Revenge Of The Nerds

With the recent storms and being without electricity, I couldn't help but think of how our society has come to rely heavily on those nifty gadgets of ours and the tech geeks or nerds who handle those devices so well.  You know exactly who I'm talking about.  There's always the guy or gal who knows all about the latest electronics and how to use them effectively. 

Unfortunately, I'm not so computer or tech savvy.  I'm not the slowest in that regard but definitely not the 'know how' gal over it either.  Yet, it comforts me when a competent tech guy can lend me his knowledge when I'm the damsel in distress while shopping at Best Buy or Circuit City. 
 
I couldn't help but think of some of my favorite tech geeks or nerds in literature or TV.  Since I recently read, JR Ward's 'Lover Unleashed', Vishous instantly comes to mind.  Although his story is 'Lover Unbound', he is featured quite a bit throughout Ward's recent release.  He's the type of vampire who can kick those pesky villians' assess while hacking into the Pentagon.  Yeah, he's that good.  And did I mention he's hot as hell... *sigh*

Willow from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' gathered invaluable information for the slayer while assisting her with protecting the citizens of Sunnydale.  And let's not forget the extra boost she gave to her friends when she played around with the dark magic.  Yep, that witch could download faster than you can say Bill Gates. 

Val Kilmer played one hot nerd in the 1980's movie 'Real Genuis'.  He might not have been the computer brains in the movie, but his intelligence and wit made me scream with delight.  I believe that's when I first fell in love with him.

There are several tech geeks or nerds we've fallen in love with over the years. Whether it's for their product knowledge, corky personalities, or sexy thumb drives.  Well, who's your geek love?

Pirates

I admit it. I had a thing for pirates long before Johnny Depp played a very swoon-worthy Jack Sparrow. It all began when I read Johanna Lindsey’s Malory series in high school. It so happens that I used to babysit my cousins frequently and my aunt would let me raid her box of romance novels hidden in her closet after they went to sleep. She had the entire Malory series up at that time and I devoured a new book each time the kids went to bed. My favorite was the Gentle Rogue (don't you love the 80s Fabio cover?), which took place on a ship and the heroine was disguised as a cabin boy. So now you know how my love of pirates started, but more importantly, what is their appeal?

To me, the attraction isn’t the hat, the billowing shirts (although tight breeches are a plus), the scars, the drinking or the dirtiness of living on a ship. Instead, it is the attitude that a pirate has; the typical devil may care attitude. The attitude in which he takes what he wants and leaves behind what he doesn’t. It is the cheeky gins, the wicked sense of humor, the rough and rugged exterior (such as that sun bronzed skin and the windblown hair). Not to mention, the agility that a pirate must possess in order to climb the rigging, balance on a rocking ship, brandish a sword against the enemy or, well you know, rescue the damsel in distress. Let’s face it. I am a klutz and would go overboard, so he should have good reflexes.

I haven't seen Pirates 4 yet, but I hope to soon. However, I am in the middle of another great pirate-ish novel, Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare, and the hero, Mr. Benedict Grayson, is a privateer attempting to go respectable. Love it!

So in honor of a new Pirates of the Caribbean move out this past weekend and fabulous pirate romance novels everywhere, what are some of your favorite pirates?

Better Late Than Never

I'd like to say some dastardly villain plotted to keep me from posting on my week for the ACA blog, but that just isn't the case.  I just got off-kilter, plain and simple.  Once I figured it out though, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about.

My last post was about the tortured hero, but today's post is about the other guy.  The guy we love to hate.  You know--the villain.  Turns out, the villain has to be as rounded as the hero, but bad--bad to the bone.  Even if the audience doesn't know why he's as rotten as he is, as the writer, it's important to have a reason for his bad behavior.  A great resource that covers character traits for both good and bad characters is The Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein.

Let me clarify, I'm not talking about "bad boys."  We love those guys, and being the amazing heroine's we are, with enough looovve, we can reform "bad boys."  But, the villain, well, he's just plain nasty.

Yet, that doesn't mean the villain has to be bad looking.  Sometimes, the villain is too sexy, and women can get drawn in before they realize the danger.  Usually though, our heroine gets an inkling that something's not quite right and maybe it's the crazed look in his eye or the way he tries to control every little thing, she usually figures out he's a villain.

Here are a few of my most memorable, handsome villains:

What other villains do you love to hate?

Happy Writing!

Cherie
http://www.cheriemarks.blogspot.com
http://www.sherrycahill.blogspot.com