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

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

Women are composed of circles and men are composed of squares. A simple concept we can explore a bit further.

A woman’s life is comprised of a myriad of different roles – wife, mother, the maintainer of the household, an employee (or boss), a creative type, and all the other things we women do and are. Some of us enjoy working on crafts; others like to go hunting. Some love cooking; others love yard work. Whatever the woman’s interests and strengths, she is usually expected to be the one in the household who takes care of lots of different things – paying bills, making sure everyone in the family is fed, taking care of kids and pets, etc.

The center circle is the woman herself. Around her, and overlapping that central circle, are additional circles where she places each of her responsibilities. One circle represents employment, one is children, one is personal time, one is for relationships with friends, one is the family mediator, etc. All of them overlap. So, when a woman comes home at the end of a long, hard day at work, this circle of work is still influencing the other areas, such as family and children. She can’t push one circle outside the arrangement; instead it influences everything else.

Men, on the other hand, are represented by a square. Their additional squares of SEX, employment, hobbies, family, kids, whatever, are all lined up outside that center square. When the man comes home after a hard day at work, he can jump from that square and into the square that represents his family life or sitting comfortably on the couch to TV. Gone are thoughts of the job square, or anything else that doesn’t have immediate significance.

That is why men and women think differently. It’s why women have been so often attributed the old line about, “not tonight, dear, I have a headache”. It’s because we can’t keep those other circles from affecting our mood. Have you ever broken up with a man only to have him ask you for sex one last time? That’s his square personality at work. The sex square is the largest and most powerful and the one he jumps into most often, regardless of what other emotions he just experienced!

So thanks, Sheryl, for explaining it in a way that makes sense.

He made me realize just how different our minds think, and the difference in our writing styles.

I sent out a blanket email asking for help with a tag line for my next Champagne Books release in October, FULL THROTTLE. I included a blurb about the book to give everyone an idea of what it is about:

Samantha Roberts partners with her cousin to run Dr. Doug’s Mobile Dyno, a motorcycle testing and performance tuning business. Spurned by an ex-fiancée and resolved to taking care of her aging father and his medical problems, romance is the last thing she’s looking for while expanding her business is at the top of her priorities list.

Along comes opportunity in the form of Linc Montgomery, a tough, business-savvy, ex-Harley racer and new owner of Full Throttle Custom Cycles in Phoenix. Linc is used to having gorgeous women fall at his feet. When he meets Samantha and agrees to contract her dyno services, he quickly realizes she isn’t one of those brainless bimbos he normally dates before carelessly tossing aside.

The challenge is on for Linc as he sets out to seduce Samantha just to prove he can. However, he doesn’t plan on the interference of his ex-wife and her ex-fiancée – both of whom serve to make him realize that along the way, his ‘love her and leave her’ seduction scheme causes him to fall head over heels in love. But it isn’t so easy to convince Samantha she belongs to him.

Now, Big Mike thought this was just a terrible blurb. However, he writes suspense novels, not light romances like this is supposed to be. He wanted to hear something about the heroine’s inner demons and how the hero would slay her dragons. Yes, Samantha’s got some inner demons, but that’s not the focus of this book other than how it relates to her sex and love life!

His suggestions were very apropos for his books, but not for this one. And it also made me realize that since I am targeting purely female readers, they are looking for something in a contemporary romance that is far different from what a male reader would look for to pick out a suspense novel. My women beta testers loved the blurb and the whole idea of the book; men not so much.

Anyway, I’ve added one more sentence to the top of the blurb: “Phoenix is hot, but the bikers are even hotter”. And so far it looks like the tag line is going to be something along the lines of “A sexy romp of full throttle seduction leading to slow burning love” or “When Linc embarks on a full throttle seduction of Samantha, the last thing he expects is love to throw a wrench in the works “. I’m still working on it, though. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Big Mike took exception to the guy’s comments because he didn’t think it was realistic. Now maybe it’s because Mike was raised as a Southern gentleman and I was raised around men in an auto parts store, but we had a slight difference of opinion. Big Mike contends that the hero would never have stood by while this dialogue was going on, even if the woman was a complete stranger. Alas, but not all men are as chivalrous.

I can think of several instances where I’ve encountered a real jackass. I’ve had an ex-boyfriend slash my tires and throw a knife into the headlights on my beloved Chevy Camaro Berlinetta while I watched. In a previous post, I related how a manager of mine in the auto parts store pounded his fist on the counter mere inches from my face. I’ve been the target of many a raised fist (that luckily never made contact due to the man’s better judgment kicking in at the last minute). I’ve head crude comments when I was walking down the street, such as “Hey honey! Looking good! Want to come for a ride with me?” I’ve seen rude hand gestures, heard smoochy noises, and been subjected to unwanted touching and groping.

In none of these cases did some knight in shining armor come to my rescue, even when there were other men around. Nope, I was on my own.

I have to think I’m not the only one. Ladies, tell me if you’ve encountered a similar circumstance in your life.

Now, I’m going to give it a shot, but I’m sure Candace will correct me since I am coming from a blind side. From what I’ve observed when young women refer to a BB, it’s someone that excites their physical drives via visual stimulation, appears aggressive or angry, someone they would enjoy a roll with, but would never consider viable material for a long term relationship, because such BB are all about the physical. To them the female is a receptacle, nothing more then a release. Crude, yes, but I presume that’s why they’re bad boys.

To a male a BG is also not commitment material, but for different reasons. In the traditional sense, the male attempts to select a life mate that he believes will remain true so that his efforts to provide for and secure the family are in deed in support of his own biological offspring. On the other hand, the woman always has the advantage of knowing the child burgeons from her genes, but she must insure her selection of a long term mate is aimed at a good provider and a protector, not someone that will plant and run. Indeed, I believe that the antenna of many young girls today has not been conditioned or mentored to recognize that a bad aggressive boy does not translate to a good mate. That’s why so many end up single mothers.

I’m sure others may disagree but that’s my take.

Big Mike
Davisstories.com

1.    A cute little think happened on my visit to my grand daughter (Emma) over xmas. Christmas day I told Emma, “Go pick out one of you new books you got from Santa and I’ll be in to read it as soon as I get a glass of tea”. So, I took only a few minutes, I swear, just two minutes, and she sticks her little head out of her room and yells, “Damn it, Pa Pa, come on!” We all looked at each other and within ten seconds, she yelled again, “And I do mean Damn it!”  You should have seen her stance: hands on hips, cocked head, swirls around and stomps away. Now remember, she’s only two Yeah, I recognize we have a firecracker in the making. But let’s face it. She’s just doing what comes natural, you know, being a bossy impatient female (g). She is the sparkle in my life. What a pickle.

2.    About eight years ago, before I retired, there where about six guys sitting around the cafeteria table at lunch discussing how bossy women could get.  Our bud, Pete walks in with a sad sack, over hears our discusses and adds, “I feel your pain, brothers. I never realized how messed up I was till I had daughters (poor Pete has five and a wife going through the change). They correct my choice of tie, the sox I wear, how I drive, what I eat. Man, I can’t do anything right.” As Pete hung his head, the rest of us looked at each other, got down on our knees and paid respect to the poor tortured soul.

Both these stories are true and are but a small sample of the hundreds of incidence where the genes of a tiny woman take over and they become the task master over us full grown men. What I can’t figure out is why we luv em so damn much (g).

Till next time.

Big Mike
Davisstories.com