Tuesday, April 14, 2015

L is for Love (and Leather Jackets by KC Kendricks)

April 14, 2015 
Day 12

The 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge
Many Sundry Things

L is for Love

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Love. Who doesn’t appreciate the concept of “love?” We feel and express love in many different ways, which can be confusing to some. The ancient Greeks came up with different definitions for a very complex emotion: Agape, Philia, Philautia, Pragma, Storge, and Eros.

As someone who writes in the romance genre, Eros love is what comes front and center in my stories. Eros is emotional love that creates sexual arousal and passion. If you’re old enough to be reading this blog, you know where that love leads consenting adults. The ancient Greeks often feared the loss of control that can accompany Eros love.

Storge love is what we generally share with family. It’s an unconditional love that accepts the craziness of others and drives you to forgive them when they do stupid things. Where Storge love differs from Philia love is it can sometimes deepen into a romantic relationship while maintaining the deep friendship that brought you together.

Pragma love is the mature love and deep understanding of couples who’ve been together a long time and honor their commitment to each other no matter what happens. Pragma. Pragmatic.

Philia love is platonic love among equals. Platonic love is what you feel towards your friends. It allows for affection without sexual feelings. There’s also Philautia love which is the healthy love of self, not to be confused with narcissism which is the unhealthy version.

Agape love. Agape love is a committed, chosen and unconditional love that accepts another even if you don’t like the person. It’s the love of the 1960’s where pop songs urged us to “smile on your brother.” I first heard the word “agape” as a young girl in church so the word is very connected to Christianity for me. It’s the love Jesus urged upon his disciples when he instructed them to love one another. I think this is an easy love in concept and a difficult love in practice, but well worth learning how to practice. 

So that’s the [very] brief primer on love.  

KC Kendricks

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Once again this year I have to do a little book promo along the way. You won’t know about my books if I don’t tell you about them, right?

L is for Leather Jackets 

Bonus blog content: I confess to having a bit of fun with Leather Jackets. You see, the word “that” is a hot button for my editor at Amber Quill. She goes through and flags every instance of the word. By choosing Thatcher as a last name for a character, and having Wynn call him Thatcher from time-to-time, I put a kink in her automatic software. Problem solved to this day…

Now for the blurb –


Jude Thatcher needs a life fix. He walked away from a serious love affair, lost the job he worked years to get, and his severance pay is dwindling. A little dancing is in order to help clear his head, so Jude takes a stroll to the local nightclub and gets a surprise.

Wynn DeRocher’s talent and ambition catapulted his band to the top of the charts, but he paid a steep price to achieve success. He needs a flesh and blood man, one who understands the demands of his music. He needs the man he let get away - Jude Thatcher.

Wynn pitches a proposal - a lucrative job modeling the band’s new line of logo’d clothing. Jude accepts but both men know it’ll take more than fancy dinners and limo rides to convince Jude to risk his heart again.

To covet might be a sin, but Jude needs a gesture of good faith. And he wants Wynn’s leather jacket as much as he wants Wynn. Almost.
  
LEATHER JACKETS 
Book six of the Men of Marionville series
Contemporary gay romance available now 

AmazoniTunesBarnes and NobleKobo and other online book sellers. 

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
Visit my bookshelf at: 

Social media links:
My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com
Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

2 comments:

Arlee Bird said...

I really wish the English language would be more accommodating in expressing the different feelings we often think of as love. I try to be careful not to use the word love indiscriminately such as "I love Thai food", or "I love that song", but still it's so ingrained that I often slip. I guess I should just accept this inadequacy of English.

Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out

KC Kendricks said...

Thanks for stopping by the blog! I frequently comment that the language is actually limiting in expression. I get excited when someone coins a new word that actually makes sense and can be used in context.