Day 86: How to survive Valentine’s Day

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 86: How to survive Valentine’s Day

Tomorrow is Valentine’s day and whether you just broke up with someone, or you haven’t met that special someone yet, Valentine’s Day can have the same effect on you as a red flag has on a bull.  February 14^th is like a flashing beacon on your calendar, mocking you, reminding you that you will spend the most romantic day of the year alone.

In case you’re feeling a little gloomy, it is time for action.  Sitting alone in your apartment, playing ‘Crying’ by Roy Orbison or ‘I Will Remember You’ by Sarah McLachlan, is not going to cheer you up, you need to go out and spoil yourself a bit.

First stop, the florist. Buy yourself the prettiest bunch of flowers you can find, to be arranged later in a nice vase. If cut flowers do not appeal to you, how about a posy? Something with yellow daisies is just the thing to cheer you up.

Next stop, the bookstore. Whether you like romance novels or a good murder mystery, take your time browsing the shelves and get that book you are looking forward to reading.

Final stop, the chocolatier. Forget your diet for a day and pick up some pralines. Select whatever you fancy, chocolates are great to chase to blues away.

Back home take a relaxing bath or shower and put on something comfortable and order take-outs. Whether it is pizza, Chinese or Greek, it is bound to be delicious.

After dinner make yourself a cup of coffee or tea, curl up on the sofa with your new book and keep those chocolates within reach.

In case being alone does not appeal to you, call a friend or two and have a night in.  Nothing is more fun than time with your friends.

If you do not want to stay at home, you can go to your favorite restaurant (alone or with a friend) and afterward go to the cinema, the theatre or even a sporting event.

How to survive Valentine’s Day alone is all up to you.  Don’t sit around waiting for some guy or gal to make you happy with a gift, give yourself a little something.  Today you are celebrating your independence.

Do you need more convincing … just listen to your married friends. They complain about their partner, their children and how they miss their freedom. They envy you. You can do anything, anytime, anywhere. So what are you waiting for? Go for it!

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 20: Missed Connections – Looking for love in all the wrong places

Day 20: Missed Connections – Looking for love in all the wrong places

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 20: Missed Connections – Go to Craigslist and click on the ‘Missed Connections’ section

There are an awful lot of lonely people out there and they go looking for love in all the wrong places. One of them, Craigslist.

Not only are there sections for men seeking women, women seeking men, men seeking men, and women seeking women, there is also a category called missed connections for people who met but failed to connect.

It’s mainly men who post there and just about all of them start their message with ‘I know this is a long shot but ...’ Then they go on describing a chance encounter that happened today, a week ago, or in the past. I wonder if any of them ever had any success finding the girl they were looking for.

Of course, not everyone is looking for love, some of them are downright creepy. Take this guy for instance ...

Hi Sweetie,

I do see you every morning waking up and getting ready for work. I love to see you naked before and after a shower. I know you have a boyfriend as I catch you sometimes having sex. I would love to see that blonde body someday. Your pink underwear and the way you look at yourself in the mirror or fixing your bed.

A word of advice to this girl ... close your curtains.

And how about this one ...

Long shot ...

The bus was crowded you were right behind me and your bulge rubbed against my ass a few times. It was so hot. Had a boner the entire morning. Saw you on the subway too. You were wearing light color pants I think linen. 

Yeah, there's a guy you want to meet. (Sarcastic)

I’m so glad I’m no longer on the dating scene. I’m happily divorced and it’s going to stay that way. I wouldn’t hook up with another guy if a knife was held to my throat.

When I mention my dating experiences, I’m invariably sniggered at with the comment ‘In your days, things were different.’ Yes, they were, and in my opinion, they were a lot better.

There were no dating sites, no emails, no chat messages, and no cellphones for that matter. On Saturday and Sunday night we dressed up and went to a disco or a bar. When we saw a guy, we liked, we made it clear with eye contact and if he was interested he would come over. We talked, we danced and we made plans to see each other again.

If things worked out it was the beginning of a short or long-term relationship. If it didn’t, we either stayed friends or never wanted to see each other again.

Yet with all the dating sites and modern technology, people find it harder now than then to connect with someone. 

Almost every week there’s an article in some magazine how to find men, how to find women, how to attract the perfect partner, etc.

I talked to a guy the other day and he too complained that he couldn't find a girlfriend. I wondered how such a thing is possible, women are everywhere. They are at coffee shops and restaurants, gyms, bookstores, there are even women who hang out at DIY stores with the sole purpose of meeting a man. So how could he not find anyone?

Shyness he said. He’s been shot down a few times and now his confidence is damaged. For goodness sake, are women that threatening? If a guy approaches a woman and she’s not interested, she’ll simply say so. She’s not going to bite and devour a man on the spot.

As someone who has been there and done that, I’d say, take a chance and talk to a woman. She might just say yes.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Love the Bright Foreigner - Book Review

 The story starts off alright. Ann Grange is suddenly widowed and her whole world falls apart.

After a year of grieving, and with the help of a friend, she returns to the land of the living and does so with determination. She opts for a new hairdo, new makeup and new clothes.

Thanks to her new look comes a new found confidence. A confidence that makes her an independent woman, rather than the pathetic sidekick she was when her husband was alive.

In a museum she meets Alex, a Greek, who sweeps her off her feet.

If Burgh wanted to sketch Alex as appealing, she failed horribly. Right from that first meeting, it’s clear that Alex is an asshole. It’s his way or the highway. Still, Ann (who he insists on calling Anna) falls for his charms hook, line and sinker.

A whirlwind romance follows, during which Alex reveals himself as not only an asshole, but an asshole with a temper.

At this point I started to wonder what Ann sees in him. He’s self-centered, super arrogant, flies off the handle when he encounters resistance, and unreasonably possessive.

To be fair to him, he knows that he’s an asshole, that he’s self-centered, arrogant, and possessive. And while he’s insanely jealous, he admits that she doesn’t have to expect fidelity from him. He will continue to sleep around if it suits him.

Once again I started to wonder just how tolerant Ann is. What woman would agree to have her man on the loose like a dog in heat, while he practically has her on a leash?

I also wondered if his money had anything to do with it. She states that money is not important, but Ann went from being rich to being VERY rich. Would she have felt the same if her beloved was a bank teller, an accountant or an insurance salesman with an average salary?

The story went horribly wrong about halfway in the book where Burch makes a colossal mistake. 

When Ann complains to her 27-year-old daughter Fay that Alex is too dominating, Fay boldly states that all women secretly want to be dominated.

Really? All women want to be dominated? This certainly was news to me. I for one most certainly do not want to be dominated and I know quite a few women who feel the same.

Very strange for Fay to make such a statement, as she is a successful business woman herself. Makes you wonder if a dominating male had to say to her “Quit your career and stay home to clean my house, cook my meals and polish my shoes” how such an order would have been greeted.

Next big surprise, after the wedding, Ann finds herself pregnant. This was really the straw that broke the camel’s back. This woman is in her 40s, her twin children are 27 and now she’s expecting a baby! Has the woman ever heard of birth control? At her age it’s just plain stupid to get knocked up.

All in all, a disappointing book. It made me wonder where the Anita Burgh was who defended women’s rights and gay rights in “The Broken Gate” and “The Heart’s Citadel”. Since her book “Lottery” was also a disappointment, I’ll think twice before buying another book from Burgh.

Interview with Charlotte

Under the Toronto Sun started out as yet another local blog to inform, to celebrate and occasionally vent.  Over the years, the reading audience grew and the blog is now read over the whole world.

Today I’m doing something different … I’m going to interview Charlotte Howard.  Charlotte recently published her first book “Seven Dirty Words” with Rocking Horse Publishing and she seems like such an interesting lady, I had to introduce her and her work to you.

Hi Charlotte, tell us a little about yourself. 

Where were you born, where did you grow up, where do you live now, that kind of info.

My Dad worked on oil rigs, so we traveled a fair bit when I was younger.  I was born in Oman, then we moved to Scotland, and eventually to England.  I grew up on the Nottingham / Lincoln border (home of Robin Hood!)from the age of 12 onwards.  Once I hit 18 I started moving around again.  I moved to Somerset to be with my (now) husband, and we lived in Jersey, Channel Islands for a couple of years, but now we’re back in Somerset.  Lots of moving around.  I get itchy feet after about 3 years, so am ready for a move now!

You recently published “Seven Dirty Words” what prompted you to write this book?

I’ve always been interested in crime / mystery novels, but after seeing it go viral, I read the Fifty Shades trilogy.  A couple of my family and friends asked if I’d tried writing romance.  I hadn’t but thought I’d give it a go.  I wrote one (which was rejected by lots of agents) and while I was waiting for that to find a home, I wrote Seven Dirty Words.

How do you find the time to write?

I keep asking if anyone has a few spare hours they could lend me, because to be honest – I don’t know.  I have two young children, and I help out with a couple of after-school clubs.  I tend to write on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays between 10 and 2 since that’s when I have the house completely to myself.

Some people write with pen and paper and type up their notes, others use a computer.  What do you use?

Computer.  But I also have a notepad in my handbag at all times, several jotters scattered around the house, my mobile phone and a tablet.  I probably look like a complete loony walking the dog, talking into my mobile phone to record any thoughts / notes I come up with!  Once a manuscript is finished, I print it out and get a red pen to edit, before moving back to the PC / laptop to finish it.

What do you do to bring “Seven Dirty Words” to the attention of the public?

I have several online accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Blog (choward2614.wordpress.com) and my website (www.charlottehowardauthor.co.uk) I think a lot of it has been done word-of-mouth though.  I had a phone call from a local radio station to do an interview after they’d seen a piece about me in the paper, and a few members of the writers group I go to have spread the word for me too.

What advice would you give about writing and marketing?

Keep a copy of the book in your bag at all times.  I managed to sell a copy at my sister’s baby shower after I got it out and used it to lean on when writing.  I gave copies away to my friends and family too – one is currently in my husband’s office, one is in a caravan club in Scotland, and there are several more dotted around the country, hopefully getting some attention!  Recently, I donated a signed copy to my local library as well.

I’ve also got a collection of postcards with all the details on that live in my handbag to give out to anyone, like booksellers, that I meet.

And, I keep an eye out for anyone who offers to review the book (for free – I wouldn’t pay for reviews), or blog tour requests.

Anything in the works now?

At the moment I’m finishing Four Letter Words, the sequel to Seven Dirty Words.  I have several more plots and storylines jotted down, and have considered trying my hand at crime-romance and paranormal-romance.

Thank you Charlotte.  Best of luck with “Seven Dirty Words” and any future works.

Dating sites - do we need them?

I have a friend, let’s call her Ann, who is looking for a man.  Not just any man of course, an individual between the ages of 25 and 35.  Additional requirements are that he should be reasonably good looking, of sound mind and body, have a job, and be good natured.  In other words, a nice guy.

I have another friend, let’s call him John, who is looking for a girl.  Not just any girl of course, a creature between the ages of 25 and 35.  Additional requirements are that she should be reasonably good looking, of sound mind and body, have a job, and be good natured.  In other words, a nice girl.

Their friends told them not to worry, that there’s plenty of fish in the sea, so when Ann and John went fishing, they insured they had good bait.  

They created a profile listing all their qualities and uploaded a flattering picture for good measure.  They tried Lavalife ($18 p/m), then eHarmony ($55 p/m) and eventually Match ($35 p/m).  

Their profiles received hits, but neither Anne nor John were impressed with the “fish” they attracted. 

Some were from men and women living thousands of miles away.  Some from people who didn’t fit the age group.  Some were just not appealing for one reason or another, while some were of candidates in various states of undress.  Where they looking for a date or a client?

Tired of online dating they decided to explore another avenue to love, contacting a dating agency.  After some research they decided upon LifeMates.

An appointment was made and Ann received an invitation to meet with Carla (not here real name), one of the LifeMates representatives.  

After a short interview, Ann was given a questionnaire to create a profile.  The document roughly counted 100 questions, asking anything from Ann’s name and contact details to the size of her underwear and what brand she preferred (Fruit of the Loom or La Perla).

Ann battled through the questions, felt quite exhausted by the time she reached #100, but saw it through because she desperately wanted to meet the man of her dreams.

With the questionnaire completed, she met once again with Carla, who briefly perused the answers to the questions and deemed Ann a suitable addition to the agency.

“How long before I can meet candidates?” Ann asked.

“Just as soon as you hand over your credit card and pay the fee,” Carla replied.

Ann nodded, of course, there would be a fee, nobody works for nothing.

“How much?” she asked.

“Our services our rather pricey?” Carla thinly smiled.

Ann took a deep breath and asked somewhat hesitant, “A few hundred?”

Carla bobbed her head from side to side.  “More like a few thousand.”

A few thousand! Dollars?

The way Carla explained it, the price went up depending on how many candidates Ann wanted to meet.  For $2,000 she would be introduced to two or three candidates.  If she was willing to pay more, she would be presented with additional candidates.

Ann kept her credit card in her purse and walked out.  She was upset to say the least.  Not only was she not prepared to fork over a few thousand dollars to meet a man, she had just wasted the better part of the afternoon.

On her way home, Ann stopped by the drugstore to pick up a new lipstick and while waiting at the till she saw a man (John) browsing through a magazine, pausing at the article “Where to meet women”.

If Ann had been braver she would have tapped John on the shoulder and said “Hello-o, I’m right here”.  If John had turned around he would have falling hook, line and sinker for Ann. 

Instead, John put the magazine down, paid for his shaving gel, left the store and turned right.  Ann paid for her lipstick, left the store and turned left. 

Do singles need dating websites and dating agencies?  Whatever happened to just approaching a man or a woman and starting a conversation?  There is the chance that a woman is not interested, gives a man the brush off and says “No”.  Then again, she might say “Yes”, and all it costs them is a cup of coffee, a glass of juice or a smile and that costs nothing at all.

Whatever happened to, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again?