February Issue

• Latest Articles
• 'The Rules' to Ex Etiquette
• The Do's & Don'ts to Writing A Love Letter
• 7 Rules to Romantic Restaurant Dinners
• 10 Sexy Valentine's Gifts He'll Love
• How to Throw A Great Valentine's Day Party
• My Ex Found Someone Else, But I Haven't
• About April Masini
• April In The News
• April's Readers Poll Results
• April's Guest Contributor: Danielle Seadia
• April's A-List Contributor: Dr. Diana Wiley

New Articles

Here are the latest articles on AskApril.com:

'The Rules' to Ex Etiquette
Q: After seven years of marriage, I just got divorced. I don’t have children with my ex, and I don’t know what to do, and what not to do, around my ex.
Signed,
Ex-Etiquette

A: Dear Ex Etiquette:
There are two kinds of divorces: those that involve children from the marriage, and those that do not involve children from the marriage. The rest are pretty much the same – they all involve some fighting and disagreement as well as some agreement and looking back, sadly.

The Do's & Don'ts to Writing A Love Letter
Q: I want to write my boyfriend a love letter, but every time I start, I stop. I need a jumpstart.
Signed,
Need A Better Letter

A: Dear Need A Better Letter:
Great idea to write a love letter – especially at Valentine’s Day! Your instinct to give someone you care about a personal love letter is right on because love letters are not just an art.

7 Rules to Romantic Restaurant Dinners
Q: Please help me so that this Valentine’s Day at a restaurant with my honey doesn’t become just another Valentine’s Day at a restaurant with my honey.
Signed,
Ho Hum Restaurant Blues

A: Dear Ho Hum Restaurant Blues:
Valentine's Day carries all the emotional weight of New Year's Eve -- if you do have plans, you hope they will live up to your expectations -- and if you don't have plans, get on board the anxiety train! The reason for all this is expectations. Valentine’s Day is one of the holidays that most everyone celebrates and that means there is a lot of celebration and anticipation of Valentine’s Day everywhere you turn.

10 Sexy Valentine's Gifts He'll Love
Q: What should I give my boyfriend for Valentine's Day? What would you give your boyfriend for Valentine's Day? I want to do something sexy for him, but I'm not sure what to do.
Signed,
Sexy Gift Tips

A: Valentine's Day is a great time to show how much you care ? and just how you care. This is the only holiday when sex comes out of the back seat and is featured front and center. So show your sweetie how sexy he is ? by showing how sexy you can be!

How to Throw A Great Valentine's Day Party
Q: I'm tired of waiting for an invitation for Valentine's Day. I want to throw a Valentine's Day party, but I don't know how to do it! Can you give me some tips so I can throw a party that all my guests will remember?
Signed,
Party Girl

A: Dear Party Girl,
Help is on the way! Control your own destiny and make Valentine's Eve a night to remember ? and it's easier than you think. Just follow these tips for advice and ideas to a - heart-y? night of ingenious party planning.

My Ex Found Someone Else, But I Haven't
Q: I am a divorced, 41 year-old, black female. I have three children. I also have an STD. My ex-husband has found a mate. We have been divorced for three years. I have been going on every web site there is looking for a mate for myself. I am very lonely and hurt that I can't seem to find someone for me. Guys will write me, and when I answer them, then they never write back. What am I am doing wrong?
Signed,
Depressed and Lonely

A: Dear Depressed and Lonely:
Woah, nelly! It sounds like you may be competing with your ex, and that's a game no one wins. Take yourself out of the game, and make your own rules.

About April

Nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby," April Masini is the author of the best-selling book Date Out Of Your League, the newly released, Think & Date Like A Man, AskApril.com the edgy, provocative dating and relationship online magazine, and the critically acclaimed 'Ask April' advice column. Interviewed for over 2,300 national and international articles and opinion pieces, radio and television shows, including those on CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSN, Lifetime, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New York Daily News, Newsday, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Maxim, Men's Health, Wired, AOL, WebMD, and Yahoo!, (just to name a few) -- April writes what Dear Abby will never print, and what your shrink doesn't have the guts to tell you!

April In The News

Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly Women,, Does Dating A Dad Mean She'll Always Be Second Fiddle To His Kids? by Lisa Cohn, January 31, 2006

Gulf Shore Life Magazine, Just Ask April - February's Person Of Interest by Shellie Benson, February 2006

CBS News Productions, Dating Bad Boys by Producers, Debra Goldsmidt and Emily Bernstein, February 2006

Style Network, Relationship Rehab by Jennifer Madden, producer, E! Entertainment, February 2006

Men's Health Magazine, How To Win Over A Girl's Friends by Dennis Watkins, March 2006

Men's Health Magazine, How to Approach a Group of Girls by Nicole Maier, April 2006

Discovery Channel, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex by Marisa Giovagnoli, producer, Creative Differences, March 2006

FOXNews, Can You Hear Me Now? Dates vs. Cell Phones, by Jesse Lanier

MSN Dating and Personals, Young Women, Same Old Problem, by Margot Carmichael Lester

Yahoo! Personals, Become The Date You Would Like To Have, by April Masini, Special to Yahoo!

LifetimeTV, Feature: Escape That Bad Date!, Six Smart Ways To Make A Break For It When The Chemistry Is All Wrong by Valerie Nahmad

MSN, Lifestyle, Three Little Words, by Lisa Daily

WebMD, Seeing Green: All About Jealousy, by Carol Sorgen

New York Daily News, Front Page, Hollywood's Stand-In Dads, by Kristen Kemp

The New York Times, The Fairway Isn't the Only Way to Bond, by Lisa Belkin

April's Readers Poll Results

When asked "How Was Your New Year's Eve?", respondents voted:

19% voted: I had the best time ever -- I hit a big par-tay!
29% voted: Great time -- quiet evening at home with one or two people.
9% voted: Romance, romance, romance with my honey.
43% voted: Disappointing, depressing, gave new meaning to doldrums.

Express Yourself: How old were you when you lost your virginity?

April's Guest Contributor: Danielle Seadia

View Danielle's Bio

When Being Hot Just Isn't Enough
When it comes to dating we've all got baggage. Yes, some of our dates will carry more baggage, some less but we all carry baggage from past relationships, past hurts and past perceptions of ourselves and others. The key to having a successful dating career is to be able to spot someone else's unwanted baggage before it becomes our baggage. For example, a guy I met at a bar approached me and began to pursue me. He came in a nice looking package and told me right off the bat, "I have baggage." I heard his comment but I figured, "Yeah baggage...whatever."

April's A-List Contributor: Dr. Diana Wiley

View Dr Diana's Bio

Male Sexuality Issues
Men don’t often talk to each other about sexual problems. That is too bad. Thirty-plus years ago when I performed as a Showgirl, my best friend was Rosemarie. We sat next to each other in the dressing-room and shared many confidences. She grew up in Germany and claimed that Italian men really are the best lovers because they don’t mind talking with each other about how to please women.