Do Real Men Read Romances?

Do Men Read Love Stories?

In preparing for an interesting topic for the editorial of one of my favorite newsletters, I entered a simple phrase into Google. ‘Do men read love/romance fiction?’ I found some answers, but I also found romance still isn’t considered serious writing by too many people.

Harlequin isn’t feeling the crunch other businesses are, in fact, their sales keep going up in these slow times. Nightline did a segment on the romance novel publisher Harlequin’s 60th Anniversary, and I decided to take a look.

Edited the link out because it is now dead.

Reading the short excerpt shown below the tube, I got the idea Nightline had little respect for the genre, and less for the authors and readers. If Comedy isn’t a sub-genre, they shouldn’t be laughing. I hope I’m mistaken, but their choice of descriptive words tells me I’m not.

You can watch the entire segment, about Harlequin’s history and how they’re Canadian and how the recession is only making their audience more hungry for bodice-rippers; but since this entire “news” report seems like just an excuse to show celebrities reading from ladies dirty books, I’m not sure why anyone would want to. [Oh, and insert old lady who loves Paul Rudd and romance novels and owns more than two cats joke here.

I’m interested in knowing whether men can enjoy reading love/romantic books openly. I know many read them and men even write them, but there seems to be a cloud of embarrassment hanging over their heads. Male authors hide their genre behind feminine pin names, and male readers deny the book is theirs. They dread being laughed at, maybe? That’s really sad.

Men complain they can’t ‘understand’ why women need to read romance. Being strong and protective, and always winning the woman of your dreams is every man’s dream. Strength isn’t limited to the physical muscles you may or may not have. Bet you didn’t know that. Smarts, values, brains and common sense go a long way in impressing a woman.

After reading a few romantic love stories, you’ll begin to learn how a woman thinks, and how she wants to be treated. I’m not talking about lust, I’m speaking of lifetime relationships – love. Learning the difference between romance and erotica is easy. Most women need romance, and they need a man who knows what romance is. It is gentle, strong, trustworthy, honest, loyal. Her Hero loves her. These are the traits women write into their hero characters over and over, because they are building the kind of man they want to spend the rest of their life with. They are telling you what they want; pay attention if you truly want to understand women.

Picture yourself on the cover of a love/romance; is the Hero you? It could be. And to repeat a fact from the top, romance is still selling big. You could try writing one; men need romance in their lives too.

Thanks for reading,
I’ll see you again next week. In the meantime, fall in love all over again with your SO by reading a romantic story together.

Cheapskates and ISPs

This was written a few years ago.  I’ve long since used cable, satellite, cable, satellite and cable again, and always High Speed Internet.  I look for the specials and switch when they’re too good to pass up.  lol

I would love to be able to use DSL or Cable internet service, but being way out here in the boon docks, it isn’t possible. I could easily sign up for satellite internet if I wanted to pay one hundred dollars a month for it. No thank you! I’m cheap and I like it that way! But, that leaves me with dial-up, and everyone knows dial-up is sad. Sad and slow, especially if the phone company haven’t updated the outside wires since 1950. So I must add static noise to sad and slow.

Dial-up isn’t all that bad anymore, though. They’ve added accelerators, boosters, turbos, speedband and all sorts of stuff to make your surfing better, faster, and more enjoyable. And, it works most of the time. Even the cheapest ISP’s include these accelerators for under ten dollars a month.

I don’t want a ‘Home’ page, thank you very much!

I chose one without a ‘Home’ page; that alone makes it a winner for me. It’s neat, clean and fast for less money and no stress. They get me online quickly and that’s all I ask of them. Another ‘must have’ is unlimited hours!

 I’ve used services that force a home page on you. I’ve even used the ‘Big One’ a time or two in emergencies. You know, the one that sends out the free cd’s so crafters can make those neat wind chimes?  (AOL for those who don’t know.)  By the way, I wonder if their subscribers realize they’re actually paying for all those wind chimes?

I don’t mind trying new isp’s, but if I can’t go into Internet Explorer and change the home page to ‘blank], I don’t use the service any longer than necessary to find another one. I don’t like their intrusive way of doing business.

The home page is always so ‘busy’ I can’t find what I’m looking for. I looked for five minutes one time for my account link. The window was full of news, movie stars and sales ads; none of which I’m interested in. It’s so crowded with ‘stuff’ along its borders, it reminds me of my attic. I completely understand needing ads to make money, but I’m paying for the service, it isn’t free!

They usually aren’t user friendly either, at least not to this user. Being forced to do anything causes stress and who needs it? Not me!

I don’t want an intrusive update downloaded every time I log on and off, either, and I don’t want to be ignored when I say no thanks. The ‘Big One’ (AOL)  is bad for doing that. Paying thirty dollars a month for services that are certainly no better than ISP’s charging ten dollars or less is incomprehensible to me. Why would anyone waste their hard-earned cash like that? Especially those paying with their Social Security allowance. Not this cheapskate! When I feel the stress begin to build, I minimize their window and open a new, blank IE window.

There are many, many good, cheap ISP’s worth checking out. Support is always good on those I’ve used, and when they’re new businesses you know they try harder. Give them a chance.

 Search ‘cheap isps’ and save some money; you might even save yourself some stress, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m running a wonderful one I began this month. I was charged only .99 cents for the first month, and that includes the accelerator! I won’t tell you the name though, unless they give me a year’s free service.

 Update

 We are finally going modern out here in the wilds, cable became available and I grabbed it!  TV & internet.  Yes! Now, if I can convince my cheapskate husband it’s worth the extra cost month after month, I’ll be in cheapskate heaven.

A Weed Beside a Long, Dirt Road

Instead of a daily post, it becomes a whenever I can post. I’ve been busy though. I’ve new stacks of yardage to turn into patchwork quilts. I think I’ll try a patchwork table cover this time. I have a breakfast room that would look nice with a bright new cover on the table. I’ve actually covered my dining table with a quilt just for the color, and I liked the look.

It’s been a tiring year, emotionally. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. I’ve been going over some of my early writings and found peace in the memories. I’ve remembered that I love dirt roads. Where can one find a quiet dirt road anymore? I need one now. Walking a simple dirt road gives the mind time to think and wonder. There is so much to see, such as lizard tracks in the powdery dirt. I’d forgotten how beautiful they are in their precision.

Looking up into the sky exercises the imagination. There’s no one to watch and question your every move or word. Such freedom! Being alone on a dirt road is being one with nature. Wildflowers scattered here and there blend their color among the brown and green weeds, and they are compatible. There is no one to look at the weeds and say, “No, no! You don’t belong in my back yard.”

I’ve felt much as I imagine a weed must feel lately. A nuisance in the wrong place, wrong neighborhood, wrong back yard. I can’t fit in among the planned, landscaped beauty of flowers rooted in a greenhouse. I’ve tried my best to disguise my roughness, but the flowers know and delicately turn their faces away. I feel I’m being pulled up by my roots from my favorite place, and there’s nothing I can do.

To remember the serene quietness of walking a long, dirt road is my inspiration. Being alone is not lonely there. Where can one find such a place now?

By being quiet and setting my mind free,

it’ll find the place I yearn to be.

Diss’n Reviewers is a Favorite Pastime

I notice those who write rants against constructive reviews/critiques are usually those who need them most. This post was written in response to a writer discussing reviews she considered harsh. I don’t believe it was the comments that disturbed her though, I believe it was the less than perfect rate that angered her so much. While I’m as quick to offer sympathy for real abuse, I have little sympathy for skin that is just too thin, and can’t handle any sort of criticism. It makes me wonder why they post their writing on a public writing site.

Politically Correct Reviews – Are They Realistic?

This Politically Correct stuff is going too far. I never did like the concept of anyone being treated with kid gloves just because they were…whatever. That seems to me to only accentuate the differences that are trying to be eliminated, and awfully condescending. Most people don’t need laws or rules or oaths to be decent human beings. I am going to narrow this whole PC fiasco down to the subject of critiquing.In the olden days before Politically Correct was born, writers understood the difference between constructive criticism and a negative, personal flame.