CAROLINE LEE
I was a nerd in High School. I attended a math-and-science boarding school in SC, and was surrounded (finally!) by a bunch of other nerds (the story of how I ended up a historian is long and boring, so I’ll skip it).
Now, an author claiming to be a nerd is almost expected, what with geek-chic being a legit style choice these days. But I think I can back up my assertion with some examples.
For instance, we had a student-led pep-band for our basketball games, and one of our favorite chants went:
Sine, Cosine, Tangent, Sine,
Three-point-one-four-one-five-nine!
I had a suitemate who took the SATs nine times because she kept getting a 1590 out of 1600, and that was unacceptable. We had a cheerleading squad—also student-run—that we called the Proactive Synergy Coordinating Squad (PASCs), because we were far too full of ourselves to be mere “cheerleaders.” We souped-up our TI-81 calculators. We started our own cheese appreciation club for crying out loud.
So you’ll have to grant that we were nerdier than most.
Imagine a bunch of seventeen-year-old nerds, living among like-minded individuals for the first time in their lives. Romantic relationships were suddenly a glorious possibility, and we reveled in the chance to (*looks around furtively, giggles, pushes glasses further up her nose*) date. Most of these dating arrangements were made awkwardly (of course) and with great ceremony (of course), which resulted in some of the nerdiest pick-up lines ever.
I present to you the pick-up lines a bunch of teenaged math-and-science nerds come up with when they live together in a closed environment:
Chemistry: “Are you an exothermic reaction, honey? Because you’re making me hot.”
Calculus: “I think you must be the square root of two, ‘cause I’m getting irrational around you.”
CompSci: “You’ve turned my software into hardware.”
Biology: “Skin might be your largest sensory organ, but I’ve got something even bigger.”
Physics: “It’s not the length of the vector, it’s how you apply the force.”
But the winner, the true winner of the “worst pick-up line ever” contest, goes to the Math version:
*Clears throat*
“Hey baby, wanna come back to my place and study some mathematics? We’ll add a bed, subtract your clothes, divide your legs, and I’ll multiply.”
*snort*
I can’t even write that with a straight face. I mean, honestly. It’s horrible.
And no, it didn’t work. None of them worked. We talked a big game, but we were still nerds, and too busy laughing at ourselves.
Smuggling gave him the revenge he needed....
To no one's surprise, McKee Baird never fought in the War Between the States. His fiercely independent nature made it impossible for him to take orders, and his close friendship with a black man stopped him from fighting for his father's South. But he's found his own way to rebel against the new government the United States has imposed on him... and right now, the only thing standing in the way of his smuggling business is the intriguingly uninhibited Becks Middleton.
Their chance meeting gave her the excitement she'd been craving...
Becks has a life of freedom away from Charleston society's rules. So of course she can't help but be drawn to the stimulating renegade her mother invites to visit Beckett Plantation, even if she doesn't approve of his profession. When the opportunity to seduce Mac arises, Becks takes that chance, planning on one night of passion before the dangerous smuggler leaves. But when she accidentally becomes part of his schemes, she can't reveal the truth without risking his freedom. Joining him on his ship, Becks will face not just her growing love for Mac but a confrontation with authorities that will threaten their very lives.
Can the two of them reconcile their differences before their future is stolen away?
Caroline grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and her love of the land is completely reflected in her upcoming book, The Brothers of Baird’s Cove: Renegade. Set on a SC sea island at the end of Reconstruction, Renegade addresses the tough issues many Southern historical romances skim over, like the true meanings of freedom and race, and exactly how many crabs it takes to make a batch of she-crab soup. There are zero pick-up lines in the book, nerdy or otherwise, because Mac doesn’t so much “pick-up” Becks as he does “catch her.” Repeatedly (she’s a bit clumsy). But that doesn’t stop them from enjoying everything the Lowcountry can offer them, and then some…
ROBIN COVINGTON
The best pick-up line I ever experienced was in college (so many years ago!). I was at a party and I knew the guy who was throwing the party pretty well since we’d been flirting back and forth for several weeks. He invited me to it and I just “knew” that this was the night when we would move beyond the friendship stage. The party was great and it stretched into the wee hours of the morning and as people left, I stayed behind but the guy didn’t approach me or make a move. He was pretty shy and quiet but I figured I’d read his signals wrong and I got ready to leave but his loudmouth roommate got me to stay as more and more people left.
I finally got fed up and I made my move to leave when the “shy guy” chased me out into the hallway and asked if I had enjoyed the party. I was a little irritated and I let him know that I didn't understand why he’d invited me to a party and then practically ignored me all night. He stepped forward and grabbed my hand, his cheeks red from his blush as he told me that he’d thrown the party just for me, the sole purpose was to get up the nerve to kiss me goodnight.
He leaned over and laid a kiss on me that made my toes curl. It was fabulous and we dated for a while after that.
Crown Prince Nicholas Lytton was never supposed to be ruler of Callanos. He was the “spare to the heir,” pursuing a decadent life of the rich and royal—extreme sports, physical pleasures, and glorious irresponsibility. Until his brother died. Now Nick is to be coronated king, and no one believes he's ready.
The best way to secure his crown is to do the unthinkable…find a queen.
While Isabel Reynolds works in the palace gardens, she has no desire to draw the attention of the way-too-flirty, would-be king. For she's not the woman everyone thinks she is. Even if she wanted—or was tempted by—the promise of love, it would only end in disaster. Because while Isabel may be able to catch a king, her secrets would only destroy him…
Robin Covington loves to explore the theme of fooling around and falling in love in her sexy, bestselling books. When she’s not writing sexy, sizzling romance she’s collecting tasty man candy pics, hoarding red nail polish, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and obsessing over Dean Winchester. Don't send chocolate . . . send eye candy!
Robin’s bestselling books have finaled in the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice, the Book Seller’s Best and the National Reader’s Choice Awards.
She lives in Maryland with her handsome husband, her two brilliant children (they get it from her, of course!), and her beloved furbabies.
Drop her a line at robin@robincovingtonromance.com - she always writes back.
