Tag: relationships

Aspects of romance #MFRWauthor

Laughter relieves stressThis week, the topic is what is the most important aspect of a romantic relationship. Like anything, there are all kinds of important things to consider in a relationship—trust, compatibility, respect. But I like humor. Not that relationships are all that funny all the time, but being able to laugh at yourself and with your partner will sure make the good times better and the hard times easier.

It should come as no surprise that all relationships have ups and downs. The ups are easy to deal with. The hard times though, they can be killers. Killers of the relationship if you and your partner don’t know how to handle things. Laughter won’t pay your bills or make the baby stop its crying or get your hubby a promotion but it does have some real positive effects on the body and mind. According to the Mayo Clinic short term effects of laughter include:

  • Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
  • Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
  • Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Sometimes, that’s all you need to get past a sudden tense time andHumor in a romantic relationship give yourself time to breathe so you don’t say or do that thing in any time you wouldn’t want to say or do.

So yes, I want trust and all those other good things in a romantic relationship. And yes, there are definitely times to be serious–problems still exist that need to be solved. But know when to laugh. It’s good for you, for your loved one, and for your relationship.

At least, that’s what I think. What say you?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee

Burning Bridges by Anne Krist–Gold Medal winner, Best Romance 2020, Coffee Pot Book Club
One Woman Only
Only a Good Man Will Do
Naval Maneuvers

Romance necessity #MFRWauthor

RomanticWhat’s the most important thing in a romantic relationship?
I believe the most important thing in a romantic relationship is respect. It is the fundamental basis of any relationship and a must in romance.

We often hear or read about couples celebrating their golden or diamond anniversaries. When they are asked the secret of such a long relationship, most reply, “I married my best friend,” and “respect and a good sense of humour.” No one sails through a romantic relationship without a few blow ups and rough times but the essential ingredients that keep us together are mutual love and respect.

A few months ago, before the pandemic restrictions, a local Romancecouple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at an aged care home surrounded by family and friends. These two nonagenarians sat side by side holding hands while cards and gifts and messages from the prime minister and the Queen were given to them. Would anyone be able to live together and still hold hands after 70 years without respect and affection?

My parents were married for sixty years. While they were not outwardly demonstrative to each other, there was an unspoken solid commitment and real friendship. This gave my brother and I a very secure happy childhood and looking back, it was never ‘mum’ or ‘dad’, it was always ‘mum and dad’.

So, I say ‘respect’ and I’m looking forward to reading what other authors think.

How about you? What do you think?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Jan Selbourne

Perilous Love
The Proposition
The Woman Behind the Mirror
Lies of Gold—Silver Historical for 2019: Coffee Pot Book Club

4 Ways to recognize true love #MFRWauthor

True loveI absolutely, positively, without question believe in TRUE LOVE. I believe because I’ve seen what it looks like and what it doesn’t look like. I’ve known some fine, wonderful women who have not won in love. Here are four ways I know true love exists.

  • The emotion has staying power. Jack and I spent a lot of time away from each other. All of the time we dated, I was in a different state or city from him. We wrote lots of letters and (less, because this was the time before cell phones) we called once a week or so. We did not see each other every weekend, we didn’t date exclusively, and except for a week or two during summers, we didn’t even see each other during school breaks. Even after we were married, after spending nearly every moment of ever day with each other in the truck, we spent months apart while he worked in one state and I worked in another. But we stayed in touch always and we communicated our thoughts, feelings, dreams. We never doubted our feelings for each other. We built a foundation that allowed us to overcome difficulties in being apart. NOT true love, gets bored and wanders off.
  • The individual is not as important as the other person—or the couple. Many times over the years, Jack gave up comfort and things he wanted so that I could thrive. If one or the other had to prevail in a situation,True love we always talked about it and decided which solution best fit us as a team. He moved to Idaho because I had a job opportunity. I gave up my work in order to follow him while he succeeded at consulting. When I had such horrid back problems I could barely stand to get out of bed, Jack got up with me at butt-ugly o’clock and walked around the parking area until I could function, then he faced a full day’s work. He never complained. We’ve always accommodated each other for the good of the team and for love. NOT true love thinks of themselves and not the other person.
  • Each person feels cherished. In a loving relationship, people don’t just say “I love you,” they show it. It can be in small ways like helping with daily activities or with a touch, a look, a smile when the other person needs it. Jack never gives me flowers, but he gives me humor. He’s not big on romantic gifts (see last week’s post) but he’s good with a Giving what is neededsurprise ice cream sandwich from Sonic or a hot cup of coffee. 😉 Feeling cherished means giving the other person what they need when they need it. For me that includes hearing “I love you,” too, but it goes far beyond that. NOT true love might say the words, might give the big gifts, but doesn’t show the meaning beyond them.
  • There’s deep feeling, not superficial. I know that appearance is what draws people to each other at the beginning of a relationship, but I don’t think it’s what keeps them together. Love, unlike beauty, is more than skin deep. Whether you are model-beautiful or not, your true love sees the real you, not your outside shell. Think about it. If you have true love, you’re going to grow older with that person. None of us looks the same at 60 as we did at 20, but the soul stays as beautiful. NOT true love falls in love with the outside, not the inside, and then holds that against you.

Jack and I have been with each other for forty-six years of marriage and seven years of dating. Has it always been easy? Well, no. Being in love doesn’t mean you don’t have problems. It means that you work through them together, and with attention to your lover more than to yourself. I’ve been the luckiest woman in the world to be in love with the world’s best man (your sweetie excepted!). And what’s better, I’ve been loved back. That’s something I thank God for each and every night.

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!

Blazing HOT! Paging Dr. Turov: Gibby Campbell

Welcome, Gibby Campbell! I loved Paging Dr. Turov!

Paging Dr. Turov

Blurb
Dr. Victor Turov is at the top of his game. A world-renowned heart surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, he is also wealthy, good looking, and in complete control of his life. The only problem is he needs the right kind of woman, and a good submissive is hard to find.

Enter Abby Shea, a young and beautiful widow, who runs into Dr. Turov while volunteering. Sparks fly between the two, but something about the good doctor scares Abby off. Victor has to aggressively pursue her until she agrees to a date. Now he just needs to convince Abby his lifestyle is something she can live with.

There are many obstacles along the way including worried friends, nasty in-laws, a voyeur, and one highly judgmental counselor. Through it all Victor keeps them on track with creative punishments, while Abby grapples with how much freedom she is willing to give up in the name of love.

https://amzn.to/2PJ0xpD
www.gibbycampbell.com

Interview
NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
GC: I knew I wanted to write an erotic romance, and I was debating what career to give my Dom. I wanted him to be confident, wealthy, and controlling. One night I was having dinner with a friend who is a nurse. She complained about a prickly surgeon, but in the next breath told me how he spent the night in the ICU with a risky patient. My first thought was, wow, what a caring doctor! My second thought was, damn, I just found my Dom. The book kindof took off from there.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
GC: I think a lot of people misunderstand BDSM. I wanted to show how a D/s relationship can be safe and long-term under the right circumstances. I also wanted to show how a novice might be drawn into the lifestyle over time.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
GC: I’m from Cleveland, Ohio, and I love this city. My book takes place in Cleveland, and all but one of the locations is real.

NA: Do you have a day job?
GC: I am mostly a stay-at-home wife who takes care of all of the indoor and most of the outdoor chores. I also teach social science courses at a local university on occasion.

NA: What do your friends and family think about you being a writer?
GC: Everyone is proud of me. However, my siblings refuse to read this book. I am the youngest girl in a family of eight kids. They have all told me reading my sex scenes would ruin their image of me as a sweet little sister. They are probably right!

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
GC: I was shocked at how much I enjoy the writing process. In the past I dabbled at it and only wrote when I was in the mood. Now I make a point to write every day, and it is a true labor of love.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
GC: I hash out a rough outline and try to come up with some character names first. Then I start the actual writing, at which point the outline tends to go right out the window. In Paging Dr. Turov, Victor has a best friend named Yuri. This character was meant to be supportive, but somehow he ended up morphing into a creepy voyeur. I was stunned when that happened, but I went with it, and it gave me some other scenes later in the book.

NA: What kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write?
GC: Anything that requires a good description. I am NOT a visual person, and that old adage of “show not tell” can be tough for me. I much prefer dialogue and action. Having said that, sex scenes can be a challenge too. I often find myself giggling like a schoolgirl as I’m writing them. I mean, there are only so many words for a dick, right?

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
GC: I love hiking, the theatre, and swimming. If you read my book, you will soon discover my character, Abby, has the same hobbies.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
GC: I didn’t. My husband picked it out.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning?
GC: Is the coffee ready?

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
GC: Gerard Butler. He’s yummy. I picture a younger version of him with a Russian accent as my Dr. Turov character.

NA: What are you working on now?
GC: I just finished an Amish romance, which was fun but way outside my comfort zone. I’m also halfway through writing another erotic romance. This one takes place in Ireland and involves two friends who grew up together. I was bawling the other night writing one scene. It was another case of my outline taking an unexpected and dramatic turn.

NA: What is the question we didn’t ask that you would like to answer?
GC: Hmmm. I can’t really think of anything. I do know a lot of people ask if I’m in a D/s relationship. My answer is always the same…I’m not permitted to say. LOL.

Gibby Campbell's Paging Dr. Turov

Excerpt
He motioned her over to him, and she found her feet moving of their own volition in his direction. They stopped when she was standing in front of him, and she risked a glance at his face. He was giving her a reassuring smile. Then he gently turned her around and pulled her onto his lap.

“When I give out a punishment, Abigail, I like to talk about what occurred. That way you’re very clear about my expectations, and hopefully the behavior doesn’t happen again.” He added, “Honesty is crucial to our relationship and to a punishment. If you’re honest with me, then the punishment goes a lot quicker. Does that make sense?”

She nodded, and he continued. “There was a major disconnect between what you said to me on the phone yesterday afternoon and what occurred last night. We need to figure out what happened to cause that disconnect.” He had his arms around her waist, and his face was leaning towards her ear. “Stand up, little one.”

She did what she was told. Victor reached around and pulled the drawstring on her pants. Abby jumped in shock and then instinctively reached down with her hands to stop him. “What are you doing?” she asked.

He explained, “I like to spank a bare bottom. It stings more, and I get to see your ass redden from my palm.”

“Oh,” was all she said, but she did not remove her hands.

He reassured her. “You have a beautiful body, Abigail. Don’t be embarrassed. I saw it all last night.” He quickly grasped the hem of her pants and panties and pulled them both down in one quick motion. Abby was mortified. She didn’t have time to think, though, as Victor half turned her and said, “Lay across my lap.” His voice was calm but left no room for argument.

He helped her into position. She was lying face down with her ass centered over his lap. Victor had wrapped her pigtails around his left hand and was firmly holding her head in place. His right hand was resting on her bare butt, and he gave her a test smack. The sound was loud, and Abby flinched.

“Did that hurt?”

She thought about it. “Kindof.”

“Good.”

Author Bio
Gibby CampbellGibby is no stranger to the perils of romance. Single until the age of 37, she dated many an interesting (dare we say crazy) guy until meeting the love of her life, Jim. They are married and live in the Cleveland, Ohio area with their very spoiled dog, Scoob. Gibby believes there is no true norm when it comes to relationships, and they all take hard work and dedication. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her hiking, at the theatre, or napping.