Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

Over the weekend I read a rather negative review of Secrets of Sin. It was the first one out of six or seven that’s been more negative than positive. The reviewer gave it 2 out of 5 something or other. It wasn’t stars and I can’t quite remember was she uses.

She said it had no romance and was just about sex. I’m not sure I can agree with that. I know how hard we worked to specifically make sure there was lots of romance. And several other reviewers have used phrases like “touch me on a deep emotional level”, “delightful lead characters” and “desire and love run wild” to describe the story so they all saw the romance in it too. What I do agree with is that the romance portion of the story didn’t work for her. She said she never warmed up to Reinier, the hero. I have no problem with that. He’s a hard man to love and we knew some people wouldn’t.

Personally as a reader I adore a man that’s flawed and hard to love. Knights in shining armor are fine too but give me a tarnished hero with some kinks (yes pun intended) in that armor and I’m even happier. I’ve read a lot of them lately like Ian in the The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, Leo in Wild Heart and Christian in The Sin of Lord Easterbrook. But they are hard to love in a much more sympathetic way than Reinier.

Reinier is more in the vein of a Susan Johnson “hard to love” hero. And no, I am not comparing Chloe Harris to Susan Johnson, just that our hero is flawed in a similar way as some of her’s. When many historical writers write bad boys the things that make them bad are generally off the page or happen before the hero and heroine meet. SJ isn’t afraid to have the hero turn back to his bad habits after the first meet and we weren’t afraid to show how bad Reinier can be in vivid detail.

In a lot of historical romances the reader falls in love with the hero way before the heroine does and they continue to read to see her discover what they already know. But with Reinier, I think, the reader and the heroine are on more of an equal footing. For the most part it’s going to take just as long for the reader to love and forgive him as it does the heroine, for some readers sooner and for some not at all.

One reviewer called the story “slightly dark in a sensationally passionate way.” It’s set in the Caribbean on a lush island where everything is bright and airy. How can she say it’s dark? The dark she’s talking about, I think, comes from Reinier. There is a darkness in him that invades the story. I LOVE that in a hero. I get the shivers from just looking at the DVD cover with Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII. But I’m weird that way. I’ve always known that.

So what about you? Do you like a hero that’s hard to love or that perfect knight that saves the day? And what the hell, let’s give away another copy to a commenter so you can see for yourself.

I’m so sad to hear that one of my favorite writers has passed away. Dick Francis died on Valentine’s Day, at the age of 89. He was born in Wales, was a very successful jockey, then turned his hand to writing mysteries. More than 40 of them, and they almost always had something to do with the world of horse-racing.

I think I’ve read every single one of his books, and I’d happily read them again. And again. They’ll be on my keeper shelf forever. Yes, I love horses and I always enjoy a good mystery, but the real hook for me is his heroes.

Oh my God, do I love his heroes! They’re not always the biggest, most muscular, super handsome guys. What they are is strong in all the ways that count. They’re leaders, the kind of men who solve problems and save lives, who are intensely loyal and passionately devoted to doing the right thing. They have guts and integrity. And they never boast. They’re the quiet, unassuming kind that always comes through in a crunch. They’re also dead sexy and have a dry sense of humor.

Is it any wonder that every hero I write has a lot in common with the heroes in Dick Francis’s books? Of course, mine do tend to be super handsome because, after all, I write romance rather than mystery and we women do like our hot guys!

My January release, Sex on the Beach, has three sexy heroes. It’s a collection of three interrelated novellas all taking place in Belize, in the week before a destination wedding.

The first hero, Free Lafontaine, is an unusual sort of hero because he’s actually trying to stop his best friend from getting married – but he’s doing it for noble reasons: he believes the bride is a money-grubber and he’s honouring a promise to his friend. Of course, he’s going to realize he’s dead wrong – with a little help from wedding planner Sarah McCann!

The second hero, Ric Nunez, is the perfect man for Tamiko Sato, the fragile victim of sexual abuse. He’s gentle and sensual, and awakens the passionate woman inside her. Every woman deserves a lover like Ric!

And then there’s the third hero, James Moncrieff. When he was married to Giovanna, he was a stuffy professor who was definitely not the right match for the vibrant but immature Italian girl. Now, though, he’s about to show his ex that he’s a far different – far sexier! – man.

What I want to hear from you is, who are your favorite heroes? Writers who you’ve loved for years? What makes for a perfect romance hero?

By the way, I’m thrilled to announce that my December book, Sex Drive, is a Fresh Pick at Fresh Fiction today, and it will also be Cosmo “red hot read” for May!

Happy reading, and happy Olympics!

We all want our heroes to be heroic, and traditionally romance readers love heroes who are SEALs, covert ops guys, police officers, and firefighters.

Okay, but seriously… What’s it like to be in love with a man who risks his life on a regular basis? To have kids with him and hope he’ll be around to see them grow up? To hope that when you both swear those vows “till death you do part,” that death is going to be a long, long way off?

Do women just try not to think about it, or do they recognize the fear but find the strength to handle it?

In my November story “Too Hot to Handle” (in Men on Fire), heroine Jade Rousseau’s dad was a cop. When he was almost killed on the job, she and her mom were so traumatized that her mom persuaded him to switch to a desk job.

Jade herself became risk-averse. If you play it safe, you can’t get hurt, right? Well, her beliefs are challenged when her girlfriends “buy” her the wrong guy at a bachelor auction. She needs a faux fiancé and wants a nice, traditional white-collar guy. Instead, she gets sexy Quinn O’Malley.

Quinn lives on a sailboat, rides a motorbike, and – oh, yeah – he’s a firefighter. Not only a firefighter, but one who has a personal vendetta against fire. It claimed his family, and it’s not going to take any more lives if he has anything to say about it. So, on the job, he’s a risk-taker.

What does a woman like Jade do when she starts to fall for a man like Quinn? Well, to find out how that particular romance turns out, you’ll just have to read the story. Okay, you know how it turns out – it’s a romance, after all! – but to find out how the two of them resolve their pretty major differences, you’ll have to do some reading. If you’d like to start with an excerpt, go to the MEN ON FIRE page at my website: http://www.susanlyons.ca. I also have behind-the-scenes notes, blurbs for all 3 novellas, a discussion guide, and recipes for the “it’s raining men” cocktail and decadent chocolate Nanaimo bars!

Anyhow, what I’d like to know today is how you feel about high-risk heroes and the women who love them. Or, in reverse, women in high-risk occupations and the men who love them. In fiction, and in real life, what kind of person does it take to love someone who endangers their life on a regular basis?

And, as a reader, what’s your favourite kind of hero: the high-risk ones, the billionaires, the brilliant scientists, the doctors who save lives, the lawyers who fight for justice, or ????

Last week, it was my turn to pick the next title my book club would read. The ladies tend toward literary fiction (it’s a Canadian thing ) so I dutifully suggested two rather intriguing literary novels. But I offered a third option, because I had a craving . . . to read an old James Bond novel. So I suggested that we each read a Bond book and, much to my surprise, that’s what my book club decided, unanimously, to do. Thus illustrating the amazing appeal of 007!

Okay, what is it about Bond? Why is he such a powerful hero image?

When I was a teen, I loved those old Ian Fleming books, and thought James Bond was the hottest guy on the planet. Sean Connery brought him to sexy life for millions of women, as did the actors who followed him, up through Pierce Brosnan and now, of course, the (gasp!) blue-eyed, blond-haired Bond, Daniel Craig. James Bond is a hero who seems to have timeless appeal.

We all have our favorite Bonds, and mine happens to be Sean Connery. To me, his Bond is the perfect mix of skill, debonair charm, killer (pun intended) looks, and edge. Pierce’s Bond is charming, no question, but to me he didn’t have the same dangerous edge. Daniel’s has plenty of that edge, but in my opinion his charm just can’t match the Connery 007 for sophistication and worldliness.

How about you? Are you a Bond fan? What appeals to you about the character? Which actor’s interpretation is your favorite – i.e., which version of Bond would be most likely to seduce you to tell your deepest secrets? And why, in your opinion, has Bond remained one of the world’s most popular heroes?