Character is who you do in the dark, part two

Okay, here's another list. For entertainment purposes only, of course.

Rome Masters- from the book Playing With Fire by Gena Showalter. Rome is animalisticly attractive. In fact he is part animal. And let's face it, what chick doesn't think that's hot.

Indiana Jones-come on admit to your childhood fantasies about good old Indy. You wanted to be a part of the grand archaeological adventure where you'd get to save the world, kiss the tasty professor and melt some Nazi face. At least I did. But then again I wanted to marry a guy exactly like Egon Spengler from Ghostbusters so possibly I lack a certain amount of judgment in this department. "Egon, this reminds me of the time that you tried to drill a hole through your head." "That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me."

J.R. Damien- from the early nineties book Break the Night by Anne Stuart. I actually think these might have been reprinted sometime in the last few years. This book is incredible and JR is painfully sexy. I don't know that I'd use the word hot so much as sexy. It just rolls off him in waves. Read it if you can. I highly recommend it.

Snape- Yeah, call me nuts but Snape does something for me. Maybe it's the fact that he's played by Alan Rickman who I think is smoking but there's just something about a man I don't quite understand who has plans and allegiances that no one understands. Is he bad, is he good, is he both? No one knows what the heck he is and man is that hot.

Davy Dempsey- from Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. Jeez, I love that book. I would recommend it to anyone who would listen and then I'd tell them twice. Davy is wonderful. Not just sexy but amazing. Charming and funny and constantly coming to the rescue of everyone even people he doesn't like even though he's a crook and a con man. There's just something about a guy who makes his own rules without being a rebel for no particular reason, which I hate, that just does it for me. Davy's awesome. I want one.


Song of the day--You'll Think of Me, Keith Urban. A bitter-sweet song about the break-up of a relationship. You'll think of me if I have to call you every d@$n day.

Quote of the day-- The covers of this book are too far apart.
-Ambrose Bierce (and the way I always feel about Stephen King)



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Isn't it ironic?

By the way, especially watch the isn't it ironic video on Jack's page. I like Alanis Morrisette as much as the next nineties high schooler, angry girl rocker but that song just doesn't make any freaking sense. Almost everything in that song doesn't actually fall under the definition of ironic. Most of it is just dumb. It's like the good advice you just didn't take...that's not ironic. That just means you're a moron.

My husband and I like to pick that song apart to find the few elements buried among the nonsense that are actually ironic. There are a few. Like, ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife. That's really kind of ironic. But rain on your wedding day just really isn't. That's all folks.

Second song of the day-Isn't it Ironic.

Word Play

I love it when people have fun with words. I do and I like seeing other people do it too. A couple months ago Blogspot had a blog of note called Left Behind in the Fishbowl. Here is the link. http://ahfb.blogspot.com/ If it doesn't create a hyperlink then just cut and paste it because I'm telling you it's worth it. I would make sure that you take a gander at both sections of the Cletus story. It makes me feel really nervous that this is my competition in the great big world of publishing, I tell you. Read the rest too. The hours spent are worth it. The kid who does that post is cute. I want to pack him up and take him home. Of course I'm married, he has a girlfriend and he's like twelve but I like him.

Another great website for fun with words is YouTube - My Big Audition Go to other you tube videos by this same man and he has the Dictionary of Jack postings. Watch them. They're hilarious. This is what I do some days instead of writing. I'm so efficient. Really.

Song of the Day: My Way, Frank Sinatra. Gotta love the Frankie. I'm a huge fan. And I have his picture on my refrigerator. This is not a diet technique. I just like Frank.

Quote of the day: To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. -Bertrand Russell

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Genre Schmenre

Okay, so I guess I'm just not able to join my sacred sisterhood of romance writers in the apparently inborn understanding they all seem to possess of what the gosh darn difference is between a romantic suspense and a suspense with romantic elements. A ________ with __ elements. (You fill in the blanks.) Apparently there are entire publishers who specialize just in "with elements of..." Books. What is that? I mean just from a marketing standpoint where the heck does the bookstore shelve something like that? In the with elements section?

And the difference is more subtle than you'd think. Like a five or ten percent difference in the level of romance as opposed to the level suspense and suddenly you've spent ten months writing something that isn't what you thought it was at all. There's a lovely lady named Robin Perini in my RWA group who has written a book that, to be perfectly honest, I know nothing about. Except that apparently people love it. They think it's great. Sharon Sala read it for her and had nothing but good things to say but she can't publish the blasted thing and it's probably because it's like mine. 50/50 right down the middle. Half romance half suspense. But apparently those sorts of books are all at sea. They're not romantic suspense but they're not really anything else either. Gggrrr.

What happened to the good old days when everything was just what it was? There were mysteries, romances, westerns and sci fi and fantasies. None of this mamby pamby sub genre crap. And the men were men and the women wore hose with seams down the back and children were seen and not heard and everyone made a great casserole. Although I'm sure that the writers at the time would probably beg to differ with me on that one. There's nothing new under the sun after all.

Song of the Day-- Taylor the Latte Boy, Kristin Chenoweth. A wonderful song about inspiration for all my fellow writers out there. Who'd have thought that love could be so caffeinated?

Quote of the Day--

Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards. - Robert Heinlein

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Character is who you do in the dark, part one

I decided while I was conversing briefly with Ingrid Weaver (the author of a Harlequin Intrigue called The Insider about an extremely hot hero, Gideon Faulkner) to make a list of those characters that just, well, make my list. So here they are. Some are from books, some from movies and some from both.

Batman: Or more specifically Bruce Wayne, despite the fact that he is possessed of possibly the gayest name ever (Bruce Wayne? Come on people) and eventually ends up living with a vaguely post adolescent boy he's incredibly sexy. So tortured and raw and hovering on the edge of insanity all the time but using that edge to fight evil. Sweet. Even though I find him wholly unattractive on a larger scale Michael Keaton's portrayal of Batman is the only one I accept. Also nowhere in his movie does anyone say anything that makes me want to start them on fire with my eyes like, "Bruce it's me Barbara. I'm Batgirl." Ugh.

Simon Templar: Another character possessed of flaws that should make a man unacceptable (and in reality certainly would) but somehow just make him incredibly hot. Simon has all the factors that almost always make a character spicy to me. Terrible past, slightly shady and yet inherently good at the same time, and just a touch of insanity. Even though he's a killer and a liar (the book) and a man whore who will sleep with anything with a vagina for anything from secret plans to extra foam on his latte (the movie) there's just something about Simon that screams, "I am immanently doable."

Valerius Magnus and Zarek...Magnus (I guess): Sherrilyn Kenyon surely is a writer I must admire when she can take a premise that is patently absurd and make me devour them like they're coated in crack. The idea behind these books is completely, utterly ridiculous but the men in those Dark Hunter books are like incineration level hot. Especially Valierus and Zarek (spoiler alert) half brothers of the same father who grew up not on the best of terms with each other. For sheer yumminess I have to go with Val whose uptight ways and tragic past intermingle to create this package that I would be more than willing to have sex up against a wall with. (Another spoiler, sorry.) But for sheer psycho hotness I have to go with Zarek who is balancing right on the edge of complete insanity but you gotta love him anyway. And, if given the chance, who wouldn't want to love him anyway?

Will Turner: I know, it's a gimmee but it isn't just that he's played by Orlando Bloom although I ain't gonna lie that's a gosh darn benefit. Will is a great character who has strong...character. I encourage my pirate loving son to go for Will Turner marketing because Will is a strong, silent, manly guy who does what needs to be done regardless of the personal cost. Who wouldn't want to get a...sword from a guy like that?

More to come on another day, there's just no shortage of great fictional men out there.

Song of the day: Don't Cha, Pussycat Dolls. Don't you wish your boyfriend was hot like these guys? Not saying he's not hot in his own way, mind. Not that I know you or your boyfriend.

Quote of the day: Character is what you are in the dark. American Proverb


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