Please help us give a warm and hearty welcome to Dee S. Knight this week. Dee is here to share her contemporary romance, One Woman Only and has also written a fun guest post for us to enjoy. Without farther ado let me say Welcome Dee and Take it away!
Hair! And All That Stuff
When I was in college, a friend and I went to Richmond to see the stage show of Hair. A hippie show, it was all about being against the Vietnam war and setting yourself off as an individual. It made a statement that we needed to stand up and be counted, not to follow the government like sheep and to resist authority, as in, letting your hair grow long. (I always wondered how letting your hair grow when everyone else was letting their hair grow made you much of an individual, but then I’m a little strange.) Hair was nothing if not a message play.
Message, smessage. Like 98% of the guys in the audience, I was mostly there to see a stage full of naked people. I’d never seen a naked man that wasn’t made of stone.
But grown-up and sitting in the familiar swivel chair getting my own hair restored to the glorious color it was when I went to see that stage production, I thought about the meaning of hair. It says so much about us. Wearing it long and wavy, ala Lauren Bacall is sexy. Pulled into a tight knot means the person is controlling, or maybe sophisticated. Ponytail? Fun, free, or maybe athletic.
The advertising game has made a business out of whether blondes or brunettes 1)have more fun or 2)are smarter. Do gentlemen prefer blondes? Marilyn Monroe thought so. Do redheads have a temper? If you lived with my grandmother you’d believe it.
And speaking of guys (see previous paragraph, second sentence), why is it they seem to like women with long hair instead of short? Or blond instead of, I don’t know, brown? I asked my own man (Jack) and he responded with the Male Wisdom of the Ages: “I don’t know.” So there we have it.
When writing, hair plays an important part. A guy imagines a woman’s hair spread across his pillow. A woman loves the silky feel of the man’s hair as she runs her fingers through it. Long hair still seems to be the choice for heroines, and most books I read have the female as blonde. Wonder why that is?
Here’s a short excerpt from Book 2 of the Good Man series, One Woman Only. Kelly is a redhead, with her hair cut “stylishly short.” I love being perverse!
About One Woman Only:
As one of a set of triplets, Jonah Goodman has always stood out as the least academic—and the last one to take the world, or commitment, seriously. Thing is, that’s not really who he is. But who can he convince of that? Not his family, who see him as they always have. And maybe not his one love, the sweetheart he left behind in high school but with whom he is now sharing an erotic holiday. Will he get his second chance to prove to Kelly that he is a loving man who wants more than a sensual few days, but a real relationship with the woman he lost once and doesn’t want to lose again? With that chance and Kelly’s love, Jonah knows that a “good man” can become a better man.
Book 2 of the Good Man series
One Woman Only Buy link:
- Amazon Kindle Unlimited http://mybook.to/OneWomanOnly
One Woman Only Teaser:
“A burger and fries, please.” Jonah had said the words, but in synch with someone else. Someone whose voice was slightly higher and a lot more feminine. He turned his head to the left and met the green gaze of the last person he wanted to see tonight. For an instant, the spit dried in his mouth and his eyes widened as his past slammed headfirst into his present. She was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and his body responded with an immediate and aching erection.
Then she opened her mouth.
“Oh hell,” Kelly said. “It’s you.”
Excerpt from One Woman Only:
“Thank God your arm is only bruised and your shoulder only strained.”
“Yeah,” Jonah agreed, “thank God.” He didn’t sound very sincere, but Kelly thought maybe having been the one to be thwacked with a pipe gave him leeway to use some facetiousness.
“Still hurts like hell, though.”
“Oh, poor baby. Go get ready for bed and I’ll bring one of the pain pills the doctor prescribed.”
Jonah held out his arm with the sling and wagged his brows. “I don’t know that I’ll be able to handle pulling off my jeans with my arm in a sling. I might need help.”
Kelly grinned. “Just go and sit. I’ll be right in.”
“My hero,” Jonah murmured before moving slowly toward the bedroom.
Kelly moved into the kitchen and ran cold water into a glass. Dropping one of the tiny white pills from the plastic bottle into her hand, she took it and the water into the bedroom. As instructed, Jonah sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes closed. He looked up when she came in. By the light of the bedside lamp she saw clearly what the night had done to him. His eyes looked hollow and strained, his shoulder tense. He held himself as though every inch of his body bore some ache or pain, and after the struggle with Nick Walters, she’d be surprised if that wasn’t the truth.
“Here,” she said passing the pill into his hand and then giving him the glass of water.
“Thanks.”
Kelly stood beside him and stroked his hair when he’d swallowed the pill. “Thank you, honey. Thank you for helping this week at the plant and for saving everything tonight. I hate that you were hurt.”
Jonah smiled into her eyes. “I’d do it all again to hear you call me honey.”
“Goofball,” she said tugging on his hair lightly. “You could have been really hurt.”
“I am really hurt! They don’t give out grape Tootsie Roll Pops for paper cuts, you know.”
She sobered, staring into his eyes. “You know what I mean, Jonah. I love you so much. He could have cracked your skull, broken bones, killed—” Stuttering sobs wracked her.
Startled, Jonah pulled her down beside him. “Hush, darlin’. I’m okay. I mean, I’m going to be sore for a few days, but there’s no permanent damage.” Wrapping her in his arms he kissed the top of her head. They rocked gently, each letting the other gather their own thoughts.
“I love you, too.” Jonah whispered the words.
About the Author:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That’s how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she’s lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors.
Author links:
- Website: https://nomadauthors.com
- Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
- Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
- Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
I loved that book! And it’s so true that hair is so important in romance, especially for the heroine. I like to play with my characters’ hair. For example in my Sea of Love series, the heroine in the first book is a blonde. In the second book she’s a brunette. In the third book… yes you’ve guessed… she’s a redhead!
I recently saw this musical and loved it. I agree with your assessment. When a group all follows each other, be it growing their hair long or driving a motorcycle, they’re still following a pack. To me that’s just human nature. We all want to belong to something. Just added One Woman Only to my TBR pile. Looking forward to it.
This was a great book! Yes. Hair is definitely important. I always envision both my heros and heroines as having a full, lush head of hair. But, I gotta say, there are some men that really rock the bald look. For example, The Rock and in the distant past, Yul Brenner.)
Alice, I can’t wait to read your third book. I’m kinda partial to red-headed heroines. 😉 Thanks so much for enjoying the book!
The play was really fun–well in a dark kind of way since it was about war–but still very enjoyable. I hope when you read One Woman Only you enjoy it, Gibby!
Suzanne, thank you! There was a time people–men especially–would have scoffed at a man wearing a braid. But then you said Yul Brenner… Changes everything.
Maddy, thanks so much for hosting me!
Great blog!
My mother went to the play back then and loves telling how they came out into the audience and one was right in front of her seat. LOL
You are so right, hair is so important in the story. Funny that you mentioned men maybe not liking short hair. Olivia in Michael (book six Risking Love) she has a pixie haircut with long blonde bangs. Hopefully, that won’t be a turnoff. Love that you had a red head like Tessa. I loved Only a Good Man WIll Do so I’m sure I’ll enjoy One Woman Only.
Callie
Nice blog! Hair is a woman’s glorious crown. I like Lauren Bacall.
Great post about hair – I do notice in many books I’ve read that hair is a noteworthy feature – there’s something about the touch and feel, and sight of hair and different hair styles and textures.
I met Daniel Goodman in Only A Good Man Will Do and his brother Jonah in One Woman Only. Loved those books, and I am tapping my foot waiting to meet their brother Mark in book three!
Callie, thanks for commenting. I know your writing, and that’s why I can say that Olivia’s short hair won’t be a turn-off but an asset because your writing is so good!
Thanks, Estelle!
Thank you, Jan! Mark is coming–I promise!
Well, Dee, you’ve created a heroine with short hair; I’m writing about a very sexy hero who is going bald, isn’t tall, and is rather bear-like. I had a terrible crush on a man like that some years ago, and I thought he was gorgeous. Isn’t it funny how relative things are!