Would someone please tell me what is so great about Brad Pitt? I’m serious. I mean, he’s okay. He’s hardly ugly. But he sure doesn’t make my heart throb. I see him on the tabloids at the check out stands, in People Magazine when I’m at the dentist. He made the news again this week when a crazed fan at a film festival threw herself into his arms.

And I don’t get it. Why does everyone think he’s so great? He just looks too pretty to me, too boyish and classically handsome in a “fake model” kind of way. Beard stubble grown to an exact length. Features too regular. I just can’t see what all the hoopla is about.

I guess I like guys who are messier, more real. Tough, cynical, dangerous guys. Guys with a sexy, harder edge.

So of course, that’s the kind of hero I write. And that leads to the obvious question — if my upcoming book (Heart of a Thief) were made into a movie, who would I want to play the lead?

The hero of that book, Luke Moreno, is a very physical guy — he scales rooftops, disarms the bad guys, climbs down cliffs. So we need a guy who isn’t afraid to get dirty. And he’s a Spaniard, dark. So that lets out Sean Bean, unfortunately, even though he looked tough and dirty enough in the Sharpe’s Rifles series.

Hugh Jackman? He isn’t Spanish (minor problem), but I could see him as Luke. Maybe. I’ve seen him mostly in comedies, so he might not be tough enough. Or dark enough. But at least he seems like a regular guy.

A better possibility might be Antonio Banderas, but without the slicked-back hair. He’s the right nationality, at least. Maybe with some beard stubble… I’d say he’s my leading contender right now.

So what do you think? Any suggestions for a dark, rough hero?

It’s August, and I’m not in Greece or France or England like some of our luckier AR authors. Instead, I’m sitting here in “exotic” western Maryland, just sweating in the humidity and heat. But I am expanding my horizons a bit — doing research for my current book. Of course, as usual, I chose to write about something I know NOTHING about — horses. I’ve got my hero and heroine riding a horse through the mountains of Peru. And truthfully, the extent of my equestrian expertise is that I can tell the head of the horse from the tail.

So it’s research time. Luckily, my sister — who really does know about horses — just flew here from California to visit, and I was able to ask her all the truly stupid and embarrassing questions I am mortified to admit I had to ask. And this morning she accompanied me to a horse farm, where she showed me basic things like a hoof pick, a halter, curry comb, how to saddle and bridle a horse. She even managed not to snicker at some of my dumber questions, although I can only imagine what she was thinking. And she has promised to proofread my manuscript when I’m done to keep me from looking as ignorant as I really am.

Anyhow, all this made me think of the many things I’ve learned from reading (and writing) romance novels. For example, after reading historical romance novels, I know a lot more than I ever learned in school about castles, customs in Regency England, and English history. From my own research, I’ve learned about smokejumpers, amber, and now Peruvian horses.

So how about you? What interesting things have you learned from reading romance novels? Do you notice when writers make mistakes in their research? Is there anything you know about that writers always seem to get wrong? I’ll give away a copy of one of my smokejumper books to someone who answers (and I had plenty of input from smokejumpers when I wrote those books, so I can guarantee I got that information right!)

As I’m writing this, a thunderstorm is bearing down. The trees are dipping and writhing in the rising wind, the sky is turning dark. And I love it! I love thunderstorms. I love the rolling, booming thunder, the violent lightning sizzling the sky. It’s exciting — raw, untamed nature at its best.

Even as a kid, I loved storms. But maybe that’s because to me, thunderstorms usually meant curling up with a book. You see, we spent summers at a lake when I was growing up. We didn’t have a television to keep us entertained, just board games, cards, and books. Lots of books. Every two weeks we drove to the nearest library and stocked up. So when the storms hit, I’d curl up in my bunk bed and read. I had my own little lamp, a safe, cozy bed — and a wonderful book to escape in.

So how about you? Do you, like me, grab a book when the rain slashes down and the thunder cracks? What early memories do you have of reading books? Was there anything specific that turned you into a reader? Any great associations you can share? Any particular book (or books) you loved as a child?

Please share!

Help! I need to escape! Reality is a bit depressing right now, and it’s not just because it’s Friday the thirteenth. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say I’ve had a string of bad news during the past few weeks, really dreadful events. And I don’t want to turn on the television to escape — the dire warnings of possible terrorist attacks on the news make me feel even worse.

So I figure that what I need are some great romance novels to read. I need to lose myself in a fabulous fantasy world, get consumed with the kind of gut-wrenching story that will make me forget real life, or at least help me escape for a while. You know the books — the forget sleep, forget housework, call in sick from work type books that you absolutely can’t put down.

The last time I asked you all for recommendations of Cinderella-themed books, you gave me some great suggestions. I’ve already read most of the ones we discussed, and found some great new authors in the process.

So now I’d like your help again. What are your favorite romance novels of all times? I’ve already got all of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ books (talk about a great escape!!!), so you don’t need to recommend them. But what other books do you think are the best of the best? I’ll read anything — historical, contemporary, gothics. And just because I really need your suggestions, I’ll give away a copy of my book, Where He Belongs, to someone who helps.

Oh - and movies would be good, too, especially romantic comedies. I could surely use a good laugh right now.

So today I had my first-ever facial — not really a news-worthy event, but it was fun. It made me wonder what it would be like to have unlimited funds for that sort of thing, to have access to regular beauty treatments that could transform me into someone glamorous — you know, a personal trainer, expert skin, makeup, and hair people, a masseuse….

And that made me think about Cinderella. Everyone loves a Cinderella story. The downtrodden, unappreciated, impoverished woman gets a total makeover — dress, hair, wheels — bringing out her potential beauty, and enabling her to snag the Prince Charming and happily-ever-after she deserves. This story endures in romance novels, of course, but also appears in other variations — movies, magazine Before and After articles, weight-loss commercials, even television makeover reality shows. We just love to see people become externally beautiful. The change from ho-hum ordinary to spectacular intrigues us. It gives us hope, makes us think that we, too, can be beautiful (if only we had that fairy godmother!). And it is especially satisfying if we know the person is worthy inside.

So here is my question: what transformation stories have you read or movies have you seen that you really enjoyed? One of my favorites stories is Bet Me, by Jennifer Crusie. I also like the movie Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock. And if you could afford any beauty treatments, which ones would you have? And just to make the discussion fun, I’ll pick a random winner at the end of the day to get a copy of one of my books.

I’m running late this year. Well, frankly, I’ve been running later and later every year for a long time now — time speeds up and I slow down. My life has become like those dreams I have where I urgently need to get somewhere but just can’t move.

But lately I’ve been even slower than normal. So here it is, June already, and I just got around to filling the flower pots on my deck. And it occurred to me that planting summer flowers is a lot like writing a book.

First, there’s the hope, the excitement, the idea of it — going to the nursery, browsing the aisles. The flowers all look so beautiful, so peaceful, filled with potential and hope. This is the fun part — choosing the flowers, planting them in the warm, soft earth, deciding where to set the pots. It’s a lot like brainstorming a book — deciding on a setting, discovering the characters, making that heady rush through the start of the book.

Of course, then the work sets in. In the garden, too much rain rots the stems. Too much heat fries the blooms. Then (at least on the East Coast) those blasted Japanese beetles invade, chewing the leaves into lace. And by the end of the summer, the garden doesn’t look much like it did at the start. Some flowers have died, others cling to sadly to life, while a few others — sometimes the ones I least expect — have actually thrived.

And so goes the book. Scenes stall. Plots dwindle, die. Characters start to annoy me or refuse to come to life. So I write, rewrite, stress…and then eventually, the story is done.

Reality never matches my expectations, of course. The book — like the garden — is never exactly what I’d dreamed. But sometimes, amazingly, the characters transcend me. They become alive, tell their story instead of the one I’d planned. Which is why I keep writing and planting those flowers, I guess. I keep hoping for the magic.

So how about you. Have you read any magical books lately?

So yesterday was my beauty day — the every-three-months salon visit to get my hair shaped, razored, highlighted, and glossed into perfection, or as close to perfection as my hair will ever get. And while I was sitting there, surrounded by fashion magazines, salon workers dressed in black, listening to trendy music, and managing to feel far more youthful and glamorous than the mirror told me I really am, I thought about looks, or more specifically a hero’s looks. And I wondered exactly how important a hero’s looks are to a typical romance reader.

Now I’m not talking about the cover photo particularly, since the author has no control over that. I mean in the story itself. How detailed do you like the physical description of a hero to be? Is there any type of hero who particularly attracts you — or turns you off? Is it more his personality that appeals to you or the physical image you form in your head?

I have to admit that I definitely have my own biases. For one thing, a short hero, or one of average height (under six feet) doesn’t appeal to me. That’s because I am 5’10” and I like my heroes to be big (taller than I am). I don’t care if the heroine is a super-petite 4’10” — I still want him to be tall enough for me. And I am also partial to wide shoulders and beard stubble… not to mention muscles, of course, particularly in the shoulders and arms.

But aside from that, what really compels me about a man is his intensity. I want to feel the heat he feels for the heroine, the anger, cynicism — whatever it is that drives him. That man has to pulse from the page.

So how about you? Turn ons? Turn offs? And since I really care about your answers, I’ll offer up one of my backlist books to someone who answers.