Kelly Moran questions the real men of romance

Kelly Moran, author of the Phantoms and Covington Cove series (both launching this year!), interviewed the husbands of five romance authors to get the dish on the real men of romance. (Kelly's Return to Me comes out March 3.)

Kelly: As a romance author, I get asked a lot of questions in interviews, and some of them are really personal, such as: "Do you get your inspiration for your love scenes from real life?" It made me take a step back and wonder … What do the husbands think of all this? So I asked five of my favorite authors to ask their husbands five questions, and the answers were surprising. Ranging from sweet to hilarious, I discovered the true heroes are behind our books, and not always in them.

Married to these heroes are Brenda Novak, author of the Whiskey Creek series; JM Stewart, author of the Morgan Family series; Kristan Higgins, author of the Blue Heron series; Marina Adair, author of the St. Helena Vineyard series; and Roxanne St. Claire, author of the Barefoot Bay Brides series. (To protect the guys from possible repercussions of the wifely kind, their responses have been shuffled, though some of them are a bit obvious.)

QUESTION ONE

How do you handle it when your wife talks to herself, the computer, the pets, the plants, the groceries, or attempts to negotiate with the keyboard while plotting a book? No trying to save her. We know she does!

• Fortunately, my wife never talks to inanimate objects. But whenever her mind drifts off, I know she's plotting her next book.

• I listen to her and give my advice, which is appreciated very much. Not.

• Go to the garage.

• I listen to Car Talk to drown out her mutterings.

• It's easy to deal with her when she is talking to plants, computers, pets or herself. It's much more difficult when she asks me directly about plot points or characters' actions. I find it hard to help, for example, when I would never find myself naked in a tack room of a working ranch.

QUESTION TWO

How do people respond when they find out you're married to a romance writer? Pity stares? Interest? Elation? Sympathy? Uncontrollable laughter?

• I'm not sure I inspire her writing, but I think I can safely say that her writing inspires us. There are certainly FAR worse things than being married to a romance writer.

• People are always excited when they hear my wife is an author. The next question is always, "How does she come up with the stories?" Then, the usual … "You are a lucky man." Which I am.

• Normal, nothing unusual.

• Lots of speculation and jokes about our "special time together."

• Most friends are interested, then ask if she bases any of the characters on me. It only gets weird for my male friends to see her after they read one of the books for the first time … my friends usually get a little embarrassed and act sheepish.

QUESTION THREE

If your life was a romance movie, which one would it be? (We'll know you're lying if you say Fifty Shades of Grey. Don't bother trying, even if your wife told you to say that.

• Romancing the Stone. Our life has been an adventure, for sure. Plus, this was our first date.

• If my life were a romance novel written by my wife, it would be called Barefoot in the Kitchen … where I spend most of my time!

• I don't watch romance movies. When I do, I'm not paying attention.

• Lady and the Tramp.

• I would say Sabrina. I think she has saved me way more than I have saved her.

QUESTION FOUR

What's your idea of romancing your woman, and do you feel pressured to live up to the grand gestures in the books she writes? Be honest. We won't think less of you!

• Massage has always been a big part of my family. My parents have made their living for 60 years doing massage. My sister made her living that way, too, before she passed away. My uncle is a chiropractor and incorporates a lot of massage in his practice. And my aunt started one of the biggest massage colleges in Iowa and ran it for a number of years. So … let's just say that massage is my secret weapon.

• I cook for her — sometimes it's grand, sometimes is ordinary. Always it's delicious and she appreciates that.

• We've been together 20 years with two kids, please! Any time we have alone works.

• Cooking a great meal, a "back rub" and the occasional box of chocolates. Also, filling up the gas tank.

• I think that being in love means you are always romantic. If it's a box of doughnuts, just telling her she is beautiful on day four of being sick. A touch of a hand on a neck or just stealing a peek at her butt. I don't feel any pressure since I am convinced she writes about me.

QUESTION FIVE

Do the Man Candy posts or swoon-worthy heroes ever make you uncomfortable or give you an inferiority complex? Even a teensy bit? We wouldn't blame you, she writes very sexy heroes and that picture last week … ahem.

• No, I'm not jealous. I think I'm more grateful. I consider anything that raises the libido of women a good thing. (A high tide there floats all boats.)

• Let's see what their Chilean Sea Bass in cartoccio tastes like. Those clowns will definitely have an inferiority complex when they taste mine.

• Nope, not a bit.

• Not at all. I'm very secure.

• I am pretty secure in the fact that she chose me to spend the rest of her life with. When fantasy isn't as good as reality, I can sleep pretty sound at night.

So there you have it. The male perspective. Are you laughing yet? Are you swooning yet? I admit I did a little of both. Either way, books are a great escape, but coming home to this is pretty spectacular, too. Happy romancing! XO

Find out more about Kelly Moran and her books at www.AuthorKellyMoran.com.