Author Interview: Rebecca Savage

Please welcome romance author, Rebecca Savage, to my blog. She's prepared a great post for us you'll be sure to want to read. Make sure to ask her a lot of questions and leave comments. You'll make us both very happy.

Oh! And DON'T miss her awesome contest. Read more to get the scoop.

Sympathy or Apathy for our Characters: Heroes and Heroines that Deserve our Respect!


Sounds odd, I know, but the characters we write into our fictional novels could be real people…well, so maybe they’re bigger than life sometimes, especially if our world building takes us to futuristic or fantasy elements, but the contemporary romance that you read could consist of real people’s lifestyles, and even those in ‘other worlds’ have real feelings.

Take divorce or death for example. It’s difficult to empathize with someone – empathy being the fact that we can only truly know how someone else feels if we’ve actually dealt with the specific issue ourselves, but we can at least sympathize…we should all be capable of being nice and caring about others and their feelings and the things they have to deal with on a daily basis.

We all have to live this life. Why can’t we all just get along…and most of all, if you’ve seen the movie Roadhouse…just be nice? People can be so cruel, but if we could only try to sympathize, and maybe, if possible, empathize, then we’d be better people ourselves and make others happier.

I’ve written several types of characters, and I’m a teacher, which means I’m not a psychiatrist, but I feel like I need one sometimes And I see how all types of people deal with all types of problems. It’s odd when you see kids who are in perfect health, but they’re total jerks, and then there are those who compete in Special Olympics, and they’re so happy-go-lucky and carefree, but they have all these physical and mental disabilities that they don’t let keep them from being nice and thrilled with the smallest accomplishment.

Most of the time our characters are healthy and beautiful. We really don’t want to read the bad stuff because we have to deal with enough negativity during our real lives, so escapism shouldn’t be sad, but it’s nice to think of those who have problems and help out in some small way when we can…even if it’s just a smile when you come into contact with strangers.

I try never to be mean. It doesn’t always work, but I try nice first…always.

Sometimes when people are mean though, it’s not because they dislike another person. They might not even know that other person. Sometimes they’re just dealing with pure hell in their lives, but it’s hard to allow them to use that as an excuse to mean to others. Just smile, and go on, and say a prayer…or at least try to believe they’re being cruel just because they have issues, not because they just like to be mean.

That doesn’t mean you should let people walk on you. Absolutely not. But try nice first.

I’ve written a librarian with a wild side who trusts no one because her sister is a CIA operative and she knows better.

I’ve written a CIA operative who trusts no one because he’s seen too much to think people have any sort of good side.

I written a DEA sniper who thinks it’s too late for her to be nice to anyone because she’s too jaded.

I’ve written a rich guy who thinks being nice would just win him a good digger.

I’ve written an FBI agent who used to be nice until her parents got killed by someone who’d been nice to her all her life then turned bad guy.

I’ve written a reporter who has seen good, bad and ugly…mostly ugly…so he thinks those who are nice are only nice to get something out of him, and he’s probably right in his world.

I’ve written a ‘nice’ girl next door who got framed by her not-so-nice fiancé and sent to prison. Now she’s hooked up with a nice lawyer…and of course she believes there is no such thing as a nice lawyer.

I’ve written a nice guy fireman who’d risk his life for anyone but never his heart, and a nice lady who was abused by a really not nice ex-husband who was really phony in the begging, until he had her hooked.

I’ve written a nice, smart college graduate who gets shoved into a man-hole by someone who was treated not very nicely by lots of people and turned insane.

I’ve written a horrible mass murderer who wouldn’t know nice if it hit him…and it does, right in the face at the end of the book: a nice guy who rescues a nice woman from danger.

So be nice.

You never know what people are dealing with in their real life tragedies.

And you could be next.

rebeccasavage.com

CONTEST: Go to my website and leave a comment through the email form and one here as well, and you’ll be entered for any free pdf of your choice if you win the contest



BLURB:

• A hard core CIA covert ops expert like Nash Kincaid takes everything seriously, especially his mission to retrieve classified information from his contact, take it to the right people, and stop the deaths of thousands of children at the hands of home-grown terrorists.

A librarian with a wild side could throw a ringer into his plans, but Ayden Devlin takes most things seriously, too, even when she decides to live out the lives of the characters in the books she reads by helping her sister Leigh, a spy for the CIA. She lets Leigh insert classified information into her mouth where there’s a missing tooth, so she can safely transport the info to Nash.

Nash and Ayden meet in a biker bar, and a hit man tries to kill Ayden. Nash throws his body in the path of a bullet to save her. A bullet grazes Ayden’s head and knocks her out cold. When she comes to, she and her rescuer have to establish trust. They don’t know each other, and the mission has gone awry. It takes time to convince each other of their respective honesty and identity.

It takes no time at all for them to realize they’re hot for each other, and not much more time to realize it’s more than heat. Love blooms, stoked by building passion, the flames rising higher with each new dangerous encounter.

Will they survive to share their love and lives?



EXCERPT:

Who the hell sends a librarian to do the job of an undercover CIA agent?

Covert Operation Expert Nash Kincaid - at least that's what his latest passport said - sat in a seedy biker bar, sipping on his tap beer, waiting impatiently for a librarian - of all people - to show up and make a Top Secret information drop.

He scowled and scoffed silently into his foamy brew at the very balls of his friend and fellow comrade in arms, the man who'd set up this preposterous rendezvous. How the hell had Ace ever gotten it in his head that some stuffy old bookworm would be suitable for a transfer of classified information? So what if this Ayden person happened to be Ace's partner Leigh's sister? That didn't mean she could pull off something like this.

And who the hell is the amazing-looking chick that just walked in the door?

Nash's eyes widened, and his blood simmered beneath the surface. He let his eyes wander down, and then roam back up, the woman's sexy form. Her slim but amply curved silhouette stood out against the shadows of the barroom. Bright neon lights poured over her sexy outline, illuminating her body in vibrant red and yellow hues, cascading over and around her like waterfalls of color for her to bask in. She wore a skin-tight muscle shirt and a short leather skirt. The shiny, sequined material clung to curvy hips, stopped inches above shapely knees, and topped off endless, toned legs. Her fiery hair hung loose, reaching her narrow waistline, flowing like a billowing sea of red. Nash wanted to grip her waist with one hand, run his other through all that mass of organized tangles, hold on tight, and plow into her beckoning body like a madman.

Okay, so maybe her body didn't beckon him, but he sure as hell wanted it to.

What Do You Want In A Romance Hero & In A Real Life Man?

What type of romance novel hero do you want to read about?

What type of man do you want to marry in real life?

Are they the same?

Not for me.

What I Want In Romance Novel Hero
In romance novels I prefer to read about Alpha males and maybe even a Gamma. The strong, silent type that can sometimes be a bastard or least very take charge.

While reading a romance novel, however, I'm busy getting swept off my feet, falling in love, and maybe getting super hot from making love. I'm lost in the newness of the relationship, in the first stages of romance, and I'm so out of my head and only listening to my heart, that I'm not thinking about what's going to happen after the wedding - except for a lot of hot sex.

What I Want In A Husband
What I want in a husband, however, is NOT a bad boy or the silent type or the CEO who's never home.
I want someone who will talk to me, who will do things with me, who will hang out with the kids, help me around the house, and change a diaper.

I want someone who will laugh with me and make me laugh. I want someone who has time for me and the kids, who will get along well with my family and friends.

I Wonder Why?
I wonder why I like to read about the bad boy and the CEO and the strong, silent type?

Bad boys have a lot of fun and do what they want which is fun to read about. In real life, I'd be stressed out if my husband was getting in trouble with the law, if unsavory people were threatening my family, if I had to wonder where our next meal would come from, if a band of vampires or werewolves were going to kill me.

CEO's would probably provide a big, beautiful house and a lot of financial security. But most CEO's I know work extra long. They're rarely home. When they are home, they're conducting business on the phone a lot. Would I want to be ignored? Not really.

Would I want to live my life in silence with the strong silent type? Do I want someone who only grunts at me or talks in monosyllables? Do I want someone who doesn't share his thoughts and dreams, feelings, and day to day life with me?


What About You?
Do you want to read about the same type of hero that you want to marry or that you wished you'd married?

Recent posts you might like to read:

Rejection: Where Do You Go Next?

Procrastination

Cliche or Coincidence?

What Prompts Me To "Follow" A Blog

Make Sure Pretentious Words Don't Turn Off Your Readers

Dedicating Books

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Tough Choices

Life is full of tough choices...

You know. Really important choices. Do I want to eat chocolate ice cream or brownies for dessert? Do I want to wear blue jeans or capris? Do I want to read a romance or a non-fiction book about sex?

But the toughest choice is deciding who I want to date (or make love to) more. I honestly can't decide as both men in these pairs are so handsome, so sexy, so appealing I can't make up my mind.

You tell me who you prefer in each case, or if like me, you can't make up your mind. (Isn't that why menages were born?)

Eddie Wilson (Michael Pare)/Frank Ridgeway (Tom Berrenger) - "Eddie and the Cruisers". Both the film and the soundtrack are terrific. "Tender Years" has to be one of the most romantic, soulful songs ever sang. I've worn out three copies of this soundtrack since the 80's. I still can't get enough of it.

Will Turner (Orlando Bloom)/Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) - Pirates of the Caribbean. I think Will's my favorite but then Johnny does something really cute and I'm back to being undecided.

Capt. Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck)/ Capt. Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) - Pearl Harbor. Yum.

Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford)/Mick Dugan (Alec Baldwin) - Working Girl.

You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

What kind of heroes do you like?

A couple days ago, author Katie Reus asked what kind of heroines and heroes do you like (and dislike).

http://katiereus.blogspot.com/

I started to write this post about the heroines and I'll touch on that tomorrow or soon. However, since my release this week was a M/M romance ("Liquid Heat" at Total-E-Bound) I'll focus on heroes.

Do you have a favorite type of hero?

Of course, there's the huge categories of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, but what qualities do you like in a hero you read about in a book? Do you like the same qualities in real life men?

I confess. I used to like Alpha males (in books). I thought they were oh so strong, so sexy. Yum!

However, I found out that in real life, I much prefer a beta male (I definitely married an alpha). I want a man who is a help mate, who is easy-going, one who will talk to me and do things with me.

I want someone who will make me laugh. Someone who is fun to be with and talk to.

He definitely has to be sexy.

I've always found one physical type extremely sexy. I like tall, very dark-haired men, swarthy complected, and dark-eyed men. I love a five-o'clock shadow on a man. I had one boyfriend like this a very very very very long time ago like this.

Thus, I was shocked at my reaction to the most recent "The Bachelorette" with De Anna.

Of course, if you didn't watch "The Bachelorette", you won't know the following people I'm talking about.

When De Anna got down to the final two bachelors, Jason looked like my ideal man, and while he was super cute and sexy, I really wanted her to pick Jesse - which she did. In fact, if I'd been in her place, I would have picked Jesse.

Here's Jesse to the right.

What's up with that?

Have I finally gotten over that physical type? I mean, I still found Jason to be very handsome and sexy, but I liked Jesse better. I loved Jesse's sense of humor and how fun he is and how easy to talk to he is. And, although he's not the epitomy of the physical type I thought I liked, I thought he was super cute.

Here's Jesse with De Anna.

Here's Jason (with the dark hair.) He's cute, too.

I veered, so let me get back on topic.

Although I've always known that looks don't matter, my heart pitter patters for guys that look like Jason.

As I mentioned in the comments on Katie's blog, I like to read about different types of heroes (and heroines). Elsewise, all the books would be the same and I'd be so bored I wouldn't want to read more.

Thus, when I create heroes, I make each one different.

I like men who are responsible, who tell the truth, who have a strong sense of morals, who are fun, easy to talk to, who are fun to be with, who kiss well :) , who have broad shoulders, and who don't take themself too seriously. I like them to be bright and quick and kind.

In real life, I like gentlemen. At work, we have one of these dying breed. He goes out of his way to open and hold doors for us. Last Monday when I forgot my lunch, he shared his grapes and crackers with me. All the ladies drool over him. He is very handsome. However, although I recognized and appreciated this, since he's blonde and blue-eyed, his masculine attraction had to grow on me a little longer. If I were single, now it wouldn't matter to me if he was a blonde, red-haired, or bald.

Eee! I'm rambling.

In books, I want the hero to sweep me off my feet, scoop me into his arms, and carry me off to his lair. Okay, so maybe I still like alpha heroes - at least in books.

What I don't like are bullies, TSTL heroes, ditzy people, sarcastic heroes, or ones that dwell on their past heroines.

Give me Gene Kelly.