by Christine WellsDespite certain aspersions cast by one Anna Campbell in yesterday's blog:), I'm a peaceable person by nature. As a child, I practised the odd faux karate move on my brother and the other annoying boys in my neighbourhood, but since those days, I haven't really been one for confrontation of any kind, much less the physical.
There are incidents in every woman's life when her man might see the need to defend her with his fists. A couple of times, I've been sick with apprehension in just that situation, because rather than thinking how romantic it is to have a man protect me, I get scared that maybe the other fellow has a knife or has friends nearby, or if my defender did punch the other guy's lights out, he might get arrested.
In fiction, however, it's another matter.
Big strong men who are prone to violence--I love reading about them and I love writing about them, too. THE DANGEROUS DUKE opens with my hero, Max, Duke of Lyle, dangling a man over a balustrade by the ankles until he agrees to hand over valuable information. In fact, that was the image from which the entire book sprang. If you read Max's story, you'll get a sense of a man who will stop at nothing to achieve his aims.
In my July release, WICKED LITTLE GAME, the Marquis of Vane has the huge, honed physique of a seasoned prizefighter. Unlike many of the Regency beaux who spar in Jackson's Boxing Saloon, Vane is a serious athlete. He trains with commitment and passion, the same way he does everything else (including love my heroine, Lady Sarah, but that's another blog!) I modeled him on Captain Barclay, a gentleman athlete who trained many top prizefighters of the day.When Lady Sarah sees Vane stripped to the waist, engaging in sparring practice with a hulking great giant in his empty ballroom, she experiences a visceral reaction:
Nothing could have been farther from his usual demeanor than the sight that met her eyes in his ballroom tonight: a wild, primitive display of masculine aggression.
She ought to be disgusted. She’d never seen anything more magnificent in her life.
What is it about these fictional warriors that we love so much? Have you ever had your honour defended? (I know Donna has a story about that!) Were you scared, disgusted, triumphant? Did you tell him to step out of the way so that *you* could kick some butt?
Who is your favourite fictional warrior hero?
90 comments:
Mine all mine!
Virginia, congratulations on taking home the rooster!
Christine, I'm looking forward to meeting Vane. And just BTW, what gorgeous illustrations! There really is something about the warrior hero, but I'm not sure why they appeal so much. They have courage, of course, and competence. They're often deeply affected by what they've seen.
You could say that about a lot of other heroes, though. It's a mystery to me.
No, I've never had anyone step up to defend my honor or person. Nor have I had to do it, so I guess I've had a pretty uneventful life.
Favorite warrior hero--that's easy. King Arthur, always and forever.
But there are lots of great ones out there.
Great post Christine! Yes we do love our warriors. I can't think of a time that someone defended my honor right now. I have been painting in the kitchen today and my brain is fried.
I have always loved Patrick Swayze in the movie Road House, now this man kick some major butt in this movie.
Oh, Virginia! Looks like you have won the ultimate warrior hero, the Golden Rooster himself!
Nancy, I wasn't sure whether you'd go for one of your historical warriors or the more futuristic kind. King Arthur is a great choice!
Virginia, looks like I'm going to have to make a trip to the video store. I've never seen Road House but I can see that Patrick Swayze would make a good warrior.
Hope you can put your feet up (or catch some zzz) now. What colour are you painting your kitchen?
Oh yes I plan on putting that rooster to work tomorrow. He is going to help me finish painting my kitchen. So he may get a little paint in his beautiful feathers. He'll be feather painting before the day is through!
Feather painting! I love it. That would be for a distressed effect, right?
Mmmmmmmmm...fictional warriors...
Wait sorry what was the question? I got a bit distracted there. ;)
Congrats on getting the GR, Virginia!
Have I ever had my honour defended? Not quite. Closest thing might've been way back when, one friend(now former) backed me up when I disputed a mark that my high school law teacher gave me on a group project because she claimed I didn't do as much work as a few others(in fact, she had no idea how much work anyone did on the mock law trial so all individual marks were arbitrarily given). After he spoke up for me, my mark got bumped up by 10% which was still somewhat bogus but better much than before.
Yes, Pissenlit, it was really tough work finding the pictures to illustrate this blog post.
Actually, an intellectual warrior is pretty darn special, I think. I like a man who can fight with his brain rather than his fists.
Congrats on the GR, Virginia.
Hi Christine,
I really appreciate the pics of Eric Bana/Hector and Sharpe. I can't wait to meet Vane. Hector is a great hero, defending the honor of his family and country. Never had to have my honor defended, but I guess that's a good thing.
Jane, I thought Eric Bana was magnificent in Troy. In fact, he was the best thing about that movie, I have to say. I've only seen a few Sharpe episodes, but Sean Bean does a terrific job in those, too. Thanks for commenting!
Mmmmm warriors~ Christine, those pictures were just... yummy. So terribly yummy. And I wanna meet Vane!!!
My favourite warrior hero? Hmmm, that's tough... I think I'd have to go with Jack Whyte's rendition of Uther Pendragon. I've read so many Arthurian stories which mentioned Uther, seen him portrayed as both good and evil, but Whyte's novel, which focuses on Uther, not on Arthur, was just remarkable. His portrayal of Uther makes him seem sexy as hell, all big, strong, ill-fated warrior man, and I loved it.
I don't think I've ever had someone - well, someone male, at least - defend my honour. I've defended my own and that of my friends, though. I used to be quite good at kicking shins, back in middle school. Ah, the good old days, when boys didn't exactly have cooties but were clearly not friends either...
And yes! Yes, yes, yes! to the intellectual warrior! I love reading about characters who engage in verbal sparring... there's nothing sexier than a smart man.
Hi Lynz! I so agree about verbal sparring being sexy. That's why I love books like Lord of Scoundrels and The Last Hellion.
Your description of Uther Pendragon sounds wonderful. I must look for Whyte's book.
Was it Mary Stewart who wrote those wonderful Arthurian books also? I loved them.
Christine Wells - Actually, an intellectual warrior is pretty darn special, I think. I like a man who can fight with his brain rather than his fists.
Ya, well he was special all right. He was my best guy friend at the time till he asked me out and I kindly but firmly refused because I didn't like him like that and he took that to mean it was a good idea to keep inserting come-ons into our conversations despite me telling him to stop and that it made me uncomfortable. Didn't see that coming. Luckily, this happened right around grad and we weren't headed to the same university so after telling him off a few times, I just ended up blocking him online. Winner, that one. :P
Oh, dear, Pissenlit. What a shame to lose a good friend like that.
Okay, can I brag for a moment? Because I was lucky enough to win an ARC of Christine Wells' WICKED LITTLE GAME and oh my god, it is beyond amazing. I love, love, love it. And if I could steal Vane away without Christine noticing, I so would.
But since I can't . . . I'm going to steal Natty Bumpo from The Last of the Mohicans. The long hair, the buckskin breeches or trousers (I write contemps so not sure what Natty wears except it looks good), and of course, how he handles a gun. *g*
Christine: be forewarned, it's not a romance. Not in the slightest. There is indeed romance, love even, but the book is mainly about grim, gritty life. And war, lots of fighting and war. It's a hell of a book, though. And huge... the version I own is over 900 pages long. And yes, it was Mary Stewart.
Pissenlit: I hate it when a relationship with the opposite sex goes south, especially a close one. My male best friend has tried to form a... closer relationship with me, but was a darling about accepting that I didn't feel the same way. I can't imagine how I would've dealt with him if he hadn't taken no for an answer.
Wow, Elyssa, thanks so much for your praise of WICKED LITTLE GAME. I'm glad you enjoyed reading Vane's story!
Oh, yes, Last of the Mohicans--fantastic movie. I think Foanna will be fighting you for Natty, though:)
Lynz, it sounds like a great book to read on holiday. Thanks for the recommendation.
Congrats Virginia you should get him to help with the painting
What a great post Christine and I love the pictures, they were great to come home to after a hard day at work.
Has anyone defended my honour yes once many many years a go and yes it was my Hubby although then my boyfriend and it didn't make me happy I was angry with him for a few days but it is always fun making up LOL.
I am soo looking forward to getting to know Vane and Lady Sarah can't wait but I will be patient.
One of my favourite warriors is William Wallace (Mel Gibson) in Braveheart I loved that movie and although gruesome at times what he did to defend his wfe and try and free the Scottish was awesome for me.
Have Fun
Helen
Congrats Virginia.
Christine - Vane sounds wonderful and I love the visuals.
I married a Beta who is the nicest person on the face of the earth, funny, loving, adorable and hard to rile...until someone threatens me. I worked for many years with men in a pretty physical environment. We climbed billboards to paint portraits and murals so we were all in good shape from dragging equipment up a hundred feet in the air, my husband, too. I was used to taking care of myself since I'd been on my own since seventeen. We (painters) sometimes worked inside a big warehouse attached to the outdoor advertising offices. There's always some jerk who was threatened by me being the lead master artist. One morning when my husband stopped at the shop to see me, this jerk started acting aggressive toward me over a particular project. I walked up front to get management to deal with him. While I was out of the room, the jerk made a huge mistake by saying a very vulgar comment about me within earshot of my southern male. By the time I walked back into the warehouse with security, a crowd of guys had gathered. My husband had flipped his ballcap around, had handed off his watch and was backing the guy in a corner to take him out. Security grabbed the guy and hauled him out before there were any blows, saving his butt at the last second.
When teaching writing, I like to ask "what would it take to turn a Beta male into an Alpha?" Serious motivation.
As for how I felt - angry at the jerk, understanding of how my husband felt and glad I'm married to a man I admire. I would never be with a man who was agressive at the least inciting incident, a brawler. I've dealt with many big, problem guys over the years on my own since that was the nature of the business, but I like knowing there is a line my husband draws for men when it comes to how they treat me.
My favorite hero...my husband. :)
Warriors... I think of Star Wars, Luke Skywalker & Han Solo leading the Rebel forces against the Empire. I also agree with Helen, Mel Gibson in Braveheart as William Wallace.
I also liked Russell Crowe in Gladiator, leading his fellow slaves to fight to the death with honor & courage.
My days of defending a lady's honor are pretty much over. Did that all the time back in the day. Issued many an ass-kicking over things said to my girlfriends etc... Had my ass kicked a few times over that too. Back then, I never saw a need to defend a girl intellectually. But then, I wasn't really after their intellects.
Now things are much different. Intellectually, professionally, academically, my wife needs no defense. She's as formidable as any I've ever encountered. She's no slouch physically either. A tiny but determined little package that hits harder pound-for-pound than anyone I know. But a physical threat to my wife would (and has) make a very dangerous person out of me. My mentality's changed.
Just a few weeks ago, we were walking from dinner to the mall to pick up some things for my son. An aggressive panhandler physically reached towards my wife. She got mad at me, because I ... well ... I shoved her clear of the guy putting myself between them. I think the guy was able to read the body language telling what was about to happen if he continued down that path. Regardless of whether he correctly read my positioning or not, I was prepared to do very bad things if he continued his aggression. Very bad things. But he backed off.
And I got yelled at for shoving her clear. :(
Apparently I shoved her into the path of some other folks that were passing the other way. Ah well. Those other folks were not a threat. This guy was.
c'est la vie.
But I guess the difference between now and then, is that now it's for keeps. How did I see it phrased the other day? Ah yes, "A lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation."
My favorite warrior hero is Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. Completely, totally, 100% male. And I love how his transformation manifests itself physically as he grows emotionally, learns to accept his destiny. From his facial expressions to his body stance, he's every bit a warrior king.
Huh. If someone defended my honor, I've forgotten about it. I'm a background sort of person, though, so I don't generally do anything that needs defending.
I did defend my own honor once, though, when I was twelve years old and my teacher made me hit the cutest boy in the entire school to get him to stop acting up. Long story, and I'll save it for a blog sometime.
Warriors? There are so many, but one of my absolute favorites is Raoul de Harcourt in Georgette Heyer's The Conqueror. He's everything a warrior hero should be - courageous, loyal, reluctant to do harm, slow to anger but never backs down, gentle, compassionate... Oh, I just shiver thinking about it. And he makes a perfect contrast to the Conqueror himself, who has a lot of heroic qualities but is a little too ruthless to be a true hero. Still, he's fabulous, too, in his own way.
P226 -
Your wife should have hugged you.
Someone told me the other day that there is 40% less testosterone in today's men.
My response? Not the men in my part of the country. "g"
I don't want a man who postures (out of jealousy, for example) around other men because that is just annoying, but showing a protective side is heart warming.
Good for you to be aware of what is going on around those you love and to protect.
Great topic, Christine, and isn't it so true?
I remember that feeling very well. Dr. Big is, well, BIG, but not broad and muscle-bound, even less so when we were dating. I remember an occasion when we'd gone fishing (oh, the things we do for love!) and some rough-looking characters down the bank kept looking our way and making disparaging remarks. At least, I think they were disparaging because I didn't understand their language.
Boyd got angrier and angrier (apparently Spanish was the only class he paid attention to in college) and stood to confront them physically. They were three and he one (I, obviously, didn't count as a defender) and I was terrified, violent images whipping through my head. Finally, just to placate me, of course, he packed up and we left.
All the while I wondered how all that angry testosterone had invaded my quiet, gentle boyfriend. Oddly enough, now that I'm older and he's really bigger, I feel very safe with him.
Ah, my intellectual warrior!
Congratulations, Virginia, what plans do you have for the rooster today? Don't let him get too cocky (pun intended LOL).
Christine - I can't believe you remembered that story of the day my boyfriend-later-husband defended my honor with his fists. It placed me in an awkward position as I wasn't sure the "physical augumentation" was necessary, but I was so flattered that he took the action on my behalf.
I think we love our warrior heros because they're willing to put themselves on the line, risk physical injury, to protect us.
Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse was great and I loved, loved, loved Eric Bana in Troy, of course Brad Pitt was looking extremely buff in that movie as well.
Virginia - love the feather painting *g*.
Christine wrote: I wasn't sure whether you'd go for one of your historical warriors or the more futuristic kind.
I did have to stop and think about it. There are so many to choose from, including the ones people have mentioned here. What finally decided me was staying power. Arthur has been a warrior hero for 700 years or so. Hard to top that, so I picked him.
In terms of real-life historical heroes (and I think Arthur was based on someone real, just don't know who), ones whose lives are documented, if poorly, I'd pick Alfred the Great.
He's the only English king to earn that sobriquet, made great military advances and yet also valued education in addition to being deeply religious. And the movie made about him some years back was, IMHO, garbage. David Hemmings is a wonderful actor, but that Alfred did not match the one in the books I've read.
Virginia, make that bird work! He can be useful, if forced. *g*
Christine Wells - Oh, dear, Pissenlit. What a shame to lose a good friend like that.
Ya, though I suppose it was better that I found out he could be like that. :P Also, I never did get back a book I lent him! Tsk. :D
Lynz Pickles - My male best friend has tried to form a... closer relationship with me, but was a darling about accepting that I didn't feel the same way.
I'm glad that worked out okay. That happened 3 times to me way back in high school(er maybe 2.5 times 'cause I was sitting on the fence about the 3rd guy at one point...heh) and the other 2(or 1.5) were really really good about accepting my decision. Though, after high school, I decided to stop having a single best guy friend. :D
Pissenlit, this is one reason I loathe and despise group projects. They're very difficult to grade fairly unless each student is responsible for, and graded on, only a particular component. And if you do it that way, it's not really a group project, just individual projects presented together.
If the components aren't individually graded, there's nothing to stop some group members from slacking off while others do most of the work.
It's great that your teammate spoke up for you.
Christine wrote: Actually, an intellectual warrior is pretty darn special, I think. I like a man who can fight with his brain rather than his fists.
Me, too. I think that's one reason, along with the humor, that MacGyver was so popular. It's one of the things that draws me to Burn Notice (episode 2 airing tonight on USA *g*).
Lynz, I really have enough on my TBR pile, (that sound in the background is the dh going "enough, enough!" *g*) but now you've gotten me interested in the Whyte books.
Pissenlit, I'm really sorry your friendship ended that way.
Dianna, what a great story about your dh!
That's an interesting question, what would turn a beta into an alpha. I think a beta hero has to have a flash of alpha at some point, even if he doesn't sustain it. I also married a beta. He's never had occasion to do the kind of thing yours did, but he's always ready to step in and handle it if something upsets me.
p226 wrote: "A lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation."
I love it! That's a great description.
I'm with Dianna in thinking what you did was great.
Barbara, I love Raoul de Harcourt! I can see my copy of The Conqueror, from here. That's a book I've always hoped to find in hardback, even just a book club edition. In his dealings with the heroine, he is sort of beta--gentle and compassionate, as you say--until the very end, when he forces her to make a choice.
Almost no one knows that book. Heyer's medievals and Georgians have fallen by the wayside of Regency popularity, I'm afraid.
This is the second time this morning I've hopped onto a blog and been greeted by Warrior Butler. *sigh* This is a good day.
I admit it, though I don't understand it. There's just something about a man throwing a punch to defend his woman's honor. While reading this, I immediately thought of Dan, the hero of SEP's It Had To Be You. (Sorry if someone else has mentioned him, I haven't read the comments. *g*) At the end of the book, he does some physical damage to a guy who deserved what he got and more. And it was so dang sexy.
Again, I can't explain it and I don't think I'd want to see a guy beat someone up for me in real life. My ex-H is a big man and there was one time a little weezle of a guy was hitting on me in a pool hall. He asked me a lude question and I suggested he ask my husband standing behind him. He turned slowly and I'm pretty sure he pee'd his pants. LOL!
That was pretty damn funny. Needless to say, no punches were necessary.
Christine, what a lovely post for me to enjoy on this stormy day in Texas!! And with pictures of four of my favorite men. YUMMO!
I'm afraid I've never been in a position where my honor had to be defended...(darn it).
However, my daughter,(who is quite beautiful IMHO), her husband and my son used to have a punk rock band. They'd play in some rather shady places, with equally "interesting" clientele.
One night when we were there watching, a certain male with rather pointy hair, lots of metal piercings and lots of long dark black clothes, seemed to be invading her space...Not only did her husband and brother close ranks, her father joined the group. I was very proud of my men...and the "fan" quickly got the message she was off limits.
Funny thing was, I truly believe she had no clue what was going on!! LOL
Hmmmmmmm favorite warrior hero...
Well there's both King Author and Richard Sharpe and James Bond (the new one) and uhm, Rick O'Connor from the Mummy, and oh yeah, Aragorn...andy both Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday from Tombstone...Marcus Aurillius from the Gladiator....
Oh, was I supposed to have a favorite?
Ah, Christine...Richard Sharpe series held me captive every Saturday night a few summers ago when they played on BBC America...In fact, I've got the beginning of a story with those characters as inspiration!
Beowulf is my favorite warrior, particularly as played by Gerard Butler. I also like William Wallace, though not as played by Mel Gibson.
Hi Christine!! Great blog! I also love a hot blooded, warrior type. I've never had my personal honor defended by a warrior, but I love knowing that my man COULD and would fight such a battle if necessary. :-)
I don't have a favorite warrior in particular (other than my dh), but I did find a new type of guy to lust over this weekend -- the Hawaiian fire-knife dancer! Yowza! Tan, hunky, long black hair, muscles to die for, wearing the proverbial loin cloth, tattoos on the chest, good with a spear, AND eats fire.
(did I say good with a spear? I meant literally. As in, a real spear...Oh man, I give up. Let the innuendos fly!)
Hey, Virginia, it's a red chook day for you! Congratulations!
Christine, I'm sorry - was that post an excuse for some gratuitous eye candy or what??!!! Were there words involved. Strangely my attention was all on the visuals.
Not that I'm complaining, my dear...
Christine, I think it's bred in the bone for women to fancy warrior heroes, at least in that protective, save the tribe archetype. Gideon, my latest hero, definitely falls into that category! Oh, I can't wait until the world discovers Vane. They'll all be in love with him! He's so utterly gorgeous. You did a fabulous job there, my friend!
Actually for some reason I'm channelling Hawkeye in the movie of Last of the Mohicans here. He would do anything to keep Cora safe - I got quite exhausted watching him. Or perhaps that was just me getting breathless for other reasons. DDL really is gorgeous in that movie. "I will find you!"
Hey, Ely, did you steal my brain while I wasn't looking? Notice you're in love with Vane and you want to steal Nathaniel. No way, Jose! Isn't WLG the best book? I think it's absolutely brilliant!
Fun topic! Has anyone ever discussed this before in the history of the world? They should have.
I had my honor defended once, though I wasn't there to see it, I heard about it. It's a great story.
I'd dated this guy for 3 years, most of high school. I broke up with him, which broke his heart (this is important to the story, trust me), and he was pretty bitter for a long time.
So he's at this party and some guy asks 'how far he went' with me, if you know what I mean. Old boyfriend slugged this guy so hard that he blew threw the storm door and out into the snow on the porch. He snarled, "Don't you ever talk like that about her again."
Wow. I was impressed. This old boyfriend was *mad* at me, but he still defended my honor. You can see why I went out with him for so long.
My fav fictional action hero? Strider/Aragorn from LOTR. Sigh. A man of many layers, wounded, honorable, devoted.
Christine, what a GREAT blog and a great question.
I think we like warriors for a number of reasons, part of them primitive...okay, maybe all of them primitive. (grin)
Warriors are competent, and I find competence wildly attractive. Warriors are also usually really focused and tend to be loyal once they've allied to a cause. All those are powerful attractors for me.
And hey, some guys just look great in armor, ya know?
As to defending my honor...hmmm. I don't think anyone's ever done that. At least not that I'm aware of.
I was once with a guy who left me alone in potential danger to save his own skin, and I'll tell you, that sucked the life and respect out of that relationship like nothing else would have. It surprises me how much that bothered me (and still bothers me actually) since I'm not much of a "victim." And sometimes I'm a little bothered by the fact that when I'm with a male, I often find myself kind of passing off the "protection" duties to him. I don't do it on purpose. I guess it's some kind of inborn male-female relationship instinct.
But it still pisses me off.
Hey Virginia, congrats on the rooster!
I understand he comes armed with his own set of feathered and furred handcuffs now so watch your back girlfriend.
I gotta tell ya Christine, it's entirely NOT FAIR to start a blog about warriors with that pic of Arthur, and then ask who's our favorite warrior.
Everybody already knows I like Hawk in LOTM, & Aragorn in LOTR, but that pic of Clive..
Oh...yeah. That was a great film. Keira Knightly (have no idea whether I spelled it right)didn't do such a bad job as a kick-ass warrior herself though, now did she?
Dianna Love said:
My favorite hero...my husband. :)
Aaaaaawwwwwww.
Hey Virginia! Congrats on nabbing the bird!
Grins.
Christine, I LURVE the sound of your hero. Sigh...men stripped to the waist, sweaty and boxing? Oh, yeah...
While my darling DH hasn't needed to step up to defend MY honor, I've heard the stories from his bothers about times he's done it for others. VBG. He's so mild mannered you forget he's big, and strong, and smart with it. In 12 years of knowing him, I've seen him truly angry about 3 times. Formidable is the only word that does it justice. Otherwise, he's your basic mild mannered reporter, so to speak. Ha!
I've stepped in for other people once or twice, but mostly I let people settle thier own disputes. :> Ha! (Fractured a finger on one of those events, but that's another story, and stupid to boot!)
I love a good hero, though. And all the ones pictured can come hang out in my fantasies ANY time, including Vane. Ha!
Hi Helen, glad you liked the pictures. I thought they illustrated my point pretty well:) And never fear, Vane will be with you in only a few weeks!
LOL about the fun of making up! I can identify with getting mad over it. I suppose it really depends on the circumstances.
Oh, Dianna, what a guy! That is such a great story. I love that your husband stood up for you like that.
I like knowing there is a line my husband draws for men when it comes to how they treat me.
That is so true. I wouldn't want him to take stupid risks and get hurt, but I would lose respect for a man who just let a remark like that slide. And that's a great point about when does the Beta hero step up to the plate? I'm starting to get story ideas...
Thanks for commenting today!
Laurie, they are all great warrior heroes, aren't they? I had a Braveheart picture but I couldn't fit him on the blog.
Another warrior I really like is Daniel Craig's James Bond.
P226, I would so love to meet your wife! LOL There are some seriously competent women among the banditas who would have done the same, I'm sure.
But... I still think that once she'd calmed down she might appreciate that you're willing to stand between her and trouble. It's not as if you don't respect her amazing abilities, it was in the heat of the moment, and it was an instinctive reaction. Anyway, I hope she forgave you. You might remind her that she would probably do the same for you:)
Gillian, you're so right. How could I forget Aragorn? He's a wonderfully multi-faceted hero, isn't he? Do you get the impression that we want more in our warrior heroes than just brawn?
We're a demanding lot, aren't we?
Wow, Barbara, I haven't read The Conqueror for many years. I must get it out again. All these books are waiting for me when I come out of the deadline cave.
How weird is that to tell you to hit another student? Your story reminds me of when I was in Grade 1 and the teacher used to take some of the class down to the school gate at 2.30 while the rest of us with older siblings waited for the 3 o'clock bell. We were told not to get out of our chairs while she was gone. One boy bet me I couldn't punch him and of course I had to take up that challenge (yes, Foanna, my right hook was famous, even then). I was caught in the act and the boy and I had to stand facing the blackboard until 3.15. Ouch! I was generally such a good girl, but I couldn't let a boy get the better of me, could I?
Dianna, you are so right. No one wants a bully or someone who is going to fight over imagined slights or jealousy. But the willingness to step up when necessary is heartwarming.
Jo, that's the kind of situation I've been in before and it really can't end well unless your guy walks away, can it? I'm glad Dr. Big saw reason!
Donna, I loved that story about your husband. How could I forget? Yes, Pitt was buff in Troy but I loved Bana's quieter integrity and strength. When you've seen Bana in all the comedy he'd done in Australia, it's even more impressive that he could carry off such a role. He was a great foil to the infuriating Paris!
Nancy, I admit, it is difficult to imagine Captain Kirk enduring for 700 years, isn't it? I must read about Alfred the Great. It is difficult to find warriors from history who valued the finer things in life and also showed compassion. Too many conquerors treated the conquered foe with appalling brutality. I like the stories of Saladin sending fruit to Richard when he was ill. That's the kind of warrior I admire.
Pissenlit, it makes me wonder about that line in When Harry Met Sally, that women and men can't be 'just friends'. I really like having male friends but the same happened to me a few times.
Ooh, Burn Notice, Nancy? I haven't seen it but heard of it before. I miss a lot of television down here in the cave. Must make a note to have a gander.
Nancy, another warrior hero I love of Heyer's is Simon the Coldheart. I think Heyer secretly wanted to write serious medieval historicals, but her Regencies were always the most popular, weren't they?
Terrio, isn't that the truth? I love that scene in It Had to Be You where Dan sorts out that low-life cousin of Phoebe's. I think it works because you feel how helpless she was against the cousin and how the experience wrecked her life and she's never going to be able to bring him to justice after all that time. And then Dan doesn't make a fuss about it or tell her what he's going to do. You even start to think he's not going to do anything, but then SEP has you punching the air when the cousin gets his comeuppance! Ooops, that's probably a spoiler but who hasn't read that book by now, anyway:) I love SEP.
Oh, and Terrio, that is so great that all your man had to do was stand there. Love that image!
Suz, I'm laughing at your story about the punk fan and your daughter being totally oblivious! Good on her men for standing up for her!
Suz, how could I forget Rick from The Mummy? His character always reminds me of the hero in Mr. Impossible. The big beautiful 'dumb' ox who has unexpected depths to his character. I must rent that movie again.
Ooh, Suz, are you going to write an historical? Yay! It sounds fantastic! You write wonderful heroes so I'm looking forward to that treat.
Keira, I've yet to see Gerard Butler play Boewulf. Another treat in store! I've only read about Boewulf as part of that 13th warrior novel that Michael Crichton wrote. An enthralling read. Goody, another movie for my list!
Oh, thanks to whoever first mentioned The Mummy
Musn't forget Oded.
Pant, pant. (fans self)
aloha, Kirsten! Sounds like you had a great time in Hawaii! Hmm that fire-eater sounds like he'd have no trouble defending a woman's honour. Quite easy on the eyes also!
Gratuitous eye candy, Anna? Never!
Oh, and I LOVE the scene in Captive of Sin where Gideon first shows his mettle. I won't spoil anything by saying that will I?
And yes, I have read Captive of Sin, and yes, I am gloating. *g*
LOL, I just KNEW you'd lay claim to Nathaniel, Fo. You're a bit proprietary about your men, aren't you? First you're warning everyone off Richard Armitage and now it's Natty. I did try to source a pic of RA beating that factory worker in North and South, just for you, but couldn't find one.
Thanks for saying such lovely things about Wicked Little Game, btw!
Oh, Claudia, what a great story! THat must have been some punch.
And you didn't get back together after that? I think I would have melted like that snow if a guy did that for me even when he was mad.
Cassondra, that's really fascinating, that even though you are capable of defending yourself, biology (?) still has you passing off protection duty to your man. Given p226's experience, maybe that is not such a bad thing for the equilibrium of your relationship!
And I totally agree that if a man turns tail and runs, you lose respect. Getting you both out of a sticky situation with tact rather than violence is one thing. Running and leaving you to defend yourself is quite another!
Actually, I was just thinking about competent women and protective men and I love the relationship between Eve and Roarke in the JD Robb books. There's an amazing tension there that stems from her need to take care of herself vs his need to take care of her. Love that kind of conflict! I'm working on now deals with that issue and it's especially interesting in the context of Regency England.
Cassondra, did my choice of pictures exert undue influence on you? I'm so sorry, I won't do it again:)
I love female warriors, too. There is something so empowering in watching a woman kick butt.
Hey, did I say I was a peaceable kind of person?
Ooh, Jeanne, I'd love to hear those stories some time. I know you're a martial arts expert, so I thought you might have a story to tell about taking care of yourself.
Love the sound of your dh. Hey, I'll get to meet him soon!
Hey, welcome back, Kirsten! Christine, thank you for those kind words about my lovely Gideon. I have quite a crush on him! But then I suppose we get crushes on all our heroes, don't we?
I forgot Viggo as Aragorn. Oh, yeah, he can definitely come round to play!
I think you're right about having to be a little in love with our heroes. I must say, it's taken a long time to get Vane out of my head enough to make room for my current hero, Jardine! But I've got a huge crush on J now, which is about time:)
Gideon is going to win an awful lot of hearts. He's absolutely swoonworthy!
Wasn't Viggo fabulous? I really admired that the film was such an epic with so many effects and yet the characters had great depth also. Those movies are real classics, aren't they?
Great post, Christine and FABULOUS eye candy!!
Virginia caught our own Warrior - GR the Brave. (Until Colonel Sanders shows up!)
I am with La Campbell when it comes to DDL as Hawkeye in LOTM. However, I will give a nod to the British colonel (name slips my mind) who took Cora's place on the fire.
I recently rewatched THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK and I have to admit to a crush on Gabriel Byrne as D'Artagnan. That last scene where they charge the Musketeers is a real epic moment.
My nephew and I are huge fans of the movie 300, though I suspect Gerrard is NOT the reason he watches it again and again. I will forever be grateful to that movie for introducing my nephew to the history of Sparta. We've talked history for hours because of that movie and I got him hooked on the Iliad and the Odyssey. From those he moved on to Caesar's commentaries. Not bad for a Southern boy who drives a truck with big tires!
My brothers once defended my honor against a playground bully when we lived in England. The guy was always picking on me and one day he grabbed my hair and took my conger from me after I beat him fair and square. He was much bigger than any of us, but my two brothers knocked him down, pummeled him and took my conger back. We gathered our chums and started to walk home. He came after my brothers and the other English boys told him to 'Bugger off! The Yanks kicked your arse fair and square!' The bully never bothered me again.
Louisa, yes, Gabriel Byrne has enormous magnetism, hasn't he? Love the musketeers! There seem to be a lot of contenders for Nathaniel! And I agree, that was truly noble the way that colonel stepped back and let the lovers get away together.
Ohh, what a horrible bully to pick on you like that. You must have been air-punching when the boys came to your rescue. My brother and I fought all the time but those moments when he stuck up for me as a child really shine in my memory. Thanks for commenting, Louisa!
Oh, Christine, thank you so much for the yummy pictures of such handsome warriors. I've always loved King Arthur, particularly when he's played by the devastatingly sexy Clive Owen!
Congrats, Virginia!
Isn't it funny how siblings who can fight like cats and dogs amongst themselves don't want anyone else to pick on them.
Hi Gannon! Thanks for commenting.
Louisa, I really love that about (most?) families--there can be an awful lot of in-fighting, yet they stand together against the rest of the world.
Weighing in very late here, but I have to say I'm with you, Christine. I prefer fictional fisticuffs to the real deal. And as my husband is not at all inclined toward violence, I don't worry overly much.
The heros I write, though, are always suave devils with an unexpected flair for violence. It's always a surprise, which is the part I like. They're the sort who use their wits & their verbal acuity rather than their brawn, & it always takes my heroine by surprise when they display a shocking handiness with their fists. It's revealing, stripping away the civilized trappings to show the man underneath.
I think I like that more than the actual violence. The way love for the heroine forces a greater level of honesty. Hmmmm. I'll have to ponder that, as I'm at about the 200 page mark in my latest disaster in progress, & my hero needs something to happen...
Susan, I love the idea of a suave devil with a flair for violence! I think that contrast is very intriguing. For a man, I suppose the urge to protect is similar to the urge many women have to take care of their men in other ways--cooking for them and so on.
Good luck with the DIP! I'm sure that by the time you're finished it will be amazing.
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