This blog is for those 18 and older.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Guest Author: Linda Andrews


What makes a hero?

It really depends on the story being told and the author telling it. When I set out to write Blue Maneuver, I knew that there'd be two men in the heroine's life. Each would try to win the heroine's trust and maybe something more.

Viktor arrived on the scene first. He's smooth, handsome and cultured. When he first meets Rae (my heroine) she's injured and he plays doctor. Of course, he's a horrible flirt but he does carry her from the park to her home. It's a sigh-worthy moment and for Rae a dream come true when he asks her to dinner.

This is her ideal man. The man she'd secretly been stalking. She's walking on Cloud Nine when she meets Tobias.

Tobias is in many ways Viktor's opposite. He wears battle scars on his body and is shackled by the memories and loss engraved on metal bracelets he wears on his wrists.  Where Viktor charms; Tobias is a soldier used to violence solving his problems. Where Viktor exudes culture and education; Tobias is rough (sometimes crude) and street smart. His threat to kill Rae upon their meeting is a vast cry from a dinner invitation.

So here are two standard archetypes: The polished leader/charmer and the ultimate bad boy/protector.

Both are men of honor and stand for justice. And they're completely ruthless in the pursuit of their goals. They're even willing to sacrifice their lives and Rae's to achieve them. Of course, neither is ready to die just yet, and both save Rae even as they gamble with her life.

Since the romance is more of a love triangle, who Rae actually prefers will change over time. You see the two men are on opposite sides of an intergalactic battle and Viktor is on the wrong side. For now. But time changes everything. Right now, Rae's having difficulty convincing herself she's attracted to a bad guy, Viktor. Then there's Tobias who draws her close even as he pushes her away.

Eventually, she'll have to decide on one man. Eventually, one man will be so focused on his goals that he'll destroy whatever feelings she has for him. But that is far, far away. Until then she's enjoying the attention of two very different men, both who want her but are using her too.

What is it that attracts you to a hero? At what point does he stop being heroic and starts being a jerk?

 BLUE MANEUVER
The extraterrestrials have landed and they're human.
Rae Hemplewhite didn't believe in aliens until a close encounter with out-of-this-world technology drags her into the extraterrestrial security program. Helping alien refugees adjust to life on Earth is difficult enough, but her first clients have a price on their heads. Plus, her new partner seems torn between the urge to kiss her or kill her. 
And that's the good news.
The bad news: Alliances are forming in deep space. If Rae doesn't keep her witnesses alive long enough to transfer their top secret information to the right faction of humanity, Earth will become a battlefield. 

Blue Maneuver available now:


Comment for a chance to win Blue Maneuver!
 

12 comments:

  1. Hi Linda, First I have to say I LOVE your cover. Second, I would hate to be in Rae's shoes. I'd have a hard time choosing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda,
    In answer to your question, I have always had a weakness for bad boys (married one), but they have to have that something extra. Humor. They must be able to laugh at themselves as well as make me laugh too. Most of the bad boys I've met actually had hearts of gold hidden beneath that rough, tough exterior.

    Marie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Alexis and Marie! Thanks for having me today. I agree about the sense of humor. One of the things I love best about my husband is his ability to make me laugh no matter how much I want to cry.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Both these characters sound like good heroes.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Linda,
    Great cover and intriguing triangle plot. I tend toward the good guy and if he's a bad guy who becomes good, that's even better. Esp if the heroine is the reason he changes his ways. Does that mean that I want to control my man? lol. Must be some deep psychological undertone there, cause in 30+ years of marriage, that hasn't happened at this house, teehee.

    Congrats on the book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lyn. I don't think it hides any deep psychological undertone, I think that's just a consequence of being married:-) I often tell my husband to look into my eyes, trying to will him into doing something. It's easier if there's ice cream involved.

      Delete
  6. Great idea, Linda! I haven't recently read a romance involving two men after the same woman. I really like it when I don't know which one "gets her" until far into the story.
    Let's see... what I like in a hero is a man with a strong body and mind, yet he never uses his strengths against his girlfriend, only for her.
    Your other question...I think a guy's a jerk when he has a "psychotic" personality. In other words, he's nice or a "dickhead" depending on his own mood and his girlfriend is expected to put up with him.
    And now your question:) What made you choose to right a future/paranormal romance? Do you ever wish you lived in your future world?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dawn,

      I completely agree about the use of strength. As for why I write futuristic/paranormal romance, all I can say is I write the story of the characters that speak the loudest in my head. I would definitely love to live in some of those places but I could do without the conflict.:-)

      Delete
  7. I love your archetypes. I find the use of them in writing just fascinating. Your book sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Laura, I love archetypes especially when they're a blend of two or more. Characters should be complex like people, plus you get a few more surprises that way:-)

      Delete
  8. Hi again, Linda! I agree, not wanting the conflicts of the future. It's almost frightening what I think I might run into in my real future. Although, I'm sure your characters wouldn't like our present day conflicts either:)
    Keep up the great writing!!!

    ReplyDelete