There are varying definitions of romance for the perfect date night. Chances are, if you’re the parent of small children, the best date night in the world might involve dropping the kids at the sitter’s while you return home with you husband and hit the sheets for… sleep. Parents of older kids might simply need some alone time, while the single woman’s perfect date probably requires some thoughtful, quiet getting-to-know-you time.

The biggest must-have for date night, IMHO? It must happen!! No matter how busy you are, how hectic, how over-scheduled, overwhelmed or overtired you are, you need to make date night happen. Often.

I think it’s necessary for a few reasons. It forces communication in a way that the dinner table at home may not. I love dinner with my kids, don’t get me wrong. All of them calling out events from their day between requests for more potatoes or extra gravy is part of the warm fabric of the family home. But those meals don’t really help me connect with my husband. We spend most of our dialogue figuring out who can pick up who from which sports practice the next day. So we go out—away from home, away from the kids, off to remember why we love each other.

When I’m the date night plan-maker, I have to say my preferences run toward quaint, candlelit restaurants or eateries with sprawling decks overlooking the water or something pretty. I’m all about atmosphere, good food and good wine. When the surroundings are beautiful, I feel happy. But I can be just as content with a chili dog and a cold beer at a baseball game.

Still my favorite date recently was a trip to the local ice cream spot and a drive to the local lake to eat our cones on the shore. It was unplanned, unexpected and just perfect.

So what’s your idea of a perfect date night?  Leave your answer below to be entered to win an autographed book from the author!

About the author

Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock turned a passion for writing into a career when imaginary characters kept her awake at night, demanding she tell their stories. The author of over thirty romances in a variety of subgenres, she enjoys writing medieval historicals and sexy contemporaries along with the occasional romantic suspense. Joanne traces her passion for all things medieval to an early brush with John Keats’ poem “The Eve of St. Agnes” and a rapt fascination with the Pre-Raphaelites’ depiction of medieval themes. As a writer, she enjoys supplementing her more research-intensive trips to the Middle Ages with faster-paced contemporary stories sparked by the characters she meets in real life. The move back and forth between very different story styles keeps her Muse singing happily.

Visit Joanne online

http://joannerock.com

http://myspace.com/joanne_rock

http://blogs.myspace.com/joanne_rock

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About the book – click cover to purchase

They play the field… but can they play for keeps?

Rookie Brody Davis has all the right moves. But will they be enough to tempt sexy Naomi back into his bed?

Shortstop hero Lance Montero must prove to a bad-girl heiress that he’s good at everything he does. Very, very good…

Superstar Javier Velasquez is getting a hot ’n heavy workout with Lisa, the team’s trainer. But who’s healing whom?

First baseman Rick Warren is on a winning streak… with the owner’s daughter!

They play the field…but can they play for keeps?

Rookie Brody Davis has all the right moves. But will they be enough to tempt sexy Naomi back into his bed?

Shortstop hero Lance Montero must prove to a bad-girl heiress that he’s good at everything he does. Very, very good…

Superstar Javier Velasquez is getting a hot ‘n heavy workout with Lisa, the team’s trainer. But who’s healing whom?

First baseman Rick Warren is on a winning streak…with the owner’s daughter!