Romance Me

Love is a powerful force. Romantic love has been the topic of endless songs, poems, stories and plays for as long as mankind can remember. It’s that combination of love and romance that spurs us on our journey to achieve enduring and loving relationships.

I’m a hopeless romantic. One of my favorite films is Casablanca, but I love Romancing the Stone, When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle, and many others with a similar feel-good romance. I love romances of all genres because I like becoming invested in the character’s lives. I’m intrigued by the passion and feelings that happen to us when we’re falling for someone. Sometimes it’s a hard, breathless fall where you dive in headfirst, and other times it’s a slow burn of friendship that turns into something more. Regardless of how you move into romantic love, the start of a new romance is a celebration of many moments, including those that are tender, exciting, sexy and even endearingly awkward.

Love can be temperamental and fierce, as many of us know. But romance in its purest form, is uplifting and pleasurable—something that rescues us from the routine of everyday life and the isolation we may feel when we’re alone. Having said that, and remembering that Valentine's Day is next week, here are some things that represent the power of romance to me.

(1)  Time. When your partner gives you time—clears his/her schedule to be with you—that’s romantic. It means you matter. That is powerful.

(2)  Attention. When your partner spends that time with you. Not with a project in the garage, watching the ballgame or catching a movie with friends. Romance is when the attention is on you, the partner.

(3) Consideration. Being considerate of someone’s time and responsibilities is important in a romance. Splitting chores, helping where needed, cooking a meal together and sharing a burden (physical or emotional), is romantic in my book.

(4)  Kindness/Tenderness. Kindness/tenderness is special and romantic. A person with a kind heart is a good person. Rest assured, you, too, will be the beneficiary of this tenderness. Kindness can go a long way in changing a mood or even a life.

(5)  Respect. I respect you as a person, and I expect the same from you. When you share a romance someone and are respectful of their differences and quirks, you are reinforcing their worth and uniqueness, and reflecting it back to them. This is perhaps the most powerful element of romance.

So, what represents the power of romance to you? J

Julie Moffett is a bestselling author and writes in the genres of mystery, young adult, historical romance, and paranormal romance. She is the author of the geeky, fun Lexi Carmichael Mystery Series and the new young adult series called White Knights. Get more information about her books at www.juliemoffett.com.

Meet the New Geek Girl in Town!

I'm so excited to present the first book in my brand new young YA spy/mystery adventure series. WHITE KNIGHTS features the new geek girl in town, Angel Sinclair. For those of you familiar with my Lexi Carmichael series, this book is a spin-off. WHITE KNIGHTS released yesterday! Lexi and Slash make an appearance if you need a fix before NO REGRETS releases on January 8! I hope you'll check it out! This book is appropriate for teens, young adults and the young at heart.

Here's the cover blurb:

Geek Girls Rule

My name is Angel Sinclair. I’m the youngest senior at Excalibur Academy for the Technologically Gifted and Talented in Washington, DC. I was pushed ahead a year because of my high IQ and considerable prowess behind the keyboard, making me an outcast even among my own peers.

I’ve been looking for my dad all my life. A brilliant mathematician and cryptographer, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances when I was eighteen months old. Although my mom tells me I must put him in my past, it only makes me more determined to find out what happened to him. When weird accidents start happening at my school and the vice principal is involved in a deadly incident, I don’t see it as a coincidence. After launching my own investigation, with the aid of an unexpected set of allies calling themselves the White Knights, I discover a threat far greater than I ever could have imagined.

I could take my discoveries to the authorities, but my own investigative methods would be at risk. Can anyone say hacking? No, it’s up to me to set things right. My objectives are straightforward: clear the name of the vice principal, learn the truth about my father, and stay alive. In other words, save the day and try not to look too much like a dork while doing it.

WHITE KNIGHTS is available across all platforms AND is available in print, too!! Just in time for Christmas! Yay!! Click HERE for links to the book!

Julie Moffett is a bestselling author and writes in the genres of mystery, young adult, historical romance and paranormal romance. She has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Mystery & Mayhem Award for Best YA/New Adult Mystery, the prestigious 2014 HOLT Award for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, a HOLT Merit Award for Best Novel by a Virginia Author (twice!), the 2016 Award of Excellence, a PRISM Award for Best Romantic Time-Travel AND Best of the Best Paranormal Books of 2002, and the 2011 EPIC Award for Best Action/Adventure Novel. She has also garnered additional nominations for the Bookseller's Best Award, Daphne du Maurier Award and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. 

Finding Inspiration

Where do you find your inspiration? What motivates you to succeed and exceed? 

Inspiration is described as a feeling of animation, arousal, or feeling infused with spirit and enthusiasm to do something. So, where do you find your inspiration? Here's where I find mine.

(1)  Exercise. It sounds corny, but a walk outside can clear the mind and refresh it. Yoga, Zumba, swimming, walking, lifting weights, and even meditation can inspire, too.

(2)  Take Photographs. I don’t have a fancy camera, every picture I take is with my phone. But I love taking all kinds of pictures. It helps me look at things through a different lens. Sometimes a new perspective is all you need to be inspired.

(3)  Be Creative. Draw, paint, play music, sing, dance or write. Artistic expression can be very freeing and often opens your mind to a variety of life’s possibilities.

(4)  Give It a Shot. Try something you always thought you couldn’t do, but always wished you could.

(5)  See the World Through the Eyes of a Child. Hang out with a kid for a day. Most children have a straightforward and honest view of the world. Without responsibilities weighing them down, their carefree attitude inspires fun. So, ride that rollercoaster, splash in the puddles, and smell every single flower on your walk.

(6)  Travel. See how other people live, eat and work. Experience the wonder of another world and culture. There is a lot of inspiration to be had there.

(7)  Let Go. Decide to leave behind those people, behaviors or things that don’t work for you anymore. Sometimes things are out of your hands and you have to make peace with that. Spend your energy on reflecting and enjoying your accomplishments and the relationships that are working.

(8)  Stop Being a Perfectionist. Celebrate your messiness, mistakes and flaws. Hooray! You are human. We love you just the way you are.

So, tell me, where do you find your inspiration?

NO REGRET, the 10^th book in Julie's fun, geeky Lexi Carmichael series, releases on January 8, 2018 and is available for pre-order across all online platforms! Her new young adult spy/adventure WHITE KNIGHTS drops on December 14, 2017. Wohooo!

Check out the details on all of Julie's books at her website here.