How long…

…do you think you should pine for someone? My personal belief is no more than two weeks because lets face it if they were dumb enough to leave you or upset you then hell honey, they don’t deserve any more of your time. Even a week would work. Why? Because life is too damn short to deal with people who don’t understand you. So cry, scream, eat your weight in chocolate and drink too many margaritas and then move on. Basically – fuck ‘em – it’s their loss.

Why am I bringing this up? A couple of reasons, while working on the current book I have had to constantly stop writing and slap myself around the head when my heroine gets too caught up in being pissed off with her ex-lover. You know, I need the angst as a reason why there is no way she wants to deal with the hero but sometimes as I write madly away, the character starts getting too angst ridden for me. If it was real life and the heroine was a friend, I would want to slap her and tell her to get a grip. There’s a real fine line between the plot and oh-my-god-is-this-heroine-an-idiot-over-this-man-or-what? I’m trying very hard to keep her away from idiot status….fingers crossed.

The other reason? I have been talking to a friend who I can only equate to as being a soap opera character. Strange thing is it never hit me before that he was. But he is exactly like one of these characters who takes up with woman after woman and loves them all and ‘deeply cares’ about them then he loses them. Before all this happens, he does the whole ‘I’m listening to you’ thing very well – you know that’s the deal when he repeats back word for word what the woman said making her think he is very sensitive and in tune with her. This is followed by drama – the angst ridden sort you get in soap operas. Pining happens next when they’re no longer in his life – that is until he looks for and finds the next woman he has ‘tender feelings’ for. You know, on the whole I think he’s pretty harmless and maybe a little dopey.

What is it with soap opera-like men and women? They love in an emotionally exhausting manner which everyone else can see is doomed or dumb and yeah, I think most of them probably have the whole staring meaningfully out into the distance thing down pat. They’re not bad people – they’re just not rational and I believe they get hurt too often and confuse the rest of us in the process. Can I suggest if you find yourself staring meaningfully into the distance – stop it – life is not The Bold and the Beautiful.

Check out the commercial below…a classic soap opera man....reminds me of my friend...



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A Tuesday Tale…

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Now for something completely different...

“He sent me a bloody e-card!” Catarina still could not believe it. When she had opened her email this morning there it sat. Thomas has sent you a Valentine’s greeting.
“So?”
She looked at her best friend Suan in amazement. Surely she knew how she felt about stuff like this? They had been best friends forever.
“Well it’s hardly romantic.” Who sent Valentine’s by email?
Suan looked at her in sceptical amusement.
“I didn’t think you wanted romance from him.”
“Well, I don’t – it’s just annoying.” And confusing and a bunch of other things Catarina wasn’t about to admit to.
“How so?”
“It’s just so….him.” Thomas did stuff like that to drive her mad – making her feel things she did not want to feel.
“Yes, how cunning of him to be himself with you.” Suan scoffed cynically.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I always am.” Suan smiled at her words as if she understood the angst her friend was going through. “What does the card say?”
“Time to think about what you really want, darlin’- what does that mean?” Catarina felt her heart racing a mile a minute. Bloody man. She had known him all of two weeks and already he was screwing her life up. She wanted to live plainly, simply and alone. She wasn’t looking for a ‘Thomas’ in her life. But yet there he was – smiling, funny, sexy and for some reason wanting her despite all the roadblocks she put up against him.
“Clearly he thinks you know.”
“Cryptic bastard. I don’t need this.” Life was simpler when all you had to think about was yourself. This love stuff was way too complicated.
“I like him.”
Catarina rolled her eyes at her friend. Suan saw everyone in pairs.
“You would.”
“You need to be challenged.”
“I have bills up to my eyeballs, I cannot find a job I like and feel like I have continual PMS. I need no more challenges.” Besides he was way beyond her. Thomas was charming and persistent. She was cranky and resistant. They were too opposite to work out.
“I think she doth protest too much,” Suan murmured meaningfully.

“Oh don’t start quoting high school Shakespeare to me.”
“Just give him a chance.” Suan looked at her knowingly. “I know it’s scary.”
“I’m not scared.” I’m fucking terrified. The Thomas thing was not part of her plans.
“Uh oh,” Suan murmured as she looked out the window.
“What?”
“Thomas is here.”
“Oh crap.” Catarina immediately switched the radio off and ducked down behind the sofa, pulling Suan with her.
“You’re going to hide?” The amusement in Suan’s voice was evident. "That's your plan?"
“Sshh!” This always worked with persistent telecommunications salesmen and strange religious types wanting to sell her on the end of the world.
“How old are you?”
“Too frigging old to fall in love.”
Suan looked at her with delight.
“You’re in love?”
Head slap. Why did I say that?
“I’m talking hypothetically.” Catarina jumped as the door bell sounded.
“This is stupid.” Suan got up to answer it.

“Is she home?” Thomas asked.
“Are you home, Cat?” Suan looked directly at where she lurked.
Bugger. Catarina stood up from behind the sofa trying to look like it was a normal, everyday thing.
“Hello.” His eyes were locked on hers and she felt her knees go wobbly.
“Hi there.” Thomas smiled softly as he walked to her side.
“I’ll be going,” Suan said as she moved to the door.
“No need.” The door banged shut.
“‘Scared to be alone with me, darlin’?”
Because all she could see was Thomas? Because her need for him terrified her? What was there to be scared about in that? Everything.
“As if.” It was a lousy response but it was the best she could come up with.
Thomas took her hand in his.
“Excellent.” His thumb gently massaged her skin.
“What are you doing here?” More importantly what am I going to do?
“Giving you what you’ve needed for the longest time.”

Well, what an interesting couple of days. I have apparently pissed a lot of people off. Intentionally? No, but they have felt otherwise and I can’t do a great deal about that. I am, as I always am and I make no apologies or excuses for it, that’s why the blog is called “Go Ahead Give an Opinion” and not “Sit on your hands and say nothing.” It’s always been that way and will remain that way. I think Edith Piaf summed it up best with Non, je ne regrette rien. I remain, as always, myself.

Speaking of soap operas…I have not seen The Bold and The Beautiful for months…anyway, I saw it last night – I loved it. Nick (Ridge’s half brother) just had a baby with Taylor (Ridge’s ex-wife). The unknown-egg donor was – gasp – Brooke - she had been unaware who she was donating the egg to until the baby, naturally, needed a bone marrow transplant. Brooke, for Anny’s benefit, has been married to both brothers and slept with a cast of thousands, all of whom she ‘deeply’ loves. She currently appears maybe to be getting back together with Ridge (who just broke an engagement) although Brooke seems to be all gooey over being the egg donor to Nick, ex-lover’s, baby – so maybe something is going on there. Make sense? That’s the beauty of it – it doesn’t have to. I sat there and thought – How terribly uncomplicated my life is.

What could you spend an eternity doing?

What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –

1st prize--5 books

2nd prize--3 books

3rd prize--2 books

The books

Sandra Cox Silverhills
Mona Risk To Love a Hero
Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess
Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle
Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth
N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone
Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Anny Cook Honeysuckle

Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

My line? "My darling I could spend an eternity with you doing the laundry, cooking and the cleaning…”

As always check out the talented Anny on www.annycook.blogspot.com and the creative Kelly on www.kkirch.blogspot.com.

www.freewebs.com/amarindajones/
Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?