Tomorrow's the day we've been waiting for. Not only is Roxanne St. Claire here Fri Dec 22 to start the holidays right with "Christmas and Clooney," but she's offering one lucky commenting Bella a signed copy of her Dec release, PLUS a SET of Clooney DVDs, "Oceans Eleven" and "Oceans Twelve!"
***
If I seem cranky today, it's cause I am.
We just had that great chat yesterday with Jenna Petersen, deciding whether we're all about the h's or the hn's. Fine. Good. But let me tell you what I like best, cause a) I was buried yesterday and couldn't join in your fun (which peeves me), and, 2. It's my blog, so you should know this about me:
I like heroes. Unfeeling jerks -- bastards, really -- who in all ways are larger-than-life, are egocentric, privileged, and powerful, and who do mortifyingly abusive things to the women with whom they're falling in love.
I don't care if they're irredeemable through much of the novel. What I do care about is whether the author can convince me it makes sense that they're idiots, and that the women they're treating like crap are gonna wreak big, fat emotional havoc over the guys' boneheads before the epilogue. And I do like me some epilogue -- or final chapter alluding to the promise of Contentment Ever After, if you want to get all artsy.
Brenda Joyce writes some of my favorite Old School-type romances. She's not afraid to write a jerky bastard, and one of her best is Devlin O'Neill of "The Prize," (read my Old Flames review) book 4 in her deWarrenne Dynasty series. The series has it all, medievals, Regencies, lusty high-seas hijinx, and heroes who fall in love once, and for ever.
I just finished "A Lady at Last," and loved it. Joyce manages to make Cliff deWarrene a total jerk, but also moral and honorable, and, a stunning mess of emotion beneath his gentleman privateer exterior.
So, I'm stakin my claim to the Bastard Hero. Yeah. And on top of all that, it's been ages since we've had some wet guy photos -- ANY hot, barely clad guy photos for that matter -- so I'm giving you some alpha Canna, cause I knows what's good for my Bellas. 
Happy flippin holiday rush.
Are you all about the Bastard Hero? Why/why not?
Contest!!! I believe Canna's trying to tell me something (because it's all about me, isn't it?). Whomever comes up with the best Canna quote for this pic wins a copy of Jacquelyn Frank's "Jacob." ***
Encore! Jenna P Winners: brownone, you win the copy of Jenna Petersen's "From London with Love," and flip you've scored the copy of "Desire Never Dies." Email me your snail mail w/ Jenna P in the sub line @ romance@ibsys.com.
Encore due! Grazie, grazie Jenna Petersen for yesterday's terrif GuestBlog. You were as gracious then as I am cranky today. You are welcome back any time! I, however, may find myself banned from my own blog today if I don't perk up.