Showing posts with label Guest Posts/Interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Posts/Interviews. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Dr. James Baird Guest Post: Epigenetics & Genetic Happiness



ISBN-10: 1793389004
ISBN-13: 978-1793389008
Independently published
Paperback: 276 pages
January 8, 2019, $13.99
Genre: Health/nutrition
Also available for Kindle

 The science of epigenetics has shown us that genes aren’t destiny. Now we know that you are in far more control of your own physical and emotional well-being than was once believed possible. Dr. James Baird’s newest book reveals how to use those research results to increase your personal happiness. Written for the general reader, Epigenetics & Genetic Happiness explains the science behind feelings, thinking processes, self-esteem, relationships, conflicts, love, and other important aspects of human life. This book explains why so many of our efforts to achieve happiness fail and provides therapies you can use to improve your own physical and emotional well-being.

Introduction
These days, there’s a lot of interest in your genes. Multiple services offer to trace your genetic background for you and tell you where the genes you’ve inherited came from. Medical companies race to improve DNA testing that will indicate your vulnerability to physical disorders and identify mutations in your genes that may cause illness or disease.
There’s also a growing interest in the study of mechanisms that can switch genes on and off. Although you can’t control your genes directly, you can have some control over which genes are dormant and which are active. That science is called epigenetics.
The word epigenetics was coined back in the 1940s to refer to the influence of genetic processes on human development. It took a while for the topic to attract much attention but in 2006, over 2,500 articles about epigenetics were published.
Then interest grew. By 2010 - the year that I brought out my book Happiness Genes: Unlock the Positive Potential Hidden in your DNA – that number jumped up to over thirteen thousand publications. Unlike many of those, my books have always been designed to make topics clear to everyday readers.
In 2012, the International Journal of Epidemiology declared “Epigenetics: the next big thing.” By then, I had published Obesity Genes and their Epigenetic Modifiers, offering applications for the new discoveries.
Interest continued to grow, and in 2013, there were over seventeen thousand publications on topics related to epigenetics. In 2015, I published Behavioral Genes: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change based on the abundant research at that time.
Now new research findings regarding human lives and cultures have led to this new book, Epigenetics and Genetic Happiness How to Increase Your Well-Being. We’ll look into ways that you can actually bring about changes in your biological mechanisms to shape the sense of well-being that’s so basic to your personal happiness.


  
James D. Baird, Ph.D. has more than forty years of experience as a successful inventor and graduate engineer. A pioneer in the new science of ultrasonics, Baird has earned several patents and as a successful entrepreneur founded Dynasonics, Inc. a design and manufacturing company of ultrasonic sensors and computers. 

His inventor background instilled in him a persistent curiosity about how things work, translating from mechanisms to life. His passion for understanding the bioengineering that makes us human combined with his religious and spiritual beliefs has led him to research the subject of happiness for more than 20 years, and in the process, earned him a Ph.D. in Natural Health.

As a natural health advocate with an inventor's curiosity, he was intrigued by the paradox that "diets don't work." In an effort to uncover the reasons and provide an answer, he wrote his third book, The Mindful Meals Diet (iUniverse 2007), which explained how genetic factors are the basis of unhealthy eating habits that lead people to become overweight. His program incorporated self-hypnosis and mind/body strategies to develop healthy eating habits (www.mindfulmealsdiet.com). 

From his research of genetics in diet evolved the understanding that humans have a spiritual nature and that faith is genetic. This confirmed his belief that the expression of spirituality is genetically motivated and results in natural happiness. Results from researching genetic behavior and the new science of epigenetics inspired Baird to write the HAPPINESS GENES.

Intrigued by people's behaviors, Baird used his 20 years of researching in behavioral genetics to write BEHAVIORAL GENES- why we do what we do and how to change. [published 2/13/15] This book describes the genetic roots of our most common behaviors providing understanding of why we do what we do. While other books note that the genetic heritability component of behaviors is unchangeable, Baird shows that genes aren't destiny. Using evidence that epigenetic modalities, such as: meditation, mindfulness, and cognitive therapy can modify behaviors, practical therapies are described in the last chapter of the book.

Monday, March 25, 2019

Guest Post by Frankie Y. Bailey



Dining with Murder
By Frankie Y. Bailey

            When my Lizzie Stuart mysteries were published by Overmountain Press, the authors writing under the imprint, were asked to contribute a recipe to a small collection that could be offered to readers as a giveaway. I had an obvious choice. In Death’s Favorite Child, the first book in my series (being reissued by Speaking Volumes), the victim dies after eating a lethal substitute for the “yummy balls” her aunt made for her. I asked a friend to come up with a recipe (see my website) for the nonexistent snack I had described. But this was not the only appearance of food in that book. Lizzie was on vacation in Cornwall, England. I drew on the research I’d done in London and in the coastal town where a friend and I met for a holiday.
            In that book, Lizzie shares meals with her best friend, Tess, and the other guests at the private hotel. These are the people who will be among the “the closed circle of suspects” common in whodunits. She also has dinner with Philadelphia homicide detective, John Quinn. Like Lizzie, Quinn is on holiday in Cornwall. Like Lizzie, he is drawn into the murder investigation.
            In A Dead Man’s Honor, Lizzie has moved to Gallagher, Virginia, the fictional city that will become her home base. In this book, I introduce readers to “Miss Alice,” a woman who knew Lizzie’s grandmother when they were both children. Miss Alice continues to reign over the Orleans Café. As a crime historian, Lizzie spends time in libraries reading old newspapers and going through archival collections looks for clues. But she also knows the value of oral history interviews. Miss Alice is her source when she has a question that she is not able to answer or when she needs more context (See recipes from the Orleans Café on my website).
            In A Dead Man’s Honor, there are other characters with whom Lizzie shares intriguing conversations during meals -- including the soon-to-be victim and John Quinn. It is giving nothing away to say that as the series has evolved, Lizzie and Quinn have gotten to know each –and shared both romantic moments and conversations about murder as they ate. In Book Six, they will be in Santa Fe for Thanksgiving dinner before coming home to Gallagher.

Brief bio and links:



Website URL: www.frankieybailey.com
Twitter:  @FrankieYBailey

Amazon: A Dead Man’s Honor

Amazon: Death’s Favorite Child




Monday, March 11, 2019

An Unexpected Escapade by Kandi J. Wyatt Cover Reveal and Guest Post




What’s in a Name?
            When Shakespeare wrote Romeo & Juliet, indie publishing must not have had the same struggles it does nowadays. He said, “A rose by any other name is still the same.” That doesn’t hold true for books. The name really does make a difference.
            The Myth Coast Adventures originally was called Mythical Creatures of Myrtle Beach. I wanted to focus on the mythology aspect and showcase where the story took place. Book 1 was titled Myrtle Beach Dragon at first and then became Myrtle Beach Adventure. I used my handy-dandy online thesaurus and looked up synonyms for adventure. I discovered escapade and exploit. So the following books used those words in place of adventure.
            However, when my editor finished book 1, she asked me if I was settled on the names. She didn’t think that the series title or the book names really set the tone for the trilogy. From her suggestions, I took Myth Coast Adventures and loved it. It fits the trilogy and showcases the mythology as well as its setting and what happens in each book—adventure. From there, she suggested An Unexpected Adventure. Again, I fell in love with it.
            Books two and three went through a couple of changes as evidenced in the earlier editions of An Unexpected Adventure. I switched up unexpected with unlooked-for and unintended and kept adventure. Again, my editor came to my rescue and suggested keeping unexpected and the original variations on adventure. So now I have An Unexpected Adventure, An Unexpected Escapade, and An Unexpected Exploit.
            To make matters even better the second and third book titles have verbs that coincide with them. Escapade is close to escape. That’s exactly what Ana wants to do in the book. She’s looking for a way to escape the pain and heartache that she’s going through. Exploit can also be a verb where someone tries to get something for their gain and another’s loss. In book three our villain who’s introduced in book two tries to exploit the realm of the mythical creatures. (Yes, we get to explore the world that Steria and Kajri come from in An Unexpected Exploit.)
            With that said, there is something special about a name, Shakespeare, and I’m very glad I have my editor and she piped up to give input into my book titles and not just the words in the stories. 

This Middle Grade Fantasy is releasing on April 9th!
Available for pre-order at just 99 cents now!

 Protect friendship, family or a creature that's not supposed to exist?
Ana and Daisy have been friends since third grade, but a rift in the space-time continuum in their little town may change that. When a unicorn waltzes into the pasture with Daisy’s appaloosas, a poacher, who will stop at nothing to gain the unicorn horn and its healing tears, shows up. Daisy is focused on saving the unicorn while Ana’s parents face sudden life-threatening health issues. When Ana learns about the healing tears, she’s forced to choose between friendship and her family’s health. 

Can the girls find the grace to compromise and save Ana’s parents and the unicorn?




Book 1 in the series, An Unexpected Adventure will be 99 cents from March 11 - 18.







GIVEAWAY Scavenger Hunt!
Visit all the blogs participating in the cover reveal to gather all the clues and win a prize, a felted unicorn and unicorn charms!!






Make sure you fill out this form to enter!  https://goo.gl/forms/UjLD2iJXyjFywNPA3




Kandi’s Bio:
Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.



Other Books by Kandi J Wyatt:

Dragon’s Cure: https://www.books2read.com/u/47kxJa   
Dragon’s Posterity: https://www.books2read.com/u/4DA8og
 The One Who Sees Me:  https://www.books2read.com/u/mdrRlb 



Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Guest Post - Catherine Dilts



Journey to a Dream by Catherine Dilts

Are you an aspiring author? Perhaps you’re just curious about how a person decides to become a writer, instead of a doctor, carpenter, or store clerk. Everyone’s experience is different. This is my journey to the dream of becoming a published author.
The first book I remember reading was One Fish Two Fish by Dr. Seuss. I was five years old when letters combined in patterns magically jumped off the page as words that meant something. It was like learning a secret code. I was hooked on reading from then on.
I enjoyed writing from a young age, too. My siblings and I wrote ridiculous plays that our indulgent great aunts would patiently act out with us. My favorite grade school assignments involved writing.
Yet when the time came to decide on a college degree, I shied away from creative writing. Warned that art was a fine hobby, but that I needed a job that would pay the bills, I set aside the dream of becoming an author.
While in my last year of college, I took a creative writing class as an elective. There I met two people who became lifelong friends. We encouraged each other in the dream of becoming authors. As I attended conferences and critique groups, I found my tribe. The world of fiction writing was where I felt most comfortable.
I won a writing contest, which fanned the flames of my confidence. Fame and fortune were within my grasp. Nope. Getting a book published is hard work. I had to learn to be thick-skinned, accepting criticism and rejection.
I spent a lot of time and money writing, going to conferences, and buying postage (this was the era of snail-mailing paper submissions). I used up enough paper to denude a rainforest. Other experiences in life taught me it is often darkest before the dawn. Illogical as it seemed, I kept pressing toward my goal.
In the meantime, I toiled away in an unsatisfying job that paid the bills. I believed as soon as I sold a book, I could quit working. Nope. I learned that most authors have day jobs. Very few make a living writing fiction. Although that was discouraging, I still wanted to become published.
I worked my way into a more satisfying career, which provided terrific inspiration. In 2012, I sold a short story and a novel. I had achieved my goal. Surely now things would become easier. Publishers would be clamoring for my work. Nope. Every story is a journey. I now have six published novels, and I feel like I’m just beginning to understand this business.
My newest novel, Survive Or Die, combines my experiences in the corporate world, set in my favorite place to escape work pressures, the Colorado mountains. A company team-building exercise at a survivalist camp results in mayhem and murder.
I’m living my dream. It looks different than I imagined, and doesn’t include fame and my own private island. But it’s where I belong. And maybe it’s where you belong, too. Keep writing!


Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rock Shop Mystery series, while her short
stories appear regularly in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery MagazineShe takes a turn in the multi-author sweet cozy mystery series Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library with Ink or Swim. With a day job as an environmental regulatory technician, Catherine's stories often have environmental or factory-based themes. Others reflect her love of the Colorado mountains. The two worlds collide in Survive Or Die, when a manufacturing company holds a team building exercise in the wilderness. You can learn more about Catherine’s fiction at http://www.catherinedilts.com/


Monday, December 10, 2018

Guest Post - John R. Beyer







Why Research is the Key to any Writing

John R. Beyer

Walking beneath the rain forest canopy at midnight was both a beautiful and simultaneously, a terrifying experience. There were the deep barking sounds of the capybara – the largest rodent in the world weighing up to nearly 150 pounds – as they clambered across the forest floor or climbed up the massive trees for a bite of fruit. Our flashlights picked up long lines of leaf cutter ants scurrying near our hiking boots as they did their nightly duty of collecting whatever the Queen had ordered. A slight movement on a low hanging branch revealed a solitary assassin bug waiting patiently for its prey to come within range.
With the assistance of a trained guide, we made our way through mile after mile of narrow paths cut into the jungle itself. There are no paved roads here; only muddy foot paths for visitors and residents alike. It’s not easy traveling, but then again, nothing is easy within the Peruvian rain forest just steps from the ever-flowing Amazon.
A four-hour boat trip along the huge and muddy river in a fifty foot dugout was the only way to make the journey to a mosquito netted jungle encampment. This would be our home as I completed the research I needed for the novel ‘Iquitos, The Past Will Kill,’ and ending a month long adventure in the jungles of the Amazon. Alongside me was my number one traveling companion, my wife Laureen, as well as our best friend and cameraman, Paul Bakas.
I was once asked during a radio interview what the most important thing to keep in mind about when writing fiction?
My reply was simple and to the point:  You must write fiction as though it is nonfiction.
Readers want to travel to interesting locales, meet intriguing characters and be involved in emotionally gripping plots. It is the job of the writer to deliver on those desires. Research and more research is a must for any fictional storyteller to enable them to create a story which feels real to the reader.
There is nothing worse than staring at a page in a novel and knowing the words do not match reality. I remember reading a novel by a famous author with Hollywood credentials behind his name, about an assassin using a particular type of gun with a silencer. Of course, being a former law enforcement officer, it didn’t ring true. I researched and confirmed what I suspected: the type of weapon the author described would never have worked for that purpose. It turned out the revolver was much too loud for an assassin’s job. That might sound picky, but it ruined the flow of the story of for me. These details are critical in making stories believable for your readers. And, big Hollywood name or not, we can’t take such details for granted. It’s the details that matter. The details that make an otherwise good painting into a masterpiece. The details make a decent story into a great or a not-so-great novel.
When writing any piece, a novel or short story, I am always careful to ensure that what I type is as accurate as it can be. I want my reader to feel confident that what they are reading is so close to the truth that it becomes the truth – even for just the moment. The fiction becomes the momentary reality. If I am going to write something then I must do my best to experience what I am writing about. That is the purpose of my research.
For a writer, in my opinion, the research is the most critical aspect of any writing. A plot can be strong and characters interesting, but if it sounds like fiction upon completion then it wasn’t worth writing.
Another reason I research is to travel. I love visiting foreign locales, meeting people and experiencing new cultures. It is a side benefit to this world of writing!


Bio

Former street cop, training officer and member of SWAT John Beyer has been writing most of his life. He’s traveled to at least 23 countries (and was actually shot in the head in Spain in 2000 during a march between Neo Nazis and Communists two days after running with the bulls in Pamplona). He was caught in a hurricane off the coast of east Baja (Bahia de los Angeles) while kayaking and lived to tell about it. Essentially, it’s hard to tell where experience leaves off and fiction takes over. You’ll want to read his books.


Website URL: http://johnrobertbeyer.weebly.com/
Blog URL: http://jandlresearchandexploration.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Drjohnrbeyer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-john-r-beyer

Operation Scorpion buy link:




Friday, August 3, 2018

Guest Post by Katherine Prairie




The Blank Page


Katherine Prairie



I’ve had the privilege of meeting many emerging writers over the past few years, and often they ask about my routine, or whether I’ve experience writer’s block. I understand these questions; I had them myself.
Every author has faced a blank page, struggling to find words. For me, it often happens after several days away from the keyboard, which means that taking the weekend off can make Monday a challenge. So I try to do a little writing — even a paragraph or two — every day of the week. That routine, something that can take as little as fifteen minutes, somehow makes the blank page less intimidating.
It doesn’t always work. Right now, while I’m busy promoting BLUE FIRE, it’s easy to make my to-do list a priority or to focus on research for my next Alex Graham thriller, instead of writing. But those tasks can easily fill a day or a week, leaving me to face the dreaded blank page again the next day! So I start my day writing, and push other tasks to mid-morning with the intent of restarting my afternoon with more writing. Even if my to-do list takes over, I’ll manage to put in at least a few of hours of writing time during my most creative time of day.  And I turn to music to get me started.
I’ve created several playlists, everything from dark and moody, to soft and reflective, that serve to narrow my focus and set the tone. Because I write in multiple perspectives, I select the music that fits the character telling the story in the scene I’m working on. Alex Graham’s music tends to be mostly rock, which seems fitting for the risk-taker and adventurer that she is. Dr. Eric Keenan’s songs, on the other hand, are energetic,  the music of a man racing to save lives in the emergency room!
As you would expect, ominous music fills my office when I’m writing from the perspective of my villain, but what I find interesting is that there’s always a one song that becomes a signature for that character. That was certainly true for Shen Li. His signature song, Ed Sheeran’s Make It Rain from the Sons of Anarchy series, makes me I feel as though I’ve dropped into the mind of this complex foe, and I often start my day with it.
Every writer develops their own strategies, but perhaps there’s an idea here that will work for you!    

 *****************************************************************************

FULL DESCRIPTION – BLUE FIRE

Tanzanite, a rare blue gem born in fire and revealed by lightning, is found only in the Merelani Hills of Tanzania. But now the death of a gem smuggler points to another possibility. A South American mine owned by Tabitha Metals may hold the find of a century. But why is it kept hidden from the world? Geologist Brian Graham can draw only one conclusion: the mine’s untraceable wealth is used to fund terrorism. And he must reveal the truth.

Brian heads to Colombia to check out mines there while his geologist daughter Alex and Tanzanian miner Mosi Ongeti start in Brazil. But their daring plan ends with a gunshot, and they are now pursued by the henchmen of a sinister, powerful arms dealer.

In a high-stakes race across two continents, Alex fights to expose the mine before the man behind Tabitha Metals can stop her.


SHORT DESCRIPTION – BLUE FIRE

A daring act reveals an incredible secret deep in a Brazilian mine, and catapults geologist Alex Graham into the world of a powerful arms dealer. She heads to Tanzania, to her father whose cryptic message started her quest. But her enemy is closing in.


AUTHOR BIO

Katherine Prairie brings her own experience as an international geologist to the Alex Graham thriller series. Her debut novel THIRST was shortlisted for the 2017 Whistler Independent Book Awards. She served as the founding president of Sisters in Crime - Canada West, and she is a 2018-19 Crime Writers of Canada director.


AUTHOR LINKS



Buy Links:

PUBLISHER BOOK/BUY LINK

https://stonedriftpress.com/books/blue-fire/


BOOKSTORE BUY LINKS






Friday, April 13, 2018

Guest Post: Randy Rawls


            
I was introduced to this author's writings when I was asked to review his book Jingle and the Magnificent Seven.  His books will engage you from the very beginning. So it is my pleasure to have  Randy Rawls write a guest post for my blog.

           My seventeenth book is underway. It’s the fifth in the Beth Bowman series. The idea came to me straight out of the headlines, a spin-off from the illegal immigrant problem. No, it’s not about a wall or the border guards who struggle to enforce our laws. It’s what can happen to young women who enter illegally and fall into the hands of unscrupulous people. As with Beth Bowman number 4, SAVING DABBA, I find myself digging into some dark areas I never considered before.
            When I look back, I see my evolution from a “pure” mystery writer (whatever that is) to one building on our social problems has been a gradual thing, beginning after I moved to South Florida. My first here involved the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl. Then, a 13-year-old runaway, the kidnapping of a 5-year-old, a dirty politician, etc. As I look back, I see that each of those problems surface every day in news coverage. I even took a humorous poke at a fantasy/mystery about a terrorist group. And yes, that, too, was inspired by an actual event in S FL.
            Skipping a few of the incremental steps, we get to SAVING DABBA. As some of you know (not enough, I might add), Beth Bowman, a PI in S FL, is befriended by a group of homeless people. When someone or some group starts killing them, Beth is involved. From there we move into the business of “demonstrations.”
Now, don’t get me wrong. I support freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. I spent 20-plus years in the Army to help guarantee those rights. However, I also believe that freedom carries responsibility. Looting, burning, and stepping on the rights of others are criminal acts, not freedoms. This is the world that SAVING DABBA explores—a group who uses our constitutional freedoms as a business endeavor. The police are so busy protecting the demonstrators, they have little time to concentrate on its evil leadership. As things spiral out of control in Coral Lakes, FL, Beth and her friends take it upon themselves to act.
            So goes the story of SAVING DABBA. If you read it, and I hope you will, please accept it as I intend it—not to denounce those who march for worthy causes, but to denounce those who use our liberties to spread discord, hatred, and fear. And, to use each to enrich themselves.
            That’s the trip I’ve taken over my sixteen published efforts, starting with an arson and ending with SAVING DABBA. That’s Randy Rawls of today.

            Thank you, Sandra, for allowing me space on your blog.

Randy Rawls was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, he says he inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of country. As a career US Army officer, he had the opportunity to learn, travel, teach, and hone talents inherited from his parents. Following retirement, he worked in other ventures for the US Government. Every job has in some way been fun. Even the dark days of Vietnam had their light moments, and he cherishes the camaraderie that was an integral part of survival in that hostile world.

Today, he has short stories in several anthologies, and a growing list of novels to his credit. As a prolific reader, he reads across several genres and takes that into his writing. He has written mysteries, thrillers, an historical, and two fantasy/mystery/thrillers featuring a Santa Elf. The count is now at fourteen and growing. He is a regular contributor to Happy Homicides, a twice annual anthology of cozy short stories. He also has a series of short stories featuring a cattle-herding burro. Wherever his imagination will take him, he follows.



Buy links for Saving Dabba



Buy link for Jingle and his Magnificent Seven:


Friday, February 16, 2018

Guest Post - Berit Brogaard



What Drives Romantic Attraction?

Here's a dream scenario: No more awkward first dates. If you are single and hoping not to be, you can fill out a detailed questionnaire and submit the information to a database containing similar information from other relationship seekers. A computational algorithm then determines how well you match with others in terms of your personality  and what you are looking for in a potential partner. Once you have been matched with another person, all you need to do is arrange a date and go from there.
If this scenario sounds familiar, that's no coincidence: Many online dating sites provide at least some primitive version of the above scenario. People seeking relationships supply first-person insight into their personality and what they are seeking in a partner. They are then matched on the basis of this self-reported data.
As anecdotal evidence suggests, this approach can be successful. People do, occasionally, find love using online dating services.
However, the success of such services is unlikely to be a result of algorithms calculating who will be a good match for each other based on self-reports. In a recent study, published in Psychological Science in August 2017, scientists tested this sort of approach to dating and found that self-reports of personality from potential partners do not predict attraction.
The team, led by psychologist Samantha Joel of the University of Utah, asked volunteers to fill out questionnaires about their own personality traits and the traits they would like in a potential partner. The researchers then arranged four-minute, face-to-face speed dates and collected subsequent feedback about how attracted people were to their predicted matches during these brief encounters.
The researchers found that people were no more likely to be attracted to predetermined matches than they were to non-matches. 
The study methodology had well-known limitations: It only allowed for testing of initial attraction, not an attraction that may emerge from repeated encounters. Further, it followed the existing online dating strategy of relying on self-reports to determine personality and the traits one would like to see manifested in a potential partner. The first limitation is not necessarily a methodological flaw, as long as we draw a sharp line between initial attraction and longer-term attraction/romantic love. The second, however, is problematic. We are often very bad judges of our own personality and the traits we want others to possess. This limitation could have been avoided to some extent by using more sophisticated measures of personality and partner preference; for instance, by relying on third-person perspectives from family members, co-workers, and friends.
If this common dating approach fails, however, it raises the question of whether there might be other ways to predict who may be successful romantic partners. Information about personality by itself is unlikely to help predict good long-term matches. But a combination of feature-matching and behavioral modification—that is, teaching people how to remain attractive to as well as attracted to their partners—may hold some promise. 
Independent studies have found that long-term attraction and romantic love are more likely to occur when the attributes that generate attraction in general, together with certain social factors and circumstances that spark passion, are particularly strong.
Here are 11 features that together provide a decent indicator of who you will click with over the long term (Aron, et al. 1989):
1. Similarity. The similarity of people’s belief sets and, to a lesser extent, the similarity of their personality traits and ways of thinking.
2. Propinquity. Familiarity with the other, which can be caused by spending time together, living near the other, thinking about the other, or anticipating interaction with the other.
3. Desirable Characteristics. Outer physical appearance that is found desirable and, to a lesser extent, desirable personality traits.
4. Reciprocal Liking. When the other person is attracted to you or likes you, that can increase your own liking.
5. Social Influences. The potential union satisfying general social norms, and acceptance of the potential union within one’s social network, can contribute to people falling in love. Or, if a union does not satisfy general social norms or is not accepted by one’s social network, this can result in people falling out of love.
6. Filling Needs. If a person can fulfill needs for companionship, love, sex, or mating, there is a greater chance that the other person will fall in love with him or her.
7. Arousal/Unusualness. Being in an unusual or arousing environment can spark passion, even if the environment is perceived as dangerous or spooky (Dutton & Aron, 1974).
8. Specific Cues. A particular feature of the other may spark a particularly strong attraction; for instance, parts of their body or facial features.
9. Readiness. The more you want to be in a relationship, the lower your self-esteem and the more likely you are to fall in love.
10. Isolation. Spending time alone with another person can contribute to a development of passion.
11. Mystery. Some degree of mystery surrounding the other person, as well as uncertainty about what the other person thinks or feels, or when he or she may initiate contact, can also contribute to passion.
As the list makes clear, many of the factors that determine whether people should connect romantically are circumstantial or a result of how people behave in courtships and relationships. While it may be possible for modern technology to determine partner matches by relying not just on personality, but also on people's particular circumstances, no such algorithm can provide us with the skills necessary to maintain a relationship that is both healthy and exciting. These types of relationship skills may need to be acquired through long-term practice and training.

References
Aron A, Dutton DG, Aron, EN, Iverson, A. (1989) “Experiences of Falling in Love”, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships August 6, 3: 243-257.
Dutton, D.G., & Aron, A.P. (1974). “Some Evidence for Heightened Sexual Attraction Under Conditions of High Anxiety”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30 (4), 510-517.
Joel S, Eastwick, P, Finkel, E. "Is Romantic Desire Predictable? Machine Learning Applied to Initial Romantic Attraction," Psychological Science. Published online August 30, 2017.

“Brit” is a Professor of Philosophy with joint appointments in the Departments of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Miami as well as the Network for Sensory Research at the University of Toronto. Her educational background includes a medical degree in neuroscience and a doctorate in philosophy. Her areas of research include perception, synesthesia, blindsight, consciousness, neuro-psychiatry and emotions.
Brit has written over 75 peer-reviewed articles, some three hundred popular articles on neuroscience and health issues and two books: Transient Truths (Oxford) and On Romantic Love (Oxford). She is currently finishing a third book with Oxford entitled Seeing and Saying as well as working on another book for popular press.
Her work has been featured in various public media, including Nightline, ABC News, the Huffington Post, Fox News, MSNBC, Daily Mail, Modesto Bee, and Mumbai Mirror. She is also an editor of the international peer-reviewed philosophy journal Erkenntnis and was the first female President of the Central States Philosophical Association. Brit has fear-color/texture/shape/motion synesthesia. She has recently co-authored a book with Kristian Marlow, The Superhuman Mind, based in part on research at the lab.

Lab page:

My blog:
Psychology Today Mysteries of Love:

My blog:
Psychology Today The Superhuman Mind:

Facebook page:

Links to books:
The Superhuman Mind

On Romantic Love

My website: