D-Day 75th Anniversary

We're in the business of celebrating heroes, and among the many heroes this nation has spawned, the veterans of the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy Beach hold a special place all their own.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I grew up with this date emblazoned in my mind. For as long as I can remember, June 6th was a day to celebrate the selfless courage of the men who braved all.

So, since we're in the business of creating heroes, I thought it would be appropriate today to celebrate the 75th anniversary.

CBS ran a story that included an interview with a 99 year-old veteran who was one of the first men on the beach.

This video includes touching footage of many of the Royal Marine veterans.

When we're talking craft, we often talk about needing tp create characters who are flawed and dynamic. I think these interviews are interesting because none of the men pretend to be perfect. They admit their fear, praying to God, and wondering if they'd make it. Many of them said they couldn't face the memories for many years after they returned.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. ~JAMES NEIL HOLLINGWORTH

So, in honor of all those who courageously fought their fears because defeating Hitler was so much more important, let us say THANK YOU. Your very lives define the word hero.

The Single Dad

Hello, Jolene Navarro here today. Hope your day is going well. What are you doing today?
Me?
Oh, just some research for my current work in progress.  I know, I know...it's hard work.

Jensen Ackles and his daughter, Inspiration for my hero and his adopted daughter

Another of Jensen Ackles and his daughter.

My hero, Garrett, finds out he has a four year old, orphaned son and that son... has a daughter. To keep the kids together he is about to take custody of both children. He will be going from confirmed bachelor to single dad over night.. and does it without hesitation. Oh, he might have some doubts about his ability to do the job, but he never imagines not doing it. How can our heroine not fall in love with him?
Something about heroes and fatherhood that pulls at my heart strings, especially when the child is not even his but they love them as if they were.
We hear that fathers are the ones that establish how a girl will expect to be treated from her chosen partner. The relationship he has with his daughter will set the ground work for her future relationship. Sons watch dad to see how his mom is treated. Without this foundation life is so much harder...doable but harder.
My own heart still melted whenever my husband loves on our own daughters, twenty-three years ago or today.

Our oldest daughter never wanted to go to sleep.

Our second daughter is home from school and my husband makes sure to stop and give her a hug as he leaves the press box and heads to the football field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

I also have a deep respect the men that are fathers when there was no father. Brings to mind the country western song, "He Didn't have to Be" by Brad Paisley.

As lovers of romance we want to see the character and heart of the heroes in our stories, and know they are honorable. The kind of men that steps in and does the right thing for those that are smaller and weaker than him.  And he loves with his whole heart, eventually. For our fictional heroes, there are always some issues they have to work through, but we know at their core, they are good men. Sometimes, they have to learn that too.
Some people say it's just fiction...that doesn't happen in real life.
But I see these men all the time in the real  world. There are a couple of men in my family that have become fathers when they didn't have to...and truthfully we forget they aren't the "bio" dad. They are the real-life heroes. Being a father is more than blood and DNA, it's loving and supporting a child into adulthood. How can we not love a hero that does this?

This summer it will be twenty years  that I suddenly lost my father. I still miss his hugs and crooked grin when he thought I was being crazy.

Daddy's girl - Jolene Guinther Navarro and Roger Von Guinther 1970

I would say that all three of my father's daughters thought of themselves as a Daddy's Girl.
So are you a sucker for a single dad story? Does the image of a man holding a child make you sigh? Or is it just me?  

Hometown Heroes

by Keli Gwyn (@KeliGwyn)

My hometown of Placerville, California is awash with heroes. The King Fire, which is currently the nation's highest priority fire, is raging just ten miles away. While my town and my home aren't threatened, many towns and homes nearby are.

Enter the heroes, some 7,952 of them as of the time this post went live. These firefighters, law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel are battling a blaze that began Saturday, September 13. It started small but quickly spread and is currently listed as being 92,960 acres.

The fire's southern incident command center is set up at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds next door to my favorite supermarket. Fire engines fill the parking lot, along with a line of mobile sleeping units. The air conditioners hum loudly while exhausted firefighters inside try to grab some shut-eye.

Three days into the fire, I spotted the crew shown above picking up a few items in the store. I thanked them, shook their hands and asked if they'd pose for a picture. They readily agreed, but they wanted me to stand with them. I declined, saying I wasn't a hero; they were.

When I went to my local Walmart a few days later, I noticed a number of engines in the parking lot. I was able to get this picture of one of them with a couple members of the crew. Once again, when I asked the firefighters to pose, they insisted I be in the shot instead of them.

This led me to the conclusion that one of the major characteristics of a hero is humility. The many men and women I've encountered as I've rubbed elbows with the firefighters don't see themselves as heroes. They often shrug with embarrassment and tell me they're just doing their job.

These dedicated men and women are doing their jobs and doing them well. They're working long shifts in horrific conditions with no days off. They're missing their loved ones back home. One thing they're not doing is complaining. On the contrary. They're kind, courteous and grateful for the smallest of things.

My local Curves coaches met to pass out Otter Pops to the firefighters on a hot afternoon, and I was honored to join them. As I handed out the simple treats, I was greeted with ready smiles and a chorus of enthusiastic thank you's.

Based on my experience with these heroes in my hometown, a hero is hardworking and humble, kind and courteous, brave and sometimes even bashful. These traits are much the same as those I've seen heroes in stories portray.

If you were to expand the list of traits a hero possesses, which would you include?

Allie Pleiter on a different kind of hero

I like to do things a little differently.  I drive a crazy little car called a Nissan Cube, I like unusual clothes that no one else has, and I’m probably one of a very few female James Bond fanatics you’ll ever meet.  If it’s a little off the beaten path, I like it.

My readers tell me that’s what they like most about my books—there always just a little bit different.  After all, you wouldn’t just expect any old hero from a woman who’s written the books I have:  where the heroine is the voice of an animated owl, a plot that is basically Zorro meets Lois Lane, and a WWI hero who gets forced to knit as a promotional stunt.

So, if I’m going to tackle the bad boy hero, he’s got to have something truly unique about him.  Max Jones from A HEART TO HEAL certainly fits that bill!  Fans of THE FIREFIGHTER’S MATCH will know Max as JJ Jones’s brother.  Max fell during a climbing accident and now takes on life “on wheels”—hence the nickname “Hot Wheels.”  While his wheelchair hasn’t slowed him down one bit, Max has a lot of inner healing to do.  

When high school guidance counselor Heather Browning gets stuck with Max as a mentor to a gawky freshman boy who also uses a wheelchair, she has serious doubts as to how things will work out.  She eventually learns that sometimes God forges partnerships we never would have imagined.  Turns out Heather has some healing to do as well.  She and Max have a lot to teach each other—and young Simon, the high school student, does his own teaching and learning in this tender, funny story.

I’m delighted that Romantic Times gave this book it’s Top Pick designation and a 4.5 star review.  It’s  a very special story for me, and I hope it will be for you as well.

What about you?  What are some unique heroes that have captured your heart?

Knit Brock's Hero Hat from Alaskan Hero!

Happy Monday, everyone! Alaskan Hero, my latest book for Love Inspired, is on the shelves now. In addition to being chock full of snow, romance, avalanche search-and-rescue dogs and goofy grizzly bear costumes, this book also features one of my favorite hobbies - knitting!

I learned how to knit last year as one of my New Year's resolutions, so I couldn't resist putting my heroine, Anya Petrova, in a church knitting group that knits warm winter hats for underpriviledged folks living in the hard to reach areas of Alaska. Along the way, she also knits a crazy striped hat for the hero, Brock Parker. And that hat ends up helping save someone's life.

No, I won't tell you who! It's a surprise.

If you'd like to try knitting Brock's hero hat, here's a special pattern that my knitting teacher was kind enough to create for the release of Alaskan Hero... Happy knitting and reading!

BROCK’S HERO HAT

Pattern and photos by Wendy Pohlhammer

Skill level: Easy

To fit head size: 20” (22”, 24”)

Yarn used: Worsted-weight 100% wool, such as Cascade 220 or Ella Rae Classic, needs about 60 grams each of red and off-white and small amounts of yellow, teal, orange, & royal blue.

Knitting needles: 16” US size 8 (5 mm) circulars & US size 8 (5 mm) double-pointed needles.

Tools: stitch markers, scissors, darning needle, pompom maker

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4” in stockinette

Work as follows:

With red, cast on 80 (90, 100) stitches on circular needle.  Join to work in the round, placing a marker at the beginning of the round.  Work k 2, p 2 ribbing for 4 inches.

Change to white and knit (stockinette) for 6 rounds.

Continue color pattern as follows: 4 rounds yellow, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds teal, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds orange, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds red, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds blue, 6 rounds white.  On last row of white, place markers as follows:* K 16 (18, 20), place marker, repeat from * to end of round.

Work decreases as follows, beginning with yellow:

Round 1: * k2tog, k to marker, slip marker, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: knit

Repeat these two rounds until 30 stitches remain, keeping the following color progression: 2 more rounds yellow (for a total of 4 rounds of yellow), 6 rounds white, 4 rounds orange, 6 rounds white (end of small size); med & large continue with 4 rounds teal (end of med size); large only continue with 4 rounds white.

To finish: Break yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail.  Thread tail through remaining stitches and pull tight.  Bring yarn to inside and take a few stitches across closure to secure.  Weave in all ends.

Make a 2 ½ inch wide pompom, following the instructions on the pompom maker.  Attach pompom to top of hat.

© Wendy Pohlhammer, 2013.

Ask Elnora--How do you mend a broken heart? Lenora Worth

What a week. I'm beginning to dread my birthday each year. So many mass tragedies have happened over the years during this week in April. It's supposed to be spring. It's supposed to be a time of rebirth and rejoicing. But even as the flowers bloom and the rain pours, evil tries to fill our world with darkness and fear.

But we do not have a spirit filled with fear. We have a spirit filled with love. Christ died for that love.  We live because of that love. Each time something horrible happens, we prove over and over that love never fails. Our hearts may be broken, but God's love mends all broken hearts. God's love shields us with an armor of hope and His strength gives us the strength to carry on.

In Boston, heroes ran toward the smoke. That is love. In Texas, a man and woman rush into a damaged nursing home to help the elderly. That is love.  Teachers protect little children. Fathers shield tiny daughters. Mothers hold their babies close. That is love. This country, with all the politics and the parties, with all the demanding discussions and angry rhetoric and all the spins and the bluster and the speeches and the confusion--this country, no matter, always rushes toward the smoke. That is love.

What a week. As Jimmy Buffet would say "Just one more candle and a trip around the sun."
Each sunrise brings a new day. And each sunset brings us a sense of peace. If we run toward love, evil can never win. If we run toward love, there will always be a light in the darkness.

KNOCK, KNOCK...

How would you like to knock on a door and find that face on the other side? In the opening pages of Alaskan Hero, my upcoming May release from Love Inspired, that's exactly what happens to heroine Anya Petrova.

Sort of.

What she really finds is a man dressed in a bear costume.

Some might say that's more disturbing than coming across an actual bear. Why would anyone in his right mind walk around dressed as a grizzly? And just what does he look like underneath that bear head?

Find out in this excerpt from Chapter One of Alaskan Hero:

Anya Petrova shoved her mittened hands in the pockets of her parka as she stood on Brock Parker's threshold and tried not to react. The man had answered the door dressed in a furry bear costume. It wasn't every day that she knocked on a stranger's door and found a grizzly bear, albeit a fake one, on the other side. Even in Alaska.

She pasted on a smile. "Hi, I'm Anya Petrova. I emailed you about my dog. You're Brock, right?"  

He nodded, but made no move to take off the bear head.

Super. Anya had to stop herself from exhaling a frustrated sigh.

She'd expected someone normal, especially considering Brock Parker's reputation. He was new in town, an avalanche search and rescue expert and alleged dog genius, at least according to what Anya's friend Clementine had told her. Anya had been trying in vain to reach him for the past two days, but he appeared to be a mystery. He didn't even have a locally listed phone number, and he'd yet to make an appearance in town. And she'd been looking—hard—because a dog genius is exactly what she needed at the moment.

Fortunately, Clementine had managed to procure Brock's email address. Anya had fired off a message and was thrilled when he agreed to meet with her. Clementine had predicted he would turn out to be the answer to Anya's prayers. What she'd failed to predict was that Brock Parker would be dressed head to toe in a grizzly bear costume when he answered his front door.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.  

Some considered it Alaska's best kept secret.

The rest of the free world seemed all too aware of the fact that men outnumbered women in the Land of the Midnight Sun. So much so that sometimes the statistics Anya Petrova saw on the subject made her shake her head in disbelief, if not snort with laughter. Fifteen to one? Did people in the Lower 48 really believe that?  

Anya had lived in Aurora, Alaska, since the day she was born. She even had a dash of Inuit blood in her veins, and she knew as well as every other Alaskan woman that such statistics were exaggerated at best. At worst, they were baloney. In any event, the exact ratio didn't make a bit of difference. Because the men of Alaska weren't like other men. The majority of them, anyway. Like anything else, there were exceptions.

A few.  

A very few.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd. Or, to put it nicely, Alaskan men could be eccentric. And it wasn't just the locals. Sometimes the transplants could be even worse. There seemed to be something about Alaska that attracted independent spirits, adventurers…and oddballs. Case in point—the man standing in front of her in a bear costume.

Not that she cared a whit about Aurora's bachelor population, strange or otherwise. She'd learned a long time ago that men were trouble. In her infancy, actually. Being abandoned by her father at three months of age didn't exactly set her up for success in the man department. Neither did being unceremoniously dumped on top of the highest mountain in Aurora for the entire town to witness. More than the town's population, actually, because television cameras had been involved.

As a result, dating wasn't anywhere on the list of things that mattered most to Anya. Her life was simple. She cared about three things—God, coffee and her dog.

She had a good handle on the coffee situation. As the manager of the Northern Lights Inn coffee bar, she was given free rein to develop all sorts of lattes, mochas and espresso drinks. Whatever struck her fancy, really. She enjoyed it. And she was good at it. Sometimes—particularly on days when all she did was serve up cup after cup of plain black coffee—she wondered if there was something else she should be doing with her life. Something more meaningful. But that was normal, wasn't it? Did people really ever feel completely fulfilled by their jobs?

The God thing was new, so she really couldn't say how that was going. But it mattered to her. More than she ever knew it could, so it went on the list.  

But the dog was another issue entirely. And that's where Brock Parker came into the picture, or so Anya hoped. Clementine had been so sure he could help her. She'd used the word genius to describe his proficiency at training.  

He sure didn't look like a genius standing there in his doorway in that bear costume. Then again, what did Anya know about geniuses? Hadn't she read somewhere that Albert Einstein couldn't tie his own shoes? Maybe Einstein had a bear suit too.  

She glanced down at Brock's feet poking out from the dark-brown fur. He wore hiking boots, and they were indeed tied.  

Was that a good thing? Who knew?  

She inhaled a deep breath of frigid winter air and tried again. "I have a very anxious dog, and I was told you might be able to help me. I'm kind of desperate."

She'd planned to tell him more, but suddenly her eyes burned with the telltale sting of tears. To say she was desperate was an understatement. Things seemed bad enough when she'd first rescued Dolce. The poor thing hid under the bed all the time. Anya barely saw her. Little did she know Dolce's shyness was the least of her problems.  

The tiny dog also howled at the top of her canine lungs. At first, Anya had been able to convince the people at the Northern Lights Inn—who were not only her employer, but also her landlord—to give the dog some time. Surely Dolce would settle down.  

She hadn't. Not yet anyway. And the hotel management had run out of patience. They'd finally given her an ultimatum—give up either the dog or her rent-free cottage.  

The choice was hers. She had a mere fourteen days to fix the problem or lose her dog or her home. She'd pinned her last hope on Brock's purported genius, and from the looks of things, that might have been a mistake.  

She sniffed and willed herself not to shed a tear. Desperate or not, crying in front of a man dressed as a bear was simply out of the question.  

She heard a sigh. Brock's furry chest rose and fell. Then—finally—he removed the bear head, exposing his face.

Anya wasn't altogether sure what she'd expected, but the cool blue eyes, straight perfect nose and high cheekbones that looked as though they'd been chiseled from granite were most definitely not it. The man resembled some kind of dreamy Nordic statue. Anya had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  

"You say your dog is anxious? How anxious?" He spoke without cracking the slightest smile, which only made him look more like something Michelangelo had carved out of stone.

Anya swallowed. Her mouth had abruptly gone dry. The snowflakes floating against her cheeks felt colder all of a sudden, and she realized her face had grown quite warm. "Very. I rescued her from a bad situation, and unless she's attached to a leash, I can't get her to come out from under my bed. She even eats there and only in the dark."  

It was pathetic. Every night when Anya drifted off to sleep, it was to the sound of poor Dolce crunching on kibble.

"But that's not the worst of it. She howls. Rather loudly." Anya's voice grew wobbly. "I'm about to be kicked out of my cottage."  

"I see." Brock nodded, and a lock of his disheveled blond hair fell across his forehead.

She'd heard of bedhead, but never bearhead. It, too, appeared to have its charms.

Alaskan Hero, Coming in May from Harlequin Love Inspired. Available for pre-order now!

Ask Elnora--About mean people??? Lenora Worth

Hello, beautiful people. Elnora is a bit perturbed today. I'm sure you all saw the news stories regarding the You Tube video that showed children on a school bus bullying an older lady named Karen who was the bus monitor person. This was painful to watch but this happens a lot all over the world. While bullying has been around since God created the earth, we now have access to such things all the time, thanks to modern technology. We see a lot of things that we probably aren't supposed to see so sometimes it feels as if there is a big eye onto the world. But some of the things we aren't supposed to see are the very things we need to see. Bullying a grandma ranks right up there with stepping on Santa's toes and kicking the Easter bunny. We shouldn't do that. That got Elnora to thinking about our stories. In our stories, our characters fight the good fight--against injustice, crime, wrongs that need to be right and yes, bullies. In our LIS books, we allow our characters to fight the bad guys who try to run the world through intimidation and threats. We show heroes who really are just good people trying to make their way in life. We show strong women who learn to defend themselves and the ones they love. (I recently read Margaret Daley's "Shattered Justice". Her heroine was such a woman. She stood up to bullies.)Even Scarlett in "Gone With the Wind" was willing to fight to protect her family from mean people. I'm sure we've all read books that make us cheer for the heroine and applaud the hero. It's kind of like "Dirty Harry" without being so dirty. Readers love strong characters who portray values and justice and doing what's right. We even try to give our villains some redeeming qualities, and while our characters shouldn't be perfect and squeaky clean, they always have a soul and a good heart. In the end, they try to make decisions that are thoughtful and redemptive. We don't demand super-heroes. We only need characters who want to make the world a better place. Why can't real life be so simple? When a father cries after hearing his son call an older woman names and taunt her, we know something has gone wrong in the world. This made me think--that must be how God feels when he sees one of His children being cruel to another human being. In a world where such things happen, it's a comfort to know our stories do make a difference. We can help people to heal with our words. We can show women that yes, they can be strong. We all have a choice in life. We can fight the good fight and be kind to others instead of being mean and cruel. I'm glad I have the ability to write books that show that choice over and over. So ... let's discuss--what can we do to overcome bullies in this world? It's a serious subject, but we can discuss it with our hearts open to the possibilities. Now, Elnora moves on to a more fun topic. We are having a mystery party with several of our writers involved. The fun starts Sunday, June 25th but I'm going to give you the link today. It's not active yet but will go live late Sunday night. I hope you enjoy traveling the web to find all of the clues. You'll make some interesting discoveries along the way, too: Link to Love Inspired Suspense Mystery Beach Party: http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/336-Love-Inspired-Suspense-Mystery-Beach-Party

Ask Elnora--Where were you? Lenora Worth

Hello, my dear friends. No pithy comments from Elnora today. Just remembering ten years ago. My mother-in-law had passed away over the Labor Day holiday that year. Ten years before that, my sister Glenda was involved in a car wreck with a drunk driver and she died three weeks later. And recently, I lost a young friend and I will miss her smile dearly. Elnora is beginning to not like September. But my daughter's birthday is at the end of the month, so for that reason and for the cooler weather, I shall keep September. And I will always remember.

But here's the question in my mind over this coming weekend. Where were you that day ten years ago when our lives changed forever? Okay, I'm humming that sad, sweet Alan Jackson song now. "Where were you when the world stopped turning?"

I was home and about to go for my daily walk. But for some reason I decided to stay in and watch "Good Morning America". And what I saw horrified me. I was alone. My daughter was at work in a downtown building. My husband at work in a General Motors factory. My son at school a few miles away. I wanted them all home. I cried all day. I prayed a lot. I was in shock. We writers have talked about that day and the aftermath. We didn't want to write again. We weren't sure we should write again. It seemed so frivolous, so pointless. But Elnora is tough. I knew writing would bring me some relief and hopefully help my readers to heal and laugh again, or maybe finally cry. So I wrote, one word at a time and I kept on writing. And wow, ten years have passed. Where were you? How have you changed since that day?

Let's discuss. And ... would someone please pass the chocolate and tissues. Cheesecake would be even better! We will never forget and let's hope our lives reflect the integrity and dignity shown by our heroes then, now and forever.

Allie Pleiter on Heroes

One of the great blessings of our lives these past two years has been that God placed extraordinary doctors in our path. I give thanks every day of my son’s survival that he has Comer Children’s Hospital’s world-renown pediatric oncologists fighting beside him.

One of his leading doctors recently passed away.  A larger than life, heroic guy, Dr. James Nachman was astounding.  Brilliant, bold, funny, passionate about his work, so direct he would make my jaw drop, dedicated often beyond reason.  A one-of-a-kind man, although his patients would probably give you hundreds of different reasons why.  I spent the days following “Doc Nach”’s death pondering what made this man so incredibly effective and beloved.  The answer came from one of my editors.

She once told me, “Make your heroes as big as your villains, and your villains as big as your heroes.”  Dr. Nachman excelled because while pediatric cancer is an ominous foe, he was an even bigger persona.  A seemingly un-opposable force of nature.  There were days when that man felt to me like Tolkien’s Gandalf standing at the abyss roaring “You shall not pass!”

We love heroes because we need them.  We need a champion larger than our challenges.  What have been your favorite heroes in books?  Who has been that hero in your life?  What made him or her heroic to you?  If you haven’t told your real-life heroes how much they mean to you, do so soon for one day--like “Doc Nach”--they could be gone.

Heroes Large and Small

Merrillee here, who has been thinking about heroic acts in light of recent events around the world. As I was thinking about my blog post for today, I was looking for photos that might suit my topic. When I did a search for photos of heroes, a lot of photos of sports figures, cartoon and movie heroes of the super hero type came up in the list of photos. Another site featured firefighters, police officers and soldiers. As the slogan says, ordinary people can be heroes. In recent days, there have been many heroes who have helped the people of Japan deal with the earthquake and tsunami. When difficult times emerge, ordinary people step forward and become heroes.

Have you ever been a hero, or do you know someone who has been a hero? Please share your story with us.

Lovable Characters

Missy here. Some of you may recognize this actor, Jeff Branson, from his role as Shane on a CBS soap opera. Well, his photo has been inspiring me while I'm working on a new story idea. :) But when making a character, we have to think about more than just making him hunky. I'm in the middle of working on this new idea, and I thought, what better way to get ideas than from readers? So if you don't mind, I have a few questions and would love your feedback.

What things make you fall in love with a hero? What things make you sympathize with a heroine? Can you pinpoint what it is about characters or a story that makes them stick in your head long after the story is over?

I'd love any help you can offer for my research! :)

My Hero

Since we are talking about heroes and the men in our lives, I have to brag about my hero husband. In the photo above he is standing on the Wimbledon tennis grounds in front of a statue of Fred Perry, a famous English tennis player.

Two years ago, I was watching the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on TV. I'm a tennis player and a big tennis fan, so I watch every year. My birthday always falls during Wimbledon, and I was thinking that it would be really cool to celebrate my birthday at Wimbledon. I casually mentioned this to my husband, never dreaming that it could be a reality. Little did I know that he took my wish and started working to make it come true. Nearly a year ahead of time, he began asking around to learn how he could get tickets.

He discovered that you must submit your name to a lottery for Wimbledon tickets. He put our names into the lottery, as well as the names of a number of relatives. But he didn't stop there because he couldn't rely on getting tickets through the lottery. He continued to talk to people about getting tickets. Mike, one of the men my husband plays cards with each week, used to live near London. His former neighbor in England has been a line judge at Wimbledon for twenty years. So Mike contacted his friend and asked whether he could get tickets for us. As you can see from the photo of me in the stands of Centre court, he was able to get us tickets.



Just a year ago today, I was sitting in Centre court watching Andy Roddick play. Unfortunately, he got beat. But he played today and won. As I'm watching the tennis at Wimbledon this year, I can see the different courts and have a better appreciation for the traditions of Wimbledon. The strawberries and cream are so good. This was an experience I will always treasure, especially because it was such a thoughtful gift from the man who has been my hero for over thirty years.

He's not just a hero because he got me tickets to Wimbledon, but he's a hero because he is a man who shows love and consideration to the people around him. There is a little bit of him in every hero I write.

Going to Wimbledon was a fabulous surprise. Tell us about your hero or a big surprise, or maybe both.

Merrillee

10 Hunks a Strutting!

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten hunks a strutting,
Nine gals a shopping,
Eight women a-laughing,
Seven flags a waving,
Six teens a-texting,
Five loaded iPods,
Four kissing frogs,
Three chocolate bars,
Two sparkling gems,
And a flamingo in a tutu.

It's my turn! It's my turn! And I luv that I got the Ten hunks a strutting!
After all, I am one of the Craftie Ladies of Romance.
What woman isn't fascinated by the experience of falling in love?

Now I could have done a listing of all the "dishy" guys now popular in Hollywood.
But I don't know if it's Hollywood or me, but many of the "latest hunks" look like they should still be in Junior High (Now you know the truth--it's me. Junior High no longer exists.)

Anyway, I can't get excited about a guy who shaves once a week whether he needs it or not.

So I'm going to do a little remembering of some of my favorite heroes in romance.
Perhaps you'll recognize a few:
How about one of Georgette Heyer's memorable heroes:
Miles Caverleigh in THE BLACK SHEEP who abducts the heroine when she doesn't want to upset her family by marrying a black sheep. (Horrors what will the neighbors say?)

How about Michael in Francine Rivers' REDEEMING LOVE who pursues Angel the prostitute even as she rejects him over and over?

Or how about the sailor who falls in love with Elizabeth Lane (who can't cook ) in Christmas in Connecticut?

In my own books, I have a special place in my heart for my hero in my Love Inspired Suspense DANGEROUS GAME, Grey Lawson, who just returned from 7 years in prison.

And my latest, hero Matt Ritter, former Union Captain, who isn't happy to have my heroine arrive to teach freed slaves in the Freedman's School in VA before the school is built. (Her Captain's Heart Love Inspired Historical this month).

Now that's only 5 hunks a strutting. I would include my husband who I always call my real life hero. But he never struts. GRIN

So I'll let you tell me about the 5 you think should be on this list? Who are your favorite hunks or heroes?

Anyway, I love this version of the 12 Days of Christmas. What fun!
Merry Christmas!
Lyn Cote



After all, I am one of the Craftie Ladies of Romance.
What woman isn't fascinated by the experience of falling in love?

Now I could have done a listing of all the "dishy" guys now popular in Hollywood.
But I don't know if it's Hollywood or me, but many of the "latest hunks" look like they should still be in Junior High (Now you know the truth--it's me. Junior High no longer exists.)

Anyway, I can't get excited about a guy who shaves once a week whether he needs it or not.

So I'm going to do a little remembering of some of my favorite heroes in romance.
Perhaps you'll recognize a few:
How about one of Georgette Heyer's memorable heroes:
Miles Caverleigh in THE BLACK SHEEP who abducts the heroine when she doesn't want to upset her family by marrying a black sheep. (Horrors what will the neighbors say?)

How about Michael in Francine Rivers' REDEEMING LOVE who pursues Angel the prostitute even as she rejects him over and over?

Or how about the sailor who falls in love with Elizabeth Lane (who can't cook ) in Christmas in Connecticut?

In my own books, I have a special place in my heart for my hero in my Love Inspired Suspense DANGEROUS GAME, Grey Lawson, who just returned from 7 years in prison.

And my latest, hero Matt Ritter, former Union Captain, who isn't happy to have my heroine arrive to teach freed slaves in the Freedman's School in VA before the school is built. (Her Captain's Heart Love Inspired Historical this month).

Now that's only 5 hunks a strutting. I would include my husband who I always call my real life hero. But he never struts. GRIN

So I'll let you tell me about the 5 you think should be on this list? Who are your favorite hunks or heroes?

Anyway, I love this version of the 12 Days of Christmas. What fun!