So Long, Farewell… No, Don’t Worry, I Won’t Sing
years back graciously welcomed this then newbie author into the group.
But as life and schedules and projects change, the time seems right for me to
move on as well. There are lots of new
faces at the Stiletto Gang, and I look forward to popping in and reading your
wonderful posts. I decided to stick with a pure “book blog” for my last post. This is about what drives my characters, the male ones in particular. It seems like an appropriate
exit piece, as a love story will surely always be at the heart of my novels. I
wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and thank you for letting me a part of
the Stiletto Gang!
ago, I took an online romance writing class. The question came up: Within the
genre, who makes for the best heroes?
Everyone was quick to agree that the standards were evident: rich guy, bad boy, military hero, foreign
entrepreneur, and various forms of cowboy/rancher. Each had something to bring
to the table (read bed) in terms of romance. The one we all took a pass on was the
blue-collar worker. For some reason, there seemed to be general agreement that
the noble plumber or winsome mechanic would have trouble satisfying the role.
Perhaps. But I also believe a smokin’
hot construction worker, with the right skill set, could turn a head or two.
hero was definitely my take on the bad boy persona. Flynn is/was enigmatic, unpredictable and,
well… smokin’ hot. Smokin’ hot if rough around the
edges and raw works for
you. Interestingly, at one book club gathering,
a reader noted that Flynn might have benefited from a bath. I shrugged. She didn’t get him, and that was
okay with me. To each her own… While I use four fast adjectives to describe BEAUTIFUL
DISASTER’S protagonist, there was more to him than that. There was
Flynn’s story and the way he felt about Mia.
Add to that his resiliency when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds
and his deep-down noble character, which transcended circumstance. It was all
these elements together that aided in winning readers for Team Flynn.
which turned out to be PERFECT TIMING (newly released by
Berkley), I found myself facing a curious challenge. I needed another hero, but I had no desire to
repeat a formula. I had to think long
and hard about who this guy would be and how his story differed. In dreaming up Aidan Roycroft, I found that
my muse insisted on certain opposites. Instead of edgy, I gave him confidence
and talent. Instead of the guy that made
you glance twice because his looks were a dare, I gave Aidan golden-boy looks
(but naturally I had to marr this by also branding him with a snake on his
neck): She
opened the beer and guzzled it. Isabel’s eyes trailed over shaggy blond hair.
The shade tended to fluctuate, framing a face that had hit the genetic lottery.
There was no getting away from it. All of him was veiled in a satiny
complexion, a blemish never the having the audacity to show up on Aidan
Roycroft’s face. His eyes were more cornflower in September than sky in winter—Isabel Lang on Aidan Roycroft, Perfect
Timing. Okay, so far so good. Physically,
I had a near perfect specimen. Although,
I should mention that in the very next line, Isabel goes on to list Aidan’s
equally evident flaws—which, on occasion,
included lazy, indulgent, and slightly self-centered—Isabel Lang, Perfect Timing.
might add up to in the “real world” and who a guy like that might
be. After a bit of mental sketching and working
with my then malleable subject, it occurred to me that I had all the makings of
a rock star. I think in every woman’s mind there lives a rock star image that
does it for her. Depending on your tastes in music, age, and socioeconomic
background, that can range from a cleaner-cut John Mayer to Adam Levine to lead
singer of the Muse, Matt Bellamy. And, of course, there are the classic rock
star components that never fade—everyone from Mick Jagger to Jon Bon Jovi. Overall,
an it factor drives the rock star, a
presence that plays off but dominates over physical looks. With these things in mind, I made it my
business to make sure Aidan had all of these qualities and then some.
Conversely, Aidan’s flaws, his story, the way he loves Isabel are what fills
him in as a character and keeps him from the precipice of a cliché.
epicenter was not on my to-do list. No one is more surprised than me to find Aidan
Roycroft cast as the main character in a novel of mine. And before I go, let me
tell you a little more truth. I signed up for that online romance writing class
by accident—my love of romantic fiction coming from the click of a wrong key. But years later, I’m wondering if that’s how
it’s all supposed to work, discovering your passion—whether it’s a storyline,
character or real romance—when you least expect it. Something to think about as
we all continue on writing and living life.
