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by J.A. Saare, guest blogger

Hello, Ladies (and Gentlemen, if you’re out there!)  Thanks for joining me on the blog today!

I’d like to discuss something every romance writer or reader can relate to.  They are as essential to the genre as the sugar in cotton candy.

Who am I talking about?  Why, the hero of course.

But not all heroes are created equal, and just as an audience is diverse, so are tastes.  While I was trying to come up with ideas for this blog entry, I kept running several things over in my mind. Some people like a soft spoken male.  Others want him brash and intimidating.  It’s not always the same.  There is no guaranteed formula. That got me to thinking.  What about the men that aren’t the conventional? What if you take the word “alpha” out of the equation all together?

With movies as my venue to share, I’ve chosen five very different but memorable characters.  Each has one specific characteristic that makes my heart race and my stomach butterfly, but in their own special way.

Without Further Ado, in true Breakfast Club Fashion…

1. The Wiseass – Bruce Campbell as Ash in Army of Darkness

There is only one Bruce Campbell, just as there will only ever be on “Ash”.  To be sure, he’s not your typical hero.  He’s not honorable, he’s not a gentleman, and he makes no apologies for it.  He just wants to get home, pronto.  And you know what, I love him for it.  A large chin and excessive wisecracks have never been so hilarious…or so sexy.

2. The Brain – Val Kilmer as Chris Knight in Real Genius

Kooky has never been this fun.  I was just a pubescent girl when I saw this movie and was introduced to what would soon become, “The Ice Man.” Only a real man can get away with sporting pink bunny slippers and an alien antenna headband while chewing gum.  I’m not sure, but I think he was my first crush. Haven’t seen the film?  Fear not!  You can enjoy the entire movie for free via Youtube.

3. The Hero – Dennis Quaid in Savior

Many people missed this powerful independent movie.  If you are one of them, I highly recommend you remedy that.  There is nothing as powerful or moving as one that protects the innocent.  Especially when it’s a newborn baby and a mother that was raped and impregnated during imprisonment.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and in the end, you’ll pray for this most haunted hero.  I saw the film years ago and still can’t shake it –or him.

4. The Friend – Ethan Hawke as Troy in Reality Bites (10th Anniversary Edition)

There is more to the man than greasy hair and wrinkled clothes.  Beneath the surface is someone that is tortured with his own inner demons.  Of course, the friendship he has with his best friend (played beautifully by Winona Ryder) can’t work because he knows she deserves better.  The scene when she comes to the club and he’s on the stage and he cues up the group, looks her dead in the eye, and begins singing a cover of the Violent Femmes, Add It Up…I still shiver.

5. The Heart – James McAvoy as Robbie in Atonement

There is so much about Robbie I loved.  He is passionate but kind, a man that wants to better himself but appreciates he doesn’t belong around those he aspires to be.  When it’s ripped from him, and he is left raw and vulnerable, you want to nurse his wounds and soothe his soul.  One of the most memorable characters of all time, Robbie not only makes my heart accelerate, he makes it bleed.

So now that I’ve shown you mind, show me yours! I want to know what heroes do it for you.  What is it about them that makes you laugh, smile, or swoon?  Leave a comment and share!

A Kiss Before Dying Blurb:

Katja Morgan has committed the ultimate taboo in the life of a blood slave; she has fallen in love with her master. Vampire Lord Sebastian Arsov is everything she has ever wanted - gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, kind. As their time together nears an end, she carefully constructs the ruse that will allow her to belong to her shellar in both body and soul.

But sharing an evening with her beloved comes at a high price - the cost of her life.

Disguised as a bed slave, Katja enters Sebastian's chambers to experience the pleasures she's been long denied. Including the bite that will ultimately kill her - what slaves refer to as a kiss before dying. As the night fades into the day, will Sebastian discover Katja's true identity before it's too late? Or will he lose the slave he's come to love above all others?

A Kiss Before Dying Excerpt:

The large oak door opened with a protest of squeaking hinges, interrupting my thoughts and memories, and Sebastian entered the bedchamber. His massive frame took up a large portion of the bedroom, as did his tremendous presence. He pulled the door closed behind him, walked to the center of the room, and stood before me.

I knew what to expect. I had seen him come to those fortunate enough to grace his bed in those early days of my tenure, exiting just before the females doomed to die glorified in the last dizzying moments of pure bliss. For though they partook in the pleasures of his body, it was I who shared a portion of his mind, and the only reprieve I was allotted from his chamber was when he entertained.

As required, I donned a black mask embossed with blood red jewels that revealed only my cherry-stained lips and darkly kohled chocolate brown eyes, which worked in my favor to keep my identity hidden. Many of the lords preferred to think of their bed partners as little more than disposable pleasures. None of them enjoyed killing, even when it was necessary. The mask also held an enchantment, obscuring my unique scent. Otherwise, Sebastian would easily recognize the aroma of my blood and, by association, my identity.

To continue with the illusion, I chose a long, pale blonde wig to disguise the brunette waves collected underneath. Sebastian loved my hair. He claimed it was a prize of its own. Masking those heavy strands was as important as obscuring my face.

He continued standing there, observing me with a trained and critical eye. He was covered by only the most expensive materials, each piece custom fit to conform to his frame perfectly. The black jacket molded to his wide shoulders was left open along the center to reveal the crisp white shirt beneath with pearly white buttons opened at the collar.

"Rise," he murmured in his thick, rich voice, slightly accented and entirely erotic.

The mere word caused my thin panties to become drenched with hot liquid arousal. I began to shiver, goose bumps gathering along the surface of my skin. Wantonly, I envisioned the lips that uttered the word against my breasts, sucking and nipping playfully. My nipples, aching and sensitive, hardened at the prospect, and I shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

Scenting my desire, Sebastian chuckled at my reaction. "Rise, little beauty, and come to me."

This time, I did.

Find and buy J.A. Saare books at Amira Press.

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Categories:

Book Intro, Guest Blogger, S-U

Tags:

army of darkness, bruce campbell, bunny slippers, chewing gum, chris knight, club fashion, cotton candy, heart race, hello ladies, J.A. Saare, kooky, ladies and gentlemen, memorable characters, pink bunny, pubescent girl, real genius, romance writer, typical hero, val kilmer, wiseass, wisecracks