Happy Weekend, RG2E Peeps!
Welcome to The RG2E and/or Welcome Back!
Are Books/Ebooks the Ultimate Matchmaker?
We’ve got RG2E Featured Author Natalie Owens thoughts…take it away, Natalie…
Yesterday I met someone on the street who asked me if I’d read Fifty Shades of Gray. Who doesn’t ask that question these days? It seems to be dangling from everybody’s tongue. I went to the beach and there I see them, that silvery tie on all the lounge beds, glistening in the sun and waiting for the owner to return from a dip in the pool. I kept nosing about and discovered, not surprisingly, that the readers were all women. I wondered what their men were reading, and what they thought of this craze that seems to be taking over so many minds, bookshelves, and e-readers…
So my mind started to digress. I thought about an article I’d read in the New York Times a long time ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/books/review/Donadio-t.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
According to Rachel Donadio, in her article, “It’s Not You, It’s Your Books”, there are people who actually dump each other because of the books they read, and apparently, there are people who take this fact very, very seriously.
Perhaps, there is some logic to this. Let me just imagine for a moment that I’m single. I go to a bar and spot a charming young man who knocks my socks off. I pat my hair and make sure the buttons on my blouse are fastened correctly as I try to catch his attention. There’s only one little glitch. His attention is very much taken. He seems to be reading a very enthralling passage in a book. Yum, I love a reader, and he’s a nice buff morsel, too.After a while, he closes the book. His eyebrows are furrowed in thought as he must be mulling over the words. I crane my neck and take a peek at the title. Humans among us: A Demon’s Survival Guide.
Huh, I say to myself, unwilling to dismiss this fine specimen of manhood so quickly. I give him the once over. No tail peeking out from his seat, no signs of horns growing under the thick wave of sable hair,no random weird signs. Two arms.Two legs. Two eyes… nice tan skin. He’s clean shaven and wears his shirt tucked in his pants. His clothes are color matched, his teeth are sparkly white (no fangs or rot) and he has no tattoos on his knuckles. He’s a keeper. I ignore my built in alarm bells that won’t quit chiming a REALLY loud tune and frown down at my Dansko clogs. Why didn’t I wear the nice Louboutin knockoffs today?
The chain-smoking angel on my shoulder tries to reason with me. He’s a weirdo, girl. Plenty more fish in the sea.Look at the other guy sitting by the jukebox. He’s rather nice and the fancy red-rimmed glasses match the cute dog on his sweater…
But my discreet gaze insists on focusing on Mr. Hotness with the questionable reading taste. I fantasize this guy’s a really smart cookie with a colorful family history and a weird sense of humor. Sexy, yeah.Demons don’t really exist, right? I need to quit reading scary stuff, really. Do public libraries actually carry those sorts of books?Does he eat brains or drink blood? He looks pretty human to me… Within five minutes I’ve written a long, convoluted story in my head that’s worthy of publication. It’s really romantic, too.
Anyway, the NY article mentioned above goes beyond all that…it talks about “book snobbery” and all that jazz. So, naturally, I have so many questions mulling in my head.
So, RG2E readers, I’m dying to know – Do reading choices turn you on or off a potential romantic interest? Would you judge a person by the book they’re reading?
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Short Bio: Natalie G. Owens got her first taste of serious writing by penning award-winning poetry, as well as feature articles for college and local publications in her native Malta. She sold her first book to a small publisher in 2007 and is currently indie published. Her favorite stories to write are romances with a dark edge featuring brooding heroes, strong heroines, exotic settings, and a good dash of fantasy. Daydreaming tops her list of hobbies, followed by reading, cooking, traveling, sharing good times with family and friends, and ogling shoe store displays. You can find out more about Natalie and her work at http://www.nataliegowens.com
The Moonlight Dating Series Books 1 and 2 are now available in digital format on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Kobo.
Something to Live for (Moonlight Dating Series, Book 1) – http://www.nataliegowens.com/p/something-to-live-for.html
Price: 99 Cents
Melita Saari-Quinn is living the consequences of a traumatizing psychic event that turned her adolescence upside down. Now, disillusioned with her job as a psychotherapist and desiring a change from her lackluster existence, she hopes that something out of her ordinary sphere of existence – something totally uninhibited and spontaneous – will renew her zest for life.
Alex Moncado seems to have it all – good looks, a successful business, and a fun life in “party central” of the Mediterranean: the island of Malta. Except for one day in the year when he can’t help but remember a tragedy that never should have been. One day he’d rather forget, because if he doesn’t, the guilt will consume him.
Can one passionate night together banish the ghosts of the past and give two lost souls a second chance?
Only Fate can tell…
(NOTE: This is a standalone story. GENRE: Contemporary Paranormal Romance. HEAT LEVEL: sensual. Novella length.)
Everything to Lose (Moonlight Dating Series, Book 2) – http://www.nataliegowens.com/p/everything-to-lose.html
Price: 99 Cents
From the suburbs of London to the old charm of Ascoli Piceno, Italy, follow the journey a broken couple must take to discover the long-buried secrets that shattered their marriage.
Lisbeth Marsh put everything on hold to be with her ideal man, even the wish to have a family. But when the dream of everlasting love vanished into thin air, she was faced with the mistakes and prejudices of her choices.
Dane Marsh is a proud man who spent years worshiping the gods of ambition. Toward this single-minded purpose, he sacrificed his happiness and peace of mind. Now that he knows what he’s lost, will he have the courage to turn his life around?
With a little meddling from Moonlight Dating’s Jeanette Lagrange and a dash of magic, the two embark on the trip of a lifetime to bury the ghosts of the past.
***NOTE: This is a standalone book. Part of this story was previously published as “Mr. & Mrs. Foster”. Extensively revised, lengthened and edited. Novella length, approx. 18k***
Social Media links:
Website: www.nataliegowens.com
Facebook profile page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=563297082
Facebook author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natalie-G-Owens-Author/24911987111
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/natalie_g_owensGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4527498-natalie-g-owens
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5781474.Natalie_G_Owens
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Natalie-G.-Owens/e/B007N4UHJ0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
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Superfab fun scoop here, Natalie! Thanks sooo much for hangin’ with us on today’s RG2E!!!
Okay, RG2E Peeps…let Natalie know below which of her books you’d like an Ebook Gift Copy of, and you just might win it from her!!!
The Best of RG2E Ereading Wishes — D. D. Scott, RG2E Founder
The Reader's Guide to Epublishing 
Could I have Book 1 please on my Kindle?
Hello jadwriter – thanks for stopping by!
I met the Single Candle Press editress a bit over thirty years ago because she was reading a copy of “Inside Kung Fu” magazine. Things have worked out pretty well since then.
How romantic, Dale! You had good instincts and they didn’t fail you 🙂
Thank you so much for inviting me into your RG2E home, Dee Dee! This post was super fun to write. 🙂 x
Woo Hoo, Natalie Owens is in the house! I have both already and Nat’s a superb writer so grab a copy!
Why, thank you, Mrs. MacKenzie with the beautiful Scottish accent!
I loved it the first time I visited my hubby’s then-bachelor pad and I saw books from Ludlum and Crichton on his bookshelf. Lol, it wasn’t my Sophie Kinsella fluff, but it was ‘relatable’, popular fiction. It helped his case, I think, that he was not a literary snob. 🙂
Zee, I completely agree. I’d rule out a literary snob any time 🙂
I would like a Kindle copy of Everything To Lose. I already have the first book and hate to start a series without the next book if it’s available.
Thanks you so much for popping by, Christy!
Great post, Natalie! My husband used to read more than he does… very manly stuff, like mysteries featuring a game warden and thrillers. 🙂
That’s some cool stuff. I like thrillers too 🙂
I was going to say I don’t think it would matter, but that’s what I’d have said 20 years ago. These days, I think it would. If they were a literary snob and looked down on romance and popular fiction it’d be a definite no-go.
Stacey, you hit the nail on the head! I feel the same way. Thanks for sharing.
What a delightful post! I must admit I had a “come now” reaction when you mentioned someone dumping another person due to their reading material, but your very entertaining example sold me. A Demon’s Survival Guide would turn me off, too. 🙂 Great job. Thanks for the fun reading.
LOL, total turn off, right? Even if the man in question looks like David Gandy…hmmm…I have to think about that one :). Thanks for popping by, Elise!
I would like a copy of “Something to Live for” for Amazon Kindle. I don’t judge a person by what they are reading.
Becky, I’m so thrilled that you popped over!
I’d really like to read Everything to Lose (Moonlight Dating Series, Book 2) on my kindle. As for what a person reads – I try not to judge until it gets into some taboo things for me (incest, extreme violence, etc.). Plus I am sure some people might shake their heads at some of the books on my shelves 😉
You’re so right, Shannon! I appreciate that you shared your opinion here.
I would like a copy of Something to Live for for Kindle please. I don’t judge people by what they read. Thanks.
Thanks for popping by, bn100!
I knew my husband was the man for me when he told me he grew up reading Georgette Heyer. A man who would not only admit to reading Regency romance, but say that he enjoyed it and still sometimes reads romance? Yup, that’s the man for me! Twenty years later, my books are the only romances he reads, but that’s ok. 🙂
Merry, how romantic! I know your husband was a keeper. And he reads your books! You did well! 🙂
I do not like to judge people but if a guy was reading something I found inappropriate (like, how to become a seriel killer), I would stay away. Fortunately, my guy does not read books. He leaves that up to me. If the giveaway is still going on, I pick Book 1.
My husband is just like yours, Stephanie, but he does sometimes read my work…The key word is “sometimes”. He reads mostly non-fiction.
That’s when he does read – which is not often these days.
Sorry I’m so late to the party. Great post, Natalie. I would definitely say it matters. If a guy is a non-reader it definitely turns me off. If they’re a literary snob, it really turns me off. But, someone who reads for the sheer enjoyment of reading – even if it is about the wacky world of demons – I think it’s hot! I already have both books; just have to find the time to read them. 🙂