Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Guess My Age


We’ve all heard phrase “The new this or the new that,” such as “Orange is the new black.” I’m in trouble on that one, because orange washes me out. Then there is “Fifty is the new forty” I’m a winner—literally.

Late last month, The Confession, one of my indie books won the 2016 EMMA AWARDS for Best Inspirational Romance. Yes! My story proved Sandra Nicholson and Raimond Mayfield, both in their mid-50s, are the new forties. Yes!  Heroes and heroines in their 50s are sexy.
When I was a teenager, I remember an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Bills, I met through a Junior Achievement program.
Mr. Bills was handsome, cool, and could turn heads, gray hair and all. He had a swagger every young guy wanted to duplicate. Mrs. Bills wasn’t slacking either. She was classy, fashionably dressed, including hair and makeup, and if she wasn’t strutting on the arm of her husband, they were holding hands. When I saw this picture of this cool couple on Pinterest, I thought about the Bills.
Of course, as a teenager, I thought they were old, but they didn’t know it. Now, I realize they were not confined to the ages on their birth certificates. They were trailblazers in that they acted and dressed how they thought of themselves. When you see a good-looking couple, do you ever wonder about their ages?
Baby boomers today are changing careers in mid-life, getting married or remarried, and for certain celebrities like Janet Jackson, they are having a baby at fifty. No comment on that one. Basically, people in their fifties are eating healthier, exercising, and I guess managing stress that they could get away with hiding their ages.
Why not be sexy in your mid-50s? As a way of introduction, my hero, Raimond, approaches Sandra while she is dining out and says, “Excuse me, you are one incredibly beautiful woman.” Now, who wouldn’t blush with that compliment?
Oh, by the way, did you really think I wanted you to guess my age? Nah, I’m talking about characters. When you’re reading a romance, how important is the age of the hero and heroine?

Until next month,
Pat

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016 EMMA Award Winner: Best Inspirational Romance of the Year 
Fashion consultant Sandra Nicholson catches the eye of pretty boy Raimond Mayfield whose priorities have evolved over the years to include God first, followed by his business and restoring broken relationships. As the pair get to know each other, they learn they have a lot in common—if only their adult children don’t stand in the way of their happiness and their past secrets don’t come back to haunt them. Download a copy today and see why fifty is the new sexy. Click here.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She is the multi-published author of dozens of Christian titles, including the #1 Amazon best seller in God’s Word category A Christian Christmas. Her award-winning titles include Talk to Me, ranked #14 of Top Books in 2008 that Changed Lives by Black Pearls Magazine. She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance for Still Guilty (2010), Crowning Glory (2011), and The Confession (2016).
In addition to researching her roots and sewing, she has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.
Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatic husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter.

Readers may learn more about Pat and her books by visiting www.patsimmons.net, and signing up for her monthly newsletter, or connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or LinkedIn; or by contacting her at authorpatsimmons@gmail.




8 comments:

  1. I like knowing the couples ages. It helps sometimes to understand their mindset. I agree, your only as old as you feel but, when telling a story there are just somethings that you KNOW a 30 to 50 something would definitely not be doing, wearing, saying, like a 20 something would. Or at least you hope not! Hahaha!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know. I definitely wouldn't wear the length of some of these dresses. :)

      Delete
  2. I like knowing the couples ages. It helps sometimes to understand their mindset. I agree, your only as old as you feel but, when telling a story there are just somethings that you KNOW a 30 to 50 something would definitely not be doing, wearing, saying, like a 20 something would. Or at least you hope not! Hahaha!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've written characters falling in love in their 50s, but I seem to write a lot of characters in their 20s/30s. I appreciate a good love story at any age!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Me too, Melinda. In the majority of my stories, the couples are in their 30s. In The Confession, Sandra's sons had found love, so I needed for her to have a second chance. It was fun.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My characters are usually in their late 20s or 30s. I haven't written any stories where the main characters are older than 40. I have had a couple of secondary romances where the couple are older, usually a parent or grandparent of the hero or heroine.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Interesting thought. I write about couples at various ages. Maybe because I believe love is vital at all ages. Though the story is different. I shall ponder this some more. Thanks for the thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Interesting thought. I write about couples at various ages. Maybe because I believe love is vital at all ages. Though the story is different. I shall ponder this some more. Thanks for the thoughts!

    ReplyDelete