Mythical Online Threats to Offline Relationships

I'm not among those who suspect digital networking undermines offline relationships, especially romantic ones. I believe the basic need for emotional intimacy is not going to be eroded or replaced by expanding social media connections and constant mobile chatter. But when 66% of American couples (adults who are married or in committed relationships) say the Internet, mobile devices and social media are key factors in their lives, I suppose it's a concern worth exploring. A recent report by the Pew Research Internet Project should reassure. Its 2013 survey found 72% of online adults in marriages or committed relationships said Internet use has had "no real impact at all" on their partnerships. And of couples who said the Internet had an impact, 74% said it was positive! In fact, 21% of cell owners or Internet users said they actually felt closer to a partner because of online or text/cell message exchanges. Not that digital communications don't have negatives: For example, 25% of all coupled adults complained a spouse or partner was distracted by mobile use when they were together, 8% had an argument about the amount of time a partner spent online, and 4% got upset at something they found out a partner was doing online. There also were age differences that reflect the higher digital affinity of younger adults. I'm sure you've noticed that mobile device deprivation causes anxiety in people under 30. So 45% of 18- to 29-year-olds in serious relationships reported a significant relationship impact (both good or bad) from digital communications (compared with 25% for all couples). Now I admit there is one digital trend that does make me a tad queasy: Sexting is on the upswing for both couples and singles, with 9% of cell owners saying they sent a sext of themselves (up from 6% in 2012) and 20% saying they received a sext (up from 15%). For more on the Pew findings, go to http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/11/couples-the-internet-and-social-media/

Mystery Fiction Embraces Genre-Bending

I've noticed, and a recent Library Journal article confirms, that the genre boundaries of mystery fiction are expanding and blurring. Mystery authors seem increasingly prone to borrow from other genres, ranging from romance, paranormal/fantasy, horror and thriller to Westerns. The resulting crossover novels may have the traditional mystery puzzle solving, but they've got a genre-bending persona. For example, how do reviewers categorize the hit Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn? The page-turning psychological mystery about a husband suspected in the disappearance of his wife seems to have jumped right over genre into "literary fiction" status. The current paranormal craze is especially infectious, with paranormal mysteries, like paranormal romances, proliferating. So no surprise that Southerner Maggie Toussaint (author of Cleopatra Jones and Mossy Bog mysteries) is going paranormal with her new book Gone and Done It about a landscaper/pet-sitter who uses dream-walking to help police. The crime-solving Western, following the trail of the late Tony Hillerman, seems to be another mystery crossover category; an example is the Western noir Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie (featuring a Native American rodeo-cowboy-turned-PI). Meanwhile, the success of the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series has paved the way for imports with a foreign accent, and not just from Scandanavia. I'm looking forward to the summer arrival of Bernard Minier’s Frozen Dead, set in the French Pyrénées and winner of several French literary prizes. Of course, American authors are also pumping out standard mystery fare and doing it well: Police procedurals, spunky women sleuths, historicals and small-town "cozies" abound. But based on sales trends, I'm thinking about penning an erotic paranormal mystery set in Iceland. For the Library Journal preview of 2014 mystery debuts, go to http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2014/04/books/genre-fiction/mystery/pushing-boundaries-mystery-preview-2014/

Why Are We Seduced by the Bad Boy Hero?

There was a time when I was a sucker for the "bad boy" hero. You know the type: the volatile, wrong-side-of-the tracks rebel who's handsome, charismatic, street-smart, and who has a sexual prowess that thrills the primmest good girl. In the movies, he's James Dean; in romance novels, he's the hero of Teresa Medeiros' Nobody's Darling; in the mystery/action genre, he's got Jack Reacher's vibe. The bad-boy allure for women is more than fantasy, however: Scientific studies have found that men with a "dark triad" of traits -- the self-obsession of the narcissist, the impulsive thrill-seeking of the psychopath, and the deceitful exploitation of Machiavelli -- really do score more sexual conquests than the average. How could such negative traits win hearts? Well, research proves that the dark-triad personalities are better than most at making themselves attractive, charming, exciting and sexually appealing. Female biology also seems to prefer these high-testosterone types; studies show ovulating women are more apt to choose "bad boys" as mates. Of course, selfish, manipulative seducers tend to have short-term relationships, by their own choice and because most women eventually reject the cad behind the sexy mask. Maybe that's why the bad-boy archetype lost his appeal for me in my reading and my writing. He's just got no staying power romantically. But that doesn't mean there aren't other sexy options! Romance Author Tami Cowden offers a fun discussion of various romantic hero archetypes. Besides The Bad Boy, her list still includes The Chief, The Charmer, The Professor, The Swashbuckler, The Best Friend, The Warrior and The Lost Soul (oh, those sexy vampires). For Cowden's article, go to http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.html