AUTHOR TARA MILLS
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Knowing Me, Who Are You?

1/23/2025

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​It happened again. I went to our little store yesterday to pick up a couple of items and was recognized by a woman eager to make conversation. Clearly, she knew me, knew where I worked, asked about my co-workers, mentioned my husband by name – everything indicating she was very familiar with me. So why was I in such a panic? Because she was only vaguely familiar to me and I didn’t know why.

As she chatted with me, and I just as politely tried to move along, she continued to talk over and around shelves. It made me so uncomfortable because I couldn’t escape this embarrassing situation. I have no idea how I managed to exit the store without her realizing I never did place her. You’d think that I'd be used to these incidents by now. Nope. And I assure you, it never gets easier.

I wish I was able to recall faces. Unfortunately, I’m also bad at names, forgetting them a fraction of a second after hearing them. My husband used to say I couldn't be bothered to make an effort, but the evidence doesn’t support that theory. This clueless trait runs in the family and my dad and I both have stories. We can laugh about them - eventually.

Like this one. I once failed to recognize a woman I'd spent a good hour with, chatting pleasantly while watching our kids play soccer. We hit it off. Afterwards, while waiting in our car with the kids while my husband ran into a convenience store for something, I was alarmed and confused by some random woman who'd pulled up next to us and spotted me in the passenger seat. She tipped down to see into the car better, waving enthusiastically while I stared in surprise and confusion. Out of ideas, I whispered to the kids in the back. “Anyone know who this is?” Turns out they did - and I should have. "You were talking to her during our practice." If I could have melted out of sight, I would have. Sometimes the blush goes through every layer of epidermis.

This story is one of my favorites. I can actually laugh at myself now. Enough time has passed. Ok, here goes. One weekend, my son’s band was playing at the local tavern and hubs and I went to listen. Now, my husband worked a very visible job for years so I’m quite used to people greeting him when we’re out together, but that night when it happened, he was away from our table chatting with another couple. I waited until it seemed rude to hang back then dragged my introverted feet over to the trio and, with a smile, extended my hand to a seriously stunned woman and introduced myself. This is when my horrified husband jumped in and muttered testily, “Tare, they’re our neighbors. They’ve been to our house.” OMG. Yeah. And you want to know something? I wouldn't recognize them today. Or even the day after that awful faux pas. This is why I tend to avoid social situations.

I've since learned this embarrassing family trait is actually a recognized condition called Face Blindness. It's an equal-opportunity affliction that flusters the famous and highly intelligent as well as average guys and gals. It's nice to finally have an explanation for something I've agonized over for so long. A huge relief, actually.

I heard in an NPR interview on the subject one particular sufferer admit he failed to recognize his own reflection in a window once. Now, I may be bad, admittedly, but my case isn't quite that severe. Something I learned decades ago though, context matters. My ability to recall a person depends on familiarity. I have to see someone over and over again on a regular basis before I'm able to imprint them. But, if I run into them elsewhere, they may seem vaguely familiar, but chances are, I won't know why and it's going to drive me crazy unless someone kindly helps a stumped girl out and I can experience one of those rare and wonderful 'ah-ha' moments. Bliss.





​

  This post was originally published August 2012 / modified and updated today.   

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Brrrrr

1/13/2025

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Snow isn't the only thing falling in this frosty misadventure of a short. Read it today.

Free on Prolific Works.  Cold Hands Warm Smiles
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Heroes with a heartbeat.

4/5/2024

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I like men. I’m comfortable around them. Old or young, playful or serious, they’ve always fascinated me.

There’s no denying I was daddy’s girl, but dear old dad was just the start. I also have three brothers and an extended family full of boys. I myself raised three boys. It took nearly forty years for my youngest sibling—the only other girl—to finally have a daughter. She also has two boys. Can you say, “Celebration?”

I see my upbringing as a fortunate accident because it prepared me for writing male characters. I’m not as hung up on labels like alpha or beta because they don’t go far enough in describing the complexities of a man, nor do they take into account situational influences that will drive actions. By putting too much stock into a label, there’s always the danger that the character can become a caricature rather than a man with a pulse.

This is why I love writing men. My heroes are familiar. They live and breathe. These guys have hopes and fears, dreams and desires, feel passion and pain. Though physically stronger than the heroines, they can be wounded without shedding blood. Falling in love can be just as frightening or exhilarating for him as it is for her.

So I like to get into a hero’s head. I’ll listen to his thoughts, catch a ride on his circulatory system to understand the buzz and tingle he feels when she touches him for the first time. How will he interpret something as opposed to the heroine? Can she manipulate him? Will he resist or play along? What would he fight for? Is there something so important to him he’d be willing to battle it out with the woman in his life? Are there sacrifices or risks he’d take to protect her or others? Now we’re getting somewhere.
​
What kind of man is he? If I have a say, the best kind--real.
 
—Tara Mills
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Have a very Merry!

12/23/2023

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No matter what you celebrate or observe this holiday season, I hope it brings you peace and joy. 

See you in 2024!
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Upcoming Podcast Interview

9/7/2022

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I've been invited to appear on the Excelsior! Podcast this weekend. I'll share that  specific podcast link once it goes live, but please pop over there and listen to Britleigh's other wonderful guests. They're interesting.

What can you expect from my interview? Well, we'll be talking books, naturally, and food, and how romance and food comingle harmoniously in life and fiction. 

A few lucky listeners will also be getting a paperback so be sure to tune in.

Watch for the podcast link here, on my official Facebook page, or on Twitter. 

- Tara
​
Excelsior!



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Give me a beta hero

3/27/2022

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There's always discussion about heroes in romantic fiction. Naturally, I had to weigh in. I enjoy romance. Heck, I write it! May as well explain why I prefer beta heroes. So let's go!
  1. No obsessive need to control everything - especially other people.
  2. A beta's self-worth isn't tied to his success. If he suffers a setback, he can adapt and not take it so hard.
  3. Betas are far more comfortable and in-touch with their feelings. When they want or care about a woman, these guys are going to say so. They'll be the ones writing songs, letters, and poetry. They're not afraid of grand gestures. Betas are crooners, pursuers, and tender lovers. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and in their eyes. They're not afraid to give their all. That's a very sexy thing.
  4. Betas are more altruistic. The careers they choose aren't generally ones that earn accolades and recognition. When they put themselves in harm's way to help others, they do it without weighing how it will benefit them first. A few weeks back, I saw an arresting photo of firefighters facing down a blazing forest and I thought, wow, that's intense. Talk about brave. If these unidentified guys are doing this for attention, they failed. We don't know them, but we should.
  5.  A beta lover is more likely to cook his woman a nice dinner, rather than have his secretary make a reservation. He's the kind of guy to pull a hand-picked bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back when his lady opens the door rather than have a random flower arrangement delivered. Even if he does drop by the florist himself, he'll know his woman's tastes so he can help create an arrangement specifically for her.
  6. Betas make the best friends, lovers, husbands, and fathers. They're easy to talk to and connect with. For them, a relationship isn't something to be worked into their busy schedule. It's what they value most at the end of the day. Speaking of fathers, I picture these are the kinds of guys who will sit on their kids' beds, snuggled together while reading a book. He'll gladly check the closet and under the bed for monsters and leave work early to catch the game, or dance lesson.

There's a lot to be said for these nurturing gents. Betas are definitely worthy heroes.
​

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Let Him Speak

12/21/2021

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I referenced this 2013 blog post the other day on Twitter so the discussion is ongoing. Rather than simply cut and paste the original, I decided to update it. Things change, attitudes certainly do. Mine has.

In my original post, my tastes were decidedly against first-person point-of-view. Looking back, I didn't give it a fair shake. Since then, I've come to enjoy many books and series' written in first-person. A lot of genres are particularly suited to first-person. But I stand by my original assertion that when an intimate relationship is the central theme of the plot, first-person creates a he said/she said imbalance that's both incomplete and unfair to the silenced character.

All we can really know of the love interest is what they express or divulge to the main character. From that, we get the MC's limited, and often flawed interpretation of the other person's words and motivations. It will never be complete or entirely honest. 


In first-person POV romance, the love interest is only as deep as any other secondary character in the story. He lacks a voice. Crop his head off the cover and he doesn't even need a face. He's little more than a prop for the heroine.

Without an intimate peek into his head, all we have are his interactions with the heroine to give him substance. He's as deep as the cat winding around her ankles. Sure, we know at a glance the cat is happy to see her, certainly responds to her strokes with a deep, satisfied purr, but is that really enough for her love interest? I don't think so.

I want to know what he thinks, fears, hopes for, and dreads. What does he withhold and why? What is he dying to share? What does he wrestle with? In a book supposedly focused on a developing relationship between two, his perspective isn't just valid, it's vital. He deserves a voice. Without it, the story may be good, but it feels out of balance. Again, I want to state that I have and do enjoy first person, and I've read some very good first-person romances by talented and more successful writers than me, but I can't help thinking as I read these books, how much better they would have been with a dual POV.  They were fine, but imagine taking a taste of something and, while admitting it's pretty good, there's something missing. Something that will take it up a notch and round out the flavors into a delicious harmony. That's the point I'm trying to make.

In the end, it takes two to tango, so let him speak.


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Happy Holidays - 2020

12/24/2020

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Here's wishing you a safe and stress-free holiday season.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

-Tara
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BUY 1 Get 1 Sale for NOOK readers

8/1/2020

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It's here! My Barnes & Noble BOGO sale featuring Caution: Filling is Hot and Grading on Curves - two light and sexy romances that give these pretty awesome single parents another chance at a happy-ever-after. Who wouldn't love that?

With their quirky casts of friends, relations, coworkers, and conspirators, these stories are sure to make you smile.
​
Two fun and flirty single parent romances. One terrific deal. Exclusively on Barnes & Noble / Nook for a limited time only.

So, fall in love today with...
Grading on Curves
CAUTION: Filling is Hot
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Changes to Sexual Politics

4/8/2020

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Just an FYI:

I've asked for the return of my digital rights for Sexual Politics from the publisher. The eBook version will disappear in 30 days and the print version is down as of today.

This wonderful, romantic story will return with a new title and cover next month, once edits are complete and all the previous sales links are down.

Thanks, Tara
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    Tara Mills

    Hopeful scribe and word-aholic. Loves reading, loves writing, loves my family and friends, and I'm tickled beyond measure that you've stopped by.
       
    If you like contemporary romance with sharp and amusing dialogue, important themes, realistic relationships, and funny situations, I've got a title for you.​


    Click the buttons to find my titles at the following retailers.


    Read my FREE sampler.
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     Is fate messing with them or is he just unlucky? And seriously, how many times does a girl have to say she's sorry? Download this wickedly funny
    rom-com today.
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    Listen on
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    Can a single dad and his pint-sized posse convince a stubbornly single demonstration cook to give romance another chance?
    Download this delicious story today.
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    She thinks he's a cute but soft academic. He thinks her tough act is just swagger. Funny how fast attitudes can change when you have to rely on each other to survive. Read this sassy and exciting romance today.  Download the Digital ebook.
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    Protecting others is what they do, but things get terrifyingly personal when Lauren is caught in the line of fire. Read this sensual, gripping romantic suspense today.
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    When a case puts a civil rights attorney in someone's crosshairs, her best defense is a cop with personal demons of his own.
    Download this provocative suspense today.
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    Working together has disaster written all over it. But she's desperate to save her dream so she'd better suck it up. Download this sassy, opposite-sides-of-the-tracks romance today.
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    Dating was the LAST thing on Mia's mind and then...opportunity came calling. Take a chance on a younger  man today.
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    Digital ebook
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    She's sabotaged every potential relationship to avoid caring for a man exactly like him! 
    Download this unforgettable story from your favorite retailer today.
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    novellas


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    A weekend fix-up goes awry when Britt casts her eyes in a different direction.
    Download this sexy, saucy, deliciously naughty frolic today.
    Digital ebook
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    Stepping out of her comfort zone may be the best mistake Naomi's ever made.
    ​Download this second-chance romance today. 
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    Caught between two men - one she wants, one she can't leave. Who knew a simple favor would cause so much trouble?
    Read this tasteful, sophisticated romance today.
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    If a picture is worth a thousand words, what does a series of sketches mean?

    Drawn back to the same beach time and again to sketch this compelling man, Rachel is about to
    ​find out.

    Download this holiday short story today. Drawn to You.

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    She should have asked his name. He should have gotten her number. Can two strangers who shared a moment find each other again?
    Read The Memory of You today.


    Pelican Cay


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    Kate was blissfully happy when she boarded the boat that sunny morning. Then everything fell apart, leaving her questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and love.
    Download this thought-provoking island romance today.
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    He would have been perfect for her if only Dani's cougar mother hadn't already made a move on him herself. 
    Read this complicated love story today.
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    When a woman who doesn't date chooses the newcomer, the approaching hurricane isn't the only trouble coming her way. Download this island romance today.
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    He never said anything to either of them. But then one night, after wine and laughter, the truth came out. Now they have to decide what happens next. How much love can they handle? Download your copy today.
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    Are You Strong Enough To Be My Man?
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    Betty Bliss Nurses A Hangover
    Caution's Gala Launch Party
    Forget Thick Skin I Want Dragon Scales
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    I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt
    Just One Look
    Rock Em Sock Em Heroines
    Romance Heroes Fiction
    Romance Rodney Dangerfield Of Fiction
    The Sum Of His Parts
    TT-Dark Storms
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    TT Friends & Lovers
    TT Grading On Curves Stars
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    TT Sweetest Taboo
    Why Do I Write Romance?
    WW Caution: Filling Is Hot
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  • Home
  • Novels
    • Accidents Make the Heart Grow Fonder
    • Boys with a Badge Set
    • Caution: Filling is HOT
    • Forest Fires
    • Going Solo
    • Grading on Curves
    • In Love and War
  • Pelican Cay
    • Intimate Strangers
    • Tarnished Hero
    • Dark Storms
    • Sweetest Taboo
  • Novellas +
    • Britt and the Butler
    • Drawn to You
    • If You Want Me
    • The Senator's Wife
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