There's just something about a voice--call me American...

What is it that makes a woman go all gooey when she hears certain voices? Is there just something aesthetically inexplicable in certain timbres? In cadence? Is there something scientific that happens? When we think about the old adage--Beauty is in the eye of the beholder--does the same apply to voices? Does what sounds sexy to one, grate on the other?

I, myself, am not sure about my own voice. I'm from Massachusetts. I have a gravelly voice that I find anything but mellifluous, the word monotone is not in my vocabulary, and I was kicked out of the radio program in college because I couldn't keep the needle in the middle of the Richter scale. Some say they find my voice sexy. I wonder about that! But studies have shown that males with deep voices are the most coveted. Erotic writer translation: Deep voices melt the panties right off of heterosexual w

omen. Just look at one of the most sought-after narrators like Morgan Freeman, who admits: "The lower your voice is, the better you sound.”

Throw in a British accent for we American women and all bets are off. Suddenly, even the reading of a grocery list can make one weak in the knees. Eyes roll into the back of our heads, our legs cross and uncross trying to become comfortable against the little pulse that suddenly starts to beat in that one place, our faces flush with a heat that consumes us, and coherent, intelligent chit-chat? Wait? What were we talking about? Exactly.

To read the rest and to hear the sexiest teaser read for my book Thorne: Rose's Dark Contract (Book 1), click here: MY BLOG

THANK YOU!

What a journey! First, I want to thank those of you who downloaded Thorne or who have already bought it. Further, A BIG THANK YOU to those who take the time to write reviews. Reviews are everything to us, critiques and all!

But more than that. I discovered something through this process. Something quite profound really.  To finish, please visit my blog here: BLOG POST

ONCE WRITING LEAVES OUR HANDS...

So…because a few have asked about this poem I shared the other day, I decided to answer as much as I’m comfortable with. Why not?

The poem (shared again below in full) was something I wrote a while back but I found it interesting that I still ponder and worry and struggle with the same things. So what was it about? Who was it about? What does it mean? Those were the questions I was asked. And I’ll do my best to answer, within reason.

I had a long-lasting relationship that was headed only one place: marriage. And it follows the same-old problem I still often face, doing things I’m supposed to do rather than maybe what I want to do. Will that ever change? Or is that just who I am?

In this particular case, I was madly in love. We had a long-lasting, passionate relationship. Sometimes I wonder about that word “passionate” and its connotations. They aren’t all positive. Yes. I want to lead a life of passion but with passion can also come turmoil and heartbreak, highs and lows, ups and downs, break-ups and make-ups, and happiness and sadness.

And so was the case with this relationship. It was a never-ending circus of emotions. And I remember the day I realized that if I didn’t end it, that if I kept at it, in this co-dependent, emotionally destructive situation, my life would not be one filled with peace or true happiness, but a life of constant battles. In short, it was an unhealthy relationship that lasted far too long.

The poem tries to encapsulate that day of epiphany, that day...

TO READ MORE: Click here--BLOG

Michael Dalton is a professional journalist and editor. He lives with his family and multiple pets in Southern California, but he is much more than that to me.

Michael was one of the very first authors I met when I started my journey into publishing. He tells me I approached him timidly (I'm denying that--lol!), when I asked him if he might be interested in a gift copy of my Natalie's Edge Series. Over the course of a year, I have not only come to highly respect his writing, I have come to highly respect his opinions, advice, and guidance. I often call him my Obi Wan Kenobe--his knowledge is incomparable.

But really, beyond coming to depend on him for myriad weird questions and late-night worries, I have come to call him a friend: honest, smart, and kind. And now, you can get to know this Jedi master yourself, as he boldly answered my interview questions (which he wanted to change, by the way. I said, "No."). ENJOY!

What is your favorite word? Least favorite?...

To read the rest, visit: MY WEBSITE

I made my first newsletter yesterday, something so small that took me so much time. I’m on such a learning curve when it comes to this stuff.  But I did it, and I am quite proud of myself for getting it done. It’s nothing special. I don’t have but a little more than 100 people to send it to, but it’s another part of me and who I am that I share with the loyal friends and fans that I do have. If you'd still like to sign up, simply go to my home page. rbobrien.weebly.com

Some days, it’s just really easy to throw in the towel. To give up. To say—why am I doing all this? Why spend so much time writing and publishing? Sales fluctuate up and down. People rarely review. I’m not sure what works and what doesn’t regarding promotion and sales. The answer is simple, and I’ve said this before. I write because I am a writer. I write what is a secret part of me. I write what I can’t share in my real life. I write because I think I would implode if I didn’t.

To read more, head over to my BLOG page. WHY PUBLISH?

LIFE'S ABOUT LESSONS

I don’t believe in a god, not in the traditional sense anyway. I guess that’s what being raised Catholic has done to me. But I do believe in energy. I do believe in right and wrong. I do believe in kindness and truth. And not everyone else is like that. I’m learning that. I’m learning that there are some really ugly people in this world and I’m not talking about their outsides. I’m talking about their souls, their essence, the people they are.
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I am not perfect. Far from it. And I have accomplished a fair share of mistakes in my short time on this Earth already. But I have never gone out of my way to hurt a person deliberately. I know that there are two sides to every story. I’m not stupid. I’m a good listener. I care about the feelings of others—sometimes too much and that is what gets me into trouble, caring for the wrong people sometimes. But I don’t have a malicious bone in my body. Some people may call that weak. True or not, it is simply the person I am. And if others choose to view me as weaker, there is really not much I can do about that....

TO CONTINUE, click here: R.B. O'Brien's Blog

MEET AUTHOR NIA FARRELL as she launches her release of Replay Book 2: TRIPLE PLAY.

Who are your favorite heroes/heroines in real life? ​This life, the Dalai Lama. I haven’t yet met him, but I did spend a day in his presence when he was teaching the Kalachakra Tantra in Bloomington, Indiana. Past life, Joan of Arc/Jeanne d’Arc.  In my lifetime as Christine de Pisan, I came out of retirement to write about Jeanne because she was my vindication, proof of the worthiness of women because God had chosen her to be savior of France.  She’s not one of my main spirit guides but she does pop in every once in a while.

To read the entire interview and MANY others,or to get to know Nia more, visit: R.B. O'Brien's Website: FEATURED AUTHORS