Books, Music, and Romance

By Kristine Charles

Today is 17 February and it’s Ed Sheeran’s birthday.

Now, I can’t confirm or deny whether Ed is actually into romance or not but it seems a reasonable bet given:

• the man has written a heap of stellar love songs; and
• he recently married the woman he met at high school when they were both 11; and
• his song Perfect was inspired by his now wife <swoon>. 

Photo from Milkos via depositphotos.com (Image: 321559668)

So, I thought, what better day to explore the connection between music and romance than Ed Sheeran’s birthday.

Many of the authors I know, and read, in #Romancelandia listen to music while they write.

Some have to listen to instrumentals because lyrics are distracting, especially if you like to sing along (like me!). If you’re as addicted to Life Hacks as me, you’ll know that listening to Hans Zimmer music while studying is recommended because it has no lyrics, and the music is intended to motivate.

Others listen to the same song, over and over, to stay in the mood, or the headspace of their characters. I’m pretty sure I heard Lauren, of Christina Lauren, once say that she listened to Xxplosive by Dr Dre to get in the mood for writing Finn of Dirty Rowdy Thing. I <heart> Finn, and that song is hot.

Photo from fxquadro via depositphotos.com (Image: 250373478)

Others create entire playlists to feed their output. For example, Penny Reid and J. F. Lowe both have heaps of playlists on Spotify which, they say, are the songs that inspire the writing of the book.

And then others, again, can’t listen to anything and need silence to feed their creative muse.

Then there are authors who use music to inspire their stories. For example, Renee Conoulty’s Got that Swing series all have song-based titles and the song is central to the story. M. L. Tompsett, Renee Dahlia and Joanne Tracey also use songs to inspire their stories – Shakespeare’s Sister, Lorde and (of course!) Ed Sheeran, respectively.

And then there’s how one particular song can make or break a moment. If anyone went and listened Thomas Tallis after reading Fifty Shades of Grey, you’ll know what I mean… Spem in Alium is haunting and hot in equal measure.

Photo from Vadymvdrobot via depositphotos.com (Image: 336781326)

So, what’s your favourite 'books, music and romance' moment…? 

Love to love: music. It never fails to make me feel better.

Love to laugh: Did you hear about the bed bugs who fell in love? They’re getting married in the spring!

Love to learn: About writing sex and love! Spent three hours with Leisa Rayven this morning and it was fabulous! Leisa is a Queensland based author, has written the Starcrossed Series (Bad Romeo, Broken Juliet and Wicked Heart), and is currently working on the Masters of Love Series. Check her out at leisarayven.com

And you can check me out at www.wordsbykristinecharles.com :-)

What is Love? Part 3 - Secrets and the Bad Boy

By Cassandra Samuels

So, here we are again. In this post I thought I'd talk about the more forbidden type of love. I'm not sure if you've heard the term 'the Romeo and Juliet Effect'. This is basically when a new relationship is formed but everyone thinks it's a bad idea, which in turn makes your attraction to that person heighten. In other words you want to be with the forbidden lover even more.

1936 film Romeo and Juliet starring Leslie Howard as Romeo and Norma Shearer as Juliet

 
Why is this so?

Well, part of the reason is freedom. We want to love who we want to love, right? We don't like to be told what to do. It inhibits our freedom. Therefore we will do everything in our power to keep our freedom of choice.

In romance this may be called the Bad Boy trope and it's a popular one. We all like a bad boy and we all want to tame him. Everyone knows they shouldn't be together; he's from the wrong side of the tracks, his past is often murky and he has a chip on his shoulder the size of Russia. He has scars, both physical and metaphorical.

courtesy of Psychology Meow

What do we love more? When the bad boy turns good (not too good) and becomes a man worthy of our heroine (perhaps he was worthy all along)? But to keep the bad boy she may at first try to keep him a secret.

What is more seductive than being told you shouldn't? Doing it anyway and keeping it to yourself, of course. If our heroine is having a relationship with someone she knows others will find inappropriate, she may decide to keep it hidden. It's a little bit naughty and exciting to boot.

picture courtesy of Kristina Flour and sourced from Unsplash.com

So why is a secret affair so enticing? When you are having a secret relationship it is on your mind more than usual. You are thinking about it all the time and how to keep it a secret. It feels more important - all those details you have to hide and all those lies you need to have in check. For to keep the relationship to yourself is to protect it. It's exhausting, and probably why secret relationships don't last long, especially if neither is willing to commit.

Do you like Bad Boy books? 

Let me know which one is your favourite. 

Mine is Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.

buy a copy here

Love to Love -  looking forward to some grandbabies being born this year.

Love to Laugh - at inside jokes.

Love to Learn - by going to the RWAust conference in August.

What is love? Part one

By Cassandra Samuels

What is love - by Take That.

What is love?
is it a truth?
Or is it a fear?
Is it a rose to for my valentine?
What is love? 

Is it only words?
I'm trying to find?
Or is it the way, that we're feeling now?
What is love? 

If love is truth, then let it break my heart.
If love is fear, lead me to the dark.
If love is a game, I'm playing all my cards.
What is love?

Courtesy of IndependantSkies.com

This age-old question has plagued mankind since the beginning of time. And no, I don't have the answer but I'd like to delve into the science of love and attraction in this series of blog posts.

Modern psychology splits love into four categories of love.
1. Compassionate love - Love between friends
2. Fatuous love - Sexual attraction
3. Romantic love - All-consuming sexual attraction and commitment
4. Consummate love - intimacy, passion, and commitment

The ancient Greeks had their own version.
1. Eros - Passionate love
2. Philla - Parental love
3. Agape - God's love for mankind

Eros

So let's get scientific for a moment. What is it that makes us feel in love?

It is a neuro peptide called Oxytocin (High levels of this "love hormone" have been observed in couples in the first six months of a relationship - otherwise known as the honeymoon period.). We all have Oxytocin along with other neuro chemicals like Dopamine and serotonin. Oxytocin is the part of us responsible for our social and romantic behaviours.

Courtesy of The Neurosculpting Institute

Oxytocin has been dubbed the hug hormone, cuddle chemical, moral molecule, and the bliss hormone. It's a busy little bee isn't it? What would we do with out it? We all know how important connection in the form of touch and mental stimulation is for well-being. Imagine a life without a hug or any human touch? It's a horrible thought.

Love is complex. Too complex to explore and discuss in one post,  watch out for more in later posts.

Have you, or someone you know, ever fallen in love at first sight?



Love to love
This song by Take That.

Love to laugh
At my grandson dancing to the Wiggles.

Love to learn
About the laws of attraction and what makes us human.

Miranda's Musings

Darlings, did you have a lovely Valentine’s Day? Such a wonderful excuse to dive into a new romance! If your nearest and dearest produced the chocolates and flowers (lovely) instead of books, I’ve rustled up a few good reads to keep you in the mood.

I LOVED TO LOVE Jayne Ann Krentz’s new release, Trust No One. And all your JAK reader dreams have come true. This is a welcome return to the JAK of old, with the logical-thinking, financial whizz, ex-Marine hero Julius (be still my heart), intrigued and circling our cautious, loyal heroine Grace, employed by an inspirational/positive thoughts speaker. In the very first scene Grace finds said speaker shot dead in bed, and the suspense continues. There are some twists and turns that are really excellent, plot-wise, and Grace and Julius simply sizzle! Ooh. Still in hardback; thank heavens for the Kindle!

I LOVED TO LAUGH (and cry!) at Anne Gracie’s beautiful The Autumn Bride. At first it doesn’t seem funny, as our strong but destitute heroine Abby rescues her sister and two other women from abduction, and forced imprisonment in a brothel. Wow, great (not funny) start! But then Abby climbs into Max, Lord Davenham’s window, to try and find something to steal and sell for food. My dears, there are villains, kittens (I want ‘Max’ the mischievous kitty, not to be confused with Max the hero), a wonderful old lady (Max’s aunt), and so much humour (yesss!) and love and warmth in this endearing story that you’ll be lining up for the second one in the series, already out: The Winter Bride. Oh the bliss to have two Anne Gracie romances to read.

I LOVED TO LEARN all about running a boutique London tea shop. Yes, really! The Tea Chest by Josephine Moon was simply delightful. A group of Aussie women – all on the verge of personal change – travel to London to sell tea to the British! A bit like selling ice to Eskimos?! It's not all about the tea and shop, it's also about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the women involved. In particular I loved the 'Fullerton Frat House report', appearing like a running gag through the book: ongoing hilarious texts to the married co-owner mum of The Tea Chest from her husband and two young sons back in Australia, telling her of their daily dramas: funny, pithy and smart. The one about the biker flipping the bird to their sons in the back of the car was the best. For heaven's sake make sure you have plenty of tea to hand; you'll want to drink it all the time you're reading. Such a fabulous girly girl book, right up our alley. And I understand Josephine’s next book is all about chocolate! Heavens...

Enjoy your reading! Till next time,
Miranda xx

Did Saint Valentine bring you anything romantic?  What/Who are you reading this month?