Reuniting with an old friend

I recently picked up an old book.  Some whim I had inspired me to seek it out.  I searched high and low until I found it.  Once it was in my hands, I let my fingers glide across the cover that was softened from use. I flipped through the pages and saw where I'd bent edges back or even wrinkled a page or two.  A smile crept across my face and my heart skipped a beat as I thought about the characters in the book and the story they would tell me.
It was in that moment that I realized that a good book is like an old friend. 
No matter how many times you've heard/read the stories; you can't help but be pulled into them every time.  When it comes to a good book, or a good friend, nothing gets old.  When you sit with an old friend you get that feeling of nostalgia, the joy of remembering all the good times you had together, and even linger in the sad moments when you supported each other.  A good book is the same.
Perhaps it's the characters that give you that feeling.  Maybe, it's the story that resonates with you.  Whatever causes it, you can’t stop that warm nostalgic feeling from rushing over you.  Curling up with an old book, just like sitting down with an old friend, gives you that lovely comfortable feeling inside. 
So, the next time you walk past your bookcase, stop and pick up an old friend.  Let me know how it goes.

Pushing them out of the nest

I've released my second book for the Kindle on Amazon.  Across the Pond should be available for download on the Kindle very soon.  While I am excited to see what people think of this book, I'm also a little hesitant to let go of my characters.  Of all the books I've written so far, (by the way I'm up to five with no signs of stopping) this is the one that I think has the most potential and the best characters. 
My friend, Donna, who reads all my books, loves Across the Pond.  Anytime I mention that I am writing, she always brings the conversation back to Across the Pond.  Since she is technically my first fan, maybe I am biased about this book because she loves it so much.  I've actually read through it several times since I wrote it, and each time, my affection for it grew even more.  I hope that people read it and love it. I hope that the characters come to life for them as much as they did for me.  I had a great time creating their story.  Chloe and James were a lot of fun to write. 
If you've stopped by this blog, and you're looking for a great read, give Across the Pond a shot.  Let me know what you think about it. 

Romance vs. Chick Lit

When I first put one of my books up for sale on Amazon I tagged it as Romance and joined in a discussion with other "Indie" Romance writers.  I continue to follow the discussion with those others writers, but the more I read what they write the more puzzled I become.
Is there a difference between Romance and Chick Lit?
For many people, whether they actually read it or not, when they think of Romance books they think of ripped bodices, throbbing manhood, and Fabio half-naked on the cover.  Chick Lit, on the other hand, probably conjures up the image of women drinking wine, shopping for shoes, and complaining about men.
What I read, and write, falls somewhere in-between the two.  I say that only because I have to categorize them somewhere.
 To me, romance leaves some details to the imagination.  It is what's not said or shown that make the "moments" so romantic.  The exchange of looks, the gentle touch of a hand, and the soft words spoken; all of those things mean romance to me.  I don't want to read intimate details of what goes on between a man and a woman.  That's not romance to me.
Chick Lit, in my opinion, is more about the relationships that women have.  They could be the relationships between a woman and her friends, her family, her children, and yes, even her man.  Chick Lit is a way for women to step outside their own lives and live the life of someone else, someone more glamorous, more beautiful, and probably luckier than themselves.  Isn't that what we all want?  To know what it's like to be someone else, even if just for a little while. 
So, my question remains...is there a difference between Romance and Chick Lit?  Am I alone in my opinion?  Am I just sheltered in my ideas?  What do other readers of both genres think?