It took me long enough, but after close to a year of writing (and avoiding writing, but that’s another blog) I finally finished Legacy, my sequel to Belonging, and sent it off to Siren, who were kind enough to accept it. I’ve never denied my male leads were inspired by Sam, Dean and Castiel from Supernatural – or, in my version, Jeremy, Wallace the vampire, and the mysterious slayer known as the Preacher. (I chose that particular photo because the Preacher favors black. Tan trenchcoats tend to stand out in the dark.)
This isn’t the first time I’ve cast a favorite actor as the lead in one of my stories. Dialogue writing gets so much easier when you can “hear” the words spoken in a specific voice and rhythm. (Probably why I’ve never used William Shatner.) If you’re the kind who visualizes as you write, then hey, who wouldn’t want to imagine a naked Christian Bale or shirtless, Star Wars era Harrison Ford for weeks on end? I love romance writing.
Waiting patiently in my closet is a romance in draft I’ve been meaning to get back to. The lead, Sam McCollough, is a Texas boy and art thief looking to leave the biz, buy a boat, and sail around the world. The voice I heard when I started writing him was 1980s Don Johnson. Sam became a rough-but-tender guy with piercing eyes, a quick, boyish smile, and a perpetual five o’clock shadow. I’d sail around the world with him any day of the week.
Vin here was an accident. I wrote a flash scene for my other blog, Shapeshifter Seductions, about a dragon shifter. I described a tall, muscular male with a bald head and cavernous voice. After the fact I realized I’d imagined Vin Diesel. Picture that body covered in flame tattoos and that drifting-up-out-of-a-cave voice drawling at you and yeah, you’ve got a dragon. I’ve already seen Pitch Black and The Pacifier, so when I finally get around to expanding the flash, I think I’ll rent Fast 5 for research. That way I get both Vin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This job gets better and better.
Speaking of shapeshifters and wrestling, I wanted a menacing, no-nonsense Russian assassin, so I based Sergei on WWE’s Undertaker. Mark Calloway’s 7-foot, pumped-up frame was perfect for my white tiger. Picture that guy over there as an albino with icy blue eyes and that’s Sergei. Tough? Calloway has his wife’s name tattooed on his throat. Now that’s tough.
My current WIP concerns cat shifters. I haven’t quite decided on my lead yet, other than he’s blond, but I’ve got a good match for his romantic interest: Ian Somerhalder from The Vampire Diaries. Check out those eyes. Is that a cat or what? Mee-yow.
You’ll notice there are no pictures of actresses up there. I usually have only a vague idea of what, or who, my heroines look like. My mental image of their men is always more concrete. Can’t imagine why that would be … If I ever cancelled cable, I’d probably have to give up writing. Now, about that M/M/M ménage …
11 comments:
Fab hero blog, Pat!
Back in the days of Miami Vice, I wrote two romance stories starring a version of Don Johnson... one was a paranormal otherworld. The heroine could manifest her wings and was a healer and a defender of her world. The hero has been wounded and come back to be healed by her. They'd always had a thing for each other, him more than her... that was a fun-sexy story to imagine, and write.
In a role reversal story, my heroine is a Zorro type, based on the original novel. And Don Johnson plays her love interest. The only problem was overcoming the original racist views in the novel. I had an alien race that landed on this parallel Earth world to be the lesser race instead of the indigenous people.
Ah... what reminiscing does to you.
Yeah ... cutie Don in his pastel shirts. I think I liked Nash Bridges more, but the younger version makes for a better romance hero. Ageism, y'know. In my story, Don was the confused boyfriend of a woman whose body was inhabited by an alien energy being. The body wasn't virgin, but the mind running it was. Made for interesting sex scenes.
I should let Serena know I posted another Cas pic. I don't know if she's seen the Man In Black version.
I love all of the eye candy in your inspirations. I do the same thing and LOVE the Winchester boys! I chose the actor who played their father, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, as one of my heros in For the Love of Quinn. His voice is one thing that drew me in too. I also have a clear cut image of the heros, but the women are a little fuzzy. Maybe it's because I am putting myself in there? LOL
Oh Mercy, don't get rid of your cable, Pat! I need books to read. Your books! :D
That is a faboo picture of Sam, Dean and Cas...what a Friday night, eye candy overload that show is, and I'll happily go back for more.
They need to bring Cas back though! Bring Cas back! Bring Cas back! Hey, maybe we can Occupy the Supernatural offices until they do as we want! LOL
I really enjoyed Nash Bridges. However, the level of intensity and the way Miami Vice was filmed... extraordinary!
Oooh, I like the 'inhabited by alien energy being' premise. I have a Contemp Para Western WIP where the heroine is inhabited by a special energy being, and doesn't know it, but the hero does, in part, because he's from another galaxy far, far away. He's on Earth assignment, of course.
Yeah, let Serena know. That's a verra inspiring pic.
Okay, Serena knows!
Luv it! Occupy the Supernatural offices... now that would be a trip and a half.
Yes! Let's occupy the Supernatural offices! Better still, the set. Who's up for a trip to Vancouver? I'll drive!
Oh snap, I love using Dean and Sam and of course Damon (Ian) too ;) Great post!
Oooh...road trip, road trip! I'll bring the picnic basket, camera and duct tape.... :D What? I plan to bring home a souvenir. Muahahahaha
That souvenir's name wouldn't be Misha by any chance, would it? If so, I wanna go halvsies. ;)
Pat, I put your blog on Romance Writer’s Behaving Badly ~ http://romancewritersbehavingbadly.blogspot.com ~
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