Check out this list of fun and unusual ideas for going on a date with your sweetie. I confess that I’ve never done any of them, and probably couldn’t convince my husband to do most of them, but there are one or two I’m definitely putting on my list.

I love dating ideas because I’m madly in love. And because I write romance. So I’m always looking for fun things for my characters to do. What’s the wackiest date you ever went on?

As a paranormal romance writer, I love fantasy, history, politics, mythology and lore. And most everything I write is dark and heavy. But sometimes, a girl just wants a little sunshine, ya know? That’s why I picked up Kristan Higgins’ “Too Good to Be True.”

I admit to being dubious. There was an adorable-but-annoying looking little West Highland terrier on the cover, and though I’m an animal lover, I tend to be hostile towards plotlines that revolve around pets. I was even more dubious when I learned that the leading man was going to be an ex-con. Really? The ex-lawyer in me recoiled.

Then I read on, and, KABLAMMY. I fell in love with the annoying little dog, the ex-con, the sisters, the kooky sculptress mom, and all the rest. The supporting cast are so much more than just cardboard place-holders for confidantes. Higgins breathes quirky life into them all. She reminds me of one of my most favorite authors, wickedly funny-fiction-turned-important-issues-writer Caryl Rivers.

All I have to say is, where has Kristan Higgins been all my life? She’s not only a great storyteller, but a great writer. She’s not only witty–but her prose is sometimes quite beautiful, and it hits you where you live. I devoured this book, and now that it’s over, I’m sad–except that she has a backlist! I promise, I will be buying every last book on it.

Although Regency Historical Romances are not normally my cup of tea, there’s a special place in my heart for Julia Quinn and now for newcomer Tessa Dare.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Dare at the recent Romance Writers of America convention in DC. A lot of hype surrounds her debut because she reportedly received a six figure book deal. Now that I’ve read Goddess of the Hunt, it’s my opinion that Tessa Dare earned every penny.

The heroine of Goddess of the Hunt is not your typical plucky Regency sweetheart. No, Tessa Dare’s heroine is just this side of being a harlot–and I quite adored her. The hero would otherwise be your garden variety dark-and-brooding-landed-gentry, but his grudging delight with the heroine’s quirky antics and unexpectedly lusty nature totally endeared him to me.

Goddess of the Hunt is funny and fun. It isn’t literary fiction and it won’t force you to ponder the secrets of the universe. There are also some slow moving bits (the intrusion of class politics in the latter half slammed the brakes on an otherwise quick read) and I had the distinct impression that I’d picked up a book in the middle of a series rather than the first of a series. But overall, this novel was a delight, start to finish.

In fact, Tessa Dare has an authorial voice of a much more experienced writer and I found it difficult to put the book down. If you’re looking for some sweet summer reading that will make you smirk, and smile, and occasionally feel scandalized, this may be the book for you.

I like to study craft a bit every day. Especially when I’m stuck writing a scene or structuring a novel. A good craft book will ask you questions you hadn’t thought of before. A great craft book will ask you a question you didn’t even think should be asked.

Recently, I was asked, in formulating a romance novel: Why is your hero the absolute worst person your heroine could fall in love with right now? Why is your heroine the least suitable woman possible for your hero? Now, how do they get past that?

When I first read these questions I started to laugh. I mean, isn’t the whole point of a romance that your hero and heroine are perfect for one another? But the more I thought about the question, the more I realized how it crystalizes the conflict in your book, and forces you to resolve it before you ever write down a single word.

But, I thought to myself, that’s not how real love stories work, is it? We end up with someone who we think fits just perfectly, don’t we? Then I started to laugh, because I remembered my own love story. I had a little mental checklist of all the things I thought I wanted in a man–my husband seemed like he was the exact opposite. But in getting to know him, I realized he was everything I needed and never even knew. 

So maybe love really does work that way.