8 Great Quotes From Literature

[Guest Post] It is not uncommon for some phrase to be memorized out of the whole book of our favorites. It was so catchy, so memorable or simply was in the fullness of time. Users of a popular social network gathered together just some out of those, which are the most popular ones. Here are the eight quotes on the top of the list:

“That's the wonderful thing about man; he never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important and WORTH the doing.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

“No”, he said quickly. “Never. Stay friends? Try to grow a small rose garden on the ashes of broken feelings? No, this will never work for you and me. It happens only after small affairs and it looks fake. Love should not be spoiled by friendship. The end is the end.”
― Erich Maria Remarque, Arch of Triumph

“I don`t care what you think about me. I don`t think about you at all.”
― Henri Gidel, Coco Chanel

“I suppose it comes from the fact that none of us can stand other people having the same faults as ourselves...”
― Oscar Wilde, Picture of Dorian Grey

“I won`t think of it now. I will think of it tomorrow.”
― Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

“I don`t ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender In The Night

“That is the most difficult thing of all. It is far more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself correctly, then you are truly a man of wisdom.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

About the Author: Melisa Marzett is a young lady who nevertheless has gone through many books, met lots of people, and can come up with an opinion on anything, really. Working for bigpaperwriter.com at this time, she is eager to write more and more. She has passion for writing and it would be delightful to her to get to know more. She is never tired of what she does and will gladly accept a challenge to write a guest post whatever the topic would be.

Why Do We love Vamps? In a Word: They’re Hot - Suz deMello Guest Post

Like great chocolate, vampires are smooth, seductive and dangerous. They're invariably wealthy because they prey upon whoever they please and can steal for a living if they choose. Anne Rice's Lestat is the classic example.

And many female fans enjoy the fantasy of losing control to a sexy, dominant male. On top of that, our culture worships the young and the beautiful.

In my writing, I emphasize not only the vampires’ sensuality, but also their unnatural strength and speed. In Rakes in Tartan, my hero, Tor Kilburn, doesn’t box or fence to stay in shape, but he “flies”—or appears to. Here’s his version of taking a relaxing jog at night:

Tor stood on the roof of the manse he shared with Andrew. Though the home was centrally located near Piccadilly, the misty streets ’round about were deserted at this extremely late hour. The quarter-moon’s light struggled through the low-hanging fog and gleamed on damp cobbles and pavements. Few lamps broke the darkness. Silence reigned. Not even the turd wallopers were abroad, though the olfactory evidence of their foul cargo floated above the lanes.

He stretched, enjoying the freedom he felt, having stripped off the confining jacket and snug knee-breeches required for entry into Almack’s. Cloak flapping over plain trousers, he leaped to the next building, then to the next and the next. He landed squarely on a girder supporting the glass roof of the Burlington Arcade, knees half-bent.

He sprinted along the girder, then jumped again, arms spread wide. The breeze caught his black cape and helped him across Piccadilly, enabling him to land soundlessly on the roof of Fortnum and Mason.

He enjoyed his hobby as much or even more than he had in Oxford. ‘Twas a lively town but lacked the number and variety of buildings London boasted. Though he had become intimately acquainted with the several colleges comprising Oxford, the sameness of the Gothic architecture had lost his interest. London was large, diverse and highly entertaining...

Oh, and yeah: he’s hot.

Rakes in Tartan by Suz deMello                                                              

Setting: London 1816

The social season promises both sex and danger for Torquil Kilburn and Andrew MacReiver, Highland heirs arrived in London to seek brides. The Scotsmen must  negotiate the complicated morés of high society to woo and win an exquisite debutante and her passionate, unconventional mother while keeping their vampire heritage a secret.

But evil stalks the ballroom at Almack’s, the streets of Piccadilly, the drawing rooms of the ton. Headless bodies have been found drained of their blood, for another vampire haunts the streets of London, murdering noblemen. As he draws ever closer, Tor and Andrew must fight not only for love, but for their lives.

Buy it here:

http://www.ellorascave.com/rakes-in-tartan.html

About the author:

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press, where she is currently Managing Editor. She also takes private clients.

Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.

A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

--Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

--For editing services, email her at suzswift  (at) yahoo.com

--Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift

--Visit her group page at https://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe

--She tweets her reading picks @ReadThis4fun and @Suzdemello

--Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/

--Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads

--Her current blog is http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com

www.betterworldbooks.com

This is an affiliate link:

The First Bite Is the Deepest by Elisa Catrina. $2.99 from Smashwords.com
“Funny and clever and emotionally hard-hitting” "A perfectly creepy read." Elisa Catrina's debut novel begins as a quirky send-up of vampire romance, but quickly turns sinister. High schooler Stella Ortiz starts dating the mysterious new guy, but her friends are convinced he's bad news: Sebastian misses tons of school, he day-drinks something that smells like pennies, and oh yeah, he's a vampire.

Best Free Writing Apps For Novelists

Writing a novel is always a daunting task, but today writers can take advantage of many free apps that can help make it a little more manageable. While an app cannot do the writing for you, it can help you come up with creative ideas for plots, create an outline, structure your story and more. Let's look at five of the best free apps for novelists.

Creative Commons image by user Egy.One

1. Dragon Dictation

Dragon Naturally Speaking is a well known program that allows the user to speak out loud and have the words transcribed on the page. Now there is a free app that lets you do the same thing. This is very efficient for people who find it easier to organize their thoughts speaking out loud. Dragon Dictation is a very convenient app to have on your phone or tablet, as you can use it whenever inspiration hits you. Most people can talk faster than they can type, so you will be able to retain more of your ideas. This app can be downloaded from iTunes.

2. FreeSaurus

A thesaurus has always been an essential writer's companion. This tool helps you avoid the problem of using the same words over and over again. With FreeSaurus you can have one at your disposal whenever you need it. This will help you find just the word you need for any occasion. FreeSaurus can help make your writing richer by giving you more word choices. This free app is available on iTunes.

3. Wiki Browser

Wikipedia is a great source of information for writers, as it allows you to do fast research on almost any topic. Wiki Browser is a convenient app that lets you browse Wikipedia. It even lets you do this in multiple languages. This is ideal for novelists who need to do research, whether it's on history, science, geography or anything else. This is a free Android app that all writers can make use of.

4. A Novel Idea

This app is very useful for organizing your plot, scenes, characters and locations. You can simply fill in the ideas as you get inspiration. This app helps you clarify all of the elements of your novel. You can synch this app with Dropbox if you use that platform to store documents. A Novel Idea is a free app available on iTunes.

5. Scribd

The Scibd app gives you instant access to a vast library of articles, short stories, excerpts, study guides and more. Although the basic app is free, you can subscribe to the full version and have access to an even greater amount of material, including many full length books. Scribd is a free Android app that can be very helpful for writers seeking research material or inspiration.

As a writer, you should take advantage of every resource at your disposal. The above are some of the apps that can make your job as a novelist a little easier. Apps that you can use on your smart phone or tablet allow you to do research, jot down ideas and organize your novel wherever you happen to be.

This article was written by Aubrey Phelps, a writer for FreeGuestPost.com. She loves tech humor and reading. 

A Taste of Rome by Lucy Felthouse - #Erotica Excerpt

Blurb:

Book three of the World of Sin series.

Ryan Stonebridge and his friend Kristian Hurst have traveled to London and Paris on their “gap year” adventure, before starting university. Now it’s on to Rome.

The American girls they met in Paris are along for the ride, providing lots of sexy fun for the boys. But as no one in the foursome is looking for commitment, there’s still plenty of scope for hooking up with the locals. Voyeurism, cougars, risky outdoor sex and threesomes abound in the Italian leg of the boys’ European adventure.

Available from: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/a-taste-of-rome/

Add to your Goodreads shelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18399288-a-taste-of-rome

*****

Excerpt:

Ryan came to the conclusion that perhaps this journey wasn’t so horrendous after all. He’d been a little miffed that the American girls, Shanna and Taryn, had wanted to tag along from Paris to Rome with him and Kristian. He’d been keen not to end up with any chicks who wanted more than a one night stand, figuring that any romantic entanglements would screw up their footloose and fancy-free gap year trip. Their last year of freedom, without commitment, before they went to University and had to grow up, buckle down.

In the here and now, however, Ryan decided that Shanna actually wasn’t that bad. It seemed she was determined to spice up the never-ending coach trip from Paris to Rome. Eight hundred and seventy miles, thirteen hours. They’d known when they’d booked it that it would be nigh on intolerable, but it was the cheapest way to travel. And having sat in the increasingly stuffy, tiny coach, Ryan could see why. It made cramped seats in coach class on a flight feel like first class.

Shanna had removed her jacket as the crap air-conditioning was utterly failing to cool down the cabin. It had been draped over her lap for a while before she slid it across so it covered part of his too. Ryan frowned, wondering why she thought it was a good idea to make him warmer. He was already melting in the heat. Then she slipped her hand beneath the jacket and moved it over his crotch. She squeezed his flaccid cock, making her intentions absolutely clear. He realized that if he continued to stare down at their laps it would be painfully obvious to anyone who glanced in their direction what they were up to. So he leaned over and kissed Shanna’s cheek, nuzzling her red hair out of the way to murmur into her ear.

“I’m going to try and act natural.” Then, remembering what had happened to him back in London when he’d ended up with cum-filled boxer shorts, he added, “Can you, uh, catch it in a tissue?”
Grinning, Shanna revealed the flimsy white material in her other hand. It appeared she’d already thought of that. Saucy wench—he liked her. She was a fun girl, gorgeous-looking and a great lay. Had things been different, he might have considered pursuing something long-term with her, but it wasn’t going to happen. He and Kristian had this one chance, this few months to live life to the fullest, do what they wanted, do who they wanted, go where they liked, and he wasn’t going to throw it away for a green-eyed, cute-accented chick. No way.

He wasn’t worried about upsetting her, though. He knew that she and her friend had a similar pact and outlook on their European travels. They too were hooking up, having a good time and moving on.

Ryan grinned out of the window. Life was good. A sexy girl was about to get his cock out on a coach and toss him off, and he was heading to the third destination on his gap year adventure. The Italian capital awaited and he couldn’t wait to see what it had in store.

Before he got there, though, he was going to have another orgasm on public transport. First the toilets on the Eurostar, now beneath a jacket on a coach. God, what was it with women and doing it in cramped, risky places? And Blanche—the French bird on the Eurostar—and Shanna weren’t the only ones he was thinking of. He was beginning to forget what it was like to have sex in a bed. Not that he was complaining—Christ, no. If a sexy woman propositioned him, who was he to refuse?

By now Shanna had undone his belt, button and fly and released his cock from his boxers. It had taken a while as she’d had to keep her movements slow, subtle, so no one realized what was happening. As a result of all the fumbling, his dick was rock hard by the time she got it out, and it sprung eagerly into her hand.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and he slipped his arm around her, pulling her close. Anyone who looked now would just see a couple of young people having a cuddle. Or possibly a hot redhead sleeping on the shoulder of a young man who could either be her boyfriend or a total stranger.

Carefully, she began to stroke him, getting into a rhythm that would drive him to climax without anyone knowing.

Ryan turned back to the window, giving the appearance of looking out at the darkening sky. Shanna’s grip tightened, her movements grew faster and he grew closer to coming. He dug his teeth into his bottom lip in an attempt to regain some kind of control. It didn’t help—his hormones raged and the familiar tingle at the base of his spine was a dead giveaway.

Looking as chilled out, as casual as possible, he turned to Shanna and whispered, “You’d better get that tissue ready—otherwise I’m going to make an awful mess.”

She gave a single nod of understanding and moved her other hand beneath the jacket, slowly, languidly. It probably looked as though she was just changing position, rather than anything naughtier. Ryan, however, was at the stage where he didn’t care. If anyone happened to look across, happened to confront them, he’d hold a hand up to keep them quiet until he finished.

*****

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Do Women Politicians Suffer Because of Emphasis on Their Appearance?

The United States claims to be one of the most egalitarian countries in the world, but it was essentially 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation that Barack Obama, a man of color, was elected president. Part of the reason for this can be seen in the controversial "Birther" movement which claimed that he wasn't an American citizen and that his Hawaiian birth certificate was a forgery, and ignored the fact that no matter where he was born, Obama was legally considered an American citizen due to the fact that his mother was. And it's striking that John McCain, who we know was born not in the US proper, but in the Panama Canal Zone, never faced any accusations that he could not run for office.

But even more ingrained in our cultural prejudice is our resistance to women leaders. Unlike many of our allies, such as the United Kingdom, India, and even Turkey--an Islamic nation--we have never elected a woman to our nation's executive position. Is this in part because our culture's emphasis on women's appearance undermines their success in politics?


Coverage of a Woman's Appearance May Hurt Her Politically

It has been said that when a woman is running for office, news coverage of her wardrobe and appearance is much higher than it would be for a man's. According to one study, that hurts women's chances at winning an election, whether the coverage is positive. That's right, the study says that whether we're talking about Hillary Clinton's supposedly unfashionable pantsuits or Sarah Palin's history as a beauty queen, just talking about a woman's appearance reduces her chances of election.

Creative Commons image by Therealbs2002

This is from a study by Name It, Change It, a political action group focused on exposing and undermining feminism in politics. They sent fake news stories about a primary election between two fictional candidates "Jane Smith" and "Dan Jones." When the stories were focused exclusively on the candidates' responses to an education bill, voters were evenly split. But when the news coverage included neutral, positive, or negative coverage of Smith's appearance, she lost four, six, or seven points, respectively.

This effect may be even more important when we consider that news coverage changes when women are running for office, focusing more on character and less on issues.

Or Perhaps Voters Don't Care about Appearance

In response to the Name It, Change It study, the Washington Post ran its own version of the study. Essentially, they protested the Name It, Change It study on two bases: 1) the descriptions were unrealistic and may have increased bias, and 2) the study only inserted appearance descriptions for the female candidate.

In their own study, the Washington Post found that actually women did better than male candidates when appearance was discussed, no matter whether the coverage was positive, negative, or neutral.
The Washington Post also pointed to its own analysis of news coverage, conducted in 2010, that showed male and female candidates' appearance was actually discussed essentially equally.

The Issue Isn't Appearance

Based on the Washington Post study, it's likely that it's something more complex and subtle than appearance that hurts women candidates. It's likely that we are still having trouble as a society adjusting to how women in power interact with our traditional notions of gender roles. This is highlighted by the New York Times article about the purses of women in politics, which gives extensive coverage to the existence of "purse boys," male aides that sometimes hold their bosses' bags.

This inversion of the power dynamic is emasculating, something that American men fear perhaps more than anything, and something that we can see coded in Tim Gunn's criticism of Clinton's pantsuits as a sign that she's confused about her gender.

On the other hand, women in politics can find themselves in the crosshairs for being too feminine, as for example when Michelle Obama responded to a question about whether she would try Botox. By responding to the question, feminist critics felt, she was giving credibility to a condescending question that never should have been asked.

Michelle Obama: Public domain image

These frictions show just how uncertain we as a society are about power, politics, and gender. It's been a hundred years since women were given the vote. Maybe it will take another fifty before we are prepared to accept that they will sometimes win the vote, too.

About the Author: Dr. Matthew B. Candelaria (PhD, U of Kansas 2006) is a freelance writer who grew up in the 1970s and was strongly influenced by his mother's strident feminist opinions and participation in the fight for equality. He writes on a diverse array of topics, including gender, medicine, science, and the environment.

Snowbound, a Romance Novel by New Wyoming Writer Sarah Winter

Guest Post by Amy Kampstra

There are three things you'll notice if you've ever had the privilege of conversing one-on-one with budding novelist Sarah Winter: Her unforgettable laugh, her ginormous vocabulary, and a mischievous shine in her self-proclaimed "shit brown" eyes. (No, that's not what her eyes are really full of.) But that humor, with the ability to paint with words using stark honesty, combined with that genius wit swirling under the surface, create a perfect storm of qualities that permeate each page she writes.

1)      Author Sarah Winter (photo by Sarah Winter)

As her pen name suggests, Winter knows a thing or two about damnable snow and cold. The Northern Wisconsin native turned Cody, Wyoming gal has suffered through enough freak snowstorms and deep freezes throughout her 29 years that she could, well, write the book on it. So, it's no surprise her self-published first novel, Snowbound, is now available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle download.

Fittingly, Snowbound was published on Jan. 6, 2014, upon the heels of Winter Storm Ion, in which a polar vortex swept through the United States, slamming several states with sub-zero temperatures and wind chills that no one has experienced in 20 years. (Hmm… a chilling coincidence or TERRIFIC marketing ploy, Ms. Winter?)

Well, let's chalk it up to a coincidence. In fact, "The idea has been with me since I was 15 or 16," Winter reminisces. "I read a romance novel of one flavor or other that had the hero and heroine caught in a thunderstorm and they wound up together in an isolated cabin. My brain ran with it, begging for more drama and more dire circumstances."

Snowbound may trigger its own vortex in the literary world. The romance does contain swear words, and it's full of detailed, explicit scenes for anyone that loves The 50 Shades of Grey stuff. But it's the fascinating world she's shaped of characters thrust against the Wyoming landscape that will hook you.

"The book is a straight romance," explains Winter, "but there is a lesson to be found about taking risks and not letting the circumstances of life beat you down to the point that you shut yourself off. There's a quote that my main character Liam says that sums it up quite well. 'We don't get to choose the things that happen to us in life. What we can choose is how to react to them, how we deal with them, and how we move on.'"

Wyoming plays a huge part in the plot. She's a siren luring Englishman Liam Freeman to see her intense beauty and rich history before throwing him into a life-threatening situation. And, if Wyoming seems merely like a cold-hearted, formidable region, we forget, because she has nudged Liam right into the arms of River, an intelligent, well-deserving heroine any reader can respect.

1)      Snowbound cover

In this Snowbound excerpt, River uses her knowledge and experience to treat Liam's hypothermia:

She kept the fire going, the grate in place to protect them from getting burnt, keeping the cabin so hot she was sweating. He moaned once in a while as soreness started to set in, the sound plaintive and pain-filled. Every time he did, she jumped up to check him and usually found him tossing and turning. His muscles cramped from the change in his core temperature and his joints stiffened from the shivering and exertion of his walk through the storm. He was nearly incoherent sometimes, his mind still shaking off the effects of the cold. He asked for water, glass after glass. She stirred salt into each warmed glass to help with the muscle cramping and fed him ibuprofen tablets.

Being married, raising two sons, and crafting a novel is more than most people can handle. But, Winter determinedly tapped on those computer keys any chance she could (especially in the wee hours of the morning when all was quiet), finally giving breath to that idea she had so many years ago. She explains her writing process as "brain vomit" in which she scratches down any idea or hint of dialogue on whatever she can get her hands on. Interestingly enough, one of her Snowbound characters was conceived by scratching notes on a pizza box. No matter the method, she was relieved and quite giddy to see her baby in print.

Winter's friends, Beth and Shanna, helped her with understanding a readers' perspective and with the tedious task of editing. Formatting the novel and getting it ready for sale on Amazon was also time-consuming.

Alas, a writer's work is never done. Reviews on Amazon are positive and may create a snowball effect, one that prompts Winter to write more books.

"Snowbound is a stand-alone, but I do have other irons in the fire" Winter assures her new readers. "I have several different ideas I've been outlining, one that's being very selfish with my time. I'm far from done!"

Contact Sarah Winter via Twitter and Pinterest with username SisterSadieG. Check out Sarah's blog.

Excerpt used with Sarah Winter's permission

Long-Distance Relationships: What to Do and How to Withstand it

Guest post by Melisa Marzett

LDR (Long-distance relationships) is a term that describes an intimate relationship when the partners are separated from each other by a distance.

Have you ever imagined that our planet has 7.046 billion citizens? And every man has his own character, his appearance, and his thoughts. And only one of them is your soulmate. This person can be everywhere, the life is not an easy one, and your “perfect partner” will not live in the house next to yours.

Today social media services help us a lot in out relationships. Even if our relatives, friends or our love are far away, we can speak with them, see them with the help of different programs, and hope that we’ll meet them soon.

Of course all the intimacy is conveyed in a rapid text exchange and it will never compare to the feelings of closeness. And sometimes the romance starts to totter. The main problem of such relationships is waiting. You’re waiting all the time for the call, for the letter or simply for the online status. It’s time to exploit the power of social media to the utmost!

Facebook is one of the most popular social networks. It can be the great way to help sustain your relationships. Photos and status updates can make you feel that you’re nearby, when you’re far away. There are also a lot of people there, and you can find everyone. May be you know only the name of the person you’ve met and you’d like to keep your connections with him. So the Facebook will help you.

Pinterest. Some people can say that this site can’t connect people. But it‘s a really great way to find creative and interesting solutions to make your relationships more exciting. This service helps to make your relationship more intimate and personal. That inspires and makes you closer to each other.

Different phone apps. Of course not all the apps were made for lovers. But there are a few you can try out. You can begin from Avocado application. You can show your love to the partner by sending him “kisses” and “hugs,” pictures you can draw, this program also allows making the list of events and it even has a function of an automatic countdown for your anniversary.

Blogs are the great way to understand each other better. If your love has a blog with personal thoughts and art works you can know almost everything about him. He can tell you that everything’s all right, may be with a view not to make you sad, but in any case you can support him if you understand that something goes wrong.

Some people make dates over Skype. Others prefer to play games together and even create a weekly game night and play all night together. Some couples send each other voice notes to let them know that they’re thinking of each other. There are so many ways to show your love, so be creative and it’ll bring you closer as a couple making you feel together all the time.

***

About the author: Melisa Marzett is an experienced blogger. She writes mostly for writing service She’s a diversified person interested in different spheres. Melissa is always ready to speak at
Google+.



Social Media, Writing, and Editing Services I Offer - Erin O'Riordan

Trying to Meet Women the Old Fashioned Way - Guest Post by the Conflict and Scotch Blogger

Originally published on the Conflict and Scotch blog. 

I have a face made for online dating. It's not because I am so devilishly handsome that women would fall over themselves to meet me. On the contrary, with online dating I control the first look women will have of me. I decide which slightly blurry old photograph taken at just the right angle where I pass for attractive will be placed in my profile. This way a woman could get to know me before actually meeting me face-to-face. Why do I need this buffer? Well, if there is one thing I know about myself is that I can write funny e-mails and once I get someone laughing, I've won half the battle of winning them over.

Before online dating I had to meet women the old fashioned way: drinking and going to bars.

I have never been very good at meeting women, whether in a bar or on the street (not hookers). I don't have many success stories of ending up in a long term relationship with a woman I met in a bar. I met my ex-wife in a bar (enough said). Maybe it was me, the way I presented myself. One Friday night I was standing at the bar at a local franchise restaurant and, after one or two beers, the bartender came up to me and asked me if I was alright. I assured him I was fine.

"Ok," he said, "just wanted to check. You look angry."

The next night I was in another bar and, after one or two beers, that bartender came up to me and asked me if I was okay. I assured him I was.

"Okay," he said, "just wanted to check. You look angry."

I would think a six-foot-two-inch man grinning wildly, alone, at the end of a bar would be more frightening than that same man just staring off in the distance sipping on a beer. Live and learn.

I did have a few barroom encounters that I thought would have ended better.

I will preface this first encounter by saying the following - after my initial separation I had a very hard time concentrating or getting any sleep. This went on for quite a while, to the point where I needed some help. A doctor (bless her heart) to whom I just told my aforementioned problems reached into a drawer, handed me samples of Zoloft, and then wrote a prescription for additional supplies. While on Zoloft I had no anxiety whatsoever - zero. I will credit Zoloft, and the beer I wasn't supposed to be drinking while taking them, with what happened next.

It was a random Saturday afternoon in Hoboken, New Jersey when I found myself standing alone in a bar. I looked over and saw a very pretty woman being bothered by the man that stood next to her. With each step back she took her unwanted companion matched it with his own step forward. I then did something I had only seen done in movies. Something I had never done before or since. I stepped in between her and her unwanted friend, slipped my arm around her waist and said, "There you are, I've been looking for you" and then guided her away.

Thank you, Zoloft.

The rest of the day flew by, we had great conversations, and we laughed - a lot. She lived in Brooklyn but her family was originally from East Brunswick, N.J, which is not far from where I grew up. Just before she left with her friends I asked if she'd like to get together again and in response she gave me her number. The following Monday I called her from work.

"Hello?" she answered.

I told her who I was and she quickly replied, "Can I call you right back?"

That was twelve years ago - I'm almost ready to give up hope that she will return my call (almost).

 Jump ahead a few years from that first encounter and again I was in a crowded bar, Zoloft-free now, with my friend, Kevin. He looked over my right shoulder as we talked and then told me that a woman across the bar kept looking at me. I laughed it off but he insisted that she was. I quickly turned and scanned the crowd (I am so smooth) and found the woman on the other side of the bar. A man stood next to her, who leaned in close, and talked to her - continuously. She looked bored and after a few seconds I saw that she turned her eyes away from him and looked directly at me. She then repeated the routine: she listened, she listened, she looked.

This was new.

A short time later she left her companion and moved toward the restrooms but instead of taking the less obstructed route she cut through the most crowded part of the bar and then squeezed past me.

"She did that on purpose," Kevin said and I astonishingly agreed.

On her return trip she squeezed past me again and as we stood eye-to-eye her right hand appeared and she handed me her business card - all without saying a word. She then returned to her companion but continued the flirtatious glances in my direction.

The next day (too soon?) I called the number on her card, but it went directly to voice mail. I told my female co-workers what happened, and asked them if I should call her again since she didn't reply. They unanimously agreed that I should not call her again, that I should wait for her to return my call. So, of course, I called again and left another message on her voicemail.

Maybe she was on the phone with the girl from Hoboken, but I never heard from her.

I'm not sure why women would give me their numbers, even unsolicited on my part, and then never return my calls. Was it a game, give out your number and then see which idiots would actually call you? Is there a bell near their phones that they ring, like bartenders receiving tips, to let the room know that they caught another one?

So back to online dating I went. But, just to be safe, if in the future you happen upon a slightly blurry man who, given the right angle could pass for attractive, and he's grinning wildly to himself while sipping a beer - that will be me.