Hi Friends! Michael and I were thrilled because USA Today ran an article about texting on the front page and our book was mentioned. Here’s a link to the story online. I may or may not have 11 copies of Friday’s paper.

Also, our book will be in stores in six weeks. I’m so honored to have this opportunity and would be thrilled if you would order your copy today and tell all your friends. The success of this book really depends on people like you spreading the word! Over the next six weeks, I’m going to post little excerpts from the book that will hopefully make you want to buy a copy for everyone you know. Just dreamin’ big over here in Nashville because I can’t help it.

“Miss You Baby”

Safely on the other side of marriage, I started blogging about my ­not-​­so-glamorous dating mistakes coupled with small lessons and victories I’d learned along the way. I didn’t know if anyone would listen, but as it turned out, there were many women who could relate. My ­in-​­box became overloaded with ­e-​­mails and comments about heartbreak and confusion and terrible, horrible, no good, very bad relationships.

I heard from women who were frustrated with men who seemed unable to plan ahead. Women who wondered if their dating lives were destined to center around text messages and ­last-​­minute “dates.” Women enchanted by men who vanished into thin air without a word. A high school student told me her prom date announced his arrival with four letters that popped up on her phone screen: “Here.” One woman wrote in and said, “But we talked all the time and hooked up several ­times—​­and then he just . . . stopped. I really thought we were going somewhere.” I heard stories of men announcing their undying affection . . . in a tweet.

Another woman wrote saying she caught her ­live-​­in boyfriend cheating on her with a coworker and stayed with her cheating boyfriend because “he promised to change.” I heard from women who are in ­long-​­term relationships with men who can’t seem to muster up the courage to put a ring on their finger. (Eight ­years—​­really?) Some of the most heartbreaking ­e-​­mails I receive are from women sending boyfriends naked pictures, or sexts, because “it’s what everyone does” or “he loves me.” I’ve heard stories of men ending relationships over text, saying “I love you” for the first time over text, and ­reentering the scene after a long period of silence with something lame like “Out tonight?” or, my personal favorite, “Why haven’t I heard from you?” Men are forgoing the former ­coming-​­of-age ­landmarks—​­mustering up the courage to ask a girl out, walking her to the door, looking in her eyes and engaging her ­heart—​­and women are left confused, if not incredibly disappointed.

I don’t know your exact story, but I do know that you most likely picked up this book because you have questions about how to find love in the world of texting, Twitter crushes, and online dating. Maybe you are at a place in your life where you can’t take one more ounce of heartache and are eager for a new dating strategy. Maybe you just went through a breakup and wonder if texting, sexting, and the instant gratification of it all was the demise of your relationship. Maybe you can’t remember the last date you went on and are convinced chivalry is dead. Wherever you are in this confusing dating climate, I want to let you in on the ending of the book before we even get started. Love is not hopeless! In fact, chivalry isn’t dead; you just need to put down that phone and set some standards for your dating ­life—​­fully embracing the new rules to find love.

— Excerpt from chapter 1 of Real Men Don’t Text. Buy your copy today and enter to win an iPad mini!

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If you liked this post, you may also like:

• Real Men Don’t Text is $2.99 on Amazon!
• Ambiguous Texts Don’t Have to Define Your Love Life
• Real Men Don’t Text | The Lost Art of Chivalry
• Win an iPad Mini!