Boy, I’m beginning to think Mark Zuckerberg is really onto something with Facebook. J Initially designed as a networking tool for Harvard students, today Facebook has more than 1.59 billion global users. That’s 22.9% of the earth’s population!

I love Facebook as a way to keep in touch with friends, stay connected with my fans, and as a business tool to promote my books. But I also love Facebook because it makes me feel good and makes me laugh. Who doesn’t love an adorable dog video? It’s so easy to “like “ pages that share your interests or pages that post uplifting content. These are a few of my favorites.

• Purple Clover: https://www.facebook.com/purpleclvr/
• Aww Day: https://www.facebook.com/awwday/
• OMG Facts: https://www.facebook.com/omgfactsofficial/
• Just Amazing: https://www.facebook.com/usamahoney2016
• Weird Facts: https://www.facebook.com/factsweird/
• Best Funny Pets: https://www.facebook.com/bestfunnypets/
• RT Book Reviews: https://www.facebook.com/RTBookReviews/
• Happiest: https://www.facebook.com/GoHappiest/
• The Dodo: https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/
• Interesting and Funny Things: https://www.facebook.com/interestinggoals/
• Saddled and Ready: https://www.facebook.com/SaddledAndReadyMag/
• Of Love and Cowboys: https://www.facebook.com/LoveAndCowboys/

Then there are all the FB pages of my favorite authors. If you like and author, look them up on Facebook and like their page. It’s a wonderful way to keep up with their releases and book signings. Not to mention giveaways. I hope you have liked my pages. If not, here are my links.

• CC Hunter Books: https://www.facebook.com/CCHunterFans/
• Shadow Falls Series: https://www.facebook.com/ShadowFallsSeries/
• CC Hunter: Thrills, Chills, Laughter: https://www.facebook.com/groups/223426974711034/

What are some of your favorite Facebook pages you’ve liked?

See you online!

What makes a guy attractive to women? Oh, I know, our tastes vary. Some of us like muscular guys, some like slender guys, some long hair, others like their guys with short hair. Maybe you like a strong jaw or a certain color eyes, or full lips or a rugged completion. But there are certain generalities for each era that were thought to make a man generally attractive. Looking back, we only have painting and sculptures as evidence. But generally, throughout the ages, the ideal man was muscular (and a bit more muscular during the Middle Ages to be able to support the weight of a suit of armor) with classical features. In short, men were manly men. But things started to change in the 17^th century when clothes became very elaborate and men sought to look fleshier in their clothes as a sign of prosperity. The 18^th century took that further and added faces painted white with rouged cheeks and a powdered wig. And yes, men wore heels. With the 19^th century came the dandy with corsets, heeled shoes and padded calves. (And you thought women invented padding their assets!) And don’t forget those tight breeches—think Mr. Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

I found an interesting YouTube video to show the different looks thought to be attractive in the 20^th century through 2010. It’s all the same guy, who is cute, but it shows the different looks.

I remember the hippie, metro sexual, and the feminization of the male. But now, we’ve gone from the man bun (does anyone like that look?), to full bearded, lumberjack look. And it doesn’t end here. Our idea of ideal beauty will continue to change and evolve. Me, I like manly men, and I love a Texas cowboy—the real thing! What do you find attractive in a male?

Well, it’s finally here–the day devoted to romance. Yup, it’s Valentine’s Day. And I’m a romantic, I believe in love. (Have you read my books?) After all, I found my real live prince (but I had to kiss a few frogs!). So, I enjoy the candy, flowers, etc. that defines Valentine’s Day. But did you know it had a rather gruesome beginning? The theory goes that the Roman Emperor Claudius II was trying to bolster his army, so he forbade young men to marry (apparently single men make better soldiers). In the spirit of love, St. Valentine defied the ban and performed secret marriages. For his disobedience, Valentine was executed on February 14.

In honor of the holiday, I thought I’d share a few little known Valentine’s Day facts:

• In Victorian times, it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.
• About a billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. It’s the second largest seasonal card sending time behind Christmas.
• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They then pinned the name to their sleeve. This is the origin of the expression “to wear your heart on your sleeve.”
• Men account for 73 percent of Valentine’s Day flower sales.
• The first Valentine’s Day box of chocolates was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868. (I love Cadbury chocolate!)

And if you don’t have a Valentine? Don’t despair. There are 119 single men—never married, widowed or divorced—in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same age.

But if you’re single and happy that way, you can celebrate Singles Awareness Day on February 15th.

So, tell me about your Valentine’s Day–or Singles Awareness Day. What did you do to celebrate?

Winner!!

The winner of last week’s giveaway is Jenny W. Congratulations, Jenny! You can pick any one of my books or novellas and I’ll send you the ebook version. Please email me at cc@cchunterbooks.com with your preference for the NOOK or Kindle version.

You know, in everything you do, you are going to win some and lose some.  That said, if you even just try for anything, you also win.  I know it sounds like some inspirational crap, but I’ve seen it so often in my own life and in my career. I hadn’t sold a book in over ten years, and I was writing humorous romantic suspense.  An editor told my agent, if Christie would write paranormal, I would buy her books.  So my agent asked me to write paranormal. I didn’t want to do it, because I’d never written paranormal.  But I started writing a book about witches.  I needed to write three chapters and send it in to the editor to see if she actually would buy it.  So, I finished the three chapters, and right before I sent them to my agent to send to the editor, my agent called.  The editor had phoned her and told her she was excited to see my proposal, but to make sure it wasn’t about witches. WHAT?

So, I had to start over and write about faes. I spent another two months writing three chapters about faes.  My agent sent it out and the editors loved it, they almost bought it—but then they didn’t.  Ugh!  I felt like a loser.  I had spent four months trying to do something and failed. I wasted all that time.  I was so upset.  Right after that, my humorous romantic suspense books sold.  And I remember even thinking that I could have been writing another humorous romantic suspense instead of working those paranormal ideas that gotten me nowhere!!!  Ahh, but flash forward four years.  An editor at St. Martin’s Press was looking for some new young adult authors.  And she remembered an author she’d read that she really liked who wrote a funny book about faes.  She hadn’t been able to buy the book on Faes, but she really liked my work.  And that, my friends, is how I was asked to write Shadow Falls.  And it all came about from something that at the time, I saw as a complete, devastating failure.

When you try something, put your heart and soul into it, when you learn something, you may not walk away with the blue ribbon, but you walk away with an experience and who knows what that experience will lead to.  So remember, It isn’t just about just winning and losing, there is also trying.  Can you think of how you tried and didn’t win the blue ribbon, but still walked away feeling like a winner?  I’ll give away one of my ebook to one person who leaves a comment.  (Sorry, this giveaway is only for US residents. If you;re reading this on Goodreads, you must leave your comment on my website blog to be entered in my giveaway.)

Winner!

The winner of last week’s giveaway of a Born to Read t-shirt is Diane Garland. Please email me at cc@cchunterbooks.com with your mailing address AND your t-shirt size. Congratulations!