tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44847378128553917022024-03-05T07:59:44.332-08:00All About RomanceThe way we wish things were again.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-45711296116008901902011-09-26T13:09:00.000-07:002011-09-26T13:53:14.049-07:00This Mysterious Thing Called RomanceRomance is like pornography. We can't define it but we know it when we see it.<br /><br />Or do we? Romance isn't one of those things that flaps in the wind like a flag. It isn't a frozen frame in a movie that shows two people walking in the park, holding hands, and kissing. That's a movie. It is a fantasy.<br /><br />Maybe that's what romance is. A fantasy created by an invisible scriptwriter in the sky.<br /><br />Some dictionaries define romance as a mysterious feeling of of excitement associated with love.<br /><br />Well, okay, what is love? What is excitement? What is mysterious?<br /><br />Are you beginning to get the message? Defining romance isn't easy. Maybe in the final analysis, romance is what we decide individually for ourselves.<br /><br />We know what excitement is. There's that giddy, shaky feeling when we are near or when we touch someone we feel attracted to. We begin to breathe a little faster and a little heavier when we are near enough to feel the warmth of someone. Our heart rate increases when we touch lips.<br /><br />What more do we need to know? Certainly, a complete and full understanding of the chemical analysis of love would not enhance our feelings. In fact, it might fix our minds on minute details to such an extent that we can't or don't want to, have fun.<br /><br />Just imagine, you're lips have just touched your partner's. Suddenly, you visualize molecules increasing in heat intensity and jiggling around like Mexican jumping beans. You say to your partner, "Dear, did you know that the chemical composition of lip skin is 41 percent boric acid?"<br /><br />Imagine the reaction. "Yeah, yeah. What's on Channel 69 tonight?"<br /><br />I'm keeping my options open and defining it any way I want to. I don't give a rat's bun about Channel 69.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-60809473480579973272010-04-17T16:52:00.000-07:002010-04-17T16:54:50.517-07:00Is Romantic Music Still Alive?<p>This morning as I was driving to McDonald’s for breakfast, I started fooling around with the radio dial, wondering if the airwaves might be by some miracle carrying an easy listening station or two since I am usually not in the mood for screech and yowl music too early in the day.</p> <p>Imagine my surprise when I came across the voice of Frank Sinatra crooning something, <em>That Old Black Magic</em> or <em>Jeepers Creepers</em>. I don’t remember at the moment. As a general rule, Frank is not one of my preferred balladeers. About the only song of his that I like enough to tolerate more than once is <em>Once Upon a Time</em>.</p> <p>But this morning he seemed to strike a chord with me—in a quirky sort of roundabout way. Let me explain. Last night I tuned in to Larry King’s show for the specific purpose of watching Willie Nelson. During one of the breaks, Willie’s version of <em>Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain</em> filled some air time. I immediately thought of another cut on the same album, <em>Remember Me When the Candlelight</em> is Gleaming. That was one of my mother’s favorite songs and she hummed it incessant.</p> <p>Then at the program’s end, Larry and Willie launched into a croaking duet of <em>Stardust</em>. This made for quite a mix. When Willie reaches for a high note, the result can often be a little ear-burn on the part of a listener, especially if his voice is amped up a little. Larry, on the other hand, can out basso any bull frog I’ve ever heard. The result was actually quite pleasant.</p> <p>So, here we have a guy, Larry, a New Yorker who as far as I know, isn’t a singer, paired with the original Texas Outlaw, Willie, crooning one of the most romantic songs ever. And they did justice to it in an oddly masculine, beer drinking, campfire hugging male bonding event that only men can appreciate. Men are romantic after all.</p> <p>At any rate, within this tangled skein of blood and tissue we call brain, I began to wonder about romantic songs in the various musical genres. There are all kinds and sorts of music—Classical, Traditional, Popular, Blues, Country, Western, Heavy metal, Hip hop, Jazz, Reggae, Rock, and probably some I’ve never heard of. Can we find a romantic song in each of these? Which genre or genres is regarded as the most romantic?</p> <p>I have my own ideas, but those ideas will spring from my cultural background and fail to include thoughts about genres I am vaguely familiar with. Probably the most obvious example from my perspective is Rap. I have little if any knowledge about this genre. On the other side, the proponents of Rap will undoubtedly identify one or perhaps many rap tunes as romantic and omit tunes from the generation of Frank Sinatra.</p> <p>What are your ideas and thoughts on this subject? What is your favorite romantic genre? Yes, Valentine’s Day is past but romance is alive and well year round.</p> <em>p.s. I am not of Frankie’s generation. I’m a little further into the 20<sup>th</sup> Century. From my point of view, Elvis is a better male singer of romantic ballads than anyone I’ve listened to. But for sheer hotness, you need to listen to Kiss of Fire by Georgia Gibbs. Are hotness and</em>Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-61424737326485201782010-04-04T16:44:00.000-07:002010-04-04T17:00:02.750-07:00A Bad Year for RomanceThis hasn't been a good year for thinking about romance. Since my wife passed away, the furthest thing from my mind has been romance. I joined a Facebook support group about widows and widowers, and I notices that a lot of people in the group seem to be looking for someone to fill the void of a spouse's death. I established a Facebook friendship with several members but not for the purpose of locating a mate. I just wanted to see how others cope with the death of a spouse.<br /><br />Occasionally, as I drive around, I'll listen to an oldies station that plays predominantly romantic music of my and my wife's early years and marriage. And the songs remind me how much I love her and the movies we often went to, like Love is a Many Splendored Thing, but sometimes my thoughts of the two of us together would remind me that she is gone forever from my Earthly life.<br /><br />It has been ten months now. In the beginning, I spent my time with my family elsewhere. That helped a little to keep my mind away from myself. Perhaps eventually I'll think about romance, but for now, it's the furthest thing from my mind.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-3039971558893336612010-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:002010-01-09T09:47:51.989-08:00Can't Help Falling in Love<div class="pbody" id="pbody"> <p>I saw Elvis Presley yesterday. At the Coco Palms Hotel on the Island of Kauai. That’s where the wedding scene at the conclusion of the 1961 movie <em>Blue Hawaii</em> was filmed.</p> <p>My wife and I stayed at the Coco Palms for three days once upon a time. We weren’t there on a romantic sojourn. I happened to have a business conference in the Coco Palms and we decided that we’d spend some time looking around the island when no conference sessions were scheduled. </p> <p>At check in, we were given a room on the second floor overlooking a moat and a grove of coconut palms. At first, I didn’t make a connection between the moat and the movie. I did mention to my wife that the place seemed oddly familiar, although I couldn’t imagine how I might have thought so. This was our first visit to Kauai and it was more than thirty-years after the movie was filmed.</p> <p>I continued to worry about the moat’s familiarity until just by chance I opened a desk drawer beside the bed and saw a postcard with a picture of Elvis and his bride on a (for lack of a better description) moat boat surrounded by the wedding party, all dressed in the baroque wedding splendor of the times. </p> <p>Fast forward to yesterday when the air and radio waves saturated us with stories about Elvis’s 75<sup>th</sup> birthday accompanied by many of his greatest musical hits. I had an immediate flashback to Elvis standing regally next to his soon-to-be-bride with his rendition of the Hawaiian Wedding Song playing as the moat boat glided softly to the end of the moat where the two embraced. </p> <p>This may well have been one of the more romantic moments in film history. Certainly, it made the Hawaiian Wedding Song one of the more popular songs at weddings in Hawaii and beyond. And in my mind, it reinforced my perception of Elvis as one of the best singers of romantic ballads in American popular music. He may have been the King of Rock and Roll but the versatility of his voice was something to marvel at, and in no song was that versatility illustrated more prominently than in the Hawaiian Wedding Song.</p> <p>I like Can’t Help Falling in Love (With You), too, which I used to sing in my raspy, atonal, tuneless voice to my wife. </p> </div>Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-4382229548128476332009-12-14T06:53:00.000-08:002009-12-14T07:19:10.018-08:00The Holiday Season Will be Lonely This YearWithout my wife, who passed away six months ago, the holiday season doesn't hold the meaning for me of past seasons. This is an empty time, devoid of happiness, filled with sadness. Certainly, there are no thoughts of romance in my mind and no feelings in my heart.<br /><br />Yes, I have family, but, still, my beloved gave me courage and optimism. She <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> my courage and my heart. Without her, I am indecisive, hesitant, and fearful.<br /><br />There were better times. My memories are filled with this beautiful young girl smiling as she walked toward me or caught my eye from a distance when we were separated by several aisles in a large department store.<br /><br />We loved shopping for gifts for our children, taking great care to have an equal number and quality of Christmas presents for each on Christmas morning.<br /><br />We enjoyed sitting across from one another in a booth in our favorite restaurant, having breakfast, drinking coffee, and talking.<br /><br />There are so many more memories. I'll leave now. Remembering brings tears and sadness.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-51956905043806910912009-11-03T23:18:00.000-08:002009-11-04T10:37:07.533-08:00I'm (not) in the Mood for LoveIf you've lost your loved one, you'll understand how difficult it is to feel romantic. Even when you're thinking about your life together, about how beautiful she was, how her eyes shone with starlight, and how her smile pulled you to her, the memories soon give way to reality. She is gone and she will never return.<br /><br />How can a person move beyond the malaise of loss? I don't know. I've never experienced it before so there's nothing in my background to guide me. But I think about it a lot and I wondered today about goodbyes.<br /><br />As I visualized scenes of past goodbyes, I began to formulate an idea. I finally phrased it this way:<br /><br />Goodbyes are moments of revelation or illusion. In a reflective moment, we may wonder if the goodbye is permanent or if we may meet again someday.<br /><br />Revelation occurs when we know with certainty that a reunification will never occur. Death is a prime example of revelation, although the revelation may not occur immediately.<br /><br />Illusion is a state of mind dominated by fantasies and daydreams of an eventual reunification. When I think of this, I am reminded of an old song with a line or two that goes something like this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We'll meet again, don't know where don't know when</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">but I know we'll meet again some sunny day.</span><br /><br />When we say goodbye to a living person we can always hold out the hope that the person may return or we may go to them. But when we say our goodbyes to a departed individual, we know intellectually that unless we believe in an eventual reunification in heaven or in our version of heaven, we are in the realm of a very realistic revelation.<br /><br />Sometime, if we are unable to separate the real (death) from the ideal (together forever in Heaven), we may exist in a twilight zone between revelation and illusion, alternating between states, existing in one state for a moment and then the other. I find myself in that twilight zone.<br /><br />I don't know if we consciously choose these states or if the mind has a mind of its own. Those are matters for philosophers.<br /><br />I don't even know if I will ever regain a sense of romanticism. The thought that I might look at another woman and feel the existence of a sense of romantic possibility, seems somehow unfaithful.<br /><br />Maybe it's too soon after her departure. Only time and my moods will tell.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-3981349125501142892009-10-11T00:24:00.000-07:002009-10-11T01:19:39.312-07:00We Belong TogetherI'm sitting around clicking my clicker up and down the hi def channels. It's one of my bad habits.<br /><br />But tonight, a couple of programs filled with romantic music are drawing me. One is the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">La Bamba</span> with Lou Diamond Phillips as fifties rock and roll phenom Ritchie Valens. Even though rock and roll was his basic style, Valens is also noted for a couple of romantic ballads.<br /><br />One is <span style="font-style: italic;">Donna</span>, a song he wrote for his high school sweetheart whose real name was Donna. The second is one of my all time favorites, <span style="font-style: italic;">We Belong Together</span>. I still remember a couple of lines:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You're mine and we belong together</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes, we belong together</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">for eternity.</span><br /><br />Tonight as I listened to it once again, I could feel the goose bumps rising. This has got to be one of the really all-time romantic ballads. I first heart the song in 1986 when the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">La Bamba</span> was released. My wife and I saw it in a Kahala Shopping Center movie theater in Honolulu. We both loved it, and when I hear it, I think of her. If you've never heard the song, get it and listen. I think you'll like it.<br /><br />The other program is a PBS Special about Italian-American singers and their music. Most of the songs are from the fifties, and oddly, most of the Italian Singers have Anglicized names. It seems that back in those days, the custom for anyone without a good old Americanized name was to adopt one for business purposes.<br /><br />You may or may not know the following names, but all of them belong to Italian-Americans: Bobby Darin, Frankie Laine, Bobby Rydell, Connie Francis, Tony Bennett, Jerry Vale, Dean Martin, the list goes on.<br /><br />Not all of the singers succumbed to Americanization, at least as far as names go. Some of the more popular singers retained their birth names in whole or in part. These included Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Juliis La Rosa, and a host of others.<br /><br />But one thing is clear. Whether the Italian-American entertainers changed their names or not, they were universally top flight singers who produced some of the most romantic music ever. We'll never roll back the nusical clock. Music evolves, and each generation has its own version of romance and romantic music.<br /><br />Still, you just can't beat the sentiments in <span style="font-style: italic;">We Belong Together</span>. Let your mind and memories drift away for a moment and imagine you're in another era.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="txt_1">You're mine and we belong together<a id="KonaLink0" target="undefined" class="kLink" style="text-decoration: underline ! important; position: static;" href="http://www.lyricsdownload.com/richie-valens-we-belong-together-lyrics.html#"><span style="color: orange ! important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 11px; position: static;color:orange;" ><span class="kLink" style="color: orange ! important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 11px; position: static;"></span><span class="kLink" style="color: orange ! important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 11px; position: static;"></span><span class="kLink" style="color: orange ! important; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 11px; position: static;"></span></span></a><br />Yes, we belong together for eternity<br /><br />You're mine, your lips belong to me<br />Yes, they belong to only me for eternity<br /></span></span><br />I'm willing to bet you have a special person in your past or present who is that one special love you want to spend an eternity with. Am I right?Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-82978291042248609202009-06-25T12:02:00.000-07:002009-06-26T01:43:36.941-07:00A Different Kind of RomanceOr is it?<br /><br />You'll pardon me, I hope, if I descend into the murky depths of illicit affairs, which I take in this instance to mean sexual relations outside of marriage.<br /><br />I'm thinking right now of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his Argentine inamorata. Reports from Argentina have referred to her as a 43-year old professional woman of uncommon beauty. Sanford is 49, so the age range is in line with general expectations.<br /><br />The element in this romance that strikes me as interesting is the appearance of the two. Given that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we are, nonetheless, prone to accept reports that the woman is pretty darned good looking.<br /><br />Sanford, on the other hand, altghough tall and with a commanding presence by virtue of that alone, doesn't have the face of a Hollywood idol. He has close-set eyes that some may describe as beady. And a long, narrow nose reminiscent of the noses of some species of lower primates.<br /><br />As your typical generic Anglo-Saxon male, I am naturally prone to ask, "What does she see in that guy?"<br /><br />In fact, when I look at Sanford's face, I am reminded of an old Mickey Gilley honky-tonk song, "The Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time."<br /><br />The song clearly suggests that a woman's attractiveness increases in proportion with the amount of alcohol consumed by the male. I hold that the rule also applies to women. The more booze a woman consumes, the handsomer a generic will appear to be.<br /><br />I am not suggesting that Sanford's inamorata has to get loaded to engage in an affair with him. But Sanford surely must possess some sort of characteristic that transforms him into a desirabke male, a characteristic that acts on the female brain much in the manner of booze, a characteristic that casts a soft glow on his entire being.<br /><br />In my judgement, power is that characteristic. As pudgy Henry Kissinger once said, "Power is an aphrodisiac." This once-Secretary of State ought to know. He used to squire some of Hollywood's most beautiful women around town.<br /><br />And now, it seems, generic Sanford is the beneficiary of Kissinger's homily. If only the rest of us plain folks were as fortunate. Sigh.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-6857399240921720442009-05-29T14:07:00.000-07:002009-05-29T15:32:15.465-07:00Sex Scandals and RomanceI once read that people who have illicit affairs often look back on their affair partner with fond memories and a sense of romanticism even years after the affair has ended.<br /><br />There's undoubtedly a grain of truth in this, but I wonder if individuals who suddenly become notorious when their affair with a public figure become public will look back years later and sa<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>y, "Boy, that was the best sex of my life."<br /><br />Somehow, I kind of doubt this little scenario. The glare of publicity can often create enemies out of lovers, as each participant in an affair attempts to distance him or herself from the other. This is especially so when one or both of the participants is a politician. And if the affair began as a romantic attachment rather a mere roll in the hay, the public figure is even more likely to disclaim his or her partner just to assure political survival.<br /><br />These thoughts came to mind today after I read an on-line article about <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/28/BA3517MRUH.DTL">"San Francisco's Top 10 Sex Scandals."</a><br /><br />Among others, the list included liaisons from as far back as the 1870's, but one from 1983 caught my attention. I vaguely remembered reading about it but had totally forgotten until today. In a nutshell, a man and a woman, both apparently employees of a club, decided to have a little after-hours sex. Not unusual, but they opted to hop on the top of a piano. Apparently, without conscious awareness, one or the other tripped a hydraulic lift, and as they rode their heavenly vehicle to Nirvana, the piano crushed the man against the ceiling, killing him and leaving his female partner somewhat the worse for wear. I would say that this incident proves men and women will rise to any height for romance.<br /><br />More recently, the case of the Mayor of San Francisco shows that not even friendship can dampen a romantic attachment. The mayor engaged in an affair with the wife of his best friend, which probably isn't unusual. But in this case, the best friend was Newsom's deputy chief of staff and campaign manager, and the cuckold's wife was Newsom's appointments secretary. This case is filled with quirks, not the least of which is the attendance of all three at the same time at a sexual harassment training session. Many in San Francisco are convinced that this was a hot romance that was cut short because of Newsom's political ambitions. The story goes that Newsom would need a socially acceptable wife rather than his appointments secretary. Decide for yourself.<br /><br />And in the matter of romance and sex scandals, can romance survive a public scandal? Maybe. Who knows.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-25257929709844823312009-05-03T13:12:00.000-07:002009-05-03T13:20:26.056-07:00SurvivingI haven't quite been in the mood to write lately. My wife has been through a series of illnesses and mishaps, and we have spent a good deal of time in the hospital with her.<br /><br />She's home now, but she still requires physical rehab to get her muscles back in shape, as well as our close attention to her needs. We are optimistic at this point.<br /><br />I'm sure most of you have experienced the illness of a loved one, and during those trying times, thoughts of romance have been placed on hold. That's pretty much how I feel right now.<br /><br />However, we'll eventually return to the frame of mind that generated thoughts of the way romance used to be. As I mentioned, we're optimistic.<br /><br />'Til then (a Mills Brothers tune), our posts will be sporadic.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-861746480704294562009-02-14T10:50:00.000-08:002009-02-14T11:00:20.061-08:00Is Romance Dying?Of course not. But the overt signs of romance are declining along with the economy. Sales of cards, flowers, and candy are down. But the inner self, where romance really resides, is alive and well. Don't fret. Learn to live frugally, like the Amish. Romance is best encouraged by person-to0-person contact. Walk up to your loved one or maybe-loved one and just say, "I love you." You have nothing to lose, with the possible exception of your fear and embarrassment at revealing your feelings. Love means never feeling embarrassed!Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-26220012971577313592009-01-29T14:32:00.000-08:002009-01-29T14:54:59.023-08:00Romance in Hi DefI watched <span style="font-style: italic;">Must Love Dogs</span> starring Diane Lane last evening. I first saw her in L<span style="font-style: italic;">onesome Dove </span>in the role of a hooker with a heart of gold. That was 1989, twenty-one years ago when she was a youthful twenty-three. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Must Love Dogs</span>, she was thirty-nine and still retained her basic beauty.<br /><br />Only last night, on my 46-inch high definition television, a few lines and tiny sags were visible. And that set me to wondering if the advent of hi def will have an effect on romance on the tube. I mean, here we have these aging but still beautiful women and handsome men filling the room with every pore magnified. How will that play with an American audience that demands perfection, either natural or artificial?<br /><br />The future is unpredictable, but one thought popped into my mind. Hollywood's make-up artists may have to develop new ways of hiding blemishes from those umpteen million pixels that record with accurate detail everything withing range. That may be a tall order.<br /><br />But, then again, if we begin to see these icons of physical perfection as ordinary mortals like us, perhaps our standards of beauty will become more realistic. Is that possible? Can we accept two average-looking people engaged in hot romantic scenes?<br /><br />I look for digital enhancement rather than makeup as a solution. Romance demands illusion, and I am sure Hollywood stands ready to honor our desires.<br /><br />What are your thoughts?Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-90658585460395881292008-11-20T06:26:00.000-08:002008-11-20T07:47:59.672-08:00Western Romance NovelsIf there's anything I like to read it's a good Western romance story. I used to like them set in the old West, but now, stories about the modern West are my preference. And no one is better at the latter than my favorite author, Jeannie Watt.<br /><br />Jeannie has a new modern West novel slated for release in February 2009. It's titled <span style="font-style: italic;">A Cowboy's Redemption</span> and already I like it. In the first place, the cover has a cowboy and a girl nuzzling and the two fit my imagined perfect partners to a tee. In my mind, the cowboy is me and the girl is the spitting image of the girl I have dreamed about for years.<br /><br />And they're leaning on what looks like a beat-up old pickup truck. Men like pickups, so they'll be drawn to this book right away. And women like men who drive pickups. How's that for capturing an audience?<br /><br />But that's the marketing department at <span style="font-style: italic;">Harlequin Superromance</span>. What about the good stuff, like the plot and the characters? Secrecy is the name of the game in the publishing business. The plot of this book hasn't been revealed yet, but if Jeannie writes true to form, it's going to be filled with twists and turns with a surprise ending. She's good at keeping her readers' eyes glued to the page.<br /><br />However, despite the secrecy, I've managed to dig up a hint of what's to come. The front cover of the book includes a single descriptive sentence: "He won't let her family ruin him... again." Already I'm interested and in my demented imagination, I'm trying to fill-in the blanks. But on reflection, I'll wait for the book to hit the book stores. Jeannie is very talented at surprusing her readers.<br /><br />The book is available for pre-order from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Redemption-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373715439/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227192403&sr=1-2">Amazon.com</a>, as well as from a British outlet that I ran across by accident called <a href="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/jeannie-watt/cowboy-s-redemption.htm">Fantastic Fiction</a>. I know that the Brits have always liked to read about the American West and they've been enthralled with the cowboy image of America in general. I'll bet Jeannie has a nice number of readers over there.<br /><br />By the way, the main difference between Old West romances and Modern West romances is simple to figure out. If you've read some Old West romances, you'll notice right away that they didn't have sex in the old days. The cowboy kissed his horse and rode off into the sunset.<br /><br />Doesn't work that way in 21st Century America. Men don't run around kissing pickup trucks and then burning rubber across a rolling prairie.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-47026897300299705812008-10-22T13:10:00.000-07:002008-10-22T13:14:27.349-07:00Okay, I've Read Cop on LoanAnd also reviewed it on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loan-Harlequin-Superromance-Jeannie-Watt/dp/037371520X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224705734&sr=8-2">Amazon.com</a><br /><br />This is a nice light mystery-romance and it would fit well on film or television, with the right actors, of course. As usual, Jeannie has just the right dialogue, and in Cop on Loan, she spiced up the story with a couple of pets with original names. I liked Ghengis Khat who belonged to Jasmine, the main female character. Originality at play here, and in her selection of a moniker to describe the Great Dane belonging to Tony, the male lead, she crafted Muttzilla.<br /><br />In her choice of characters, Jeannie used the “opposites attract” equation. Jasmine Storm is an attractive librarian in small town in Washington state. Tony DeMonte is a jaded big-city cop from Seattle on loan to the local police department. Jasmine is the nice, neat personification of the stereotypical Miriam the Librarian whereas Tony is a scruffy Italian guy with curly black hair.<br /><br />The two protagonists meet in a back alley behind the library as Jasmine and her boss sit in a car at night in an attempt to find out who has been breaking into the library. Tony and his partner are in the same alley on a stake-out to nab some drug dealers. The detectives mistake Jasmine and her boss for the dealers and confront them with guns drawn. The two are off to a rocky start.<br /><br />Things don’t improve much when we learn that Jasmine has her own mystery to contend with. Someone has been entering her home for mysterious reasons and in the process, somehow letting out Genghis Khat. Jasmine becomes frightened and speaks to Tony about it. He’s your classic disbelieving cop, however, and doubts her story. But since he is about to be ejected from his own lodgings, he sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, rent Jasmine’s basement and alleviate her fears over her mysterious visitor.<br /><br />Okay, no more from me. You’ll need to buy the book and read it for the unexpected resolution of both mysteries. You’ll be surprised at Jeannie’s original ending, not only her revelation of the identity(ies) of the culprit(s), but perhaps of more importance to readers of romances, the equally novel surprise ending to Jasmine’s and Tony’s love story.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-85300608179807280042008-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:002008-09-27T15:29:16.415-07:00Paul Newman, 1925-2008<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000056/">Paul Newman</a> is one of those actors we instinctively like. I use the present tense "is" because he made so many movies, one of them is bound to run on television in perpetuity.<br /><br />I'm working from memory here, but I believe <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047494/">The Silver Chalice</a> was his first big hit. Since then, his output has continued at a steady pace year after year.<br /><br />We all have our personal favorite, but mine is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/">Cool Hand Luke</a>, followed closely by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061770/">Hombre</a> and then <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057163/">Hud</a>. He filmed others with a one-word title beginning with "H" but I don't remember any of them. Maybe <span style="font-style: italic;">Harper</span> was one. Hmmm,<br /><br />I also liked <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/">Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid</a>. Out of that one came the romantic Burt Bachrach song <span style="font-style: italic;">Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head</span>, one of my favorites.<br /><br />Paul is also well known for his variety of salad dressings, <span style="font-style: italic;">Newman's Own</span>. My favorite is vinegar and olive oil. Just thinking about it makes me want a nice fresh salad.<br /><br />Oh, and I think I'll dig through some old stuff. Somewhere around here, I have that "Raindrops" song.<br /><br />Okay, keep on working in Heaven, Paul. The place could use sense of humor,Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-80714450191220442402008-09-26T12:46:00.000-07:002008-09-27T11:44:30.288-07:00The Tender YearsIsn't that a line from a song in the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085475/">Eddie and the Cruisers</a>? Hmmm. I don't remember exactly. But it seems like a title that fits this post.<br /><br />Do you remember your favorite songs and artists from your teen years?<br /><br />Boy, I'm moving back in time here, and with the state of my memory these days, my "teens" will probably include more years than just the six between ages 12 and 20. But here goes anyway.<br /><br />I think my first favorite romantic ballad was <span style="font-style: italic;">That's My Desire </span>by Frankie Laine. I don't remember many of the lyrics anymore, but if push comes to shove, I have a vinyl with the song on it stashed somewhere in a dusty storeroom.<br /><br />Then the Mills Brothers caught my attention with <span style="font-style: italic;">Till Then</span>. Those guys were smooth, and listening to them on the radio as we drove around was about as good as it gets.<br /><br />Somehow, things seemed to move rapidly after that and my head is filled with artists and songs that I haven't thought about in a long time, people like Johnny Ray, Buddy Clark, Don Cornell, Georgia Gibbs, and a host of others.<br /><br />Those were romantic times, but they weren't the end of romantic music. In the fifties, we listened to songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">Love is a Many Splendored Thing, The Great Pretender, Only You, Kiss of Fire, My Special Angel, Band of Gold</span>, holy smoke, I'm running out of brain power.<br /><br />To be honest, I also found a good deal of romance in the music of the Beatles, even though they came along when I was a little older (not much, though, and not too old). I still love <span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday</span>, not to mention <span style="font-style: italic;">I Give You All My Love</span>.<br /><br />And who could forget Patsy Cline's <span style="font-style: italic;">Crazy</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Walking After Midnight</span>. Or Roy Orbison's classics, <span style="font-style: italic;">Pretty Woman</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Lonely</span>?<br /><br />I could go on and on about my own "tender years," which as you can easily tell, have extended across a couple of decades and are still going strong.<br /><br />But, hey, how about yawl? You have your own memories, right? Feel free to share them with everyone. We all love romantic music.<br /><br />Okay, where's my<span style="font-style: italic;"> Eddie and the Cruisers</span> soundtrack?Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-63256765774484220212008-09-08T11:59:00.000-07:002008-09-08T13:15:18.615-07:00Cop on LoanThat's an enigmatic title for a book, isn't it? But all will come clear when you read <a href="http://www.jeanniewatt.com/">Jeannie Watt's latest superromance novel by that title.</a><br /><br />You've heard me say this before, but Jeannie is one of my favorite writers and I eagerly look forward to her latest effort. I fully anticipate a top-flight read when the book is released in October 2008. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loan-Harlequin-Superromance-Jeannie-Watt/dp/037371520X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220313121&sr=8-1">I'm definitely getting my advance order in ASAP.<br /></a><br />In the meantime, you can learn a little bit about the story from Jeannie's website and from an excerpt from the novel at <a href="http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?itemid=17860&cid=416">eHarlequin.</a><br /><br />Men (especially me) aren't good at summarizing the words of others. We tend to re-state in the male jargon, which sometimes alters an author's meaning. Suffice to say, then, that <span style="font-style: italic;">Cop On Loan </span>is about a big city cop on loan to a small town police force for 30 days, where he meets a library technician under mysterious circumstances.<br /><br />He rents her basement, another oddity that Jeannie makes clear later, and matters proceed from there. This is a Superromance novel which holds out the lure of a mystery, a slant sure to appeal to men. That's all I'm gonna say until I read the book.<br /><br />Okey, dokey. Have a good read.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-1420229727015331132008-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:002008-09-04T23:25:46.408-07:00The Elements of AttractionWhat are the characteristics of a male that females find attractive?<br /><br />I'm a man but I have no idea. Occasionally, I'll get a hint when reading a novel. Authors seem very coy on the subject, probably because they don't want to reveal everything at one time. That's the way good authors work.<br /><br />A few of the characteristics authors mention seem to me to be mere accidents of genetic chance, a green eye here, narrow hips there, long and muscular legs. And on more than one occasion, I've seen references to a man's "rippling muscles as he opened a jar of stubborn olives."<br /><br />And then there are the sparkling white teeth against a light tan and a face of planes and angles.<br /><br />All of this puzzles me because I've seen beautiful women hanging on the arms of men who deviate quite drastically from the standard. Henry Kissinger, Nixon's rather pudgy Secretary of State, is a prime example. He was often potographed with beautiful Hollywood stars hanging on his arm. He observed that power is an aphrodisiac.<br /><br />My point is that women seem to be drawn to male characteristics other than physical appearance. Men are "hot" for different reasons.<br /><br />That's about as far as I've gone in my research into attractiveness. I'll try to cover the characteristics of females that men find attractive. I have a hunch that physical appearance will overshadow intangible factors like kindness and consideration.<br /><br />Okey, dokey. Feed me your ideas.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-16696959927208870732008-09-01T17:40:00.000-07:002008-09-01T18:15:03.684-07:00Romance is Where You Find itWhat in the world might Sarah Palin have to do with romance? You know Sarah, right? John McCain selected her as his running mate for the upcoming presidential election.<br /><br />Okay, we have the background out of the way. What's romantic about Sarah? Leave it to me to make the connection. And it's a doozey of a connection.<br /><br />But first, let's eliminate some possibilities.<br /><ul><li>She isn't romantic because she's the Governor of Alaska.</li><li>She isn't romantic because she's been married twenrt years and has five children.</li><li>She isn't romantic because she played hig school basketball.</li><li>She isn't romantic because she worked beiefly as a newscaster.</li><li>She isn't romantic because she was Second Runner Up for Miss Alaska<br /></li><li>She isn't even romantic because she's a stunner.<br /></li></ul>No, boys and girls, she is romantic because she is--ta da--photogenic. And you all know what that means. The camera is very kind to her.<br /><br />That means she'd make a heck of a good model.<br /><br />She would especially make a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">top model for the covers of romance novels.</span><br /><br />See, I told you my mind works in innovative ways. I see connections where no man or woman has gone before.<br /><br />We need more originality like this in the world of romance. If we put out minds to it, we can find romantic connections in just about anything.<br /><br />Well, I will admit it's kinda hard to grasp the romantic connection between a modern East Coast, upper-class, long-legged, lanky Fifth Avenue blond and a cowboy just in from the range after a day of socializing with cows and horses and their--shell we say--natural emanations and residues.<br /><br />The theme of love between a cowboy and a cowgirl enused to the natural aromas of ranch life is perfectly understandable. But a snooty Park Avenue lady? Well, that bears thinking about.<br /><br />Okey, dokey. Any crazy romance connections you want to share?Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-90872400353049842582008-08-24T23:41:00.000-07:002008-08-25T21:20:56.417-07:00To Each His OwnBesides being the title of an old romantic ballad played and sung by Eddie Howard in the forties and fifties, the title as used here is a reflection on a post by Grace Scott, my partner in this blog.<br /><br />A couple of posts back, she made the point that romance is in the mind of the person who defines it. Each person decides what the word "romance" means to him or her. I agree wholeheartedly with Grace and just for the heck of it, I thought I'd jot down some thoughts on the way I view romance without attempting to define it.<br /><br />First, I think most people believe that women are more romantic than men. Women are supposed to be romantic by nature whereas men are thought of as pragmatic get-it-done types with little time for romantic interludes. This belief may or may not pass the holds-water test. I suggest that women are more open about their romantic feelings than men because male culture tends to dampen overt signs of romanticism. Male peer pressure is very powerful. No man wants to be thought of as weak or sissified or feminine. But that doesn't mean men lack romanticism, merely that they aren't as open about it as women. I would argue that some men are highly romantic, some are not. As Grace says, it's an individual thing.<br /><br />I also have observed generational differences in perceptions of romance. For those who care to listen to the music of past generations, they may be struck by the lack of overt and blatant sexuality in the tempo and lyrics of music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. That doesn't mean sex didn't exist then, merely that it wasn't flaunted in public as it often is today. Softness seems to give rise to romantic feelings whereas much of the music and lyrics today seem focused on sex. In my judgment, there is romantic sex and then there is sex for the sake of sex. I may be wrong about that, but I perceive a good deal of sex for the sake of sex today with an added element. Many people today seem proud and unashamed of their encounters, even keeping track with Excel spreadsheets. I'm old fashioned about this, certainly, but I see no respect for the other person in these sorts of activities and certainly no romance.<br /><br />My third an final observation concerns concepts of romance in different cultures. Not all societies and cultures share the American version of romance. Some cultures, like Japan, still, even in this modern era, encourage arranged marriages and discourages romantic engagements. But oddly, within this framework, romance thrives in such beliefs that gray hair is a desirable romantic commodity in a man. A man in Japan with a streak of gray hair is referred to as having "romance gray." In the Philippines, music is a predominant vehicle for the encouragement of soft romance. The music of the Philippines is largely the music of Spain and it is centered around romantic ballads. Filipinos love to dance and we all know that dancing is a sure fire enhancement of a romantic relationship.<br /><br />Okay, these are my thoughts on romance. What are yours? Let us know your opinions about romance and about your own romantic stories.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-47258643706216984702008-08-14T23:02:00.000-07:002008-08-20T16:56:36.201-07:00The Horseman's SecretI've just finished reading my third Jeannie Watt romance novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Horseman's Secret</span>. I said <span style="font-style: italic;">my </span>third, not Jeannie's third. Her third was <span style="font-style: italic;">The Brother Returns</span>, a sequel to Horseman, which I read first followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">A Difficult Woman, </span><span>her first published novel.</span> Confusing, eh? Sorry. That's just the way my mind works.<br /><br />How come I didn't read the two intertwined stories in sequence? I couldn't locate <span style="font-style: italic;">The Horseman's Secret</span>. My daughter was kind enough to scout around for me until she found one at a Barnes and Noble. She mailed it and I received it yesterday, opened the box and began reading.<br /><br />I wasn't at all disappointed that I read it out of sequence. Both <span style="font-style: italic;">The Brother Returns</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Horseman's Secret</span> are stand-alone novels. No prior knowledge of the story lines is needed for the full enjoyment of either.<br /><br />However, since I already knew the horseman's secret, I took a different tack when I read the book. At first, I scanned through it, and then I decided to read it more thoroughly not for the romance between the two main characters, Regan Flynn and Will Bishop, but for the atmosphere that Jeannie Watt so eloquently and familiarly weaves into her stories.<br /><br />As luck would have it, I fell in love with one of the characters despite my initial resolution. A special horse captured my attention as soon as it came into the story, a horse named Skitters, so called for its tendency to jump and buck unexpectedly. Will Bishop bought Skitters for his daughter Kylie, but soon realized that the horse wasn't suitable for her. He resolved to get rid of Skitters, but Kylie had already fallen in love with it. So here we have Will conflicted between Kylie's happiness and her safety. The ending to Skitter's story is just absolutely pluperfect. If you want to know what it is, you'll have to beg, borrow, or buy the book.<br /><br />While reading for cowboy atmosphere, a couple of terms popped up in the novel that brought back some old memories. One was Bluetick, as in a hound dog used in the South largely for hunting 'coons, raccoons. I wondered what the heck Nevadans used Blueticks for. Still do. Gotta do some research on it.<br /><br />The other term Jeannie used was <span style="font-style: italic;">hay flake.</span> At first that one puzzled me. Then I shifted into image mode and tried to visualize a hay flake. Was it loose hay stirred up in the wind and drifting to Earth like snoflakes? Obviously that wasn't it because Jeannie mentioned feeding a small horse one hay flake and a larger horse two snow flakes.<br /><br />Then it came to me. A hay flake is a section of a bale of hay. When the wire holding a bale together is cut, the bale spreads apart much like an accordian. Those spread-out segments are hay flakes. I'd seen them as a kid.<br /><br />None of this has much if anything to do with romance to most folks, but I'm reminded that the West and cowboys occupay a special place in the mythology of America. The American West is a romanticized vision of the founding myth of America, a solid, determined, indepentent individual braving the odds to make a new life in the West.<br /><br />This vision is embodied in novels and stories and movies galore. My first exposure to the romantic West was the old Saturday afternoon Western. That was followed by the novels of Zane Grey.<br /><br />Now, we have authors like Jeannie Watt presenting great romances set in the modern West. I'm eagerly awaiting her <span style="font-style: italic;">Cop on Loan</span> scheduled for release in October 2008. I don't know anything at all about the book's plot or setting, but I've spent some time speculating. We'll see how close my thoughts are to the actual story. One thing I am almost certain about. It will be set in Nevada, a very special spot with cowboys and beautiful maidens galore. If she shifts the location elsewhere, I would be greatly surprised.<br /><br />Okey, dokey, good reading.Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-52931276000095937492008-08-09T09:20:00.000-07:002008-08-09T12:52:25.905-07:00A Feminine Point of ViewI'm not sure what "romance" is. I know what I like, and I know what I like to read, but that's just me. I'll let Robert expound on the manly point of view. As for me, it all depends on my mood. Sometimes I like the sweet, old-fashioned notion of romance: a man opening doors for a lady, or perhaps placing himself in the outside position when going for a walk--to keep a lady safe from the dangers of veering cars, for example.<br /><br />On the other hand, I also find it very romantic if the gentleman scrubs the toilets or does the dishes or gives the kids a bath, thus allowing the lady (that would be me, in this case) to put up her feet and relax a bit. Didn't you know we like that kind of thing, guys? Try it sometime and see what happens.<br /><br />Having said all that, that doesn't mean I want to read about it. Yes, yes, it's occasionally nice to read about ordinary men and women and the ordinary (but somehow unusual, of course) circumstances under which they meet, but let's face it: I'm an ordinary person living an ordinary life, so why do I want to spend too much of my time reading about that? On the contrary, it's all about escapism for me. So, yes, I like to read about the woman who finds herself in a time portal, catapulted back to Scotland in 1475, where she stumbles upon a fierce, handsome (of course) clansman with good teeth (hey, it's called suspending one's disbelief). Or the frazzled modern woman who encounters a rakish medieval ghost during her trip to Scotland (what is it about Scotland and romance, anyway?) and somehow falls in love with this specter, even though he can't actually touch her. The more unbelievable, the better! Of course, it all depends on how realistic (if that's possible, I guess) the author can make it. Sherrilyn Kenyon has a way of making this supernatural stuff fun (okay, she sets her stories in New Orleans for the most part, but her alter ego, Kinley MacGregor, does the Scotland thing), as does Lynn Kurland, but it's been a while since I've read any of their stuff--I'm far too busy, dontcha know.<br /><br />What do YOU like?Grace Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14124173083311520181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-7738043729769951252008-07-31T15:46:00.001-07:002008-07-31T15:46:07.638-07:00Romantic Inclinations<p>My mother had a romantic streak a mile wide. She used to read romance stories and listen to romantic music on the radio everyday. She also went to the movies as often as she could.</p> <p> </p> <p>In those days, the drugstores sold romance magazines. I don't remember all of her favorite titles, but I recall <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1205/1244336556_91c9134cef.jpg%3Fv%3D0&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/dirtywest/1244336556/&h=375&w=500&sz=179&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=T5zupx_UzdhyJM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dranch%2Bromances%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN" target="_blank">Ranch Romances</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>As a Southerner, her favorite songs were often, but not always, the songs she heard on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ole_Opry" target="_blank">Grand Ole Opry</a> and on other radio shows of her youth. I remember <a href="http://music.yahoo.com/Leon-Redbone/One-Rose-Thats-Left-In-My-Heart/lyrics/769936" target="_blank">The One Rose That's Left in My Heart</a> and <a href="http://www.cowboylyrics.com/tabs/autry-gene/mexicali-rose-8222.html" target="_blank">Mexicali Rose</a>. After we moved to California, she became a fan of <a href="http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/webpics/Glenn_Miller.jpg" target="_blank">Glen Miller</a> and especially liked his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmB988vvSI" target="_blank">Moonlight Serenade.</a></p> <p> </p> <p>One of her favorite songs was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmB988vvSI" target="_blank">Faded Love played by Bob Wills and his string band Texas Playboys</a>. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007177/" target="_blank">Patsy Cline</a> later recorded it and then <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0735364/" target="_blank">Johnny Rodriguez</a>. I personally like Patsy's version. </p> <p> </p> <p>Somehow, my mother loved the movies of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000810/" target="_blank">Gene Autry</a>. I recall that she would take me with her and we'd sit in the back row. The only movie of his that I remember from that time was some sort of surreal science fiction story about Gene traveling to another planet. Odd.</p> <p> </p> <p>I actually never liked Gene Autry until I was much older. I considered singing cowboys sissies. Give me <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113902/" target="_blank">Johnny Mack Brown</a> anytime. But oddly, his movies often included songs that I call Western Music to distinguish it from Country Music.</p> <p> </p> <p>Western Music in my mind is a mixture of songs about cowboys and pop songs that found their way into the pop charts. Cowboy songs include tunes like <a href="http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/sleeplessinseattle/backinthesaddleagain.htm" target="_blank">Back in the Saddle Again</a> and <a href="http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/sons-of-the-pioneers/cool-water-13406.html" target="_blank">Cool Water</a>. This was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_the_Pioneers" target="_blank">Sons of the Pioneers</a> version and very listenable.</p> <p> </p> <p>One of Gene's songs that made it to the pop charts was his rendition of <a href="http://www.metrolyrics.com/blueberry-hill-lyrics-fats-domino.html" target="_blank">Blueberry Hill</a>. This tune later became a rock and roll favorite by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fats_Domino" target="_blank">Fats Domino.</a></p> <p> </p> <p>My mother continued to listen to this kind of music all of her life, and I've continued her listening habits. I have much of the music she loved on tapes and discs and I listen to them when the mood strikes me.</p> <p> </p> <p>I hope that one of my daughters picks up on my musical tastes. Music is a generational glue, one of the means we have of passing along an authentic bit of American culture.</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1f47a7ac-1105-4ac2-9ee0-cafbcfec6bf0" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Country%20Music" rel="tag">Country Music</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Western%20Music" rel="tag">Western Music</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Gene%20Autry" rel="tag">Gene Autry</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Fats%20Domino" rel="tag">Fats Domino</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Patsy%20Cline" rel="tag">Patsy Cline</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Johnny%20Roqriguez" rel="tag">Johnny Roqriguez</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Sons%20of%20the%20Pioneers" rel="tag">Sons of the Pioneers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Glen%20Miller" rel="tag">Glen Miller</a></div> Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-66807408560627615572008-07-25T14:05:00.001-07:002008-07-27T09:37:11.248-07:00My Favorite Romance Author<p>...happens to be <a href="http://www.jeanniewatt.com/" target="_blank">Jeannie Watt</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>I have an unfortunate habit of raving about the things I like. And this novelist is a newly-discovered delight.</p> <p> </p> <p>I stumbled across her purely by accident one day while passing a bookrack in a supermarket. I'd been looking for a Western novel and my eye happened to fall on the nicely illustrated front cover of a book sitting askew in the bottom shelf, partially obscured by another book. All I could see was a cowboy and some ranch buildings, so I grabbed the book and ran.</p> <p> </p> <p>At home, I noticed that it was a Harlequin romance novel and I put it aside, thinking perhaps I'd send it to my daughter since I <em><strong>never</strong></em> read romance novels. It just isn't manly. Or so I thought.</p> <p> </p> <p>Later that day in a moment of inactivity, I leafed through the book and couldn't put it down. The title of the novel was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Returns-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373714742/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217013420&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Brother Returns</a> and the author was Jeannie Watt.</p> <p> </p> <p>Later, I did a little research for other novels she'd written and found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Difficult-Woman-Harlequin-Superromance-1379/dp/0373713797" target="_blank">A Difficult Woman</a>, which I promptly ordered from <em>Amazon.com</em>. This one was better yet, so good that I wrote a review on Amazon, followed recently with an as yet unpublished review for <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=a+difficult+woman+jeannie+watt" target="_blank">Barnes and Nobel</a>. Writing reviews is something else I never do.</p> <p> </p> <p>Now, I'm scouting around for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Horsemans-Secret-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373714440/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217013553&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Horseman's Secret</a>, a book that gave birth to a sequel about a brother who returns. Fortunately, my daughter has ordered one for me, which if all goes well, should arrive in a week or so. </p> <p> </p> <p>In the meantime, I eagerly await Jeannie's newest novel, <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cop-On-Loan/Jeannie-Watt/e/9780373782659/?itm=1" target="_blank">Cop on Loan</a>, scheduled for release in October 2008. I have no idea of the plot of this story, but the title intrigues me. </p> <p> </p> <p>Later this month, you might catch Jeannie at the <a href="http://www.rwanational.org/cs/conferences_and_events" target="_blank">Romance Writers of America</a> annual national conference, to be held in San Francisco at the Marriott, July 30-August 2, 2008.</p> <p> </p> <p>So, what is it about her writing that I particularly like? For one thing, she writes about ordinary people. They live ordinary lives much like the lives of the rest of us. Until love strikes. But even then we can relate to their angst.</p> <p> </p> <p>And her characters are superbly drawn. She rounds out not only the protagonists but the supporting cast as well. In <em>A Difficult Woman</em>, she drew my personal attention by skillfully weaving an older man, Luke, into the story so completely that I immediately recognized him as someone out of my own youth.</p> <p> </p> <p>My Mom and Dad had an older friend much like Luke. This friend was a bartender at, surprise, surprise, a place in California called the Owl Club. Coincidentally, the Owl Club is the name of a casino in Jeannie's story and the central location for much of the action in <em>A Difficult Woman</em>. Not the same Owl Club of my youth, of course, but close enough to fire my dormant imagination.</p> <p> </p> <p>Jeannie's dialogue, especially the male dialogue, also drew my attention. If you didn't know better, you'd think that Jeannie Watt is a male author using a female pen name. But no, Jeannie is a woman, a school teacher, married, with two grown children.</p> <p> </p> <p>Above and behind her startling technique and writing skills, however, I respect her hard word and tenacity. Here is a person who has persevered. Among other things, she's taught school, raised children, worked a ranch, and goodness knows what else, all the while following her dream of becoming a writer. Her life story reads like a novel in and of itself.</p> <p> </p> <p>Okay, I've raved long enough. I've been criticized in the past for pouring it on too thickly, but as I mentioned earlier, it's one of my many character defects. The possibility that I might change is rather remote. </p> <p> </p> <p>We like what we like. What else can I say?</p> <p> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:475d4ecb-8d95-484a-8048-dfd50a4c0784" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Ranch%20Romances" rel="tag">Ranch Romances</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Modern%20Love%20Stories" rel="tag">Modern Love Stories</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Romance%20Writers%20of%20America" rel="tag">Romance Writers of America</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Harlequin%20Romances" rel="tag">Harlequin Romances</a></div>Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4484737812855391702.post-47425805121598678222008-07-23T10:35:00.001-07:002008-07-25T01:12:42.968-07:00Poetry is in My Soul<p>Well...sometimes. The poetry I like must be short, simple, and without underlying mysteries.</p> <p><br /></p><p>I am not a person who likes to labor when I read something. Of course, I violate my personal preference with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost" target="_blank">Robert Frost</a>. But then again thinking about Frost's <em><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html" target="_blank">The Road Not Taken</a></em> or <em><a href="http://www.ketzle.com/frost/snowyeve.htm" target="_blank">Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening</a></em> isn't work at all. It's a tantalizing memory trip filled with pleasantries or regrets as we chose.</p> <p><br /></p><p>A beautiful poem the teacher made us memorize in the Sixth grade is <em><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/104/119.html" target="_blank">Trees</a></em> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joyce_Kilmer" target="_blank">Joyce Kilmer</a>. I wasn't alive when Kilmer composed his classic, but classics live a long time and occasionally I still run the poem's words through my mind.</p> <p><br /></p><p>This one isn't a poem but a song composed by a Russian guy named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin" target="_blank">Israel Isidore Beilin</a>. It's called <em><a href="http://www.scoutsongs.com/lyrics/godblessamerica.html" target="_blank">God Bless America</a></em>, another one drilled into my developing brain by a school teacher. Funny how the sounds of youth can make us goose pimply. This one sung by <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808889/" target="_blank">Kate Smith</a></em> will do that to me.</p> <p><br /></p><p>With me, liking isn't about analyzing something and saying, "Ah, I like this because the iambs are so perfect." My personal sense of liking is just a gut feeling, a sort of almost-instantaneous pleasant experience which causes me to say, "Hey, I like that," without further deconstruction.</p> <p><br /></p><p>The way I view life, poetry is kind of like music. Sounds touch our soul. Words well expressed can have the same effect. Like this:</p> <p><em><br /></em></p><p><em>I've got the bottle-blond blues<br />blue as I can be</em></p> <p><em><br /></em></p><p><em>That bottle-blond babe's<br />gonna be the death of me.</em></p> <p><br /></p><p>Now, that's what I call poetic.</p> <p><br /></p><p>Just kidding.</p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:3211dc3b-6f2d-4d36-b374-de8d82d693fd" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Robert%20Frost" rel="tag">Robert Frost</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joyce%20Kilmer" rel="tag">Joyce Kilmer</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Irving%20Berlin" rel="tag">Irving Berlin</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kate%20Smith" rel="tag">Kate Smith</a></div>Roberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00996223724014164002noreply@blogger.com0