Top Ten Book Boyfriends
Lately, it seems just about everyone I know has had a
picture of one movie star or television “hottie” with the logo of “___________
is My Book Boyfriend” as a meme and posted up as their Facebook profile
picture. Those memes got me to think about my top ten book boyfriends…and so,
in no apparent order, here’s my list:
1.
Robin/Dick Grayson. Yeah, you read that right. I
can vaguely remember watching Batman
on television when I was a little kid, but a little later, I can very vividly
recall watching the series in syndication. Burt Ward, the actor who portrayed
the Bat’s young side kick, filled in for all those young boys in the books I
read as a young child. (When your grandmother was a first grade teacher in the
Chicago Public School Corporation, you learned to read at a very young age. By
the time I was in first grade, I was reading at a fourth grade level—much to
the frustration of my teachers.) The funny thing was I never did like Batman. I
always thought he was condescending and just a little bit creepy. Just for the
record: I still don’t like Batman.
2.
Alan Rickman. Even before the first Harry Potter movie was filmed, it was
Alan Rickman’s voice I heard in my head when I read the books. To later read
that J.K. Rowling always had Rickman in mind for Severus Snape vindicated me
hearing that mellow, velvety voice snarking Harry Potter and company every
chance he got. The first time I read Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Philosopher’s Stone for my UK friends) I
thought that Ms. Rowling had created the perfect Gothic hero. I think I fell in
love with his voice in the Kevin Coster version of Robin Hood. That line in the
movie about cancelling Christmas always makes me smile. And, frankly, Mr.
Rickman could record a reading of the phone book, and I would listen to it.
3.
A young
John Wayne. If I’m reading a western or a military romance, I’m seeing the
Duke. For such a large man, he was incredibly light on his feet, and I don’t
think the man ever really got the credit he deserved as an actor. For anyone
who thinks that John Wayne couldn’t act, I challenge you to watch The Searchers. Wayne’s portrayal of
Ethan Edwards is chilling. Not the image of a romance hero, but the man could
act. And the young John Wayne was pretty easy on the eyes, too.
4.
Harrison Ford. Oh, to be sixteen again and
seeing Star Wars for the first time.
Yes, almost all of my girl friends were gushing over Mark Hamill. I wasn’t that
impressed. I kept asking, “Did you catch the guy who showed up halfway through
that movie?” The first “romance” I ever wrote when I was all of seventeen (and
will never, ever see the light of day because it’s utter DREK!), Harrison was
the model for the hero. A bit of a scoundrel, seemingly motivated by just the
profit in it, only to return at the last second to save the day…sigh…
5.
Luke Evans. I can see Luke Evans as my book
boyfriend in just about anything I read. I fell hard for Luke in the movie The Immortals. There was so much eye
candy there…
6.
Pierce Brosnan. Yep, I remember him from the
days of the television series Remington
Steele. I think my heart broke when the series was cancelled and sometimes
I can catch episodes in syndication and I’m surprised at how well written that
series was. At the time, the writing wasn’t what drew me in to watch every
week. Suave, debonair, those stunning blue eyes, that accent…it was no surprise
he was cast as Bond.
7.
Ioan Gruffudd. Welsh actor who was in Titanic, Black Hawk Down and The
Fantastic Four. Apparently, he’s also guesting on Glee. When he’s my book boyfriend, it’s for his role as Lancelot in
King Arthur. He says that he has no
intention of changing his name because he’s determined to maintain his Welsh
heritage and it is who he is. He’s pointed out the whole world learned how to
say “Schwarzenegger.”
8.
Johnny Depp. I remember him from his days on the
television series 21 Jump Street
(yes, I am really “that old” to quote my grand-daughter) and like a fine wine,
Depp’s only gotten better. His acting abilities have improved, too. I think the
only thing that he’s done in recent memory that I couldn’t stand was Alice in Wonderland. And, even though I
wasn’t horribly impressed with The Lone
Ranger Depp managed to pull off a performance for Tonto that was memorable.
It was kinda like Captain Jack Sparrow portraying Johnny Depp portraying a
Native American mystic/delusional paranoid.
9.
Robert Downey, Jr. When Iron Man was first cast, I couldn’t think of a better actor to step
into the shiny red and gold metal suit. I sometimes think that Tony Stark is
his alter ego.
10. Two
words: HENRY. CAVILL.
Lynda J. Cox will tell anyone who will listen that she was
born at least one hundred and fifty years too late, and most definitely in the
wrong part of the country. Her heart has always belonged to cowboys, the wide
open spaces, horses, and Lassie. She grew up on a steady diet of cowboy movies,
syndicated Westerns, and Lassie. All
of those influences play a role in her life now. She writes western historical
romance and raises and shows collies. She holds
a master’s degree in English
with a concentration in creative writing from Indiana State University after
earning her BA from the same university as a non-traditional student. (Think
being old enough to be mom to 90% of the students in her freshman cadre.) She’s
kept busy with two spoiled rotten house cats, a 30 plus year old Arabian
gelding who has been nicknamed “Lazarus” for his ability in the later years of
his life to escape death, and quite a few champion collies. When she isn’t
writing, she can be found on the road, travelling to the next dog show. She
loves to chat about books, the writing life, and the insanity which is called a
“dog show” and can be reached through her Facebook page.
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He's everything she fears...
Wounded gunfighter Colt Evans stumbles onto a remote homestead never expecting to find compassion. But beautiful Amelia McCollister is like no other woman. Suddenly, his dream of settling down with a wife and home is within reach--but only if his past never comes gunning for him.
She's everything he dreams of...
Amelia had to grow up fast after outlaws murdered her parents, leaving her to raise her siblings alone. With a young brother who idolizes shootists, she dreads having a notorious gunman in her home. But as Colt slowly recovers, he reveals a caring nature under his tough exterior that Amelia can't resist.
Just when Colt starts to believe he can leave the gunfighter life behind, his past returns, bringing danger to them all. Can a shootist ever hang up his hardware? Or will their dreams disappear in the smoke of a desperado's gun?
