Robin Kaye | Meet Rich and Becca Ronaldi...

I walked into DiNicola’s Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, and stopped at the reception desk, the hostess was putting the daily specials inside each menu.

“Hi, I’m Robin Kaye, I’m here to meet Rich and Becca Ronaldi.”

When the woman turned around, I recognized her. She was Mona DiNicola’s cousin Rita. She pointed toward the bar. “They’re waitin’ for ya in the family dining room. I’ll tell Vinny you’re here.”

“Thanks, Rita.” I turned and walked through the small bar toward the family dining room in the back. My stomach growled as the smell of good gravy made my mouth water. I’d driven from Maryland to Brooklyn without stopping so I was well past ready for lunch.

When I walked in, I found Rich and Becca with their heads together, sitting next to each other at a table for four, holding hands. It’s nice to see they still only have eyes for each other, even after a year of marriage. “Am I interrupting?”

Rich got up and gave me a hug and a kiss on both cheeks. “You? Never. How are you?”

“Good, you two look happy.”

Becca gave me a hug. “We are. Things are good. How are you?”

Rich helped me off with my coat and Vinny DiNicola, the owner, chef, and Mona’s husband, came out with a bottle of Chianti and poured me a glass. “Thanks, Vinny.”

More kisses were exchanged and Vinny held my chair for me.

“I’ll make you a nice lunch, eh? Did you bring your appetite?”

“You ever know me to refuse your food?”

Vinny winked at me. “No, though you look like you lost weight.”

“Ha, you’re such a bad liar, but thanks for trying.”

Rich held his wine glass up. “Robin, benovenuto nella nostra casa e fa I nostri amici. Salute!”

We clinked glasses and took a sip of wine.

Becca looked from me to him. “Huh?”

“Rich just welcomed me to your home and your circle of friends. Grazi.”

Rich nodded. “Prego.”

Becca still looked skinny and beautiful, if she wasn’t so nice, I’d really have to hate her. Richie, well, he looked gorgeous in a hot professor sort of way since he was dressed for work. He had this monochrome thing going that really worked for him, me, and just about every other straight woman on the planet. “So, I’m here to interview you two about your romance.”

Read the rest of the interview...

Robin Kaye | The Domestic God

Romeo, Romeo is about an independent businesswoman without a domestic bone in her body. Her life would be perfect if she could just figure out how to keep her nosy, pushy, Italian family from trying to marry her off.

Nick Romeo, Brooklyn’s Donald Trump (without the comb-over), thinks independent women are an urban myth, until he meets Rosalie and realizes they’re no myth, just a pain the ass. He’s finally met a woman who is looking for the same thing he is--a commitment free relationship-- and is shocked to discover that all he wants to do is take care of her. Before too long, he’s moved in, cleaned her apartment, stocked her refrigerator and adopted her dog.

Romeo, Romeo is the first book in my Domestic Gods series. I think there’s nothing sexier than a man cleaning. I find it sad that many women think this is a myth. We live in a world where women are expected to work outside the home and still do the lion’s share of the childcare and housework.

Men certainly are doing more housework now than they used to. According to the CNN Article, “Housework and sex: What’s the connection?” In 2005 men did about 13 hours of housework a week compared to about six in 1976 whereas women’s weekly housework decreased from 26 hours to 17. It’s not equal, but it’s definitely moving in the right direction.

That same CNN article quotes Joshua Coleman, psychologist and author of The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework as saying, "When a man does housework, it feels to the woman like an expression of caring and concern, which then physically reduces her stress.” Well, duh! Of course it does! Any woman who has watched a man do the dishes after a nerve-wracking day of work, kids, laundry, and cooking knows that. Give me a husband who will take his share of the childcare and housework, and I’ll show you a happy wife.

When I write a romance I write about men I find to be sexy, desirable, and with whom I’d want to share my life. Nothing is sexier to me than a man doing dishes, except for maybe a man scrubbing the bathtub, or better yet, the toilet. I love a man who can be man enough to fix your car and fix you dinner too—the kind of guy who thinks of a vacuum cleaner as a power tool and gets a thrill out of using it. Every woman wants a man who is as good in the kitchen as he is in the bedroom. Who wouldn’t?

Since I’ve been married to a Domestic God for the last 19 years, I have to say, it rocks. My DG is the inspiration for every hero I’ve ever written. I really appreciate him and it seems as though most of my readers do, too. He’s become a bit of a legend. He’s even been interviewed by one of my blog-mates, who, at first, went in search of kinks in his armor –now she claims first dibs on him if anything should ever happen to me.

A few weeks ago, my sister called me after watching an episode of "The Starter Wife." Debra Messing’s character was fantasizing about a gorgeous man – in the fantasy he was vacuuming. The Domestic God is working his way into popular culture and if you ask me, it’s about time!