Pop Culture

Complicated Characters. Challenging Relationships.

June 20, 2014 by ReeseRyan

I’m fascinated by complicated characters. My favorites include Sherlock Holmes (played by Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary), Raylen Givens (Justified), Mary Shannon (In Plain Sight) and James Bond (played by Daniel Craig). They are prickly, a bit dark and extremely hard to love.

No wonder their characters rarely have serious love interests. When they do, the two seem to be a volatile mixture of chemicals ready to blow at any moment. That’s what makes writing a complicated character in a romance a bit more challenging.

After all, in a romance we are essentially guaranteeing a happily ever after, or at least a happy for now. Something we rarely see complicated characters in television and movies get.

That’s because loving and living with a complicated person can be taxing. But if the character grows as a person over the course of the story, it can be a truly beautiful thing to watch. Yes, they make us frustrated and angry, maybe even bring us to tears. Yet, we are thrilled to see them reach a point where they are open to being loved and are able to do so in return. Despite their imperfections.

Jamie Charles, the heroine in my latest release, Love Me Not, is definitely a complicated character. She had a very difficult childhood. In response, she’s developed a thick outer skin. Like a callous that forms to protect the raw, damaged layer underneath. Jamie can be sarcastic, judgmental and sometimes plain mean. Yet, she’s bright, talented and fiercely loyal to the people she loves.

Fully aware of her flaws, Jamie has made a conscious choice not to get emotionally involved with anyone. She doesn’t see herself as the kind of girl capable of giving her heart to someone. The risk feels too great. However, when Miles Copeland comes along, he isn’t convinced by Jamie’s tough girl act and he believes he’s just the man to prove her wrong.

Miles is also a multi-faceted character. On the surface he’s handsome, affable and charming. However, below the surface he is battling demons of his own.

Loving Jamie is certainly a challenge. One Miles believes is worth it. As long-held secrets are revealed, Jamie comes to terms with her past and slowly begins to recognize that she is indeed capable of loving Miles and worthy of his love.

Do you like complex characters in books, television and movies? If so, tell me who your favorites are in the comments below. If complicated characters drive you crazy, tell me why you loathe them. Your comment will enter you for a chance to win a digital copy of my Bad Boys Gone Good series, which includes Love Me Not, and signed Keeper Kase postcards for both books in the series (mailed to U.S. and Canadian addresses only)

Then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter contest below for your chance to win the awesome Summer Lovin’ Blog Grand Prize: a $75 Amazon Gift Card; a $25 Starbucks e-card and your choice of a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card.

Love Me Not Summary

Tortured artist, Jamie Charles’ life is a careful balance between flashes of brilliance and self-loathing. Her art is as dark and dramatic as her painful past. Her resentment of the biological parents—who were too preoccupied with their addictions to bother with her—fuels her ambition to succeed as an artist, but also takes a heavy, personal toll.

Miles Copeland climbed to the top of his advertising agency because he isn’t afraid of taking risks and because he has something to prove to the father who betrayed his family. But when he falls for a moody, Gothic beauty with zero interest in anything but a purely physical relationship, he finds himself in dangerous territory.

Jamie prefers living hard and fast without the complications of love, but finds it impossible to resist the stunningly handsome, yet incredibly sweet man who is determined to have every piece of her–including her heart. Miles shows Jamie the beauty of being loved madly and deeply, but is it enough to make her finally learn to love herself, and open her heart to him?

Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop:

Hop on over to the Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop to visit other participating blogs here: www.hopswithheart.blogspot.com . Enter the Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diverse Families and the Shades of Romance

June 12, 2014 by ReeseRyan

Today the Swirl Awards hosts the 2nd Annual Loving Day Blog Hop. This online event joins various other celebrations across the United States which commemorate the U.S Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down anti-miscegenation laws in the United States.

That landmark decision removed legal barriers that prohibited marriage between couples of different races. However, many of the societal deterrents remained firmly in place.

It is no longer uncommon to see diverse families in our communities. In fact, the majority of us would hardly give a second thought to seeing a woman walking down the street with a baby of another ethnicity in her arms. Yet, for those of us living outside of that experience, it is easy to forget that not everyone in the world is as an opened-minded and accepting as we are.

Then an innocent Cheerios commercial features a diverse family with a Caucasian mother and an African-American father and suddenly all hell breaks loose.

Such moments remind us of the importance of commemorating decisions like Loving v. Virginia and that for all the ~~delusions~~ talk of a post-racial society, the world really isn’t made of sunshine and rainbows and we’ve got a lot of work to do, as a society, still.

In the Today Show segment above, one of the observations made is that interracial families are rarely portrayed on television, especially in advertising. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, such a glaring absence of multicultural families in advertising and other media is decreasingly reflective of who we are as a society.

Art often reflects society. However, it also has the power to shape it. Diversity in art, such as movies, television shows and multicultural books isn’t just entertaining. It can also subtly shift our mindset. There is no shortage of multicultural art available, including multicultural and interracial romances penned by many of the authors taking part in the Loving Day Blog Hop. However, unless we raise the profile of diverse books and movies, few mainstream readers will ever see them. One of the many reasons #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

But that’s a post for another day. 😉

The LOVING DAY BLOG HOP, which celebrates the many shades of romance, kicks off at 9:00 am EST today and features posts by participating authors on a variety of topics surrounding interracial love/marriage, and of course the Lovings. They’ve also graciously donated free books, gift cards and swag to help us celebrate. So be sure to visit the next author along the stop.

Here at the Reese Ryan Diaries, I’m giving away digital copies of the two books in my Bad Boys Gone Good series: Love Me Not and Making the First Move. The stories feature heroines Jamie Charles and Melanie Gordon, both members of the diverse, non-traditional Gordon family.

To participate and enter to win great prizes during the Loving Day Blog Hop:

Leave a comment on this post to enter for a chance to win digital copies of both books in my Bad Boys Gone Good series: Love Me Not and Making the First Move.

Enter the Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/74d7d71/

Go back to Loving Day Hop Master List

Go to the next stop on the hop and visit with Sydney Arrison.

Recommendations needed: Romance trilogy or series featuring the same couple

May 29, 2014 by ReeseRyan

I’m working on a historical romance set during the Harlem Renaissance. My original idea was to write a series featuring three different couples. To be honest, I’m still strongly inclined to follow through with that plan.

However, I’m exploring the possibility of going deeper into the story of how these two characters get together. To accomplish that, I considered revealing their love story over a series of three novellas. So, I’d like to read a few romance trilogies or series that feature a single couple and that are done especially well.

Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series has been recommended by several people, so I’m putting it at the top of my list. What other series would you recommend and why?

Also, I’d love to hear your opinion on this type of series.

Do you like this deeper exploration of a love story? Or does it drive you crazy and you’d rather have the romance wrapped up in a single novel?

Recap: Life on the Other Side of 40, the Romantic Comedy Drought and the How I Met Your Mother Finale

April 4, 2014 by ReeseRyan

The past couple of months have been insanely busy. Though I haven’t posted frequently here on the Reese Ryan Diaries, I’ve been pretty active around the ‘net. This week:

Here at RRD I reminisced over my favorite How I Met Your Mother episodes.

In light of the volatile reactions to the show’s ending, I shared my take on the How I Met Your Mother Finale and the Promise of Happy Endings over at the Contemporary Romance Café.

Jana Richards, a fellow member of the Contemporary Romance Café wrote a brilliant post on how to write successful romantic comedies. That prompted my plea: Someone revive the romantic comedy, PLEASE! over on the Sulia Romance Novels Channel.

Today I’m over at All Things Girl, where it all started for me, talking about The View from Here (or life on the other side of 40).

Got a minute to pop over to one of the above stops to say hello? I’d love to see you! In the meantime, happy reading.

By the way, if you haven’t already registered for my VIP mailing list, you can do so by clicking on the hot pink bar on your left, or by popping your email address into the form on the top right sidebar. The next newsletter will go out next week and this month and next there will be exciting announcements and prizes. I want you to be the first to know.

Smooches!

Saying Good-bye to How I Met Your Mother #HIMYMFarewell

March 31, 2014 by ReeseRyan

Today I’m over at Sulia’s Romance Chanel, where I blog five days each week, saying good-bye to the long-running sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.

I’m a late-comer to the show. I only started watching it a few years ago. Thanks to syndication I was able to catch up pretty quickly and it soon became my favorite sitcom.

There are so many episodes of the show that make me break out into laughter when I think about them:

The Pineapple Incident

Spoiler Alert

Swarley

The Stinsons

Dowisetrepla

Intervention

How I Met Everyone Else

The cast that created the characters we’ve come to consider as friends said a lovely good-bye and thank you to their fans. Check out the good-bye video below.

If you’re a fan of the show, who is your favorite character? Which episodes make the list of your favorites?

#HIMYMFarewell

5 Ways Introverts Can Succeed Without Forcing Themselves to Become Extroverts

November 15, 2013 by ReeseRyan

You probably won’t find this shocking, but I’m a bona fide introvert.

Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

Many writers are. The quiet, solitary nature of writing appeals to introverts.

I have often referred to myself as an introvert masquerading as an extrovert. The feeling that, as an introvert, I must conform to a more extroverted personality in order to succeed, is a belief that many introverts hold.

Yet, it simply isn’t true.

As introverts, we have strengths which we can leverage. We need to recognize this and stop feeling guilty and apologetic about our natural temperament.

Recently, I’ve seen some pretty awesome info online about introverts. There was this enlightening, thoughtful post that dispels ten myths about introverts. For instance, we don’t dislike people and don’t always want to be alone. However, we draw our energy from within and need some quiet downtime to recharge our batteries. When we’re not allowed that–or are made to feel guilty about it–we can turn into a Ms. Cranky Pants of a magnitude you never, ever want to witness.

Trust me on that.

On the other hand, give us a little fair warning about a social event and some time to recharge before and after the event, and we can be the life of the party. You won’t be able to shut me us up.

Then there was this awesomesauce post on Buzz Feed about 27 Problems Only Introverts understand, which is hilarious, mostly because it’s also quite true.

Today I finally got a chance to watch a video by the funny, insightful and always inspiring, Marie Forleo, over on MarieTV. Networking for Introverts with Susan Cain. I love Marie’s videos! She shares information, encouragement and resources that help entrepreneurs make money and live a life they love. The advice and observations she shares are usually applicable to creative professionals, too.

Susan Cain is the author of the award-winning book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. This video discussion between Susan and Marie highlights five fantastic tips to help introverts cope in a world where they seldom feel appreciated. Not to mention the comfort that comes from knowing you aren’t alone (or an anti-social freak). The video is lengthy at a little over 20 minutes. However, it’s well worth it for introverts and the people who love them, but who don’t always get them.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? What challenges have you faced either being an introvert or in dealing with people who are? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below.

Photo of Susan Cain courtesy of the American Library Association. Some rights reserved.

Interview with Arjay Smith of TNT’s Perception

June 25, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Arjay Smith from Perception. — Actor Arjay Smith from *Perception* on TNT.

Actor Arjay Smith undoubtedly looks familiar. No wonder. He has guested on a slew of top television shows including memorable roles on Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show. He played the title role in The Journey of Allen Strange and Jake Gyllenhaal’s best friend in one of my favorite disaster movies–The Day After Tomorrow.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview actor Arjay Smith over on All Things Girl. (Don’t be alarmed at the name difference. That’s definitely me.) I love interviewing other creatives. Regardless of which medium they pursue, there is so much one can learn. Especially from those who are insightful and generous with their knowledge and experience.

Though Arjay is still relatively young, he’s been in show business for two decades. And he’s made the tricky transition from child actor to a working adult actor. I had to know what he attributed to his ability to make this transition when so many who’ve come before and after him have not. His answer was simple and perceptive. Quite fitting since he plays Max Lewicki on the TNT drama Perception along with Eric McCormack and Rachael Leigh Cook.

Hop over to All Things Girl to find out why Arjay has been able to stay grounded in a business that can be quite tumultuous and how he’s managed to have a string of prolific appearances on top televisions shows. Then be sure to catch Arjay Smith tonight on Perception which airs Tuesdays at 10/9 Central on TNT.

Images: Marc Cartwright

Grooming: Bobby Wells

The Jane Austen Collection Goes Digital…and For Less Than a Buck

June 15, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Jane Austen Collection

You probably already know I’m a huge Jane Austen fan and that her character Elizabeth Bennet has taken the position as my unofficial muse. A year or two ago I bought a fancy, collector’s edition of Austen’s seven major novels. It is still wrapped in the plastic. It seems too pretty to actually use…so I haven’t. Then there is the little matter of my reading preference having shifted to e-books on my beloved Kindle Fire HD. So what’s a girl to do when she wants to read Jane Austen? Buy the Jane Austen Collection for less than a buck.

I snagged a copy right away. Even at the normal price–$1.99–it’s an absolute deal. The collection includes Austen’s major works, minor works, early works, unfinished work, and letters. The TBR list is growing rather long as titles jostle for space on my Kindle. But I hope to get a chance to dive into The Jane Austen Collection soon.

What is your favorite classic novel? Do you own a physical copy? Is it sacrilege to read a classic novel on a digital reader? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

For more information about the Jane Austen Collection, see below:

Published by Doma Publishing

Follow @DomaPublishing

Interview w/ THE IMPACT OF YOU Author Kendall Ryan

June 8, 2013 by ReeseRyan

One of the things I am constantly impressed with is the generosity of fellow members of the writing community. The competition to get our books noticed grows tougher as an increasing number of books hit virtual bookshelves each day. This phenomenon is both a pro and con of the ongoing self-publishing/digital publishing revolution.

You’d think that writers would become territorial, stake their claim, and sabotage fellow writers. Well, it happens. But such instances are quite rare. Instead the majority of writers are willing to reach down and extend aspiring and new writers a hand. They share their knowledge, wisdom, and hard-learned strategies. And they often do so without expecting a thing in return.

The explosion of digital and social media has also shortened the space between authors and their readers. Some authors don’t like this change. The majority have embraced it. This is particularly true of indie authors.

Rising indie author Kendall Ryan embodies both concepts. I met Kendall online after I posted a glowing tweet about her book Make Me Yours which I absolutely adored. This led to an interview which I did for All Things Girl and then a second interview for The Contemporary Romance Café that went live today.

The success Kendall is experiencing is no lucky break or happy coincidence. The woman has a serious work ethic that would put lots of corporate workers (and CEOs) to shame. She generously shares her knowledge and experience as an indie author in these interviews. Kendall is also graciously connects with her fans. Any author can learn a lot from what she has to say.

Join me over at the Contemporary Romance Café for a chat with Kendall Ryan.

Why I Write Smart, Strong Heroines with a Side of Family Drama

June 4, 2013 by ReeseRyan

As writers, 99.9% of us are also avid readers. Each of us has favorite authors whose work inspires us and in some way influences our own writing.

There are several authors I’m quite fond of. Judy Blume, Pearl Cleage, Jane Green, and Benilde Little to name a few. But my very favorite author is Jane Austen–primarily because of my deep and abiding love for Pride and Prejudice with its heroine, Elizabeth Bennet.

This month we’re discussing our favorite literary characters over at the Contemporary Romance Café. Today I’m chatting about my two favorite heroines and the impact those stories have had on the novels I write and the characters who populate them.

Grab a cup of coffee and join me for a chat over at the Contemporary Romance Café. While you’re there, don’t forget to enter to win a print copy of one the books in guest author M. Malone’s The Alexanders series.

Photo credit: Still from A&E’s miniseries Pride and Prejudice.