First a shout out to a couple of other Blaze babes who have books out this month. Bonnie Edwards’s first Blaze, Possessing Morgan is out now. I’ ve known Bonnie for a long time and was really excited to find that we’d have books on the shelf the same month. She’s a fabulous writer who really has a way with heroes. I can’t wait to read PM. And I just started Heather MacAllister’s His Little Black Book. I am loving it. I really like the Encounters books with several stories that intertwine. Heather’s all take place around a Hurricane. She had me cracking up when a hot shot exec plans a little intimate encounter at a beach house and accidentally text messages the invitation to his entire phone list. Now that’s a great set up. I’m having a hard time putting the book down.
Speaking of intimate encounters, I had the truly hideous experience last night where a good friend of mine (who might have had a glass of wine too many) pulled out Too Hot to Handle and proceeded to read aloud one of the love scenes. Oh, yeah, did I mention we were in mixed company?? I am not embarrassed about what I write. Sex scenes are a fun celebration of developing love and obviously an important aspect of a Blaze novels. But read out of context? Oh, puh-lease. What was interesting was that (after I’d quit blushing) the men in the room got us into an interesting discussion about heroes. Not so much the ‘where do you get your ideas’ question but they wanted to know where I get my heroes? And here’s what I said. A romance hero is not a real man. We know this. He’s fantasy. I write men the way I wish men could be. Always there for us, someone who knows what we want and need even when we aren’t aware of it. Oh, I’m melting already! He’s got a sense of humor, work he’s passionate about, he looks like Hugh Jackman, Clive Owen, Bradley Cooper (insert your fantasy guy here), he’s strong and sensitive, flawed but ultimately redeemed by love. If circumstances require it, he may time travel or fight off wolves with his bare hands. In short, he’s not like anyone you or I are likely to meet. But the more I think of it, I suspect he’s also about unmet needs. Mine, probably, when I write him, but I think one of the things that draws me to romance — both reading and writing it — is knowing I’ll have certain needs met that aren’t met by real men.
And I’m okay with that.
How about you?
Entries (RSS)
Nancy, thanks so much for the good wishes on Possessing Morgan. I enjoyed writing the whole crazy idea. I doubt I could ever come up with two such different people again.
We all know what makes a hero at home: the man who pitches in, changes diapers, walks the tots to the park so we can have an hour “off”.
Still, we sigh at the movies or in books when a lone hero wins the day, slays the dragon, saves the heroine. It adds a little spice to life, some fun to the fantasy…feeds our dreams.
And there’s everything right about that!
Bonnie
Exactly, Bonnie. Perhaps ‘slaying the dragon’ is a metaphor for changing diapers
Nancy, thanks so much for the shout out! And I’m sorry you had one of those “read the love scenes out of context” experiences. I hate that because I always feel trapped. If you object, you’re “too sensitive”. Gaaa!
That was interesting, I love how you described the male hero, ‘he’s not a real man’, that is so true! That is why women read romances, fantasy! Escape! So true. Let’s face it, men aren’t perfect, and finding that ‘perfect man’ in a book is fine by me! (H)
Exactly, Heather. We’re too sensitive. Hah. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t want aspects of their jobs taken out of context and shared during a social evening. Hmph.
Karyn, that’s so true. And honestly, I bet the ‘perfect man’ in a book would be a right pain in real life. I do not always want to be swept off my feet, stuck with some alpha guy who’s going to barge into my life and mess it all up. I quite like having a nice sigh at the end of a book, then closing it and putting Mr. Testosterone on the shelf.