Being married for nearly forty years has given me a little bit of perspective on men. What I want, and what I think most women want deep down, is what I call the "3 P's". Men who "Pursue, Protect, and Provide". Add a little bit of Errol Flynn (if you're old enough to know who he is! These days, it'd probably be someone like Christian Bale) and you've got the perfect man! That's why women read romance. They want a little bit of the ideal man in their lives, even if it means that they just use their imaginations to tweak their husband's attributes a bit. If my husband only realized how many times one of my heroes has actually gotten him out of the doghouse!When I write romance, I tend to see my plots like old movies, the kind where women like Bette Davis were chewing up the scenery and making the hard decisions to love their man no matter how impossible the situation. Think Bette and Paul Henreid in "Now, Voyager." As you probably guessed, I'm a real old movie buff.While romance is my first love in writing, I've recently branched out into writing mystery. I've started a series based on my hometown during the 1960's. People who've lived here might recognize the some of the places I mention with fond nostalgia. I kind of think of my hero in the series, Nick DiPaulo, as a version of Humphrey Bogart in the "Maltese Falcon", a hard-boiled guy who knows all the angles except when a certain blonde comes his way. By the way, the blonde in the series, Jill, is modeled after my mother who was really something in her day (she still is if you've ever talked to her!). The first book in the series, "Murder at the Beautiful Lady", plunges Nick into the undercurrents surrounding a mafia don. The second book in the series, "Murder at the Pink Prison", is in process. It brings Nick back to Owego, NY, to solve the murder of a schoolteacher that everyone hates. It's great fun to bump off someone in print!I've even dipped my hand into political intrigue. With politics as cutthroat as they are right now, it was too tempting of a subject to resist. The result is "The Rise and Fall of Harald Fassbender". Harry is a very bad man who has to face the tragic consequences of his actions. Commonplace, except when Harry's actions have just brought about the downfall of the United States.I hope you'll take a few, or all, of my books for a spin. My books are meant to be the kind that you curl up with in a comfy chair and a box of chocolates on a rainy afternoon. Pure entertainment, highly caloric, and very satisfying!My best, Terry