May 4, 2011

Special Guest! Anna Campbell!

by Sharon Archer



I'm absolutely thrilled to have my friend and author, Anna Campbell, as my guest on the LoveCats DownUnder today! Her wonderful intense stories mean her books have well-thumbed pages and a permanent place on my keeper shelf. And the exciting news is that there is a new Anna Campbell book out on the shop shelf right now - Midnight's Wild Passion!

I know Anna does meticulous research for her books. I find it fascinating whether it's the historical events leading to back story, or the marvellous stately homes and gardens she's visited to get her settings so evocatively real, or famous, perhaps infamous, people from the past who have triggered ideas for the characters in her stories.

So today, I'm indulging myself and asking her to share one or two of the interesting snippets she's unearthed to add depth to Midnight's Wild Passion.

Over to you, Anna....

Hello, Sharon! Hello, Love Cats! Sharon, thank you for saying such wonderful things about the books. That cheque is definitely in the mail!

Great to be here to talk about MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION which is out 26th April from Avon in North America and 1st May from HarperCollins in Australia and New Zealand.

I feel like I’m here under slightly false pretences. While I often do a vast amount of research for my stories, this particular one relied on stuff I’d picked up along the way before I wrote it. I had to do snippets of research – how long it would take to ride to Surrey, the plants in your average graveyard, you know, the standard stuff! – but this wasn’t like CAPTIVE OF SIN where I needed to know about the East India Company or UNTOUCHED which meant delving into the horrors of the treatment of mental illness in the early 19th century. Take it from me, you’d be mad to be mad then!

So instead, I thought I’d mention something that’s stewed at the back of my mind since I was a wide-eyed romantic at university (compared to a wide-eyed romantic OUT of university which I’ve been ever since). Like a lot of booky girls, I did an English lit degree and as part of that study (definitely an exaggeration of my activities at university – I wasn’t the most conscientious of students, sadly!), I did a semester on the romantics, mainly concentrating on the great six Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats and Byron.

What wonderful grounding for a girl who grew up to write Regency romance! I developed a huge crush on Shelley although now I’m not quite so forgiving of his manifold sins. Byron I found less magnetic although I was fascinated by the scandals and drama of his life. Honestly, that man makes the most lurid soap opera look staid!

In MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION, Antonia Smith, my heroine, is forced to hide her true identity after she elopes with a poet and is consequently ruined in the eyes of society. Writing the poet who done my heroine wrong was great fun and let me get down on paper some of those thoughts from long ago.

Johnny Benton isn’t the hero of MWP – the rakish Nicholas Challoner, Marquess of Ranelaw is – but he was huge fun to write. His character is inspired by both Byron and Shelley. He’s accounted the handsomest man in England which let me play around with the Regency cult of celebrity and masculine beauty (Byron). He’s also got a chequered romantic past, inspired by Shelley’s turbulent emotional history. Shelley was expelled from Oxford for spreading atheistic propaganda when he was 19. Then, disowned by his father, he tumbled into a reckless marriage with a 16-year-old girl, Harriet Westbrook. This union was unhappy and Shelley eloped with Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, the woman who eventually wrote Frankenstein. Poor Harriet ended up drowning herself in the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

If you’d like to know more of Shelley, here’s the Wikipedia article on his life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Bysshe_Shelley

And here’s one on Byron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gordon,_Lord_Byron

Both men lived lives packed with incident and conflict and drama (Shelley drowned in a storm off the Italian coast at the age of 29 in 1822 and Byron died fighting the Turks for Greek independence at the age of 36 in 1824). They provide wonderfully rich resources for a romantic novelist!

So let’s go for a really in-depth question – who do you think is the handsomest man alive today? I want to hear about modern Lord Byrons! One commenter wins a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION, complete with poet!

71 comments:

  1. OMG!! Andy Whitfield! He played Spartacus on the HBO special, 1st season. He has it all. Looks, can act and is manly! When he spoke of, dreamt of or saw his wife (in the show) you could feel the love, the hurt, the desire. He played the part beautifully! Sadly, he became ill and couldn't film season 2 but man he would be perfect! A protector/warrior, a lover, a best friend. ALL OF IT!
    Kimberly
    blazesandbubbles AT gmail DOT com
    readingwithbakingoddess.blogspot.com

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  2. Kimberly, he's an AUSSIE too!!! Oh, your answer does make my patriotic heart beat faster. Mind you, so does Andy ;-)

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  3. Hi, Anna! Hi, Sharon and the LoveCats!

    Congrats on the US/Auusie releases of MWP! I went wild for this book, I tell you!

    It would be terribly remiss of me if I didn't say my real-life hero is the handsomest man alive. I can't think of any other man that makes my heart beat faster! (awww!) Okay, John Hamm from Mad Men is pretty darn dapper. He's a distant second.

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  4. John Hamm is pretty HAMM-some! Oh, dear, had to be said, didn't it? How lovely your hero won the contest! Thanks for swinging by, V!!!

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  5. Hey, Anna! Hey, Love Cats *g*

    Congrats on the release of Midnight's Wild Passion! I'm so excited to read this book - if I can force myself to stop staring at that gorgeous cover :-)

    Anna, that question is almost cruel! I'm not sure I can pick just one man when there are so many choices *g*

    How about I give you one of my faves? Ryan Reynolds. He's gorgeous (and only getting better looking!) is very funny and charming but also played a serious role in Buried - which I will never see as I'm so claustrophobic, just thinking about being buried alive causes me to hyperventilate :-)

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  6. Beth, I'm so excited about your THE PRODIGAL SON hitting the shelves this month. As you know, I adore your writing! Yeah, that cover's kinda spectacular, isn't it? And the stepback ain't too painful on the eyes either, LOL! Oh, buried alive? Eeeeek! Nuh, think I'll pass that one up too. Yeah, RR is lovely - such a lovely gentleness in his manner too which I like.

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  7. Hi, Anna! Yummm, you only have to mention Byron and Shelley to have me in a dither. Love, love the romantic writers, and yes, I took those same classes you did in college LOL. I have to admire the poetic genius coupled with a bit of carpe diem in their lives.

    Handsome today is much different, I imagine. We Yanks are pretty focused on the body while the romantics were about the pretty face. So much can be disguised under the clothing, you know.

    Still I'd go with someone who has the good looks, body and a delightful (to me) accent. How about Alexander Skarsgard? He's in the series TRUE BLOOD and is Swedish. I just read he's in the remake of STRAW DOGS, so that should be interesting.

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  8. Whoo Hoo Hello Anna and Sharon

    Great post Anna very interesting I will be back at the shops first thing Saturday morning looking for the new book it is a shame I have to go to work LOL

    Handsomest Man for me has to be Hugh Jackman not only is he handsome but he is a really nice Guy as well

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  9. Hmmmm, handsomest man alive? I think, in terms of sheer, white-toothed, goodness, I have to go with my personal favorite crush, Matt Damon. He's good looking but he still looks like a man. Yum. :-)

    Looking forward to picking up my copy of your latest!

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  10. Jo, I've heard a couple of mentions of AS when I've been talking about handsome men (I know that's hard to imagine!). I must check him out. I don't watch True Blood. Maybe I should. Hey, cool you're a fellow romantics fan. A lot of those poems still give me goosebumps - the Ode to the Nightingale for example. Beautiful! Actually with both Shelley and Byron, if you didn't know it was true, you wouldn't believe it! So much incident in their lives.

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  11. Helen, hope you find MWP!!! It's officially out here now, as of 1st May, so you should have better luck finding it. Happy reading! Ha ha, how did I know you were going to pick Hugh?

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  12. What I like about Matt, Susan (yeah, great choice, Bandita!) is that he's smart as well as handsome. I love it when intelligence really sparks from a man's eyes. And when you see MD interviewed, he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously which is something I also admire. Hope you enjoy MWP!!!!

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  13. I am going with Alex Olaughlin. The guy on Hawaii Five O. And in The Backup Plan. Cant you just picture him with the collar up high and the skin tight breeches?? haha Personally, I think they could use a little help on the show. They constantly have the 20 year old woman practically naked. Yet the guys are always in full cover.

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  14. Hi Anna - congratulations on your new release. Looking forward to adding MWP to my collection of AC keepers.
    Best looking man at the moment????? Oh . . . so many men, so little time. I could say my TV boyfriend Simon Baker. But every time I see Gerard Butler on screen I can only sigh. And he has a lovely accent too :)
    Cheers

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  15. Anna!
    Welcome to the LoveCats! It's so cool to have you here!

    I finished MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION yesterday and LOVED it! I'm so sad to let Nicholas and Antonia go that I'm going to have to re-read SOON!

    As for a handsome man, like Helen I find it hard to go past Hugh Jackman. Looks and he seems to be a really really nice guy!

    :)
    Sharon

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  16. KrazyM, I think you could get a job as a consultant on that show. I think I'd even contribute to your wages if it means we see MORE (and you know what I mean by 'more') of AO! So pleased to see Aussies getting the attention they deserve ;-)

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  17. Helen, it's difficult to pick just one, isn't it? I've never really been into Simon Baker - until I watched both series of The Mentalist back to back. Yum. And again, he's got that intelligence in his eyes that always make a pretty face come alive for me. Hey, another Aussie! I know this will strike you as bizarre, but I've never really got Gerard Butler. Which means you can have him all to yourself!

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  18. Sharon, Hugh does seem like a nice guy, doesn't he? Hey, ANOTHER AUSSIE!!!! Must be something in the water down here. Sharon, you have no idea how stoked I was to wake up this morning and get your email about how much you loved MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION! Thank you so much!

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  19. Hey, Kimberly, I had to Google Andy Whitfield - yep, he's hot! I haven't seen Spartacus - sounds like I should keep my eyes peeled!

    And, Anna, he's from DownUnder? He'd look great on a surf beach in a pair of bathers!

    ;)
    Sharon

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  20. Vanessa! Lovely to see you so bright and early! Or YOU're bright and early - I overslept so I'm late to my hostessing! I'm lucky Anna's here doing such a great job of looking after you all!

    Gorgeous that you've named your own real-life hero with John Hamm as a worthy but distant second!

    Abd Anna, HAMM-some! Nice! LOL

    :)
    Sharon

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  21. Hi Anna and all the lovely LoveCats!!

    Seems like everyone is loving the Aussies!! and I have to agree (especially about Alex OLaughlin) but I REALLY love Sam Worthington-yes he's an Aussie too!!!!!
    He was in the last Terminator movie, Avatar, Clash of The Titans....oh so sexy!!!!!

    And has anyone been watching The Vampire Diaries??....OMG Ian Somerhalder who plays Damon.....EYES.TO.DIE.FOR!!!!!

    ♥Cath♥

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  22. Hi Sharon, Hi Anna. Lovely to see you here. Smiling about your fixation with romantic poeta, Anna. I supppose by the time I heard about Shelley's life I was at the stage where I was thinking there was a bit too much ego in there for romance, but I'm so glad he inspired a character in this latest book, which by the way is a beauty! For anyone who hasn't read it yet, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. So intense and passionate, it had be creeping to the edge of my seat to see what happened next.

    Looking forward to hearing soon about research for the next book. Research for historicals souns so fascinating!

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  23. Hm, typing too fast - it had 'me' creeping to the edge of my seat!

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  24. Beth, I couldn't agree more - choosing just the one is a tough ask! But you're fave, RR, is an excellent choice.

    Eeek, on his movie, Buried... I don't know if I'd be able to watch it either. The thought of being buried alive is starkly terrifying!

    Thanks for dropping in!

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  25. Hi Anna,

    loved your post! =)

    I would really LOVE to see Ashton Kutcher in some tights wielding a sword. And did someone mention Damon in the vampire diaries. OMG there really is something about him =))

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  26. Hi Jo, I bet you're right when you say handsome now and handsome way-back-when are two different things! I guess we don't have to look too far back to see things like hair-styles that have us wondering how they were considered trendy!

    Hey, Alexander is a wonderful choice! And I haven't even heard the gorgeous accent - I Googled him and it's hard to go past those piercing blue eyes!

    Thanks for popping in!
    :)
    Sharon

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  27. Hi Anna! Hi Sharon!
    I'm a huge Channing Tatum fan! Love to look at him.

    With regard to historical romance, I love to read it and get drawn into another time, but I don't have the patience it would take to research it.

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  28. Tough choice! I think Hugh Jackman is pretty handsome but Clive Owen is my main squeeze but then I would feel bad for leaving out Gerry Butler! Whats a girl to do! LOL! Thanks for sharing with us today!

    evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

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  29. Hi Anna, Hello Sharon,

    COngrats on Midnight's Wild Passion hitting the shelves!

    Ok, if we allowed to be cradle-snatchers, then here it comes...Taylor Lautner! I love his abs....er eyes!

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  30. Helen, YES to Hugh! I saw an interview with him and he just seemed like the loveliest, down-to-earth person. And he could have a laugh at himself, a very attractive trait, I think!

    :)
    Sharon

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  31. oh, Matt Damon is a delicious candidate, Susan! I loved him in the Bourne movies - so tough and brave with that soft heart! Good choice!

    Krazymama! Alex O'Laughlin is a hottie, isn't he! Lovely hazel eyes. I confess I'm not a huge fan of remakes and I remember the original Hawaii Five 0 with fondness... uh-oh, that's probably showing my age, isn't it!? Musta been watching from the, er, cradle! LOL

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  32. Anna, welcome back to the LoveCats! It's always such fun to have you here.

    And I have to thank you for this topic - I'm just pondering a collage for a future book and have been surfing the net, looking for hero material. Even better, here's a ready made list of heroes for me to check out!

    As for my addition, I have to say James Purefoy - he's been on a collage in front of me as I write for the past few months (one of the reasons I'm having trouble finding a new hero, methinks).

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  33. Simon and Gerard! Nice picks, Helen. And it's so hard to go past a lovely Irish lilt, isn't it!

    Hi Cath, yes, to Sam Worthington! And I'm off to Google Ian from The Vampire Diaries! we're getting a marvellous collection of names here - lots of potential hero material!
    Hey, how did you get those little hearts? They're so cute!

    :)
    Sharon

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  34. Annie, how lovely to see you! MWP is a beauty, isn't it?! I couldn't put it down! And I have to confess, I used a tissue or two near the end of the book it was so moving!

    I enjoy Anna's research too - she always comes up with such interesting titbits of information.
    :)
    Sharon

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  35. Love the cover of MWP.
    My vote for Hugh Jackman (sighs) but then again it's not like I've met or seen all the males in this world :)

    I know someone at my gym who is seriously yummylicious but if I put his name no1 else would probably know who I'm referring to...

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  36. Mel, Ashton Kutcher in breeches might have been all the rage back in the Regency with his pretty boy looks. Is Damon from The Vampire Diaries played by Ian... okay, had to hit Google immediately and YES he is! Cath is so right, isn't she - eye to die for! So light with the dark hair - striking!

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  37. Wendy, my Google is getting a real workout this morning! I can see why you're a Channing Tatum fan - he has a gorgeous smile. Very appealing... and another name to go into the hero material file!

    Thanks for visiting!
    :)
    Sharon

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  38. LOL, Johanna! I can see how torn you are with having to choose only one! You've given us three fabulous handsome candidates!

    :)
    Sharon

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  39. Nas, Taylor does have wonderful... eyes! Very intense. He is so young, isn't he - still, hopefully it means he'll be around as a screen heart-throb for a long time! How good it that!

    :)
    Sharon

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  40. >> So let’s go for a really in-depth question – who do you think is the handsomest man alive today? I want to hear about modern Lord Byrons! One commenter wins a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION, complete with poet!

    Handsomest man alive? Oh, that is so hard to answer. Someone mentioned Hugh Jackman--oh, yes. Nathan Fillion is another handsome man. But I don't know those men--maybe I wouldn't think they were so handsome if I really knew them. My mother would have said, "Handsome is as handsome does." I now believe that statement in a way I never did when I was younger.

    Anna, I love your stories--I have several in my TBR pile. I look forward to reading your newest book--I know my daughters will be asking me to get it as soon as they know it's out. ;-)

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  41. Rachel, isn't this turning in an excellent collection of hero material! A real bonus!

    James Purefoy! Smashing! I love the You-Tube clip of his film snippets set to the sound track "I Want a Hero"! Fantastic. Good luck with finding your next hero - James is a hard act to follow!

    :)
    Sharon

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  42. Linda, yay! Another vote for Hugh Jackman! And we know he looks good in breeches because he's in Kate and Leopold as the time-travelling duke (mmmm, I think I've got his rank right but it's been a while since I saw the movie!)

    Aren't the covers for MWP wonderful!
    :)
    Sharon

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  43. Nancy, I'm a Nathan Fillion fan, too! I thought he was fantastic in Castle and Firefly. And of course in Castle, he has that extra appeal for us since he played the part of a writer!

    Very true about that saying - looking good on the outside doesn't necessarily mean through-and-through goodness! And it IS something that we appreciate more as we get older and wiser.

    Thanks for dropping in!
    :)
    Sharon

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  44. Hi Sharon! Hi Lovecats! Lovely blog, Anna. As you know, Anna I'm always up for talking about handsome men! There's something so desperate and romantic about the way the romantic poets lived up to their writings isn't there?

    I have quite a yen for Matthew Goode at the moment. I wouldn't say he's the most handsome man in the world but I love the slightly self-destructive air he has about him. A bit like those poets!

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  45. Hi Anna -- lovely to see you here at Love Cats again.

    MWP sounds fabulous -- especially the poet -- he must have been a lot of fun to write! (And a lot of fun for us to read!) I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of MWP.

    Handsomest man? Got to be Clive Owen!

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  46. Well Ladies all yall have wonderful picks for most handsome.I did have to look up a couple of the men because well I haven't kept up with who is hot and who is not.I would say Alan Autry.He is a fine southern man that has aged very nicely!!!The second you may know of. Javier Bardem.Tall,dark,and very handsome.

    dlynnpen@aim.com

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  47. Or out of a pair of bathers, Sharon? Snicker!

    And please don't laugh at my jokes. You know it only encourages me! ;-)

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  48. Cath, I'm worrying a bit about you girls with a soft spot for the undead! ;-) Yeah, Aussie boys seem to be ruling right now, don't they? Huzzah!

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  49. Annie, lovely to see you! Isn't Sharon a lovely hostess? I hope to experience her hospitality in person some time this year (you here me, Madame Archer?). Thank you for saying such lovely things about Midnight's Wild Passion. I've been overwhelmed at the reception I've had for this book - it's lovely to have a story that really strikes a chord with readers. As you know, I LOVE to research. It's much easier than writing a book, LOL!

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  50. Oh, no, Mel, more UNDEAD!!!! You girls will need a hot water bottle in bed! Snicker! Mel, thank you so much for having me here as your guest today. I love the LOVE CATS! So much so I'm coming back to talk about smooches in a couple of weeks! Clearly I put my money where my mouth is (and then I'm ready to smooch!).

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  51. Wendy, I must say I love getting my research delivered in great delicious dollops in the form of great romance novels! Ooh, Channing Tatum, yum! Great choice!

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  52. Johanna, you've got to be careful not to hurt a hunk's feelings. They're surprisingly sensitive beneath those rippling muscles. Drifts off into world of rippling muscles... What were we talking about? LOL!

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  53. Nas, this is Fantasy Island. No age divisions matter here. Although I might draw the line if you said you liked Justin Bieber! Thanks for the congrats!

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  54. Ooh, Rachel, James Purefoy! Oh, yum, yum, yum. He's gorgeous! There's a wonderful version of the Prince and the Pauper where he plays Miles and believe me, I'd go Miles to see him! Snort! Thank you for having me as your guest today. I always have fun here. And hey, we deserve a mention in a dedication for doing all the hard work of researching the hotties for you!

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  55. Sharon, I love it when you reach for a tissue at the end of one of my books! Thank you!

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  56. Ooh, Linda, you've got a secret admirer crush? How cool! Yeah, Hugh's always mentioned in these polls. He's a credit to his nation, I think!

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  57. Nancy, fab that your whole family reads my books. That's wonderful!!!! Thank you for letting me know. Yeah, I agree about handsome is as handsome does. Ranelaw, the hero of Midnight's Wild Passion, isn't too handsome at the beginning, if you're only looking at his behaviour.

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  58. Ooo, Christina, another name for the list of handsome hero material! I Googled your Matthew Goode and he is rather a dish, isn't he!

    :)
    Sharon

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  59. Sharon, I watched Kate and Leopold with you. Thought Hugh was yummylicious!!!!

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  60. Actually, Christina, I think Matthew Goode could definitely play Byron or Shelley and give them the appropriate dash. And as you say, that air of self-destruction is somehow really sexy. At least at a distance! Thank you so much for swinging by!

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  61. Emily, Clive really is handsome, isn't he? And I could see him playing a Regency rake without too much of a stretch of my imagination. Thank you for having me as your guest today - hope you enjoy MWP!!!

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  62. Dlynn, I had to look Alan Autry up - I'm SOOO out of touch. Actually I had to look a few of these hotties up. Clearly I need to spend more time on research, snicker! Javier Bardem has that smoldering Latin thing going on, hasn't he? Yum!

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  63. Sharon, Matthew Goode is in a rather good(e) adaptation of Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals that's available on DVD. Beautiful movie and he's rather hot!

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  64. Em, Clive Owen is a classic on the handsome hero list. Those craggy good looks!

    dlynn, I've been a-Googling and I was interested to see your Alan Autry is now a mayor. So he's swapped his acting job for serving the community!

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  65. Anna, I hear you and I'm looking forward to it!

    And thank you for that recommendation for My Family and Other Animals - the movie. I've read the book and when I saw it on Matthew's film list/resume my interest was definitely piqued!

    :)
    Sharon

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  66. Hey, no calling Aston Kucher a pretty boy! A reviewer described him as the "golden labrador of Hollywood heroes" and among all the bad boy types I think there is definitely room for him. He's top of mind as I saw him recently in No Strings Attached. Women of all ages were swooning!
    Waving to both Sharon and Anna. Congratulations on the launch of MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION Anna, I can't wait to read it! Went into a Dymock's today to buy a copy with the chance to win a cleaner for a year (I think that is the prize) but they didn't have any copies. I'm hoping it's because it was sold out!

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  67. Hi Anna and Lovecats *waving*, coming in late, sorry, but I'll still throw my 2c in and say Pierce Brosnan *swoon*.

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  68. LOL, Kandy... but, erm... doesn't "golden labrador" kinda imply well-behaved family favourite rather than "bad boy"! ;)

    Ooo, I hope it means they were sold out of Anna's book at Dymocks! And you've reminded me about that sticker on the cover - must go and read the conditions... someone to clean the oven and the shower... wouldn't that be a treat!

    :)
    Sharon

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  69. Waving back, Anita, and enjoying your 2c as I wonder how I forgot the gorgeous PB! He definitely belongs on the list!
    :)
    Sharon

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  70. Ooh, Kandy, I hope it WAS because they sold out. I hope they're busy ordering some new ones as we speak! Yeah, the local contest to win a cleaner for a year is pretty darn good, isn't it? I wish I could enter! Thanks for the recommendation for No Strings Attached. I'll put it on the DVD list! And thank you for saying how much you're looking forward to reading MWP!

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  71. Oh, Anita, I've had a crush on Pierce ever since his young days, even before Remington Steele. He was in a couple of BBC dramas and I thought to myself "WHO is that???!!!!" Very handsome man indeed!

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