I discovered this fabulous blog about personality traits that the blogger admired and suggested people needed to acquire and it me to thinking about the attributes our heroes and heroines should possess.

1. Selflessness: Our heroes, embody this attribute. Whether protecting the innocent, guarding a heroine’s body, or listening with interest, we see the men and women in our books exhibit a selflessness that show a giving and generous nature.
2. Tolerance: In our heroes and heroines, this attribute tells the reader that these are the kind of people who understand that there are individual differences in all people. They understand that people are who they are and accept them for their quirks and idiosyncrasies at face value. Although, I would have probably labeled this one acceptance because I feel that it’s more appropriate, it still fits.
3. Genuineness: Showing our characters to be true to themselves and dismissive of the artificial makes for strong heroes and heroines. The author states “Having the ability to be real, authentic and honest is unique in a world where we put so much emphasis on the superficial. Feeling comfortable in one’s skin and being true to one’s self is one of the most beautiful traits one can possess. To have a REAL relationship with someone requires honesty…it requires hearing and giving input or feedback that may not always be popular…it means having the strength to tell it like it is and to not be afraid to face the consequences for doing so…it means loving people for who they really are…deep down…and not for what they appear to be.”
4. Sensitivity: Our characters have a wealth of this attribute. They cue into the needs of people around them whether they be friends, co-workers, or family members. Even our cop heroes are sensitive to the victims and to the people who have lost loved ones. It’s a requisite attribute that serves our characters well and endear them to our readers.
5. Integrity: An attribute that seems to be sorely lacking these days. The author says, “Call me cynical, but I think this characteristic is especially difficult to find. In a time when people will do things that are underhanded to make an extra buck (Bernie Madoff…can you hear me?), expose their personal lives to the public so they can be famous (balloon boy’s dad and any other reality TV mongers) and do what feels good in the moment without necessarily thinking of the consequences (Tiger Woods), integrity is a characteristic that is especially unique today. When a character sets a goal or makes a promise, you can be sure that they will follow through on it.
6. Humility: This is an attribute that loses it’s meaning if a person thinks they are humble. Many of our characters have confidence, for sure, but there is something about each one that shows that they are humble and if an author doesn’t, you can be sure that they will come to it over the course of the novel. Sometimes characters have something that they need to learn and we cheer them on as we read, looking for that transformation, that very human, “aha” moment when they discover what it is they’ve been searching for or striving for. That’s what makes them everyday heroes.

I know people like this and I have to say that they are some of the best people I have ever met. I want to interact with them every day. How about you? What are the attributes that you admire in others, or yourself. Which ones do you admire in your heroes and heroines that you’ve read about?

All the best,

Karen

Deliciously Dangerous is the last book in my series: Undercover Lovers and is slated for an April 2010 release. Its hero is one of my favorites, so I took great care in crafting this character. My readers have been following his story through two books. I wanted to give them a good payoff after I built up this character. So, I was waiting with bated breath for my cover, because the book turned out so far above my expectations. It just had to be good. Well, it is better than good and I’m thrilled. They took the backdrop of Napa Valley and made a lush, sexy cover that showcases my characters perfectly. So what do you think of this cover?

My first few Blazes fit into the line as it was defined. Relationship stories with a sexy premise. But, as inevitably happens, the authors who write for the line have defined it because creativity knows no bounds.

I started off with relationship stories that progressed slowly toward what I want to write now—action/adventure and romantic suspense. My first book in my Undercover Lovers series, Up Close and Dangerously Sexy started me on the path towards that goal. Now Dangerous Curves, the second book in the series, releases this month.

In Dangerous Curves, DEA Agent Rio Marshall has one mission. Distract Max Carpenter. She’s told that he is the very fly in the ointment that can blow a deep undercover operative’s carefully designed disguise. She’s been hired to keep him occupied any way she can and Rio has always gone to the max to complete every assigned mission. Max Carpenter doesn’t stand a chance of surviving her special brand of expertly concealed weapons. Max believes she is the only living being to have seen The Ghost’s face, a dangerous arms dealer, turning her into a moving target. Determined to save her, Max follows orders, until someone comes gunning for Rio and they are on the run.

The last book in the series, Deliciously Dangerous is out in April 2010. Now let me hear from you. Do you like to read all the books in a series at that same time and will wait until they’re all released or do you like the torture of waiting for the next book? I will give away to one poster an autographed copy of Dangerous Curves.

Liquid heart on fire

warm pulse against the palm of the earth
breathing life into the sky
finding that which is sought
holding that which is precious
taking that dream
crystal fragile
diamond hard
the gem of fulfillment
sweet hope
eternal flame

Every once in a while writers get reminded in a wonderful way why we write. Yeah, we write because it’s fun, because the money is good, the voices in our head demand it, and for the sheer joy of creating. But on Wednesday, I received this wonderful email and it simply made my day. So if you love a book and think that your email won’t matter, think again.

Here is the email and she’s complimenting Up Close and Dangerously Sexy

I live in the suburbs just north of Boston, MA. I have read your books before (I normally order each month from eharlequin, so I’m a bit behind since I’m just reading my March order..lol) Anyway, I don’t think that I have ever emailed you before, but just had to. I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this story!!! I was up until 2 a.m. this morning to finish it. And of course when I did I was like…OMG OMG it sounds like there is going to be a “to be continued here….”….lmao!!! So my original email was going to be to ask you that until I went on your website and got my answer….wooo hooo…I can’t wait until the next story comes out.

So about this book, I just have to tell you I loved everything about it!! Uh, I could gush gush about this one. I have to tell you, in these hard and busy times, there is NOTHING like picking up a great story like yours and getting lost in it. Forget everything for a litte while and get lost in something so interesting. BRAVO BRAVO !!!

Lastly, it must be great to have the talent to write such great books and thank you for writing such a great story for your readers to read.!!!!

I need to apologize for being late. My book deadline is tomorrow and I wanted to make sure it’s as good as I can make it especially after receiving this email. And what is my excuse for last month? Well, I was at the RWA Conference and my use of a computer was limited.

Until next time. . .

This month I’ve invited my anthology buds, Julie Kenner and Jill Monroe to join me in talking about our July 2009 release, Endless Summer. We’re thrilled to bring you this collection of stories about three awe-inspiring heroines who with courage and determination ride the big waves and find love—on their terms. Cowabunga dudes!

Summer has never been sexier!
Making Waves by Julie Kenner
Laci Montgomery is determined to be pro surfing’s Golden Girl. Does she need help from her ex—hottie sports promoter Taylor Dutton? No way! Well, not unless she’s on top…

Surf’s Up by Karen Anders
After a crash meeting in the waves, surfer J. C. Wilcox and entrepreneur Zack Fanning practice daring moves that would make fish blush. But is it just sexy fun in the sun—or are they ready to risk their hearts?

Wet and Wild by Jill Monroe
Daredevil Rookie of the Year Andrea “Drea” Powell needs a sponsor. Superstar pro Kirk Murray needs a flashy new surfer to back. The explosive results heat up the competition…and the bedroom!

Julie’s Making Waves

I absolutely love the ocean. I had a lot of regrets moving from California back to Texas (the cost of living decidedly not among them), and leaving the ocean was way up at the top. Everything about it appeals to me. The smell. The feel of the wind. The sand between your toes. The shells. The sun. The sports.

Or, maybe not so much the sports. But I’ll get to that in a second. The point is that I used to go about forty minutes out of my way so that I could drive to work along the Pacific Coast Highway, just so that I could drive with the Pacific at my side.

So the idea of writing a beach related novella and participating in the Endless Summer anthology was something I was jumping all over. And that’s true despite the fact that I am so not a sports girl. Or, heck, maybe it’s because I’m not. Because, hey, let’s face it: though I love the ocean, there’s no way that me and my sense of balance are getting up on a surf board. It’s just not happening. I watched those surfer movies (and I watched a lot when writing the story) and all I can say is wow. (My idea of an ocean sport is Scuba diving. Swimming under water. That’s my speed.). But surfing is one of those sports (along with gymnastics) that I wish I could do. I wish my body would move that way. I wish I wasn’t terrified of keeling over or of being eaten by a shark (and, yes, I realize that fear should also apply to Scuba, but it doesn’t. That’s why they call it a phobia. It’s an unreasonable fear.)

All of which is a really round about way of saying that I was thrilled to participate in the anthology, and that a story involving the ocean will always make me happy. And in this case I got to live for at least a little while more tied to the ocean than I’ve ever been, doing something I wish I could do in real life. And that, folks, is what I love about writing!

More from Julie:

Julie writes a range of stories including quirky romances, sexy contemporaries, young adult novels, suspense, paranormal mommy lit, and (soon!) darker urban fantasy. Some of her upcoming releases include: Good Ghouls Do, August 2009; Demon Ex Machina, October 2009; Tainted, November 2009 (begins a new Urban Fantasy series); and a new series of paranormal romances coming in 2010. Catch up with all of Julie’s upcoming releases at her website www.juliekenner.com.

Karen’s Surf’s Up

Up until I was 18, I was pretty used to a large body of water, but this body of water was very different from any ocean on either coast. Hailing from the landlocked State of Vermont, I was lucky enough to swim in Lake Champlain that stretches across 110 miles and has the legendary sea monster that I attest to seeing once when I was boating with my friends. Okay, there was alcohol involved, but I swear I saw it!

Lake Champlain is huge, but I’m sure that no one ever surfed on its placid shores except, like Jill, behind a motor boat. So, it was a shocker to me when I made my first trip to the ocean. I was excited, anticipating what it would be like. I just wasn’t prepared for the reality of standing on the beach and experiencing it for the first time. There was no comparison.

I’ll never forget the day I first saw its vastness on a perfect day in June. In order to look out into the endless sea, I had to shade my eyes. Even with sunglasses on, the sun was so bright. The sand was so warm and grainy, the water, although, refreshingly brisk, lapped gently against the shore. Now the thought of the ocean with its gentle breezes, crashing waves, salty air and the cry of gulls makes all my muscles relax into one big mushy pile.

So conceiving this anthology was a joy and even more joyous was working with both Julie and Jill. I predict that a beach getaway will be coming in the near future.

More from Karen:

Karen writes sexy contemporaries for the Harlequin Blaze line. Currently, she’s working on Deliciously Dangerous, Book #3 in the Undercover Lovers mini-series out in April 2010. Book #1 Up Close and Dangerously Sexy was out March 2009 and Dangerous Curves, Book #2 will be released in October 2009. See what Karen’s up to on her newly redesigned website at www.karenanders.com

Jill’s Wet and Wild

Growing up in the completely landlocked state of Oklahoma, there weren’t many opportunities for surfing…unless you have an inventive great uncle who takes an old piece of plywood, drills holes into the sides for rope handles and then pulls it behind a boat. Okay, probably still doesn’t count as surfing, but when I was nine we proudly called it surfing. And yeah, maybe our form was not as elegant as the smooth popup and becoming “one with the wave” that seems synonymous with good surfing – but we had a lot of fun!

I love the ocean, which is strange because I never even saw it until I was twelve. Or maybe that’s the reason. Being in the center of the US, the ocean is pretty far away. It’s a major event to get there. Plus, it mysterious. Filled with strange, exotic creatures and yet there’s something very comforting about the ocean. The continuous lap of the waves at my feet. The sounds of rushing water. The clean, salty smell carried in by the breeze. I want to go back. Now.

That’s why I was so excited to be part of Endless Summer with Julie and Karen. Every time I worked on Wet and Wild I got to visit the ocean, feel the warmth on my face and the sand between my toes…even though I wrote it on some pretty cold days in October and November completely surrounded land, land and more land.

More from Jill:

Jill writes sexy contemporaries for the Harlequin Blaze line. She’s hard at work on SEALed and Delivered - Harlequin Blaze coming soon. Check Jill out at her website at www.jillmonroe.com.

Okay, fess up. Let us hear your first time stories about that number one getaway–the BEACH! We will be giving away to one poster an autographed copy of Endless Summer! May it take you away to the sun, sand, and surf and give you as much pleasure as you read as it gave us in its creation.

Hi, I’m Karen and I’m a conferenceholic. I have five reasons for loving conferences and they’re good reasons.

Parties: The music, the food, the laughter. Beautiful surroundings with fun people are why I love the parties. It’s a time to reward yourself for planting your butt in your chair all year, cranking out all those thousands of words that add up to hundreds pages and the most important part, crafting all those words and pages to make sense, tell a story, and entertain your readers.

Alcohol: Okay, I’m not an alcoholic, but there’s something just so darn wonderful about having a few then walking to your room. No worry about a designated driver or how to get home. Just move from point A to point B. Simple. There is also the indulgence of those delicious Apple Martinis and a Pink Panty or two.

Social Networking: There isn’t anything more wonderful then being in one place with scads of people who all love the same thing you do. Writing. They love talking about it for hours with you. Plotting, characterization, POV, conflict, motivation, goal. It’s an endless indulgence in writing! One big friggin pajama party!

Books, books, books: They’re everywhere. On your seat at the luncheons, at the Literacy signing, book giveaways from publishers, and if that’s not enough there’s even an on-site bookstore [sigh of pleasure]. Who could ask for anything more?

Laughter: That is also everywhere. People connecting through what they love is energizing and contagious. We love what we do and we love to talk about it. We also enjoy the people who love what we do and, naturally laughter comes out of the wonderful bond that we all share with each other.

So, although I’m a confirmed conferenceholic, I don’t want to be cured. I like my addiction thank you very much.

Tell me about you’re passion and what you a confirmed “holic”!

A woman who sees the beauty within and a man who’s been transformed into a beast. I have to say that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie and one of my most favorite on-screen kisses. The power of love is shown here so beautifully. Sigh!

In John Ford’s The Quiet Man, Sean Thornton, is in perpetual Irish tussle with flame-haired Mary Kate Donaher (John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara). The kiss in the graveyard is oh-so-yummy.

In Lady and the Tramp, he’s a dog from the wrong side of the tracks and she’s a pampered princess. Classic storytelling in this simply sweet kiss when Lady and the Tramps’ spaghetti tainted muzzles meet for what has to be Disney’s cutest fluffy smooch – awwww!

Spidey dangles upside down in the drizzle as Mary Jane slowly peels back his mask and instigates some tender lip-action in the movie Spiderman. I’m surprised the rain around them didn’t turn into steam.

Star Wars was all about a war between the terrible Empire and a small rebel band, but it was the war between Leia and Han that got our juices flowing. Of course, the hostilities didn’t last long. Even though she says, “I’d rather kiss a wookie,” and Han, says “I can arrange that.” Leia falls into his arms and lip locks with this sexy, bad boy smuggler. You have to be without one female hormone in your body not to sigh at this kiss.

In Ladyhawke, the lovers are being kept apart by an evil spell cast by the Bishop of Aquila, who is in love with Isabeau. The curse transforms Navarre into a wolf at nightfall and Isabeau into a hawk at sunrise, so they are “always together yet eternally apart,” as they can never touch in human form. Of course, good triumphs over evil and the kiss at the end of the movie is fabulous. But, the love between Navarre and Isabeau is so obvious and strong. After Navarre in wolf form nearly dies after falling through an iced-over river, Isabeau lies asleep beside the ailing wolf. As sunrise approaches, the wolf transforms into the human Navarre while Isabeau transforms into a hawk. For a split second, the lovers see each other in human form and reach out to touch one another. Now that’s romance.

Okay, I know you have an opinion. Let’s hear it.