern Ireland back on the front pages and on TV screens worldwide. Politicians from all sides were parading in front of the cameras and microphones. Every hotel in Belfast was packed with journalists and TV crews representing, it seemed, just about every country in the world.”

“They awakened in each other’s arms in the half-light of the October dawn. They made love again, more gently this time, much more slowly. She even allowed him to lead and was content to adapt to his pace, be subservient to his desires. It was no more than the poor man deserved after the unforgivably blatant manner in which she had seduced him the night before.”

“People who live for their country serve it better than those who die for it. The doctrine of an eye for an eye ultimately leaves everybody blind.”

Readers, good news – you can pick up Role of Dishonour this week for just 99 cents at this link: http://www.amazon.com/Role-of-Dishonour-ebook/dp/B009R8X2EC

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

If you would like to connect with Brad and get news on his next big release you can friend him on Facebook: http://www.amazon.com/Role-of-Dishonour-ebook/dp/B009R8X2EC

HOW IT FELT TO PUBLISH MY FIRST BOOK (Brad Fleming)

It’s a little like holding your first child. Not quite as good, but pretty close. For a start, it took a lot longer to create—and the blood, sweat and tears of its creation were nothing like so pleasurable.

The satisfaction of finally seeing it in print, however, was special. This was all my own work, a job that didn’t require a partner, although many kind people helped in finally getting it out there.

Doctors cure patients. Mechanics mend cars. Prospectors seek gold—and sometimes find it. Writers write—and the industrious (and fortunate) ones get to see their book in print. It’s a warm and special feeling, matched only on the day when someone tells you “I’ve just read your book. I thoroughly enjoyed it; couldn’t put it down. When’s the next one due?”

 Brad’s newest release, Deadline to Danger is due out in April of this year.

Brad’s Bio:

Before becoming an author Brad Fleming was in journalism, broadcasting and public relations all of his working life. Born in the small fishing village of Kilkeel, Co Down, in the shadow of where the famous Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea, he worked in local newspapers before moving on to a national daily paper in Belfast. Later he broadcast on news and sport for the BBC. In his thirties he made a career switch to join the British Government Information Service, a job which took him to many corners of the world.

Next Time Lucky with Siggy Buckley

I'd like you to meet Siggy Buckley. She was a matchmaker in Ireland and lives here in the US. Next Time Lucky is her fictional account, with some real experiences thrown in, about a matchmaker. I'm interviewing her today.

You are a dating expert. How does one become an “expert”?

The Irish media coined that phrase!  My own experience after my separation from my hubbie of 17 years made me reinvent myself having been a college adjunct professor and start a new life.

I lived in sticks of Ireland, a country that didn’t even have a legal divorce yet at the time. Where do you go to meet a new partner? Especially when you hit the 40 mark? I found many people in a similar situation and learned about the existence of dating agencies. Seeing how they worked, I thought I could do better, i.e., apply higher standards and safety measures. I bought the master franchise for Ireland from a British company. The business was very successful. I brought dozens of people together in holy matrimony or joyful cohabitation and I’m responsible for about a dozen children on this planet. Ireland is a small country and I was able to get a lot of media attention. I was featured in many newspaper articles, on the radio, and even on TV.  They started too call me “Chief Cupid”, dating expert, and even “Dating Guru of the Millenium”. 

How did you know you found the “Mr Right” this time around?  

By pure chance after almost two years of unsuccessful internet dating. New to Orlando, I checked out a nice bar/restaurant where  single people went-supposedly; just to see if it was worth my while to doll myself up on a Saturday to go on the prowl. He had been stood up by somebody else and just came in for a drink, sat at the bar next to me…and read the rest of this story in Next Time Lucky.

Where do you recommend adults over 40 meet other adults over 40? 

My obvious choice is dating agencies with a personal touch that know their clients and hold functions. Or matchmakers- even if it costs some money! Then there is surfing the risky waves of the Internet. I have relatives in their sixties/seventies that joined clubs to play cards, Trivia and went ballroom dancing. That worked well for that age group. So there is hope for everybody.

In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake someone could make on a first date? Are any topics taboo? 

Interrogating a candidate like in a job interview. While it’s natural that people’s past comes up, one shouldn’t dwell on it or complain about one’s Ex.

At what point, do you think, couples should become intimate while dating? Date #3, Date #5, weeks or months later?

That’s a very personal decision, isn’t it? In my experience as a matchmaker, first time encounters often remain one night stands. It’s biological ingrained into men that they like the chase.  Some are just looking for another notch on their bedpost. I like to see a man pursue me, let him make an effort and show interest. By that I don’t mean play hard to get, however. I’m a firm believer in gut feelings. You will know when the time is right.

With the experiences and mistakes the over 40 crowd brings to dating, do you think it’s easier or harder to find someone?

Harder than when? In your thirties? I found it hardest for women in their late thirties who were still single and looking for a marriage partner first time round. I venture to say it’s harder in your forties when you have kids or teenagers than if you were divorced and on your own.

I know Next Time Lucky is fiction with some of your non-fiction experiences thrown in. When we read this book, what is something you’d like us to take away from it? 

I’m taking the reader through a lot of situations where they can decide if they would have acted in the same way and learn from Cherie’s mistakes. That’s the main character. By sharing my experiences online and through my professional work, I hope to give them food for thought and help in making their own decisions. The dating tips chapter that I added to the new edition gives concrete advice on where to go and what to do.

I heard you were working on another book. What do we have to look forward in this one?  

A story called: I once had Farm in Ireland: An Organic Life Story. It’s of a biographic nature as well about the time my life took an unexpected turn when my first husband announced he would opt out of the rat race and go to Ireland to become an organic farmer. I was a city girl who was suddenly hit by a farm. While we had been strong supporters of the green movement and environmental issues, it’s one thing to vote green and another to change your life completely and emigrate to a foreign country for a presumably healthier life style. It was a challenge and a culture shock for me and unfortunately this adventure broke up our marriage. You get an idea about the subject matter on my Irish website:www.InandoutofIreland.blogspot.com.

You can learn about growing your own veggies, raising lambs, plucking gees and even make your own wine, if you’re interested. We almost killed ourselves with work producing healthy food. It’s being edited and will hopefully see the light of day by the summer.

What was your most romantic date? 

Being taken to a park for a picnic. He spread out the blanket, had brought champagne in a cooler, and strawberries. We lay under the Florida sun and looked at the blue sky. Suddenly his face hovered over mine and placed his first kiss on me. Then he fed me a strawberry. Another kiss.

“Do you want to see the sunset on the beach?” What beach? We were in Orlando. “It’s only about an hour’s drive  to Tampa. We may just make it.” And we did. Glorious and memorable.

What is your biggest turn-off? 

Men not shaving, not showering regularly, biting their fingernails. Apparently I have more than one….

When you’re in a bad mood, had a bad day, what is the one thing your husband can do that changes your mood? 

Hug me and tell me we’ll get through this together.

When he’s had a rough day, what is one thing you do for him to lighten his mood? 

Take him in my arms and tell him what a great guy he is, what I admire about him and why I love him.

For a great story and matchmaking check out Next Time Lucky!

Find Siggy at:

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Next Time Lucky Blog

Writers Getting Together

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Whether you've met on a dating site, were old high school friends, or friends introduced you, you run into the same issue. How do you know if he likes you?

We all have had experiences where you think you hit it off and then you never hear from him again. What did you do wrong? Did you do something wrong? Or was it him? How do you know if he's into you?

I have a guy friend that tells me if you're on a first date and he doesn't ask you for a follow-up date before you get into your car, he's not that into you. Do you think so? If that's the case, I have had quite a few dates that were not that interested in me.

I have a guy friend that tells me there are certain topics that are off limits on a first date; i.e. exes, money, sex, and illnesses. At fifty years old, there isn't that much else to talk about. Guess that explains, maybe, why they didn't set up a second date.

Then there's the person you've text and online chatted with for weeks. You totally have a ton in common. Then you have that first phone call. They don't sound how you expect. They aren't as witty on the phone as they are in chat. You think it might just be you and you agree to that first meeting. Yeah, lets just say, its as bad as the phone call. You don't want them to ask for a second date.

Ok, here's the exception...you chat and text great conversations. You talk on the phone and he's as witty and funny as you expected. You meet up and you talk about all the things you aren't supposed to. And, guess what? He even asks for a second date. So, what's the moral of the story? I have no idea what the winning combo is. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Tell me about your experience. How do you know you'll ask for a second date? What tells you not to? What topics are taboo for you on the first date?

Take Note that Deadly Deception is FREE on Amazon for the next three days!!!!

Synopsis

Dr. Anne Jamison, brilliant neuropsychiatrist , living the concrete jungle life in Minneapolis with her fiancé, prominent attorney, Adam Whitney. The mysterious death of Carter Leeds, her former boyfriend, haunts her to this day. After three years of unanswered questions, a secretive note finds its way to Anne, revealing the possibility that Carter may in fact be alive, and that her very own fiancé may have had a hand in his attempted demise.

Who really is Adam Whitney? Can Anne trust the man she pledged forever with? As deadly secrets begin to unravel, so does her trust. A dark, twisted game of cat and mouse ensues, who will run out of lives and who will walk away, to only be deceived, once again.

Exerpt

Anne stretched her neck muscles as they tightened at just the thought of Victoria. Her attempts to shake the green-eyed monster were ineffective, so she turned her attention to the mystery envelope waving its secretive arms, enticing her to open it. She picked it up and walked over to her mission-style desk to locate an envelope opener. Anne took the silver blade and ran it through the glued seal. The contents trickled out and onto her desk. Colored photographs fanned out in front of her and a white note with red hue writing stared at her.

For My Anneliese

“No!”

She gasped, feeling her hands begin to numb. Her veins were flooded with fresh fretful blood that burned her chest and pulsated into her ears as the thumping of her heart pounded deep within her. The one person in the entire universe who ever called her by her given birth name was Carter. The room was losing all focus and was quickly becoming dim. But then Carter’s face became clearer, like a luminous apparition pulling her subconscious in deeper.

Buy Links
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A9HSTOI

https://www.createspace.com/4034701

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-deception-andrea-johnson-beck/1113818356?ean=2940015751789

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Deadly-Deception/book-kVkWxlOHeUKT2moArHIkSA/page1.html?s=jWNSjpkeJEarCSK_AQjylg&r=1
https://twitter.com/AndreaJBeck

Author Bio

I think I came out of the womb writing. I published my first poem when I was in elementary school and my first short story was not too far after that. When I had my son, I wrote for various publications about his birth, what we went through as a family and when he was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum I shared his story with others who were going through the same scary process as we had.

Before my thirtieth birthday, I vowed to write and complete a full length book, which I did. I finished two weeks before my birthday. After a couple of frustrating contract negotiations, I decided to take a time out. Earlier this year, I made the decision to get my baby (Deadly Deception) published. With another frustrating contract deal down the drain, I decided that self-publication was my destiny.

Between homeschool awesomeness, domestic goddess duties, city upheaval, extra-curricular craziness, it has been a challenge to tidy the book up and slap a red bow on it. With the help of some amazing editors it's ready with a red bow on top. 

https://www.facebook.com/andrea.j.beck

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Andrea-Johnson-Beck/380192065371391

https://twitter.com/AndreaJBeck

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6582864.Andrea_Johnson_Beck

http://andreajohnsonbeck.blogspot.com/

Lash - Cover Reveal

Synopsis:
Decades after being banished from Heaven for saving a life he shouldn’t have, seraph Lash is given a chance to redeem himself. His mission: protect Naomi Duran, a young woman who has lost her faith. The assignment proves to be anything but simple when his superiors, the Archangels, withhold key information about Naomi and refuse to restore Lash’s powers. When an unexpected source reveals centuries-old secrets, his trust is shaken to the core, and he begins to doubt those whom he had once considered to be his greatest allies.
Determined to avoid anything that would risk his chances of returning to Heaven, Lash struggles with the greatest obstacle of all—his growing feelings for Naomi. But when her life is threatened by an unknown source, Lash questions the wisdom of the Archangels and his ability to keep her safe.
Soon, Lash will have to choose where to place his faith—in the home he has fought so hard to regain or in the forbidden love he can’t bear to lose.

Goodreads Link:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17306427-lash

This Will Be a Trilogy

TBN (Broken Angel #2)

Release Date: Fall 2013
TBN (Broken Angel #3)
Release Date: Spring 2014

Author Bio:

L.G. (Linda) Castillo wrote her first story when she was ten and has been writing ever since. She took a break from writing fiction and poetry to focus on obtaining her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is now a licensed psychologist and currently works as a professor at a Texas university. Although she has published her psychological research in several professional journals and books, her dream is to publish a novel.

It wasn’t until she found the world of fanfiction that she became inspired to write stories again. She uploaded her first fanfiction novel under the pen name Lacrimosa Moon. With the support and encouragement of her readers (and lots and lots of caffeine), she wrote the first book of the Broken Angel trilogy, Lash, during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo 2012).

When she’s not writing, she scours the Internet collecting frequent flyer miles and uses them to travel with her husband throughout Europe.