The hero in my last novella was not perfect. I don't mean he was wounded or flawed emotionally. I mean, physically, he was a man pushing forty and comfortable in his own weathered skin.
I can't tell you how many drafts I did trying to figure out Rhys Vincent's character. All I know is that one day I looked at Rhys and figured out that at his age, he wasn't built like a slim-hipped twenty something and never had been. He played college ball and had the banged up physique to prove it. He was very solidly built. Just like any good line-backer--you know, the guy on the field that has to assess what's going on in an instant and take care of business. A little thicker in the neck, waist, ummm, you get what I mean. That was Rhys.
And for this story, Head Over Heels, I found that sexier than any model-pretty male I'd ever drooled over since adolescence. Which of course, made me start to wonder if we're being fair to our heroes.
If you've been reading romance as long as I have you can remember when the only heroines you could find were willowy beauties with flowing blonde/black/red locks and perfect figures. And don't forget the perfect teeth/smile. I always found that one a little odd, considering what must have passed for dental hygiene in medieval times--but I digress.
I realize that we write fiction. We want to imagine a handsome man falling in love with our heroine, who is definitely not perfect. But have we gone too far?
What do you think?
Paris Assassin's Kiss 5 Stars Just Erotic Romance Reviews 5 Blue Ribbons Romance Junkies 4 Stars Romantic Times Reviews
I'm so excited about the new Ellora's Cave Red Stilettos series! Anytime you get to work with authors like Francesca Hawley, Ashlyn Chase and Delilah Devlin you know that the stars have lined up! Astrologically speaking, of course;-)
Once upon a time (in the late 1950's)there was a movie star by the name of Ava Darling, who despaired that she would ever find the Hollywood Happily Ever After ending that she'd portrayed so many times. But that was before she went to Italy and found a darling little shoemaker who made her a pair of magical red stilettos. The same day she put them on she turned a corner and bumped into Charles Stratton III, the man destined to love her for the rest of her life.
Fifty years later four friends, Bella, Erika, Lexie and Jolie attend her estate sale, pool their money and take a chance on magic. Head Over Heels, Bella's story is Book One, followed by Erika's story, Whirlwind Affair by the fabulous Francesca Hawley (3/3), Dear Sexie Lexie by the awesome Ashlyn Chase (3/17) and Bad Bad Girlfriend by the devilishly delightful Delilah Devlin (3/24). Drop by the Ellora's Cave Coming Soon page at http://www.jasminejade.com for a peek at their delicious covers and excerpts. I loved working with these talented, gracious ladies!
Here's a glimpse of my cover trailer and an excerpt:
Excerpt:
Rhys Vincent ground his back teeth and took Veronica Smith–Hathaway’s elbow as they crossed the street. It was snowing and not for the first time did he wish he were wearing boots instead of dress shoes with his tux. Ronnie didn’t seem to notice the puddle that soaked her designer heels or the frigid wind that tore at the edges of her flimsy black evening coat. Neither had been designed for January in Kansas City.
Veronica—Ronnie—was his best friend Brian’s estranged wife. She had insisted she knew a shop that had the fedora they needed to complete the scavenger-hunt list—right after he’d politely refused her offer to give him the best sex of his life. Was it too much to ask for a woman who didn’t have an agenda to want to have sex with him? He’d been down the revenge-sex path years ago and it was one he didn’t want to take with a woman he’d known for twenty years.
He’d promised Brian that he’d keep an eye on her and that meant he couldn’t very well let her walk around alone in the Crossroads art district after dark. As CEO of the Vincent Foundation, he’d put Veronica in charge of the annual event as a favor. One he was coming to regret. He was still trying to figure out why Brian was so worried about a wife he’d clearly been neglecting for the past year when Ronnie leaned over and peered into a dimly lit shop.
“There it is,” she hissed, pointing at a weathered brown fedora, jauntily perched on a torso mannequin’s head. Before he could figure out why she was hissing, he glanced through the window, started to shout and everything went into slow motion.
He saw a pair of curvy legs that ended in sexy red spike heels leaning forward and overbalancing a rickety ladder. The bell over the door jangled as he pushed it open and sprinted three full strides. He reached her before she finished screaming.
“She” was an armful of black and white fluff he grabbed and swept out of the way as the ladder fell.
Maybe he couldn’t breathe because she’d smacked him square in the chest but he didn’t think so. Although it could have been because her arms were wrapped solidly around his neck, as if she didn’t intend to let go anytime soon. Fine by him.
He didn’t know if she was shocked that he’d caught her or because she knew the shudder that rippled through her like a faint orgasm had telegraphed its way into his fingertips. She looked like a naughty fairy-tale princess with big blue eyes. A fall of silky dark hair brushed the top of her black turtleneck and her creamy cheeks were flushed as bright as an apple. She knew.
And as I say in my dedication: This book is dedicated to all women with a penchant for the color red, sexy shoes and men who make their skirts fly up!
Happy reading,
Paris http://parisbrandon.com Head Over Heels Copyright 2010 Ellora’s Cave ISBN: 9781419927379 http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8181-138-head-over-heels.aspx
