Tag: Storm Navarro

The Sports Romance

On By jolenenavarroIn heroes, Podcast Who Asked Us?Leave a comment

The Unsolicited Opinions of Two Romance Authors

I love a good sports romance. Heroes and Heroines that overcome the odds. Determined. Intense. Sometimes the life of the party and confident on the outside but struggling deep inside. Band of Brothers (or sisters) Found family. The conflicts can be rich and deep. Are they good enough? Are they lost in the image of who the world had told them they are?

Sports can change the way we look at the world…good and bad.

By sell numbers, I am not the only one. They are a popular romance trope. Even if you look at real sports heroes we love the inspirational stories.

There are so many reasons to love sports romance. Some of my favorites are:

Susan Elizabeth Phillips – Football https://susanelizabethphillips.com/chicago-stars-series/

Sarina Bowen Hockey https://sarinabowen.com/brooklyn-bruisers

Amy Daws Soccer in the UK (so they call it football) The Harris Brothers Series https://amydawsauthor.com/

Here are a few we spoke about in our latest podcast. Click on the link below to hear our unsolicited opinions.

Just the number 42 means so much to so many people. Jackie Robinson was more than a sports hero.

J.J. Watt won the 2017 Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award for his charitable work. He is famous for his relief during and after Hurricane Harvey but his charitable contributions have been numerous. He assists schools with after-school programs in an effort to provide activities and sports in a safe manner. In 2018 after a shooting at Santa Fe High School left ten people dead, Watt offered to pay for the funeral expenses. 

But we loved the former Houston Texan defensive end even more when he was deeply offended by a local headline about his fiancee, professional soccer star Kealia Ohai. On a story about her trade to a new team, they didn’t even mention her name, instead calling her JJ Watt’s wife. He called them out on Twitter for that “trash headline” and said “they should be better than this.”

My favorite sports duo is Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor. They are the most winning sand volleyball team. Three gold medals in the Olympics is just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps most remarkably of all, the US pair lost just one set during that extraordinarily golden period. The list goes on and on, with May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings taking home three successive world championship titles (2003-2007), picking up five AVP Team of the Year crowns (2003-2007) and once going an outstanding 112 matches and 19 tournaments without defeat.

Our local favorite is Patty Mills. Mills was born and raised in Canberra Australia and is of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal Australian descent. In 2007, he became only the third Indigenous basketball player to play for Australia’s national team. The second was his uncle thirty years before. He is a vocal advocate for social justice.

Here is a Youtube link to our podcast, but you can find in on Apple podcast and Google Play

Podbean: https://whoaskedus.podbean.com/​​​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

WhoAskedUs​​​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Who_Asked_Us​​​

Storm’s website: https://stormnavarro.com/​​​

Jolene’s website: https://jolenenavarrowriter.com/

Two Romance Author Talks About Creating A Community

On By jolenenavarroIn Podcast Who Asked Us?, writer's lifeLeave a comment

Do you have a community the supports your dreams and passions?

Writing can be a solitary endeavor. We delve into our own minds to find that creativity, that imagination, that muse. It is our art. But we don’t have to do it alone! Some writers find critique groups. Some writers host writing sprints and brainstorming sessions. In today’s episode, Storm and I talk about our own groups and how creating community can help the writing process.  

 

Create your own community. In the mid-1800s, there was a movement that changed how the world would forever look at and judge art. Impressionism was incubated at Café Guerbois.

How did a small group of people accomplish this fete? By meeting together regularly, challenging and debating with each other on the idea of art and what makes it art.

They had heated disagreements over the “rules” of art. Artists such as Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Degas made up this group, and their creative energy paved the way for generations of modern artists.

Steve Jobs said collaboration works best when ideas are met with brutal honesty and are forced to explore a deeper purpose. I doubt Degas ever patted Manet on the back and said he had pretty pictures. They didn’t just dream of being artists, they wanted to set the world on fire with their passion despite what the established art world told them. They were told they were impostors and needed to stop trying to be an artist.

It seems I spend many days telling myself that I’m not an impostor…my friends help with this too. We need those kinds of people in our life.

Ten years ago I made the resolution to try and write for commercial publication. I went online and found SARA (San Antonio Romance Authors), and my writing greatly improved because of their questioning and tough critique.  I also learned about the realities of being published. Like selling one book doesn’t mean you will be guaranteed to sell another.

I’m published today because of them. They also introduced me to others that changed my life.

In June, for last several years, I have made my way to West Texas A&M for a writer’s summer camp. This is where I met Jodi Thomas and now count her as a friend. The first year I made the five hour trip alone and it was worth it.

For five days, a small group of us met for almost five hours a day in a class going over our own stories. It’s magical. It was a full week of brainstorming and being pushed by this small group to find that twist in my story to make it unique. I learned that the ideas are there, the details buried deep within my brain.

A few ladies of my writing group.

A few ladies from my writing group.

Side benefit? Lifelong friends that “get me” in a way no one else ever will. And most of all, urge me to get it written and put it out into the world.

I also have created friendships with the woman of Love Inspired. We share a publisher and at times need to cheer each other on or just talk about the industry. I love that they are all over the country and in Canada.  

Podbean: https://whoaskedus.podbean.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhoAskedUs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Who_Asked_Us
Storm’s website: https://stormnavarro.com/
Jolene’s website: https://jolenenavarrowriter.com/

Two Romance Authors make a Top Ten List of Male Celebrities

On By jolenenavarroIn heroes, Podcast Who Asked Us?2 Comments

THIS IS OUR 10th PODCAST!!! Hope you’ve been enjoying. If there’s a topic you’d like us to talk about, please let us know. One of the best parts of being a romance writer is research. So what draws us to certain people? What makes us want to follow them and watch everything they do?

On our latest Podcast, my daughter, Storm Navarro, and I debate the top ten men of movies and television. I had one she didn’t really know, Pierce Brosnan. She had several I didn’t know: Pablo Schreiber, David Gandy, and Aldis Hodge.

After we stated our case, these were the men left out in the cold: Zac Efron, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine, Lee Pace, Gerard Butler, Russel Crowe and Steven Yeun.

So who did make our list? Listen to the podcast and you can jump in on the debate.

After the podcast post, scroll down and you’ll see I created our list with pictures. So enjoy!

#10 Henry Cavill

#10 Henry Cavill

From Superman to Witcher, and the underrated THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E, he has a jawline made for the big screen (or the smaller ones in our homes). A self proclaimed gaming nerd and the fourth born of five brothers, he has a very sarcastic sense of humor that might get him in trouble. He gets very involved in his roles, from designing the sword in Witcher to being a Chiefs football fan because Clark Kent is from Kansas.

#9 Aldis Hodge

This is one of Storm’s picks. He is in the INVISABLE MAN and LEVERAGE and STRAIGHT OUT OF COMPTON, and one of our favorites, HIDDEN FIGURES. In Hidden Figures he gives one of the best romantic gestures. His character was not supportive of his wife going to college to get her engineering degree in the beginning. Right before she goes, she gets nervous and starts to doubt herself. Instead of telling her not to go, he gives her a set of pencils to let her know she does have his support. It makes me sigh just thinking about it.

#8 David Gandy

David changed the modeling world for men when his friend and flatmate signed him up for a modeling competition. At the time, skinny, slender men–almost feminine–were all the industry wanted. We are so glad he was given that chance to set trends and change fashion.

# 7 Tom Hardy

This actor can be found in a very wide range of style and genre. From THIS IS WAR to BAND OF BROTHERS to BATMAN: The DARK KNIGHT RISES and the remake of MAD MAX. But he has our hearts for his love of dogs.

# 6 Regé-Jean Page

Zimbabwean British actor is up-and-coming. He is one of four boys and was in a band with one of his brothers before acting. Yes, he can sing and write music too. We discovered him as the Duke in the Netflix smash hit, Bridgerton. But that wasn’t his first acting job. He’s been in Sylvie’s Love, For The People, and the remake of ROOTS just to name a few. He also showed off his comedic skills on SNL. We will be watching out for more from this very talented actor.

# Chris Evans

Here is an actor that has stolen our hearts on and off the screen. From saving the world in movies to visiting hospitals to bring a little joy to children that are sick. He is always the first to offer an arm when he sees someone struggling. Sigh. Even his ex-girlfriend called him the nicest human on the Earth. He might be moving on from Captain America but we know he will continue doing great things.

# 4 Jason Momoa

There is just something about this man that screams MAN. LOL He also might be a huge overgrown child. He definitely knows how to have a good time and loves living life as natural as possible with his family. He is very vocal about his love for his wife, children, and the Earth we call home. When not acting, he is spending his time finding ways to protect the planet, from the oceans to the mountains of Hawaii.

#3 Idris Elba

There is something about this man that keeps our gaze on him in whatever movie he is in. From a god in the world of super heroes (Avengers) to a doctor trapped on the side of a mountain in THE MOUNTIAN BEWTEEN US, he brings charisma to the screen.

# 2 Michael B. Jordan

He has been acting and modeling since he was a child. If you watched All My Children you might recognize him from his Soap days. He brings passion and talent to every role he tackles. Creed and Black Panther have been his most recent movies. In 2020, People Magazine named him Sexiest Man Alive. GQ called him Man of the Year in 2018…We agree with both of those.

# 1 HUGH JACKMAN

Yes, I might have had a hand in putting him first. He is 3rd on Storm’s list. But come on, he has won a Tony and has been nominated for an Oscar. He has it all. From romantic comedies, epic musicals, and super hero movies, this song and dance man had proven he can act. But there is so much more to him than his stage presence. His love for his family, and wanting to make the world a better place, has him as my number 1. He is also the only one I met in person so there is that. He was not a disappointment in any way.

What do you think? Who would you put on the list and why?

Texas Summer is best on the water. Port Aransas

Using The Five Love Languages for Characters

On By jolenenavarroIn Podcast Who Asked Us?, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman has been around many years. I read it as a young parent of four children. My husband and I read it. I now use it to help develop my fictional characters. We all want to belong, to have people in our lives that love us. Understanding the love languages not only helps you see how others might be expressing it to you, but how you feel loved. To visit their website click on the books.

When a love language is not expressed or it is used to hurt a child the wounds can cause deep scares. I think it’s the reason one child can be traumatized by something and another doesn’t even remember it. A child that scores low on words of affirmation can ignore hurtful words. But take a child that words of affirmation is how they feel loved, those words of anger or hate cut deeper and can linger a lifetime. A child that needs time or service to feel loved will have a harder time being left alone after school. But to the child that has the love language of gifts, they wont mind being alone. they will feel loved when a parents shows up with a thought present to show they were thinking of them. Our strongest memories are tied to emotions. We remember how someone make us feel.

That is why we respond differently to the same situation. It will depend on our love language if we remembered feeling loved or ignored. My son Tate joins us as we explore The Five Love Languages on our Podcast this week. Who Asked Us? The Unsolicited Opinions of Two Romance Authors. Hosted by Storm Navarro and her mom. (That’s me)

  • Who Asked Us? The Unsolicited Opinions of Two Romance Authors.

Words of affirmation. Acts of service. Receiving gifts. Quality time. Physical touch. We LOVE love languages! Join us with my brother Tate as we discuss the five Love Languages from Gary Chapman and how it can be incorporated into real life AND romance novels!

Podbean: https://whoaskedus.podbean.com/​​​

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

WhoAskedUs​​​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Who_Asked_Us​​​

Storm’s website: https://stormnavarro.com/​​​

Jolene’s website: https://jolenenavarrowriter.com/

In my writing world I’m back in Port Del Mar with Andres Sanchez. I hope to have a cover to share soon. I’m getting excited about the final edits for my October 2021 release. Her Holiday Secret is a lovely family story of redemption, faith and love.

It’s a Man’s World. Can Women Write (right) it?

On By jolenenavarroIn Podcast Who Asked Us?Leave a comment

Today I’m in edit mode and I’m checking in from my back porch.

As a romance author, I get to play around in the male brain. Finding that balance between masculinity and emotional authenticity is a fun challenge. But I do completely feel that instead of men vs woman we are individuals. Are there tendencies? Yes. Are there unfair stereotypes? Yes.

Studies claim that men speak few words. Some say men don’t notice details. People will claim that woman are more emotional and men more logical (haha). My two sons and two daughters join us as Storm and I explore the topic of writing male POV.

Who Asked Us?

H is for Hero – Do you really need one?

On By jolenenavarroIn Blogging A to B April Challange, memories, men, writer2 Comments

I’m a child of the 80’s and one of my favorite past-times was watching MTV at my BF, DeDe’s house. (I lived out of town and only got four stations.) Bonnie Taylor’s song, Holding Out for a Hero, was one we loved watching over and over again. Looking at it now I find it a little bazaar and twisted.

My mom said, “She doesn’t need a hero, get that girl a gun.” My mother was a wee bit independent and yes, we had a 22 hanging over our front door. Always loaded, because you might need it, but that’s a story for another day.

Now I write about hero’s and post pictures of my favorites.

Hugh starts with an H too.
Hugh starts with an H too.

Yes, readers and writers know the difference between reality and fantasy. That’s the point. I mean when we watched Wizard of Oz we knew clicking our heels wouldn’t get us anywhere, we might imagine it, but we knew it wouldn’t really happen.

Same way with the heroes in romance novels. We want them to seem real, but not too real. That’s part of the fun, right?

There are all kind of heroes: the bad boy, the lawman, superheroes, and poets. You have the classic prince and outlaw. Some tortured souls and others are healers. The warriors and protectors stand strong above all others. The man that will sacrifice all for love even his ego.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor - in the rain.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor – in the rain.
Come on, I can’t talk about heroes without at least one picture of Thor. (Shout out Joni Hahn and Sasha Summers)

When we close the book, the real heroes are in our lives, men and women that are there everyday, are waiting for us even when we sneak away to another world.

What is your favorite kind of hero? If you leave a name or post a photo, I’m add them to my hero board in pinterest.

One more of Hugh, just because I can.
One more of Hugh, just because I can.

I got this idea from my daughter’s blog
http://stormi16.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/do-i-really-need-a-hero/

Embrace the fear.

On By jolenenavarroIn writer10 Comments

The writer Peter De Vries said, “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at 9:00 am every morning.”

Color Doodle
Color Doodle

We are all born with a creative brain. If you don’t believe that, hang out with some four or five year olds. The impulse control is underdeveloped. The filters of acceptable behavior and fears of rejection aren’t there yet in the young mind. This is why the creative genius, Picasso, said: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

So how do we redevelop our creativity?

In the mid 1800s there was a movement that changed how the world would forever look at and judge art. Impressionism was incubated at Café Guebois. How did a small group of people accomplish this fete? By meeting together regularly, they challenged and debated the idea of art. They had heated disagreements over the “rules” of art. Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Degas were a widely diverse group of artists, but their creative energy paved the way for generations of modern artists. Steve Jobs said collaboration works best when ideas are met with brutal honesty and are forced to explore a deeper purpose. Sound like good critique to me.

Four years ago, I found SARA (San Antonio Romance Authors), and my writing has greatly improved because of their questioning, pushing and tough critique. They introduced me to other writers that changed my life.
.
In June, for the last two years I have made my way to West Texas A&M to a writers week organized by the amazing Jodi Thomas and Tim Lewis.

Morgan Hysinger, Winona Cross, Matt Sherley, Linda Trout, Alexandra Sokoloff, Jolene Navarro, Storm Navarro, Deann Landers, Sheri Waide, MarilynTucker, Sherrill Nilson
Morgan Hysinger, Winona Cross, Matt Sherley, Linda Trout, Alexandra Sokoloff, Jolene Navarro, Storm Navarro, Deann Landers, Sheri Waide, MarilynTucker, Sherrill Nilson

The people above are superstars. For five days, we meet about five hours a day in a class led by Alexandra Sokoloff. This year bordered on magical. A full week of brainstorming, being pushed by this small group to find that twist in your story. The ideas are there, buried deep in your brain.
Side benefit? Lifelong friends that “get me” in a way no one else ever will.
Brainstorming in class.
Brainstorming in class.

If you want to be creative, you can’t let fear of rejection or ridicule hold you back.
Find people that help push past your first superficial idea and get to the imaginative workings of your brain. Whatever it is- art, writing, computer, finance, or building things- We are beings created to create, find that group of liked passions and discuss how to make your dreams come true.
Do you have a group that challenges your creative mind?