Hero Worship

When I was growing up, my hero worship consisted of posters of the swashbuckling adventuresome archaeologist, Indiana Jones, hanging on my wall.

Now that I’m all grown up (ha!), things haven’t changed so much.

I have a confession.

I’m totally in love with my hero. Every time I visit with him, I think about how hot and sexy he is and how he epitomizes the essence of what I love in a man. Sarcastic, witty, hot, sexy (I think I already mentioned that, but it bears mentioning again). I described him once to a writer pal that he had the adventuresome spirit of Indiana Jones, the sarcasm of Han Solo, and he looks like Clive Owen. Yum.

(By the way, I saw Beyond Borders this weekend starring Clive Owen and Angelina Jolie and the ending totally sucked. I was mad. But, good gaw, he so hot in that movie. And I love watching him kiss her because I just know it has to be good. Mmm… okay I’m sick, what can I say?)

The hero I’m referring to is, of course, Dane Fortune. Working on the edits this past weekend makes me want to write a third book. Have I mentioned how totally fabulous my editor is? She was really able to capture the essence of the characters and the story and inject a lot of humor that I loved. She managed to epitomize Dane and who he is and it made me fall for him all over again. I can see why Skye likes him so much.

I’m a firm believer you have to love your hero to write him well. Especially a romantic lead such as Dane. He’s a complicated character too – a cold-blooded killer who actually has a heart. And he was difficult and easy to write all at the same time. At times, when I was writing in his POV, I could clearly hear his voice (part of being “in the zone”). It’s such an incredible feeling – a total rush. And when the concentration is broke, it really sucks.

Dane is someone to be afraid of if crossed, but yet someone who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. He’s charming and suave, witty and sarcastic. And he has a fierce protection of the things he views as his, including a certain sassy redhead (no, not me).

Anyway, my point in all this is this. You simply MUST read the new version of Ransom & Fortune. The first book, A Bend In Time, will be released tentatively toward the end of November. The storyline has been revamped just a smidge and the characters are so alive and so real you’d think they could leap off the page. The moment I start reading the story, no matter where I pick it up, I’m instantly transported back to that world. Maybe because I’m already close to the story and maybe because I know it so well. I don’t know.

I can tell you this: you will not be disappointed.

And as for Dane… well… I love him. I do.