Feb
Saturday Salon: My Cherry Tree
Unlike George, I feel no guilt.
I am a wee bit early to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. Nevertheless I am moved to announce that I cannot tell a lie (and, in present company, I really don’t know why I should).
The truth: I find writer’s inspiration in hot guys.
Allow me to give you some examples.
But before I do, I should make something clear. I don’t fixate on a model or actor or musician or whoever and copy his appearance or voice or any other delectable attribute into my male characters. To be truly inspired is not to imitate form and content, but to allow the spirit of the original to lift the imagination to yet greater heights.
In other (less flowery) words, in my imagination my heroes are even hotter than the following men.
Let’s begin with Lord Leam Blackwood, hero of my upcoming When a Scot Loves a Lady. While developing Leam’s character, one day I was innocently browsing through I-can’t-remember-what-websites and came upon True Inspiration.
Hot Scot
The cover image for Karen Marie Moning’s Kiss of the Highlander, this inspiring mouth and clavicle belong to model Nathan Kamp. Imagine my delight, then, to learn that Mr. Kamp was the gent on the cover of my Captured by a Rogue Lord.
Hot Pirate
And speaking of Alex Savege, here is the big, handsome, charming fellow that flickered into my mind every so often while I was penning my pirate rogue’s story.
I love a man who can pull off subtle skull-and-crossbones fashion wear.
I’ll let you guess which of my books benefited from Bollywood star Arjun Rampal’s firm jaw.
And he has a dog! Be. Still. My. Heart.
As some of you know, I am as wont to lose my heart to an animated hero as to any other handsome roguish devil. Several months ago I admitted right here at The Ballroom to my inspiration for the youthful Captain Nik Acton in my novella A Lady’s Wish.
"This is kind of an off day for me. This doesn't normally happen."
(He’s even cuter in the wedding finery he dons for the short film that’s showing in theaters now before Beauty and the Beast 3D!)
Finally, while writing book #3 of my new Falcon Club series and again innocently browsing the internet, I discovered this man.
This man is apparently real.
You probably all know who he is. I did not. There was no name attached to the photo and I’d never seen him before. I had however seen Mr. Wyn Yale — Leam Blackwood’s best friend and the hero of the book I was writing — in my imagination quite, quite clearly. When I saw this photo, I actually gaped. I didn’t know how it was possible, but the Internet had created my character’s physical double!
I snatched up the phone and dialed my writing partner, who at the time was reading that manuscript. “Marquita!” I cried. “Wyn Yale exists in real life!” I sent the photo to her. “See? Here’s his picture!”
Darling woman that she is, Marquita chuckled gently and directed me toward a whole page of pictures of Matt Bomer, fan sites, etc. It seemed that my imagination alone had not created him. He was also a Real Person.
But I’m not complaining. 
Does any particular handsome gentleman inspire your imagination to soar?
Feb 11, 2012
2:42 am
LOL!!! Katharine, you are deliciously naughty!!
I love Nathan Kamp’s mouth. It is the mouth I imagine on every hero, in every book, including my own, because he’s got the most kissable looking mouth I’ve ever seen on any one man! Phew! Just writing that made me want to go back up and look at that pic again. I don’t know that any one man inspires my imagination to soar but I do have to say that your choices are very inspiring! Going to bed now , hopefully to dream of a male harem filled with these gorgeous men – even the adorable animated Captain Nik!
Happy Saturday to everyone in the Ballroom!
Feb 11, 2012
10:05 am
I hope you had sweet dreams, Amy.
Feb 11, 2012
4:44 am
Gerard Butler… now, there’s a Hot Scot. AND… Sean Connery….uuuummmmmm.
Feb 11, 2012
10:07 am
Oh, Gerard Butler is adorable! And Sean Connery, well, he has no equal in any generation.
Feb 11, 2012
12:38 pm
…and may I say that you have GREAT taste!!! ;o)
Feb 11, 2012
5:33 pm
Thank you, ma’am. I’m so glad you approve!
Feb 11, 2012
9:48 am
Oooh I love Matt Bomer, and have watched his show on USA, “White Collar,” since the start! Did you come across any shots of him on the set? He is usually wearing a remarkably tailored suit and fedora. Something about a hot man pulling off a fedora is incredibly sexy!
Feb 11, 2012
10:10 am
Catie, I’m so glad you’re an MB fan too. I started watching White Collar a few weeks ago and am addicted. It’s like a drug. I’m up to Season 3 now and am savoring every episode because I don’t want it to be over!!! Neal and Peter are a perfect pair. And wow, do I love a hot guy with a brilliant mind and a lot of rogue in him. Neal is delectable.
Feb 11, 2012
10:17 am
Catie,
And yes, definitely love Neal slicked up in a suit and fedora-it’s not just anyone who can pull that off! Wonderful throwback to the RatPack generation. You need panache and confidence to pull that kind of thing off, and as we all know, there’s nothing quite as appealing as someone who is confident in his or her own skin!
You definitely have another WC fan here!
Feb 11, 2012
10:35 am
“there’s nothing quite as appealing as someone who is confident in his or her own skin!” You’re so right, Lisa!
Mar 3, 2012
7:33 am
actually he is rumored to be gay……
Feb 11, 2012
10:13 am
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post Katharine! What a great warm to warm up on this cold snowy morning I’m having.
All this gorgeous eye candy is almost too much.
It’s so very interesting because I think as readers we all get a visual of how we picture the hero and heroine as we read the book. It’s fascinating to see the author’s original inspiration, and see if/how they line up. Also, I’ve always wondered: do the faces on the cover influence how we picture them in our minds, or does it alter as the story goes on?
And join me in among those who find Matt Bomer inspiring! I love love his show White Collar (in case you didn’t already know
) Intelligent, gorgeous, charming, with a bit of a bad boy edge? Yes yes yes! I will happily picture Matt’s face when I read Mr. Yale’s story!
I will also admit to a certain fondness for Eric Dane who plays Dr.Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy! I think he is definitely the inspiration for a story I have in mind.
Feb 11, 2012
10:33 am
It’s been *so* fun sharing my White Collar obsession with you and PShay on twitter, Lisa!
Okay, so I have to be honest, these men didn’t inspire my characters. It’s always the other way around, like when I dreamed up Wyn then I saw MB. My characters always, always come from my imagination (except one minor character in my upcoming HOW TO BE A PROPER LADY who came from my past!). Alex Savege, for instance, shares Hugh’s swaggering confidence and warm intensity, and he’s big like Hugh, but he came out of my imagination fully formed (Athena from the head of Zeus, and all that) before I realized he resembled Hugh. Also, the picture above isn’t really the best for Alex — I just used it today for the pirate t-shirt, LOL. This one suits Alex better:
I’ve also wondered how much the cover models influence our notions of what a character should look like. I’m reading a book now in which the hero on the cover has jet black hair but in the book he’s a blonde. Still, I can’t stop thinking of him as black-haired, and I’m tripped up every time the story describes his blond locks. But what I really adore about my own covers is, even if the models don’t entirely resemble my characters, their poses and expressions are perfect. The Avon art department is really amazing at capturing the feeling and tone of a book.
Feb 11, 2012
11:03 am
I love this picture of Hugh!!! It’s amazing how this man can look so completely different with just the length of his hair or a scowl. He’s definitely inspiring! ; )
Feb 11, 2012
12:16 pm
I get triped over the brown/black hair on the model on the cover when the hero is blond. Makes me wish the art department would photo shop the man’s hair blond.
About smolders – love how Richard Armitage does just that. When Flynn Ryder talked about his, I thought about Richard & I fell for both his & Flynn’s. Flynn & Eric from Little Mermaid are 2 cartoons that make you fall for them.
Feb 11, 2012
5:36 pm
It’s a little disconcerting, I agree. You know, I heard somewhere (I have no memory where) that covers with dark-haired men on them sell better than the blondes. Frankly I don’t know how they would get these statistics, but those marketing folks are amazing. In any case, it’s true that you see very few blond men on romance novel covers. I wonder…
Feb 12, 2012
11:58 am
Yum.
Feb 11, 2012
10:31 am
I’m currently writing a novel about Richard III and I love cutting and pasting together various celebrity images to get my characters just right.
My Richard has; the jawline of Richard Armitage, the eyebrows of Jon Kortajarena, the lips and general air of Max Irons and the eyes of Jared Leto.
Half the time I’m just sighing over the perfection of pretty version of Frankenstein’s monster!
Feb 11, 2012
5:38 pm
Oh, fabulous — hero features mix and match. I love it, LL! And your Richard sounds positively dreamy.
Feb 11, 2012
10:40 am
Thanks for all the pretty pictures, Katharine. Nice way to start my Saturday.
It’s no secret that I would like every single one of my heroes to be Richard Armitage. Luckily there are others. I’m particularly turned on by a great voice: Alan Rickman or Jeremy Irons for example.
I shall have to check out Matt Bomer. Like you, I had never heard of him.
Feb 11, 2012
10:55 am
Oh, Alan Rickman has the best voice! Especially when he is irriatated or angry. I love the very precise way he bites off his words.
Feb 11, 2012
11:09 am
Oh Miranda, agreed!! A voice can do things to you that even our imaginations can’t. I describe my hero as having a ‘deep melodic voice’ and when I hear him in my head speaking to me, I imagine a deep voice like that of Sam Elliott or Jeremy Irons (minus the lisp, of course). Nothing better than a deep voice that seems to rise up from their toes. [swooning]
Thankfully, my hubby has a fairly deep one. Yay!
Feb 11, 2012
3:00 pm
I have to second the great voice thing. Esp Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons. (Or even just listening to Eddie Vedder sing.)
Feb 11, 2012
5:53 pm
Yes, Eddie Vedder! And Chad Kroeger. Delish.
Feb 11, 2012
5:38 pm
Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons can talk into my tape recorder any day, Miranda. And Sean Connery. And Hugh Jackman. And… well the list goes on and on…
Feb 11, 2012
5:44 pm
Here’s one for you and LL, Miranda.
Feb 11, 2012
10:53 am
Oh, Katharine. Sigh. A subject near and dear to my boy-crazy, little heart.
I *love* Hugh Jackman, yes, I do. I love him as Wolverine- all those muscles and bad attitude, and soft mushy heart.
My particular muse at the moment is Ian Somehalder, from The Vampire Diaires. I love all that snarky hotness. And those gorgeous pale, pale blue eyes- they’re almost grey. Lots of black hair, a lean body and that wonderful self-deprecating, sarcastic smirk. Oh, yes.
Thanks for the great post, Katharine! You know I’ll talk boys with you anytime!
Feb 11, 2012
5:42 pm
It’s always lovely to talk boys with you, Olivia.
Ian Somerhalder, hm? What a sexy smirk indeed. Very nice.
Feb 11, 2012
5:46 pm
So I couldn’t find one of Wolverine’s muscles in which he didn’t look like a psycho, Olivia. But I do like this one. A lot.
Feb 11, 2012
7:47 pm
You are so, so very fabulous, Miss Ashe. Thank you for the lovely buffet of extreme hotness you have served up. Squee!
Feb 11, 2012
11:33 pm
You’re quite welcome, my dear. It really was my pleasure. I mean, *really*.
Feb 11, 2012
11:43 am
This post just made me smile!! Matt Bomer is great!! Although so are so very many of the rest of your pictures! It is amazing how close some come to our favorite characters! One has to wonder if it can sometimes be a subliminal thing.. you know you see someone once and then they stay in the back of your head and when you read you think… nah…. *grins*
I love to find pictures that remind me of my favorite characters. We have a regular Thursday post where Sandy does an intensive article on her favorite cover model on Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy you might like that..
Shauni
Tea and Book and Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
Feb 11, 2012
12:05 pm
Most definitely for both male & females. My friend, Michelle & I have been writing a story for fun. Unfortunately having her hubbie stationed in Germany has stalled our fun – we hardly have any net time with each other. But most of our characters have actors attached to them. We create a character & then pick out an actor/actress that fits the description. One of the more interesting stories is for the characters of Ben. Ben is named after Ben Affleck, but he is in body the looks of Hugh Dancy.
We have been doing this story for about 9 years & when Michelle’s hubbie was stationed in Rhode Island, Hugh did the movie Evening. One day Michelle was at swimming practice with her daughter. She was waiting & thinking about our story when in walks Hugh. She was floored. The people of the community center were showing him around the place. Even stranger, Hugh has tuned into Ben’s character by some of the characters he plays. His character in Evening is a lot like Ben. Ben is a “poor soul” type character.
Feb 11, 2012
5:49 pm
Jamie, I love it that you’ve been working on a project with your friend for so long. What fun! You know, I think more than the specific details of features or what-have-yous, certain people embody certain tones or keys–using a musical metaphor. Maybe Hugh and Ben are simply the same sort of tone, or on the same key, you know? Whatever the case, Ben sounds terrific.
Feb 11, 2012
1:52 pm
What girl could not imagine Hugh Jackman as dashing lord or Gallant Knight or Rogue Pirate when reading a book… Be still my heart.
Or Gerard Butler in full Highland regalia. Or Oh and lets not forget the Dashing Colin Firth…
Feb 11, 2012
5:49 pm
This girl is on the exact same page as you, Kathleen.
Feb 11, 2012
1:59 pm
Oh my yes, In my dreams I have been a damsel in distress to the likes of Gerard Butler,Johnny Depp and Pierce Brosnan just to name a few:)
Feb 11, 2012
5:50 pm
I like your dreams, Gail. I’m going to borrow your heroes for mine tonight, if you don’t mind. I promise I’ll give them back.
Feb 11, 2012
3:04 pm
Fun post, Katharine!
And it’s enticing me to reveal something extremely embarrassing: I had a “Beast” Beauty and the Beast Disney/Ken doll. That’s not that embarrassing (yet), but of course I was a teenager and on the older side. With the beast head off, the guy had this long hair and great clothes and was *such* a romance hero. I named him John Robert and quite a few of my heroes in those early high school years (and maybe, possibly, later
)were modeled on him (in spirit more than in looks).
Feb 11, 2012
5:51 pm
Fabulous, Sabrina! John Robert sounds dreamy.
Feb 11, 2012
6:41 pm
What a great post for the weekend, Katharine! Actually, all that mancandy is great for EVERY day. That Hot Scot pic has me thinking that Kitty is a very lucky heroine indeed!
I think I almost passed out when you told me who Wyn’s (as I call them) celebrity doppleganger was!!! He is so, so dreamy!!! Oh and Matt Bomer is too!
I have a fondness for, ahem, blond heroes. Garret Hedlund, Alex Pettyfer, The Brothers Helmsworth, and Ryan Gosling…sigh. Maybe it’s because they look so angelic that I know there’s a bad boy underneath.
And I’m a lucky gal to get to read about your swoon worthy heroes!
Feb 11, 2012
11:35 pm
Marquita, you have some truly inspiring inspirations! And the same goes here for your swoon worthy heroes.
Feb 11, 2012
7:18 pm
Uhhh…there is absolutely no shame in being inspired by hot men, Katharine. In fact, I would think less of you if you weren’t!
In fact, I make no secret of the fact that Bourne, the hero of A Rogue By Any Other Name, is heavily inspired by Michael Fassbender. In fact, he’s inspired by this specific picture of Michael Fassbender, which is saved (appropriately, I think) on my desktop as “bourneinspiration.” I might add that Bourne is wearing a cap in the scene where he meets the heroine. And this picture is 100% why.
Feb 11, 2012
11:36 pm
Inspiration can be so very roguish, can’t it?
Feb 11, 2012
10:40 pm
I am often inspired by photos of hot men…lol….I have to say that Nathan Kamp’s mouth is definitely hot! and I love any and all pictures of Hugh Jackman and Ian S. has such incredible eyes….you can just get lost in them:)
Feb 11, 2012
11:37 pm
So easy to get lost… and so lovely.
Feb 11, 2012
11:02 pm
Katharine -
I think that you should come up with a new contest where we could win a full-size blow-up of any of these pictures!
My favorite that wasn’t shown will let you in on my advanced age – Tom Selleck! I think it’s because I’m a sucker for a great mustash!
Feb 11, 2012
11:40 pm
Jeanne, I adored his dimples. Total cutie!
Feb 12, 2012
11:56 am
Great blog, Katharine! Hot men can be most inspiring and, as I read the wonderful books penned by the ladies of the Ballroom, I find myself inspired on a regular basis.
First photo: I’d know those lips anywhere! Put Nathan Kamp on a book cover and I don’t care what the title is or what the back blurb says. That baby is coming home with me!
Feb 13, 2012
1:56 pm
Actually, two handsome gentlemen cause my imagination to soar. Rupert Penry-Jones from Persuasion (and other credits). Then, of course, Henry Cavill. Both are very yummy.