Pencil Sharpeners

My husband and I have been ranting against the pencil market for years.

I buy these cheap little sharpeners, the kind that you turn with your hand, shhhiirk, shhhiirk. The pencils are so cheap, the lead breaks with every turn... so annoying!

Then the sharpener breaks--the hinge on the lid, the transparent shaving catcher cracks...you name it, it happens. Overall, we've spent at least ten dollars on cheap little sharpeners.

Then last week, we bought a six dollar desktop sharpener. The kind that sucks to the desktop and has industrial strength grinders. The kind with a handle like used to hang on the wall inside your classroom door. It's wonderful. Why didn't we do this years ago?

Pleased as Punch

Did you know that saying comes from The Punch and Judy Show? Puppets from an era long gone. :D Cool.

I received another request and have my fingers crossed.

The novella I'm writing stalled in the eleventh hour. I get to the end of a manuscript, and I must hate to see it end, because it can take me a few weeks to get the last couple of chapters down. Weird. I must force myself...but there seems to be better things to do.

And this week there are better things! It's been a busy week.
Hope your weeks are just as life-filled as mine.
With Love,
Bethanne

The End of the Hero

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED ME THROUGH MY HEROES SERIES! It was fun and enlightening for me. Don't miss the last post over at Penny's Blog--Lifetime to Love.

Also if you ever hear me say, "my hubby and I are going shopping this week," remind me that I LIKE TO SHOP ALONE! It's not him, it's me. See, I hate to shop as it is. I really do. Add in my husband and for some reason, I can't handle it. My mind goes a little crazy, I act crazy...

NOT GOOD! Yesterday we went shopping for a few clothing items. I ended up buying something I didn't really want. I don't know why. It was cheapest? I thought I would like it? Last night I put that sweatshirt on--something to lounge around in--and was not happy. The zipper was stiff, I couldn't relax. It did look nice, maybe just too nice.

Going back to the store with a Christmas item I wanted to return [thank God I didn't bring that with me yesterday], I also returned the sweatshirt I'd bought just 24 hours earlier and found one I could get comfortable in. A nice hoodie, no zipper. Yay! It was so relaxing! By myself.... *sigh*

Oh one last thing before I sign off for the weekend. Matt shaved his facial hair! All of it, gone! He had to get a picture for his Army profile/folder/permanent record. The last time we saw his upper lip was about 8 years ago. And let me tell you, 8 years ago it was three days before he had a 5 o'clock shadow. Not now. :D It's 2 o'clock and he's already looking ruggedly handsome. ;)

Heroes -- The Series

The Daredevil, a close relative to the Bad Boy, think Bohdi in Point Break--one because who doesn't want to think about Patrick Swayze? And two, because he kind of fits the bill. Not only does he have this extreme surfing, devil-may-care scenario, he's decided life just isn't interesting enough and becomes a thief, too.

So, let's move our Daredevil into the romance novel. He's the hero who isn't going to think twice, who might hurt the heroine before they reach the Happily Ever After, but somehow can be forgiven. Taking extremes is part of his nature.

Actually this reminds me of a story of a MotorCross [I think] racer who died, leaving his family behind. So, right... that doesn't actually represent the romance novel, but I think if we spin real life to fit into our make-believe, this is the guy you'd have. And when he dies, everyone says, "He died doing what he loved." As if that makes it better... then again, maybe it does.


See [I'm going to get philosophical on you], we all die. If you think about it that way, why not die doing something you love? Like surfing or bike racing or pirateering--okay, that one's definitely from a romance novel. As a matter of fact, read The Iron Rose by Marsha Canham. It is one of my all-time favorite romance pirate stories. The opening scene in that book IS daredevil. It's a hero with a flare for style who takes ships as a hobby... until he unwittingly takes the heroine's ship!! :D

ONE MORE DAY! Join me either tomorrow or Thursday at Penny's blog as I wrap up my series on HEROES talking about the warrior. Thanks for being here.

With Love,

Bethanne

Heroes -- The Series

The Tycoon

Yes, the tall, dark, handsome and RICH.

The reason I find this character so complicated is because I really don't want to like him. I know that sounds odd, but to me rich has often meant snobbish, aloof, self-centered. Perhaps that's what makes a good Tycoon hero so intriguing. The heroine has dug past the stereotypes to find something more. The more important aspect of the Tycoon is his jaded outlook on life. He's got everything money can buy...

Why can't he find someone to love him for himself?

My favorite scenario is the Tycoon in disguise. Believe me, the woman who resents all things rich and wealthy is the woman who finally falls in love with the Tycoon. And when she finds out he is rich, she dumps him like a sack of hot potatoes... which of course, proves to him he is right to be jaded. Love doesn't exist.

*sigh*

Great story line there. I can't help but picture Cary Grant as a Tycoon.

On Monday check out Penny's blog for the next installment, The Protector.

Heroes -- The Series

You might think that women would be tired of the Apha Hero. He's demanding. He doesn't explain himself or any of his actions. He's overprotective and hardly cares to hear if you've got a better idea....


The perfect example--Han Solo. Now I say this because heroes have become a little more complex over the last twenty years. Alphas showing signs of Beta, Betas showing signs of Tortured. Somehow, because of this I've spent the last twenty minutes wracking my brain for a good example. Han is a loner.

According to Modernman.com, an alpha male, upon entering a room, will assume high status, take on the role of the leader (or at least one of the leaders) and simply expect others to follow him and show him respect. Oh hey! I think I married one of these!!! :D Although, like a good leader, mine will look for the one who is ACTUALLY in charge instead of being an ass. One of the aspects that separates my hubby from being a beta is that he'll leave if he doesn't like what the other leader is demanding. A beta would NOT do this. :D

Look to your books for the best examples of a true Alpha Male. Elizabeth Lowell and Christina Dodd write alpha males that any romance reader can appreciate. Read about Archer Donovan in Lowell's Pearl Cove or Jasha Wilde(yes, we heard about him yesterday at Penny's blog, too) in Dodd's Scent of Darkness. You won't be sorry.

Heroes -- The Series

The Bad Boy Hero

I can't do this post without featuring James Dean.

The original bad boy hero.

The idea behind behind the bad boy is that there's a kernal of good. Right?

Somehow the combination of that smidgen of good is just enough to force the bad boy into the Knight in Shining Armor.

My theory, though is that the bad boy is more misunderstood than really bad. I mean, come on. Is your heroine going to fall in love with a coldhearted killer? A deadbeat, wino, drugdealer? No.

The thing about that heroine that makes her special is her understanding of the hero. He doesn't trust it at first because there's been no one else, but of course, in the length of the novel, the Bad Boy Hero finally finds contentment and peace...and love. :D Yay love!

My all time favorite Bad Boy?

Ren McCormack. He's defiant. He's goodlooking. He can dance... :D

For what it's worth, the bad boy can be combined with any of the other hero types we in our list. The bad boy might be a beta or an alpha, tortured or a tycoon....

Because of characters played by James Dean, the bad boy has earned his own label.

Don't forget to visit Penny Dune's blog, A Lifetime to Love where she's going to talk about the Paranormal Hero.