Back in the day, it was every little girls wish to meet her fairy tale prince charming. As we grow older, the realization of that NOT happening can hit harder than a ton of bricks. Although I’ve let go of believing in the fairy tale prince, I do think regardless of your age, your “Mister Right” is out there. No, he won’t be like the ones you read about in my books, but he does exist. Here are some things you can do that will make you feel like the superstar that you are. I like to call them the 5 B’s:

1. Be Prettty. I don’t care if you’re the CEO of your own company or a young lady working behind the counter at McDonald’s, all women want to feel pretty. We want the man of our desires to find us attractive. Being pretty doesn’t have to cost you. Try to be the best “you” by making sure when you leave the house your hair and clothes are together. If you’re not into wearing make-up, try Shock-o-late Lip Glass by M.A.C. or Wetslicks Sugar Maple Lip Gloss by Cover Girl. Accessorize: earrings, a belt, a scarf, etc can bring a dull outfit to life. Pretty is a state of mind—let it shine through from the inside–out.
2. Be Friendly. Nothing says “I’m approachable” like a big ol’ beautiful smile. If you’re in the store and pass by a man you find attractive, it doesn’t hurt to speak first. Don’t walk around frowning. Nobody wants to be around a sourpuss. A friendly gesture might be all it takes for your prince charming to give you a second look.
3. Be Fresh. Have you ever been somewhere and ran across a man where he smelled so good, you just had to know what he was wearing? Well the same works for women when it comes to attracting men. There’s nothing like wearing perfume that will get any stranger to asking—“what are you wearing?” Every body is different, so you may have to experiment until you find the right fragrance that mixes with your body chemistry. I will let you in on a little secret: Issey Miyake perfume is like an aphrodisiac. When I’m feeling flirty, I’ll wear it and I get results no matter where I am. It works at the post office, at the store, etc. Smelling good is a good first impression and opens the door for communication. Find a fragrance that works for you and let the conversations begin.
4. Be Cool. Never let them see you sweat. Life comes with its challenges, but there’s no need to have an attitude about it. Also when you meet someone who is in your eyes all that and a box of shoes, don’t sweat him. Let him come to you. If you’ve shown him that you’re approachable, then, relax and be cool. He’s the hunter; let him hunt.
5. Be Yourself. Know yourself. Know your limitations. Know what you’re looking for in a man. Don’t settle for less. You deserve the best and contrary to statistics, the best is out there. Be your best and expect the best in return.

I’m not sure if you all remember my post – Dating & the Job Interview. Here’s a short excerpt from it:

Dating these days isn’t as simple as it used to be. Even when a friend or family member introduce you to a potential mate, you have to be selective and interview them. You need to know more about them than what kind of car they drive, cell phone number and email address.

Before getting seriously involved with someone there are things you need to know before letting them into your innercircle. Have you met any of his family or friends? How do they interact? What is his religious preference? What information is he volunteering? Most men live by the motto: ”don’t ask, don’t tell,” so get your list together and the next time you’re face to face, ask. Ask, not interrogate. Be prepared however to answer the same questions honestly. It’s only fair.

What would happen if guys had to fill out an application before we agreed to date them?  I came across this application on Black Femme Fatale’s blog one day:

In compliance with applicable laws, this woman typically does not discriminate because of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status or disability. But because I am a woman, I can do whatever the hell I wanna do.

Question: If you’re single or were single, what kind of probing questions would you ask?

By Guest Blogger Rhonda McKnight

I’ve been fortunate to have been blessed with nice skin, so whenever I have a pimple on my face it’s a major intrusion. I hate that toxic, bacteria and whatever else is in there brewing under the surface of my skin. But to keep from the dreaded thing from scaring, I don’t touch it. I always wait until the pimple comes to a head and burst on its own. Once the gook is out, I know that if I don’t pick or scratch at the ugly abomination, my skin will eventually return to its clear, smooth state.

I liken this to the hidden issues people bring into relationships. They’re toxins and bacteria that are growing under the surface waiting to erupt and spill their gook. But will everything go back to its normal state if the hidden issues are discovered rather than shared? Or will the source of the information pick and scratch at the heart of the person who feels deceived and betrayed?

Most couples will experience a communication problem at some point in their relationships. When you’re in a relationship, it is normal for there to be things you don’t what to talk about or things you don’t know how to share. However, not sharing, not talking diminishes the ability to experience true intimacy with each other and may even be the root of behavior one spouse or partner doesn’t understand. The unspoken words and unspoken truths between us often build forming a divide between our hearts and our spirits. This makes it impossible for the relationship to continue to be healthy and satisfying.

Sometimes the lack of communication is unintentional. A spouse or partner doesn’t think an issue is important enough to discuss. But other times it is intentional, because maybe someone has trouble dealing with conflict, so they don’t always share when they know they should. But there are times it goes a little deeper. Sometimes it’s a deliberate decision to deceive. We’ve got secrets and we’re telling lies to keep those secrets. Or in the case of the characters in my debut novel, Secrets and Lies, we’ve got past hurts and we don’t trust the love of our life with our pain.

Communication is critical in relationships, but the only thing worse than a lack of communication is secrets and lies between you. So now let’s discuss this.

· Have you ever kept a secret from your significant other and if so why? Or have you been the person kept in the dark? Why do you think your spouse/significant other wouldn’t share?

· What kind of damage do you think it did to your relationship?

· Do you believe what’s done or kept in the dark always comes to the light?

· Why do you think some people struggle with sharing incidents from their childhood?

· Do you believe you owe it to your spouse/significant other to tell them about childhood pain?

I‘d love for you to take the literary journey with my characters and find out how they resolve their issues, or if they resolve them. Here’s the synopsis for Secrets and Lies:

Faith Morgan is struggling with her faith. Years of neglect leave her doubting that God will ever fix her marriage. When a coworker accuses her husband, Jonah, of the unthinkable, Faith begins to wonder if she really knows him at all, and if it’s truly in God’s will for them to stay married.

Pediatric cardiologist Jonah Morgan is obsessed with one thing: his work. A childhood incident cemented his desire to heal children at any cost, even his family, but now he finds himself at a crossroads in his life. Will he continue to allow the past to haunt him, or find healing and peace in a God he shut out long ago?

Rhonda McKnight is the owner of Legacy Editing, a free-lance editing service for fiction writers and Urban Christian Fiction Today (www.urbanchristianfictiontoday.com), a popular Internet site that highlights African-American Christian fiction. Originally from a small, coastal town in New Jersey, she’s called Atlanta, Georgia home for twelve years. Secrets and Lies is her first novel. You maybe find out more about her at www.rhondamcknight.net and www.facebook.com/rhondamcknight

Single women everywhere are wondering where are the single men. One place they are not is under your couch. So what is a single woman to do? Well, here is one tip from a romance author’s post called the 5 B’s: Be Friendly. Nothing says…

To read the rest of this article, please click on the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/x-28527-Dallas-Romance-Examiner~y2009m11d10-Where-are-the-single-men?cid=email-this-article

How many times have you dated someone because you considered them to be “your type” based on preconceived notions? Sometimes people get involved with “their type” and then the relationship doesn’t work.  To read the rest, go to:  http://www.examiner.com/x-28527-Dallas-Romance-Examiner~y2009m11d5-Is-He-or-She-my-type

P.S. – Monday I’ll be posting some new contests so be sure to check back.

1. You can’t stop thinking about him or her. He/She crosses your mind throughout the day no matter what you’re doing. They are a part of your thoughts whether you’re sleeping or awake. No matter how hard you try, you can’t…

To read the rest of this article, please click on the link below:

http://www.examiner.com/x-28527-Dallas-Romance-Examiner~y2009m11d2-Five-signs-you-may-be-falling-in-love?cid=email-this-article

I’m excited to announce that I am the new Dallas Romance writer on the website Examiner.com. I need your help to be a success at it. On the days I’ll be writing over there, I’ll post a snippet here to alert you to that day’s topic and you can just click on the link.

If you’re not subscribed to my personal mailing list, there is an option on Examiner.com where you can subscribe directly there for updates.

Photographer: Chris Sharp

Check out the article I posted today: Six ways to add the spark back into your relationship

Leave your comments there or here. What other tips would you add?