Sherry Thomas GuestBlog: Knights in Rusty Armor & Damsels Not-in-Distress
From Michelle: Sherry Thomas' debut romance, "Private Arrangements" is one of the best romances I've read. Ever. Yes, it's so good, I think Mssrs. Strunk and White might 
condone that redundancy. Buy it. Devour it. Pre-order her July novel, "Delicious." Please offer Sherry your warmest "Where have you and your books been all my life" Bella buongiorno...
condone that redundancy. Buy it. Devour it. Pre-order her July novel, "Delicious." Please offer Sherry your warmest "Where have you and your books been all my life" Bella buongiorno...From Sherry: When Michelle interviewed me for my feature story, she asked me a very interesting question: Who is your romance hero, dark, brooding bad boy, or white knight in shining armor?
In real life I adore a good man. I think of my husband as a wonderful example of a knight in shining armor. We've been married almost twelve years, and I am almost sure I've never seen him brood-he's too busy! He washes dishes, does laundry, cooks, holds down a high tech job, and is a great dad on top of it.
But while it's wonderful to be married to him, I never use him as a template for a hero. Why? Because romance requires conflict; a good romance requires intense conflict. And Dear Hubby is very good at not getting us into conflict.
Does that mean my romance hero is the dark, brooding bad boy? No. I don't much care for bad boys. The only reformed bad boy that I've ever seen in real life is Warren Beatty. Most other examples of bad boys go on to be unfaithful husbands, not exactly inspiring to a writer of love stories.
So who is my romance hero, then? As I told Michelle, I like to think of him as the dark knight in a sometimes rusty armor. The Crusades sucked. His butt is hating the saddle. And if he comes across one more damsel in distress, he is going to run her over himself.
Of course, I haven't written this particular hero yet. And I don't do medievals. But Sir Nameless here interests me. What happened on the Crusades that sucked so much? Why hasn't he found another line of work if he doesn't care to get on a horse again? And who is the damsel-not-in-distress who is going to make him want to spit polish his armor and win every tournament in sight for her?
In real life, short-comings in those around us tend to drive people nuts. But
in romance, character flaws are what drive a book. The greater the initial imperfections, the more meaningful and satisfying journey to that point where readers close a book not only believing in the author-supplied happy ending, but can imagine for themselves the wiser, better Sir Nameless as a loving husband and father who not only keeps the castle safe, but also occasionally picks up the broom and sweeps the rushes when all the servants are down with flu.
So, dear readers, who is your romance hero? And do you know what happened to my Sir Nameless to make him the dark, grumpy knight that he is?
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Michelle Buonfiglio loves her husband, two kids and cat. She's passionate about romance fiction and the people who write it and read it, as well as the industry that builds the books. She says romance reading changed her life. More...
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comments
He almost runs her over on his horse, and she tells him off for doing it. After all, she's not a distressed damsel!
... Yes I need more sleep. *angelface*
Yes. I have read LOS. And Jessica Trent is just the kind of woman to bring a scoundrel to heel. Too bad we don't see her nearly often enough!
Bev,
A little dissonance can be marvelous, non? We all lie to ourselves once in a while. And it's part of growing up to be able to face the truth and see past those fabrications we use to justify our action.
Aliquis,
I can live with that HEA for Sir Nameless. But can anyone tell me how he got it?
Michelle,
::whispers:: Wrong enticement. Much better to promise me a 10-course spread. Because writers on deadlines (which I just came off last night) don't do grocery shopping. Their fridges are empty and they are starving. :-)
Sir Nameless finds himself a damsel *not* in distress, settles down and has a happily ever after. With no more crusades. Ever. :D
Hi, cy! I must see KOH. Keep forgetting about it, and wanted to since I first saw the trailers way back when. I'm pathetic as a movie fan, aren't I? You guys put me to shame.
see, Stace? Moral dubiousitiousness at its finest. And you picked up on it from the beginning. It kinda hits home cause we've all got the spectrum in us, ya know?
Oh, good God, MK. Did you get filtered on c.rack? I must say, I adored Camden from the start, and totally felt for Gigi's position -- how she's been so pulled upon from different quarters while she's still basically a teen. Camden made me smile with his youthful earnestness. I love how tangled up they get in their emotions throughout the book, and how it keeps all kinds of tension going.
yes, Beverly, that juxtaposition of thought and deed was beautiful, and part of the reason humor works so well in this book (cause ironic humor is created that way, too). These two have an intense, albeit brief, history of sharing on what we'd call the soul mate level. They're two fairly brilliant people in their own ways who clicked on every level before they split. And we see that connection even during the tension and confusion when Camden returns after Gigi asks for divorce.
I like what you said, stace, about the book being smart, but not intimidating. PA is one of those romances that one can read for fun and love, or can read and think, "oh, that's kinda brilliant writing, but not in any pedantic 'oh I've got to show you how smart I am' way' on Sherry's part." That is a great skill, and my favorite type of book: one that speaks to many types of romance readers.
I have to say I LOVE your idea, Michelle. One of my favorite books is For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale. And the poor hero, a true white knight, wasn't a virgin, but hadn't been laid in 13 years because his wife entered a convent and he thought he had to be faithful to her. And boy when he met the heroine he was just dying for some. It was so hot. :-)
Cyclops,
Isn't it awful that I know about Kingdom of Heaven only because I read somewhere that they had to "special effect" hair onto Orlando Bloom's chest? Did you believe the chest hair? :-)
Portia,
Yes. I like heroes who rediscover their inner worth and good during the course of a book.
Stacy,
I hope you like the rest of PA too.
It's interesting what you said about my characters, esp. since when I do not require them to be sympathetic right out of the gate, only that they be interesting and suck me into their story. If I ever met some of my favorite romance heroines in real life, I'm probably be completely intimidated.
And oh baby, I love those still-waters-run-deep heroes.
MaryKate,
I'm glad you liked Camden and Gigi in the end--they are not such awful people, just awful to each other. :-)
I think I would love a well-done bad-boy-reformation story. But it would have to have a rather extraordinary heroine for me to believe in it--the run-of-the-mill virgin/near virgin just wouldn't cut it for me.
And Bellas, thank you for such a warm welcome. And a great big thank you to Michelle for the invitation and the wonderful review. Michelle, you rock!
*sigh* Another book to add to the pile.
Let's see, who is my romance hero. Well on the page, I am an unabashed lover of the bad boy. I love his daring, and his dominance, I love his ability to be charming or lethal at intervals to get what he wants. I love when he throws the heroine up against a wall and takes her because he can't stand it another moment. I love me a bad boy and the woman who brings him to his knees.
IRL? My hero would be a good man who cherishes me and our life together. Probably boring, but true.
Sherry I agree that the character flaws in some of my favorite heroes would never fly in real life - a dominating man who is extremely intense, a still-waters-run deep guy that also persuasively bulldozes the heroine into a sexual relationship, because she really does want to. The kinda guy that is in denial about his feelings and pushes her away emotionally, but demands everything of her physically until he just about combusts when he realizes she means everything to him, and then he cannot hold back. Anyone this bossy and stubborn would drive me nuts, but oh, in a romance hero, it so works for me.
Now I must go, for this obligation called employment, but also because I have a bit of time to read more about Cam and Gigi, and there's nothing else I'd rather do right now.
I'm not a great lover of out and out bad boy heroes. Guys who are just bad for the sake of it. I like heroes who've been through some serious knocks in life and been made cynical by them and that's why they're slightly less than good. But then, they go on a story journey with the right woman, and come back to the light through the transforming power of love.
Does that sound sappy? LOL
ps. I'm posting about a morally dubious hero of my own at Lustbites today. ;)
Yes, something from Tiffany's should be a great incentive or bribe to write a medieval. Would Sir Nameless resemble Orlando Bloom's character in "Kingdom of Heaven?" Sir Nameless would make a great romance hero. He gets extra points for being a tortured one.
Sherry, I believe Sir Nameless is grumpy because -- even though he left the Crusades and Knights Templar ten years earlier -- he's never forsaken his vow of abstinence. You see, I also enjoy a nice, strapping virgin hero...