9 Ways to Know When You're in Love

This is a question I have to consider for my characters in each romance novel I write, and one I had asked myself several times in the past after meeting one or two people. There are some people you meet and you just know they’re a fantasy or fancy which will fade even the next day. And there are those that tug at your heart and you begin to wonder, could they be THE ONE?

The truth is that if we’re not sure about this, whether deciding to allow a friendship develop into something more or taking the decision to get married, we could be making the mistake of a lifetime. These are some of the pointers I came up with to recognize that special person. They are by no means comprehensive and I will not presume to speak for everyone.

1. They’re in your future: This means that when you visualize your future, say 10 to 20 years ahead, you can actually see yourself with this person. They can fit into or support your long term personal as well as professional goals. You also share the same core values that will make living together enjoyable.

First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch - $50 Giveaway

First Time: The Legend of Garison Fitch

"What if history didn't happen that way ... the first time?"

Garison Fitch was one of the most revered scientists in the Soviet Americas until he left fame behind to work on a secret project in his log cabin in the mountains of Marx.

But something went wrong. Instead of traveling interdimentionally, Garison has traveled through time ... twice.

Now, he's in something called "The United States of America" and a woman he's never met before is calling herself his wife. It it a hoax? Or, has he somehow changed history?

If so, can he return the world to what he believes is "normal", or must he live in this strange world he created?

Pictures of Some Foods I Cook

Sometimes I cook. I usually cook enough to last a couple of meals or more. Sometimes I remember to take pictures, but usually at the end of everything. And having thought about blogging about home cooking, I have found that I may never like to take pictures step by step. I don't think I'll make a good tutorial blogger, but I'm working on better camera skills to back up recipe posts, coming your way soon. Below are some so-so pictures of food I cook. The bigger images are below these small ones:)

Do the two hearts look anything alike?

So Atala and I got into a funny debate last night. We were discussing where the seat of emotions were and how though most of them are fired in the brain, they end up the signals in some muscle somewhere. For some they feel their love like butterflies in the tummy, and for others a racing heart is the sympton of their love. And then we went on to the fictional representation of the heart and whether it looked anything like the real heart.

This is where you guys come in. And there's a lot riding on your answers o. So in your opinion, is the fictional heart a good representation of the real one?

Dreaming of Summer Giveaway Hop

With winter upon us, let's warm up by sharing some of our favorite beach/summer reads! Be it a book that takes place at the beach, or just one that has a great summer setting - share the warmth with the Dreaming of Summer Blog Hop from November 27th to December 2nd.

I will be giving away a book of the winner's choice, up to $5. This giveaway is open internationally (as long as The Book Depository delivers to your area or you can receive ebook gifts from Amazon Kindle).

To enter, fill in the rafflecopter below. The winner will be announced in the rafflecopter and also receive an email within 72 hrs of the close of the giveaway. They have same amount of time to respond or another person will be selected. Goodluck!

Dear Myne - Is She Just Toying With Me?

I had a short but passionate relationship for 2 months with a girl that in the third month started to get distant so I got annoyed and broke it up suddenly. Well, I am really in love so I went back with my tail btw my legs and started courting her again. Its been a month of a toaster life. I txt her, email her, once sent her flowers on a special occasion. She gets back to me, we talk daily, but not with the frequency and passion we had at the beginning. I initiate it most of the time.

This is currently a long distance relationship. I stand on a fine thread where I might get tired of toasting with no clear sign from her and eventually get bitter at her. I am happy to be a toaster as I like romance and winning back a heart even if it makes me vulnerable. I am going to give it another month or so of persistence regardless of her poor feedback then I am done.

Music Video - Timi Dakolo's Great Nation

The romance in this video is the one between a man and his country. Timi Dakolo's music really impresses me and I love this song a lot. But as I listen, I also sigh and wish and wish and sigh. I am older and I have been wishing and sighing for a long time, from the time I could vote but the military were in power, or when the small politics I took part in at university department level had its own K-leg. And then I had to ask myself why I was worrying about those at state and national levels?

Hmmm...I still hope though. Nigeria WILL get there. Someday.

Date Night Movie Review - Flight

Atala - The trailer for this movie pointed a movie which seemed morally ambiguous. Should I, the viewer, be rooting for a character who was such a skilled pilot that he was able to save the majority of the passengers when the plane they were flying on suffered a serious malfunction? Or should I condemn him because it turned out that he had been drinking alcohol on the flight?

With these questions buzzing in my mind, we went to watch the movie. And I should say that the first thirty minutes or so were some of the most dramatic scenes that I have watched in a long while. All I can say is that if you have a fear of flying, you probably won't want to watch them. But after that drama was over, the movie settled into a slower pace, and the what the movie really was about - an alcoholic pilot in denial - came to the fore.

Denzel Washington, who played the lead role, did a great job here. I found myself alternately willing him to slay his addiction demons and mentally washing my hands off him as he relapsed again and again in the movie, especially as the consequences of continuing on his course of destruction would be pretty dire.

Library of Congress, Washington DC - Weekend Pictures

As winter knocks on the door over here, bringing cold temperatures, ice pellets, rain and more rain, I look back with fondness to this summer and our brief time in Virginia and DC. I remember back then though when we landed at the airport, it was over 100 degrees and I felt like I would either fry like an egg in a pan, or melt and steam away. Now I want some of that heat to magically be transferred to Seattle. I wonder how warm or cold it is there, right now.

Anyway, we took the train to our hotel in Alexandria, rested in the air-conditioned confines of our room and by the evening, I was feeling more adjusted. We went out for dinner, settled for Chinese takeaway, and while they were getting it ready, we took a stroll around the area.

Arranged Marriage Versus Personal Choice

A lot of couples these days find love through their own personal choice, by meeting people with shared interests, beliefs, and values either at work, at school, or at play. Along the line, they date, court and then decide if they are right for each other and if they can agree to live together and maybe get married.

Arranged marriage on the other hand involves the parents and relatives of those involved. Most times, there's marriage on the cards from the get go and it often happens within a short time after meeting. I want to think that these days, arranged marriages may involve some coercion and pressure but not force.

I have found that younger people are more gung-ho about making their own personal choice, but the older a man or a woman gets, especially if they have made the rounds of their social and dating circle with no luck, the more likely they are to be open to an arrangement by their parents or older relatives to meet new people and get married quickly.

What do you think? Which has more pros in your opinion?