Have you ever been at a mall or restaurant or grocery store and watched an elderly couple clearly in love. No, I don’t mean they’re all over each other (that’s for the young). Through all the wrinkles, the joint pains, the bent walking posture, they still exhibit behavior that cries out, “we are of one heart, always have been, always will be.” I was so moved by such behavior about twenty years ago at a hamburger junk, I tucked the memory away in my mind with the intent of someday using it in a story, and I did. I was in a restaurant with my son and a couple in their late seventies sat in a corner sharing a burger and fries, only she was feeding him each bite, tenderly, with a gentle feminine touch that only a woman in love to the same man for fifty years can do. The husband’s mind had obviously seen better days, but in her eyes he was still her hero.

Now let me return to today. The last six weeks of my world has centered around my battle with cancer. Each day, as part of my treatment ritual, I sit in an office waiting for a lab test, the beginning of a six hour chemo session, a radiation section, or some other fun thing. Even at eight AM, the room is always full of fellow patients undergoing the same battle. Point is, in most cases the person sits alone, or the parent/offspring separately read magazines, or the couple sits staring off in differed directions. But on occasion, just like in the hamburger joint, you witness the true blessing of the forgotten dimension between a man and woman, the eternal bond that transcends periods of suffering, pain, and sorrow.

Two rows across and to our right sat a senior couple discussing some piece of current events or family activity. With all the things going on in their new treatment focused world, they shared a constant smile as they held hands, pressed together tightly, not as two but as one spirit. Corny? Not to me. I looked down at my wife’s hand in mine while she too observed the couple. That element of relationships, the pure dependence of one’s emotional welfare on that of their soul mate, how often do you see it celebrated in todays secular driven productions out of Hollywood? No, they typically draw attention to alternative lifestyles, or single parenthood, or in/out shallow relationships. They can trivialize traditional romance, tell us it’s dead, try to convince themselves it never really existed, but they’re wrong.

For those blessed to have experienced the bond that never ends, you are a lucky couple. I know we are.

Later

Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 4/09

From the age of about eighteen, when it came to women, I began to notice they looked at me in a special way, you know, different from guys. The smile, the corner eye glance, the cocking of the head, and so forth. As I aged, the “look” matured, became more explicit, or perhaps I became more proficient at interpreting the look. Basically, the expression was one of, “I recognize you as a male, an example of masculinity, and I am interested.” Now, I’ve been married since I was twenty, never strayed or sampled the wonder of feminine charm other than my wife, not in our entire forty years together. Yet I still recognized the look, and sometimes the accidental “touch”. You know, the split second bush of fingernails on the arm or a carefully placed palm on you chest for one second. Nothing wrong with it, just a harmless signal.

Here’s the kicker. About the age of fifty, I began to sense a change. The look had morphed, but to what? I tried to make sense of it, but it evaded me. I shook it off, ignored it, thought I was imagining things. Then about two years ago, I had an encounter with a young lady in here thirties in a retail store. She came up and made contact, but it was with the back of my arm and to my side. It was not quick and passing, but direct. They was an expression of endearment, almost…what the hell was it? Then it hit me. She was admiring me as she would her dad or grandpa. I was no longer an icon of vitality, masculinity, I was a remembrance of a fatherly role model. I sighed, cast my eyes to the ground and slowly left the store. Every place I went, encountered a young lady, a cashier, a stocker, any woman my junior, there was that say look. I had experienced the changing of the guard, the old bull let out to pasture.

Well, it was a hell of a ride as a mucho guy while it lasted. Guess I’ll go out, set on the porch, and watch the cars drive by.

I will be out of the loop for the next few months dealing with a medical crisis in my life. At first I figured the big guy would march on and do his normal routine. Now the more doctors I see, the more I realize my world will be anything but routine. I will return in three or four months. Till then, everyone take care.

Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 4/09

I am very excited about this one because it concerns an initial story idea I got from watching local news reports about the presence of the FLDS religious compound and the number of illegal aliens and drugs coming across the border south of Phoenix. After spending some hours on the phone with Big Mike talking about our characters, what they would be for a living, and how they would become embroiled in border and religious activities, we worked on putting together an outline, a timeline, and characterizations we could both follow along with.

That kernel of an idea I had so many months ago turned into a real nail biter of a suspense novel with, surprisingly, very little romance. This is something new for me. Yeah, when I started writing before Big Mike’s input, I was already adding romantic scenes. When the collaboration truly started, these scenes no longer made much sense so they were all deleted, for the most part. But I’m not complaining; I think the end result is incredibly good. Another bonus? Without the sex scenes this is one book I can be comfortable sharing with DMIL and my pastor’s wife.

Hopefully the next news we have regarding Whispers of Innocence is good news regarding publication.

Now, who will play the part of the heroine, Micki Lewis, in the movie? She looks like Scarlett Johansson so that’s a good choice. And the hero, Drake Elliot? I picture him looking like Dr. House but Big Mike modeled him after Sam Elliot.  That actor is a bit too old to play the part but Hugh Laurie might be perfect…

On the loops and chats where I participate as an author, I notice reference to female erotica. I know what is erotic to a man. Watch a porn flick and you get the idea. But what is erotic to a woman? And is the reading of erotica for the same purpose men watch porn? I’ve often wondered, given I keep hearing women are not visually oriented when it comes to sex, how does female erotica affect them. It’s clear with a man why we watch and how we respond, but what about a woman. Is it to read something she would never attempt but is curious about? Is it for physical stimulus and arousal like porn to a man? Is it just a fantasy thing that fulfills some mental need to fantasize but not to execute; what is the reason? I can’t even fathom a guess on this one so I’ll allow Candace or some other lady to give her take on it.

Big Mike (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 4/09

Right now Veil of Deception is published as an e-book. If you prefer the print edition, you will have to wait a few months.

Did you get an e-book reader for Christmas? If so – lucky you! I’m still waiting for mine (after two years)… Veil of Deception would make a great first upload to your e-reader. At only $6 this is a real bargain.

We invite you to read the excerpts posted here. Ready to buy Veil of Deception? Click on this link to be take directly to the Champagne Books store.

As the book gets reviewed by various sites, we’ll share those with you. We don’t have any official reviews yet but initial comments are that readers are loving it! We hope you do, too.

Big Mike & Little Candy

“So what do you do for a living?”

“I’m retired.”

“Oh, that’s nice. How do you fill your time?”

“I write romantic suspense novels.”

She backed up as if a human had just morphed into an alien. “What did you say?”

“You heard correctly. I write romantic suspense.”

She looked dumbfounded, as if someone just tried to explain that the world really was flat. “You’re, you’re joking right?”

“No.”

“But, but you’re a guy…I mean a really big guy. How could you…”
I could tell she thought I was pulling her chain so I offered, “Do you read the local Laker newspaper?”

“Sure, what does that…”  I could see the truth just slammed her right in the face, “You’re him.”

“Yes.”

“You’re that big guy that writes…they just wrote an article about…Do you have a website where I can see some excerpts and…”

Her entire demeanor changed. It was funny as hell. Guess I don’t fit in her mold. Can’t argue with her stereotype though; I’ve seen that strange expression from a lot of women.

Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008

Our power was out for nearly 24 hours and it was an experience to say the least.

We piled blankets on the bed (being spoiled by our electric blanket) and even let the dogs snuggle in to keep us warm. The next morning was the worst. With temps in the 20s (it could have been colder and I was thankful for the snow and clouds that provided some insulation), it was hard to get out of bed and start moving around without a way to warm up. My husband braved the cold and retrieved a camping cook stove from the shed outside so we could make coffee via candlelight. I huddled inside layers of clothing, a snuggie, a blanket, two pairs of socks, and a pair of gloves while I sipped my coffee and we worked a crossword puzzle when the sun came up. We had no hot water so we warmed up a pot on the camp stove to clean up.

Luckily our power came back on that night and we didn’t have to suffer for too long.

What did this experience teach me? For one, it was actually kind of nice not to have the television going, or have to worry about getting on my computer to work, or even having to cook a meal (we warmed up leftovers on the camp stove instead). We talked a whole lot more, and took the opportunity to do some uninterrupted reading. Our cell phones were running out of juice, too, so we couldn’t call anyone (although I did send a couple texts to let my loved ones how we were doing). Although I like to write about those old days in the West and portray them as romantic, I now have a better idea of what it was really like.

For another thing, we learned to be more prepared and went out and bought a generator. It’s hard to survive without heat when temps dip well below freezing and approach zero. We can do with just about anything else, but lack of heat can kill ya.

And lastly, I learned to appreciate my husband a whole lot more. He was the one who got up in the freezing morning and ensured we at least had a hot cup of coffee to drink. He kept me as warm as he could and even trudged through the snow to take care of the chickens. He was my rock; my strength to get through the hardship.

In a funny way, the loss of electricity brought us closer together and made us thankful for everything we do have instead of dwelling on what we don’t.

–Little Candy

I see, so you do believe in dragon slayers when its cold outside (g). BM

When I was a young boy my dad was into hunting and fishing and took me with him on many occasions. By the time I hit my twenties, his interest had shifted to golf but I was already hooked. Since then, my two favorite sports have remained hunting and fishing. I think what I like most is the being outdoors. Over time, like many other sports, TV began to offer a variety of shows aimed at those that enjoy hunting and fishing. Until about six or seven years ago, the series were all male events. Even the tournaments (like BASSMASTER) were void of female participants. Then ever so slowly, the tide changed. Women began appearing on the shows, first maybe once every few months, but now almost all of them have females as regulars. In fact, there are six shows that feature husband and wife hunting teams. There’s even one show called “Women of the Wild” and an outdoor clothes supplier called “SHE”, both of which focus on the needs of females in the sport. Coupled with that change, in the last ten years the number of female hunters has grown from 200,000 to 2 million while male hunters have declined from 22 million to 19 million in the same period.

Recently, on one of the shows, they interviewed the regular ladies and asked how they got involved in such typically male sports. Know what their answer was? The men in their lives encouraged them to get involved. In every case, it was a father, husband, boyfriend, grandfather. Now why would men do such a thing given we’re the barbarian macho jerks that the progressive media coveys? Because we’re not. There has been a paradigm shift of what is acceptable for the genders and you’re seeing the results. The fathers, grandfathers, husbands and boyfriends adore the women in there life and want them to experience all the things they did.

Interesting point is that in many cases the paradigm shift was not by the men but the women themselves. I have offered to teach numerous ladies to bow hunt and fish, have taken my wife on numerous occasions, and have talked to many of my friends who have done the same. I think the expansion of opportunities for women in all areas has opened their horizons and expectations to try new things they never considered before, and when they do, they get hooked like many guys, and I think that’s great. I can’t wait, assuming I’m still around, to take my grand daughter fishing and hunting, and I’ve already informed my son and DIL to prepare for a gun token fly rod swinging girl. If she’s not interested, that’s fine, but I hope she is and her Pa Pa will be there to enjoy those special moments in a young girls life when she realizes there are no barriers, other than those that are self imposed, to what ever she wants to be.

Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)

Author of the year, 2008

What pulls a man to the ladies, latches onto his heart and makes him lose all control offer his logical mind? What specifically attracts us to the opposite gender and why is it relevant to writing fiction with a romantic slate? Would it be a surprise that much of the romantic elements in a fiction deal with attraction between the male and female? No, we all know that’s important, so let’s discuss the differences. I know as a man what attracts me to a woman, and I’m confident of that side. As far as women’s attraction to men, I’ll give it a shot but my assessment will likely be hit or miss, so ladies, correct me where you see fit.

Physically, men are clearly attracted to the area women focus a lot of their concerns, that’s right, boobs and butt, but there is more. I melt when I see a woman with perfectly shaped legs, no knee, and nylons, love the nylons. I also adore well formed fingers and hands with polished tapered nails. Doesn’t have to be red polish, clear or French nails make my heart stop. I become mesmerized in a woman’s eyes, their elongated shape, arced eyebrows, OMG. And without being a fetish, I enjoy a woman’s tiny feet. In terms of dimensions, I know a lot of time is spent discussing big breasts and large butts, but I think that’s Hollywood fantasy, not mine. I’ve seen women with small breasts and a tiny rear still drive men nuts, including me. It’s the shape of a woman, both in profile and straight on. The curves at her waist, the way they walk, even the way they twist side ways when they bend. Then there’s the dimples above her butt cheeks, the faint line running down from her chest to her naval and below, oh man. Now this may come as a shock, and I’ll try not to be too explicit, but we all love the visual appeal of the nether region; ladies it is the ultimate turn on. Of course the natural scent of a female, especially when making love, can drive our hunger over the edge. Sends a charge down my spine every time. And I don’t mean the shampoos, body washes, and colognes; I mean her natural aroma. It is what turns the fire from a small flame to an inferno. The allure is so strong in men, they even made a movie about it (Scent of a Woman)

As for the other elements of attraction, I enjoy intelligence, humor, an eternal smile that lights my crazy day when ever I’m around, her attention to appearance, the way they fill the air with talk, and especially when I know they like men. I don’t just mean for sexual purposes, I mean when they broadcast an attraction and appreciation for what men are, what they bring to their world. The way women can rush around in the kitchen cooking or the bathroom fixing their makeup, chat with their girl friends, worry about pillows stacked up three feet high on the bed, put all sorts of things I don’t even understand in the bathroom to spruce it up. And that just scratches the surface. I know there are “Player” males out there that are only into the B&B components, but most of my buds reflect the same attraction that I do.

In terms of why women are attracted to men, I’m not sure I even have a clue, so I’ll leave that to Candace or another visitor to our blog. Course that could be hard for Candace, given she once shared she had no idea why she needed men in her life, other than the physical of course (yeah, I’ll pay for that one).

Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008

Guys do talk about women, no not just how hot they are, but the good and the not so good. One recurring “drives me crazy” theme is how they sometimes treat their mates like little boys. I’ve watched it, I’ve experienced it. Maybe it’s a hold over from their maternal instincts, but when a small 140 pound female orders a man twice her size to do this, do that, no not that way, you’re doing it all wrong; it drives a man nuts. Two examples will illustrate.

One of my good buds asked me to help him move his boat. When I went done to his house, I watched as his 120 pound wife directed the exact way all his honey do’s were to be conducted. Not in a demeaning tone, but in a determined voice. Latter, at lunch he said, “I’m a grown man, but the woman treats me like a ten year old boy.” I just smiled, because I’d been there myself.

My wife and I were building a brick patio in the hot 93 degree noon sun. Yeah, sweating like a pig. Every other minute she corrected me on ever task I was doing, “No, put the sand bags over here”, “That’s not how the bricks go.” You need more stone over there.” To my credit, I have build patios before so I am qualified to do it, but that little bundle of beauty has to direct my every move. By the end of the day, I had bitten through my lower lip from holding back my frustration all day long.

Just remember ladies, when we’re sick, care for us like a little boy, but when we’re working on your honey do’s take pity and remember we’re grown men.

Till next post.
Michael Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008