After all, romance is all about love triumphing in the end. The whole perspective of romance focuses on the positive, building loving relationships in the wake of conflict. Ten years after 9/11, that’s the storyline I see for that horrible day. The losses broke our hearts and staggered a nation. But out of the rubble, we found the strength to heal. To overcome obstacles and build something enduring out of the ashes. In the weeks leading up to the anniversary, my heart is touched by the personal stories of lifelong bonds formed in the days after the attacks.

So maybe we could talk about our heroes today. On the Blaze blog, our romance tribute to 9/11 can be looking forward with love, embracing the heroes we have today even as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

One of my heroes is my sister, the pediatric intensive care nurse who cares for seriously ill or injured children. My sister does a hard job that’s emotionally draining, but she’s so good at it and her patients – and their parents – are so fortunate to have her. Her job is demanding and it has a high burn-out rate, but year in and year out, she gives her heart and soul to her job. She makes me proud and her sacrifice – coming face to face with heartache and pain every day – humbles me.

For my tribute to 9/11 heroes, I’m telling her how much I appreciate her hard work.

I’d love to hear about a hero in your life. I’ve got a double giveaway today – a copy of my latest Blaze, MAKING A SPLASH, will go to TWO random posters today.

When I think of the hero of my new Blaze, visually represented so perfectly on the cover of TOO HOT TO TOUCH (are the August covers not fantastic or WHAT?) I think the expression applies…though I have to substitute water with sangria, because Alejandro Aguilar is…well, Alejandro Aguilar.  He’s cool…that’s for sure.  He’s intense and powerful and handsome.  He hails from a part of the world that takes things like loyalty and honor very seriously…so much so that after working with my heroine, Lucienne Bonet, for nearly two months, he knows he has to have her.  But she’s his employee!  He can’t cross that line.  There’s only one option open to him…

She flicked her fingers beneath the flap, her gaze trained on Alejandro, who gave nothing away.  She slipped two sheets of paper out and scanned each one with confusion.

The first was a glowing letter of recommendation.  The second, a certified check.

A check with a lot of zeroes.

Not enough zeroes to get Daniel out of trouble, but maybe enough to buy his safety until she found Ramon’s ring.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Your commission.  Or at least, an estimate based on your projections for the auction.  Should we take in more, I’ll make sure you get the adjusted amount.”

“And if you make less?”

He shrugged nonchalantly, then braced his hands on the arms of her chair so that his cologne, a warm musk with a hint of tobacco and leather, sizzled through his crisp, white shirt.  “Our business always includes a certain amount of risk.  It will be worth it if it means I’ll have more time with you.”

She tucked the check and the letter back into the envelope, trying to hide how her hands shook.  “I thought you were firing me.”

His dark irises simmered and when his tongue slid slowly across his bottom lip.  “Oh, I am.  But only because I have a very strict policy against seducing my employees.”

Once again, her heartbeat hammered within her chest, hampering her ability to breathe without gulping in air.  Or worse, panting.

He grinned.  “I’ve surprised you.”

She opened her mouth to inhale, but the added awareness of his intoxicating scent only knocked her further into sensory overload.

When he moved even closer, she drew back and said, “No.”

It was a quiet no.  Barely audible.  And yet, Alejandro had instantly complied.

He arched a brow, but moved no more than an inch in retreat.  “Or perhaps you’ve surprised me.”

She flicked her thumbnail on the corner of the envelope. The clicking noise kept pace with her stuttering pulse.  He was so close.  The space of a breath separated his lips from hers.  Until he’d breached the invisible boundary of her personal space, she hadn’t realized just how long it had been since she’d kissed a man—any man, much less one she barely knew and who possessed the scruples to resist toying with an employee.

An employee whose ultimate goal was to rip him off.

She had to reach deep within her Lucienne persona for an adequate reply.  “You didn’t expect me to collapse instantly into your arms, did you?”

His eyes widened with even more surprise.  “I believed our attraction to be mutual.”

She smiled, glad when he backed up a bit, giving her room to inhale deeply.  “Who says it isn’t?”

“You’re not exactly jumping at the chance to—”

“Fall into bed with you?”

The corner of his mouth quirked into a reluctant grin.  “Even I’m not that presumptuous.”

She quirked an eyebrow.  “Then what else did you have in mind?”

“This is San Francisco,” he replied, his voice a warm drizzle of rich, dark chocolate, “a bastion of fine dining and entertainment.  Perhaps we could start with dinner or a concert.  Maybe a stroll the wharf.  I haven’t seen much beyond the walls of this auction house or the lobby of my hotel, but I’d like to see more.  With you.”

Again, his gaze swept over her with such potent scrutiny, she knew that what he truly wished to see more of was her body, preferably naked and supine beneath his.  Instantaneously, her nipples pebbled and chafed against the transparent lace of her bra.  Sweet pressure pulsed between her legs.  He was interested in her—and vice-versa.

Oh?  Did I mention that Lucienne’s name isn’t really Lucienne…and that’s she’s been lying to him for months…and that she’s only working for him so she can steal a valuable ring he inherited from his father, a man he’s hated since he was three years old?  It’s all very tawdry and tragic and conflicted and romantic and … well, it’s the kind of situation a woman might need a whole pitcher of sangria to survive, if you know what I’m saying.

I love writing this kind of hero.  One reviewer compared Alex (the name he goes by with friends) to a Presents hero.  I don’t know if they meant it as a compliment or if they were basing this opinion on ethnicity alone, but Alex does have a lot in common with those powerful men of industry who command those virgin brides in our sister line.  Luckily for Blaze readers, however, Lucienne ain’t no virgin bride.  She’s a woman with a purpose–and a woman with a libido.  Putting them together was a joy and I can’t wait to hear what readers think about it.  The book is available in stores now, as well as online.

And just like all the August Blazes, the 10th Anniversary special edition of  TOO HOT TO TOUCH includes a *free* bonus book!  In my case, it’s a copy of EXPOSED, Blaze #4!  The books are connected in that they’re both set in the same city–San Francisco.

So tell me…what kind of drink describes your favorite kind of hero?

My sons had the opportunity to meet a WWII vet a few years ago and have never forgotten his stories. A B-17 pilot who flew daylight missions over Germany, this brave, amazing man was on his seventeenth combat mission when his plane was shot down. He was a POW for six months before he was liberated by Patton’s troops in 1945, but he counted himself fortunate as one of the crew who made it out of his plane before it blew.

Today, I’m thankful for more than this captain’s service. I’m also thankful he took the time to share his story with my boys. Maybe it’s the storyteller in me that values the tale so much, but I have to think the vision of this grizzled vet acting out the plight of his plane before it went down—B-17 model in hand—will be a picture that stays with them forever. No history book could have captivated them the way a man who lived through it could. And, more importantly, no history book could have underscored so well why our veterans deserve our gratitude.

In honor of Veterans Day, I’m giving away a three-pack of books for one random poster, including Silk Confessions, an advance copy of Under Wraps and a sexy Desire from my critique partner (and military romance author!) Catherine Mann. Just post your salute to the service member of your choice in the comments section. With how much we enjoy our military heroes in the romance community, I’ll bet we can rack up quite a few cheers for their real life counterparts!

The other exciting news, of course, is that I have 6 more fantastic books for you to enjoy this month.

Debbi Rawlins gets the month off to a great start with The Real Deal. This second story in the Lose Yourself… miniseries introduces a homebody heroine who decides to take on the Big Apple. She’s armed only with a copy of Erotic New York. And she’s not afraid to use it…

Next up is the second book in Tori Carrington’s Private Scandals miniseries, Private Affairs. This book has it all – sex, betrayal, sex, first love, sex and secrets. Oh, and did I mention sex? Hot and heartwarming, this book will definitely warm you up when the weather turns colder.

Jennifer LaBrecque continues her Alaskan Heat miniseries this month with Northern Encounter. And I have to admit – this is my favorite book in the series. Of course, that could have something to do with the hot, hot, HOT, half-Inuit guy on the cover.

Kathy Lyons has the Forbidden Fantasy title this month with Taking Care of Business. You know how they say that mixing business with pleasure is a bad idea? Well, it’s working out very well for this heroine…

Lori Borrill ushers in the holiday season a little early this year with her Blaze Encounters, One Winter’s Night. If you’ve ever wondered what might happen at an office Christmas party, you’ll want to pick up this book. Let’s just say it’s very inspiring….

Then Michelle Rowen rounds out the month with her second Blaze novel, Touch and Go. When a woman finds herself stranded with the hottest guy ever—the one she’s wanted forever—it’s her chance to indulge, right? Unfortunately, there are…complications. Don’t miss this sizzling, slightly paranormal adventure.

And now on to the Craft segment. This month, we’re going to talk about one of my favorite things—men!

In Blaze, we tend to feature what I affectionately call ‘extraordinary, ordinary guys’. Now, like most romance heroes, these fellows are definitely larger than life. However, they’re still average guys – cops, firefighters, security guards, doctors, etc.—the kind of man a person like me could meet anywhere. These heroes are attainable. And that’s a key to Blaze.

Last month, we learned that we have to identify with the heroine, that we have to become the heroine. So, if we’re the heroine, shouldn’t we end up with a guy we could possibly get? I’ve never heard of anyone shacking up with a sheik, but I do have a lot of friends that tied the knot with cops.

It all comes down to realism. It is much easier for a reader to fall into our stories if we’re not making her suspend disbelief along the way. And when she reaches ‘The End’, we hope she closes the book thinking ‘Hey, maybe I’ll be just as lucky…”

Have you ever noticed that writers tend to give their readers same kind of hero in every book? Now, I’m not saying they that these heroes aren’t different – they probably look different, act and react differently, come from different situations, do different jobs, etc. But underneath all that, there’s something strangely familiar. I once told Vicki Lewis Thompson that all her heroes had the same soul. Regardless of whether he’s a nerd or a cowboy, there’s always something about Vicki’s hero that tells me ‘I know this guy’.

At the RWA conference in Orlando this year, I attended a wonderful workshop on heroes given by Vicki, Rhonda Nelson and Kira Sinclair. And one thing they said really stuck with me – that when a writer comes up with her hero, she’s often thinking about her ideal man. Only she’s not thinking of his looks—it’s about his character.

We were challenged to come up with the three most important character traits our own perfect man would have. And it varied around the room…which is why there are so many wonderful heroes out there! (Who’d have guessed that I value a man’s sense of humor far more than, say, his protective instincts? Then again, I take care of myself pretty well, thank you very much. )

So, now it’s your turn. What three character traits do you look for in a hero? Inquiring minds want to know. Everyone who answers will be entered in a draw to win a set of this month’s books.

And don’t forget check out www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com. On Tuesday, Leslie Kelly, Tori Carrington and I will be discussing what makes a great sex scene. There will also be blogs from Kate Hoffmann and Jill Shalvis, Blaze editor Kathryn Lye has at least one podcast, and our newest Blaze babe, Meg Maguire, will tell us how she got into writing romance. It’ll be a blast!

See you there.

Brenda Chin
Senior Editor
Harlequin Blaze

A quick search of our own Blaze blog reveals a gold mine! Joann Rock talks about how heroes are made here.

Lori Borrill wrote about Favorite Heros here.

Karen Foley talks about how much she likes a hero in a uniform here.

And be sure to check out where Jillian Burns talks about a favorite topic of mine, bad boys, here and Nancy Warren shares what makes a man sexy here.

Now what about those Blaze heroines? I decided to ask a few author friends what makes a great Blaze heroine.

Julie Kenner said, “To me, the great thing about a Blaze heroine is that she can be anything-she can have a strong personality, a great career, and an unabashed sense of her own sensuality. But she doesn’t have to have all of them. Maybe she’s confident in the boardroom and shy around men. Maybe she’s a flirt, but fears commitment. The point being that a Blaze heroine is like the women we know, women you could imagine hanging out with. And, yeah, they can be just a little bit larger than life.”

Lori Borrill added, “I think a good Blaze heroine is one who takes chances. She may not start out having embraced her inner strength, but by the time her story ends, she’s dug deep and found the courage to go after what she wants.”

Candace Havens talks about a heroine’s attitude. “To me a great Blaze Babe is a strong, fiesty woman who takes the world, and her men, on her terms.”

I’m giving Alison Kent the last word. “A Blaze heroine is SMART: Sexy, Mindful, Accomplished, Resourceful, Together.”

By the way, if you want to keep reading about the Blaze heroine, check out Tawny Weber’s recent blog or Bonnie Edwards’ here.

For several years, I had the “two Hughs” at the top — Grant and Jackman (though Grant fell in and out of grace on the list, but his performance in Love, Actually kept landing him a spot even after I kicked him off…). Our own Leslie Kelly has been fortunate enough to actually meet THE Hugh, so we can completely understand why she would have him on her list. Meeting in person would have to clinch it!

The only constant on my list is Pierce Brosnan. I’ve loved him since Remington Steele. The man has looks, talent, smarts, social conscience, class… the whole package. I think I can safely say he will never be off my list (well, as long as he never sticks with that terrible scruffy facial hair, etc — that was bad). I’m sure he’s relieved to know this.

My recent list has included Enrico Colantoni, whom I enjoyed in Just Shoot Me, but he became listworthy in Veronica Mars (it was the Sheriff’s uniform). Also, Tim Roth, though I have to say I think it’s more Roth’s character Cal Lightman on the new show Lie to Me whom I find attractive.

I also have to include Tony Head. I love Angel and Spike, but I would have taken Giles over both of them, any day. I just discovered Jeremy Renner (Jason) and Ian Kahn (Davis) from The Unusuals. There has to be room for them on the list; they could probably bump the fictional Cal Lightman.

As you can see, my list is always a work in progress. You can also guess why most of my heroes, almost all, are dark-haired.

Who is on your list? Could you have it laminated or are you fickle like me? Share, and I’ll pick a winner to receive a cute mini-tote I made. There might even be a book inside.

Huh? No, it’s not new. We’ve all been here for about a decade now. Yeah. And you’ll see a few things have changed. Namely, that guy you’re assuming is our romance hero? He looks nothing like this:

Nope, I’m sure. If you were to stroll through the romance aisle in the book store or–here’s an idea–actually talk to a woman who reads romance? You’d discover this guy was fashionable about….oh….thirty years ago.

Yeah, really. Equating him to our fantasy man is about as appropriate as casting these guys as dreamy rock stars:

Yep. That was the 80′s. It’s 2009 now. Why don’t you join us?

If it’s a romance hero you’re looking for, may I suggest someone like this?

I literally stared at this picture for 4 months while writing my latest Blaze. He was the inspiration for my hero. It’s Jon Hamm, but I called him Marc Strauss. Nope, not Damien or Sebastian or Jaque-Phillipe. Just Marc with a “c”. And believe it or not, you’ll find guys like this on lots and lots of romance novel covers. We love men in suits, clean cut guys with jobs and maybe a really nice car. Yeah, traveling by schooner is kinda out these days.

Bare-chested heroes riding in on white horses, you ask? Sure, we love horses and love men riding in on them, and no, shirts aren’t required. But today they’d look a little more like this:

Firemen are also pretty hot. We’ve been lusting over them for about 10 years now. Yep. What’s that? No, I’ve got no idea where you’ve been. It’s actually kinda old news, really.

You could do a Top Gun military man too. We’d prefer one of those Navy Seals that actually captures the pirates instead of the pirate himself.

Heck, we’re easy. You can even do a Speedo as long as he looks like this:

Just stop with the billowing white blouses buttoned down to the navel. Even women don’t wear those anymore. And if a man’s going to unbutton his shirt that far, we’d just as soon he take it off. Oh, and if anyone in the room utters the word “mullet” please fire them on the spot and send them to the nearest Motley Cruefest. They seriously shouldn’t be in the business of selling anything to women–or grown-up men, for that matter.

So, ladies, while we have Mr. Advertiser Man’s attention, is there anything else you’d like to add to this public service announcement? Better heroes you’d like to see in their ads instead of the Fabio-cut-outs they’re still throwing at us? Husbands who aren’t complete imbeciles jumping up and down in front of the Glade air freshener trying to get it to spritz?

What type of hero would get you to drop the remote, run to the store and buy the product he’s selling?

Alas, it’s true. Gil’s gone. And millions of women across the world are left with no other option than to buy up nine seasons of CSI on DVD and spend the rest of our lives living in the past.

Yet, what’s worse than seeing him go is the fact that he’s left before I could ever really get a handle on why I loved him so much. I mean, think about it. The man loves bugs more than breasts, his most prominent character trait is emotional oblivion, and he’s a solid decade my senior (no, really, he is). One gets the distinct impression that life as Mrs. Grissom would involve lots of spoiled dinners, lonely anniversaries and cold showers. So why has he entered the hearts of so many women as an unwitting romantic lead?

I mean, does this honestly work for you?

I think we’re addicted to the challenge. Like our fascination with playboys and bad boys. When it comes to fantasy men, we seem to yawn over the ones who make life too easy on us. After all, what fun is it getting flowers from a guy who gives flowers to all his dates? We want to believe we’re that one-and-only, the uber-special someone who got the rebel to conform, the rambler to settle down, and Gil Grissom to drop his bug jar and come to bed. They aren’t reality, but when it comes to entertainment, who wants reality?

Unfortunately, now that this TV fantasy man is gone, I’ll have to find myself a new one. (I’m sorta eyeing Jon Hamm from Mad Men.)

But this brings me to the question: What TV heroes have you loved and lost over the years? Were you a Gil Grissom fan? What about Jason Priestly from Beverly Hills 90210? Were you all over Don Johnson during his Miami Vice years? Tom Selleck, Magnum P.I.? Or, if you’re as old as dirt like me, here’s a blast from the past: Paul Michael Glazer from Starsky & Hutch. (Oh, man. If there was a Tiger Beat with his picture on it, I owned it!) What TV heroes have you loved and lost over the years?

So… whatchya think? I think I like Blaze heroes better, don’t you?