Romance during the holidays
How you experience life during this time of year is, as always, a matter of personal choosing. What emotion do you want to feel for the holidays? The answer is one you may
make up.
To learn how to manage your inlaws as well as your libido during the coming weeks, read the column I've written for the December issue of The Good Life magazine. Just click on Intimacies to open the column titled, "Trade in holiday heartburn for heartfelt happiness"
Are the holidays a time you look forward to or fret over? Please reply to this post to share how you feel about the holiday season. What affect does it has on your social outlook? How do you manage your time and energy? Is it a romantic time for you or is it especially challenging to feel connected during this time?
Sat, Feb 9, 2008 Barnes & Nobel, Sunset Valley
Karen will be signing books at the Barnes & Nobel store in Sunset Valley. Find her at a table near the entrance to the store and please stop by to say hello.
Tues, Feb 12, UT’ LAMP
Lessons Learned: Passing on a Legacy of Love
LAMP members (this event is only open to members) are looking forward to a presentation and Q&A with Karen Kreps, columnist for The Good Life magazine and author of the new book, Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance, and her husband, Arye Shapiro, whose figurative sculpture illustrates her new book. We’ll be sharing stories about the lessons we’ve learned in love and how others benefit from the sharing. Karen has a relaxed way of discussing adult topics in a PG (Parent Guidance Suggested) manner. She will talk about her book and experiences publishing her column, and her husband will display photos of his artwork and talk about the process of modeling from life.
Sun, Feb 10, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Austin
Janet Heimlich of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Austin has invited me to talk to the group on the Sunday before Valentine’s Day at 10:30 am. This is open to all who wish to attend.
Here’s the program announcement:
Matters of the Heart
Karen Kreps, columnist for The Good Life magazine and author of the book, Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance, will talk about the value of prioritizing your personal love life in order to find and sustain a fulfilling romantic relationship. She’ll share her experiences writing the “Intimacies” column, read excerpts from her book and encourage questions, comments and personal annecdotes from the congregation. Karen has a relaxed way of discussing adult topics in a PG (Parent Guidance suggested) manner. Learn more about the book at www.TrueIntimacies.com.
Law of Attraction Group attracting Intimacies
Dec 18, 7 pm, I will be reading the chapter from the book about about the Law of Attraction at a meeting of the group that gathers every Tuesday at the Unity Church of the Hills.
Book Signing Activity
My first book signing event at BookWoman was cozy and fun. I’ll be doing another event this week at BookPeople, and I’m planning to talk less about my experience writing the book and more about the content of the book, including reading salient samples from many of the chapters. I’ve also been asked to read the chapter on the Law of Attraction at a Law of Attraction Meetup Group at the Unity Church of the Hills group on <
- Forbidden Fruit, Dec 21, 6 pm – 8 pm
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
of Austin Feb 10, 10 am - LAMP at UT Feb 12, 11 am
- Barnes & Noble Sunset Valley
Can anyone else suggest possible venues for me to present the book? I welcome all suggestions.
Forbidden Fruit to host Booksigning Event
Dec 21, Friday, 6 pm-8 pm Forbidden Fruit will host a special book signing event for Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance. Please join us. I’ll make a presentation at 6:30 pm, and there’ll be refreshments. The store is full of adult toys that we’ll have fun talking about and that you can get for your last-minute holiday shopping.
Flirting lessons
I took a round of opinion about what people think of flirts. We got lots of comments from those who came to BookPeople on Nov 14 for the Intimacies Discussion group.
- I generally admire people who can flirt, I wish I could do that.They’re having so much fun. And whomever they’re interacting with is having so much fun too.
- They are happy and outgoing, just generally interesting. You are drawn to them.
- They are quick on their feet in conversation.
- They’re funny and fun to be around.
- They are fearless, make eye contact, and may use language that is more familiar than might be expected in the situation, both verbally and physically.
- They introduce sexual tension, and show that they, like everyone, are sexual in nature. There’s a rapport, a game, a little jousting going on.
Janet Trent Moorehead, the Mojo Maker, told everyone that studies have shown that what makes someone a good flirt isn’t so much what they say, but how they say it. It’s the tone of your voice, not the words you use. What counts much more than your spoken language is your body language. Making eye contact is the key. Look at someone for a full 15 seconds. If they return your gaze, you’ll know they are open to yours. If they break it off. Go on to the next person.
You have to be quick at reading people when you flirt. It’s like dancing. You are always getting feedback if you are alert to it.
A genuine smile is also key to flirting success. Janet says that if you’re doing something you like doing and if you’re having fun, you share that sense of fun and attract others to you.
Don’t be afraid to make contact physically. You can touch someone without being sexually offensive. Tap his knee. Brush her elbow, take her hand, ask if she minds you playing with her hair. Physical touch makes you much more present with another person. It gives them a sense of who you are.
How do you feel about flirts? What flirtatious behavior works for you? Dishing it out or delighting in it when you see it?
Shy about Adult Topics?
While exhibiting my book at the Texas Book Festival, I was surprised to observe how some people seemed shy about coming over to learn about what turned out to be a rare (for the festival) “adult” title. Did the red cover with the images suggestive of hot passion scare them away? While the cover may look racy, the content deserves a PG rating. I engaged passers-by my booth by giving out free copies of The Good Life magazine, explaining that I wrote a column for it and suggesting that, if they enjoyed reading the sample column, they should visit https://trueintimacies.com and buy the book. The public seemed to fall into one of two categories. Some were interested in the topic; their faces lit up with recognition when they realized the content of the book spoke directly to their romantic interests and a number bought the book with the hope of finding insights to their personal relationships. Others clearly broadcast messages that they had absolutely no interest in such personal issues. I was, frankly, surprised by the number of people who emphatically denied any interest in love, sex or romance. To which camp to you belong? Do you count yourself among those who disdain intimacies? Why? Tell me about it!
A couple of days later, I was looking over the book while I sat in a doctor’s waiting room. I wondered if anyone would notice what I was reading and how they would react to the word, “Sex” in the title. Would it make you blush? What does it say about someone who carries around reading with such a title?
Books available in Austin at BookPeople and BookWoman
The book, Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance, are now available at two retail locations in Austin. Get a copy at at BookPeople and BookWoman. Any retail bookstore can special order the books.
