Category Archives: writers on rogues

Kieran Kramer is one of the most fun, most funny, most fabulous women and writers I know…and I’m so thrilled that she agreed to take some time out of her exceedingly busy schedule to come share her views on rogues for Writers on Rogues! You all know Kieran from her (amazingly titled) books, When Harry Met Molly, Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right, Cloudy with a Chance of Marriage and If You Give a Girl a Viscount. I am so very excited for her latest series: The House of Brady (yes…Regency-era Brady Bunch!!), to begin! The first book, Loving Lady Marcia, is out in September and I already have it preordered!

Welcome, Kieran!

***

I have so many favorite rogues! My dog Striker thinks he’s one, but he’s neutered, so that’s impossible (I’m not going to tell him—he’d be very disappointed).

Riffing about rogues with my sister and my college-age daughter yesterday, I came to the conclusion that this is an excellent topic to discuss in a bar on Girls’ Night Out. We were saying such naughty things! We got into wonderful little squabbles about whether my rogue should be redeemable or not. We simply had to pour out glasses of red wine and gulp them down to say what we really felt about rogues. If we’d had cigarettes, we would have smoked them—it doesn’t matter that none of us are smokers. We were talking about rogues. The topic got so out of control, we had to dance to Selena Gomez’s “Love You Like a Love Song” just to work off steam, and then we prank called someone. Just for kicks.

I say some of the most delicious rogues aren’t redeemable. Could I have a “Hear! Hear!” on that? Because I certainly didn’t get one from my daughter (and I love that about her). My sister, God bless her—we’ve both been happily married to two good men for over 20 years apiece–understood my point completely.

So let’s start with an irredeemable rogue: Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’s Diary. Give me Daniel Cleaver. Please. He can invade my personal space any time he’d like. I’m bad enough that I wouldn’t care that he’s a selfish jerk; I’d enjoy his snarky company that much. I’d pull him down by the tie when he’s leaning over my desk and lay one on him. Who cares about long-term when you’re with Daniel Cleaver, right? I need more Daniel Cleaver-ish people in my life. Actually, I don’t. I tend to choose friends of both sexes with a “devil-may-care” sort of character anyway. I’m very, very attracted to Daniel Cleaver types. Is that because I grew up such a good girl? Who knows? And who cares?

Let’s simply revel in his badness, shall we? Let’s not ruin Daniel by trying to redeem him.

So be your naughty, fun self, Daniel/Hugh. Talk to Jones’s skirt. Look sexy and promise with your eyes that all sorts of scandalous things are going to happen in your company.

And before I get too enrapt in remembering that fabulous bad boy, let’s move on to my two redeemable rogues: Joe Morelli and Mr. Rochester.

Joe is going to be Stephanie’s husband someday, I have no doubt. He’ll be a great baseball dad and take Stephanie out on obligatory dates without showing a whole lot of imagination in the process. He’ll forget about her when football comes on TV. But he’ll always have some bad boy in him, and just when Stephanie thinks he’s plebian and annoying, he’ll grab her in the right places, say something wildly original and sexy, and remind her she can’t pin him down so easily.

So in my alternate universe in which I’m the Lady With Many Paramours, Joe will be my Adorable Boyish Guy Who Becomes a Demanding Italian Stud When the Mood Suits Him.
I ran out of time to discuss Mr. Rochester. Thinking and talking about rogues makes me restless. I have the urge to go to my favorite seedy bar and karaoke, even though it’s a school night. I’m even tempted to turn the volume up to 11 in my minivan on the way.

So I have to go.

But I love you, too–dear, cranky Mr. Rochester–you untamed beast with a wounded heart! Everything in me clamors to engage in sparring matches with you and win you over…
Yet I could never win you over completely, could I? Nor Joe, nor Daniel. That’s what defines a rogue. We can never have all of him. It’s what makes him most alluring.

Thank you to Sarah for creating this wonderful opportunity for me to reflect on rogues and why we love them. I got quite a night out of it. After the rogue talk with my sister and daughter, my husband got to put up with me while I imagined I was the baddest girl on the planet and he was Daniel Cleaver. He was watching ESPN, of course, so his roguish qualities were temporarily suppressed, but a girl can dream, can she not?

And there are always commercial interruptions.

***

HA!

I love love love Kieran. She is so incredibly funny…and I 66% agree with her. Pro Daniel and Joe…decidedly anti Rochester, who is a whiny, horrible baby. There. I said it. So, that’s always a fun topic…are you pro Rochester? Or against? Share in comments for a chance to win a copy of Kieran’s If You Give a Girl a Viscount (US only).

It is no secret that I utterly adore Miranda Neville. She’s funny, clever, a fellow Ballroom blogger AND writes like a dream. AND…the girl can title a book. I thought her last book had the best one ever, The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton, until the announcement of the one that’s out at the end of the month–Confessions of an Arranged Marriage. Love.

And then, to make her awesomeness even more obvious, when I asked her to come over and chat about her favorite rogue, she chose the Vicomte de Valmont, a scoundrel with whom I have a long, personal relationship. I can’t help it. You might even say it’s beyond my control. ;)

Miranda! Over to you!

***

We all love a reformed rake. But what about a rake who refuses to be reformed? Despite his truly appalling behavior, I can’t help loving Valmont.

The Vicomte de Valmont is the hero (or something) of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a French novel by Choderlos (there’s a hero name!) de Laclos, published in 1782. It was a wildly popular, utterly shocking novel about sexual games and revenge, much admired by Marie Antoinette.

Valmont and his cohort Madame de Merteuil make a deal. He’ll help her ruin Cecile de Volanges and she’ll sleep with him. Madame de Merteuil wants revenge on Cecile’s fiancé, her former lover. Got that straight? Never mind. The motivations for a tangle of seductions get quite complicated so I’ll move straight on to Valmont’s particular sins.

1. Though it wasn’t the original plan, he ends up sleeping with the fifteen-year-old Cecile to revenge himself on her mother.

2. He seduces Madame de Tourvel, a beautiful and virtuous married lady, simply because it’s a challenge. And he does it so beautifully.

Valmont is far too clever to pretend to be good. Instead he appeals to Madame de Tourvel to reform him. Here’s a quote from the John Malkovich film version.

“I’m not going to deny that I was aware of your beauty. But the point is, this has nothing to do with your beauty. As I got to know you, I began to realize that beauty was the least of your qualities. I became fascinated by your goodness. I was drawn in by it. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. And it was only when I began to feel actual, physical pain every time you left the room that it finally dawned on me: I was in love, for the first time in my life. I knew it was hopeless, but that didn’t matter to me. And it’s not that I want to have you. All I want is to deserve you. Tell me what to do. Show me how to behave. I’ll do anything you say.”

And the kicker is it’ll be all her fault if she resists and he returns to his wicked ways. We want to believe him as much as Madame de Tourvel does. We desperately root for Valmont to be reformed. He seems to have fallen in love with her but has he really? The question is left ambiguous. He tells Madame de Merteuil “I ended by falling on my knees and pledging her eternal love. And do you know that, at that time, and for several hours afterwards, I actually meant it.”

I like to think that he did mean it. But his ego and persona are so tied up in his rakedom that he throws away the chance at true love. The book ends (spoiler alert) badly.

There are at least two film adaptations. Dangerous Liaisons with John Malkovich as Valmont and Michelle Pfeiffer as Madame de Tourvel and Valmont, with Colin Firth and Meg Tilly. Both have their virtues, one of which is gorgeous costumes and sets. Men look so delicious in 18th century garb. In researching this blog, I discovered Alan Rickman had played Valmont on the stage. Be still my heart. I couldn’t find picture, only a short documentary film clip.

Ohhhh…the question! I love it! I mean, it’s so hard! Because I love love love John Malkovich as Valmont…but Colin Firth is…well…Colin Firth, and Alan Rickman has that AMAZING voice!

What do you think? Answer below and one lucky commenter (US only) will win a copy of Miranda’s The Dangerous Viscount (look out for Minerva…the heroine of her latest)!

After a week-long station break, I’m thrilled to resume Writers on Rogues with the amazingly talented Stephanie Dray! Stephanie and I met a few RWAs ago when we discovered that we were both Smith College grads…once a Smithie, always a Smithie, and I’ve been so happy to call her a friend since! We had a great time at Smith this time last year…talking about Romance on an alumnae panel and causing a whole lot of trouble, I’m sure! 

You probably know that Stephanie writes fabulous ancient historicals (her most recent is Song of the Nile)…so I knew she’d deliver the rogue of all rogues when I asked her to come over and add her vote for Writers on Rogues! Boy did she deliver with Mark Antony, the Romantic Rogue of the Ancient World…

***

Antony and Cleopatra are the most famous lovers in the history of western civilization. But why did the Queen of the Nile fall in love with a Roman general? I’d argue it was because he was the ultimate bad boy.

Mark Antony (otherwise known as Marcus Antonius) was famous for his thick curling hair and brawny good looks. He had a wide neck, broad shoulders and wore his tunics short so that all the ladies could get a good peek at his powerful thighs. Let’s just put it this way: he claimed to be descended from Hercules and everyone believed him, because he looked the part.

But with Antony, it was more about good looks. He was also a brilliant general and a soldier’s soldier. He ate with the men in his army and shared their privations, going so far as to snack on bugs and bark in hard times. In adversity, he could be at his best. Even his detractors give him that. For example, after a horrible defeat, his Parthian enemies actually cheered him when he finally dragged himself and his army back across the river to make their escape.

Now, that takes panache. And Mark Antony was all about panache. He was no prude, no lover of modest fare. Oh no, Antony loved wine, women and spectacle. He and Cleopatra actually took bets on who could rack up the highest dinner tab. (She won when she dissolved a pearl and drank it.) With Antony, everything had to be bigger and better. He wore more bling around his neck than a modern day rapper. This was a man who actually made lions pull his chariot. And the ladies loved it!

No stranger to a sword, Mark Antony was famous for acts of daring do. Sometimes it was on the battlefield and sometimes it was in the political arena where he managed to turn the course of history with a single speech at Julius Caesar’s funeral. Now there’s a man who knows how to use his tongue.

Under that bad boy exterior, seems to have beat a somewhat noble heart. Antony nearly bankrupted himself giving away money to friends. He could also be gracious in victory–giving honors to his fallen enemies. And he had a taste for plucky heroines. Though Antony was married four times, he seems always to have gravitated towards women of intelligence and independence. And in spite of his womanizing ways, he also honored women as equals, putting them on his coins as no Roman had ever done before him.

***

A soldier’s soldier, hmmm? I do love a man in uniform!

Tell Stephanie & me who your favorite uniformed hero is…and one lucky commenter will win a signed copy of the first book in her Cleopatra’s Daughter series, Lily of the Nile! 

I love me some Sabrina Darby. Aside from being a fabulous writer of sexy romance (read On These Silken Sheets ASAP) and a coauthor of The Ballroom Blog, She’s a dear friend (the first I made as a romance novelist), a wonderful critique partner and a brilliant mind. So I should not have been surprised that when I asked her to blog for Writers on Rogues, she came up with a truly fabulous rogue…

A lady one.

***

A rogue of romance fiction is a unique character: wicked, lascivious, scandalous, and just waiting to be tamed by a very civilized yet still passionate love.

One of my favorite rogues is all those things and more. In fact, this rogue’s a she.

George Sand (the pseudonym for Armandine Aurore Lucile, Baroness Dudevant—a long, very feminine name suitable for romance book fame, complete with a title thanks to her estranged husband) was a French writer who, during her life, was almost more famous for her love affairs as for her novels. Likely this was due to the fact that many of the books she published were memoirs of her scandalous life. And that she liked to go about dressed as a man.

Excellent!

My favorite portrayal of George Sand is by Judy Davis in the wonderful movie Impromptu.

The film chronicles the beginning of Sand’s decade long love affair with Fredric Chopin (a young Hugh Grant), who, in the film’s depiction is the equivalent of the innocent, talented, and virtuous heroine of romance who is seduced by the rogue at the same time as convincing the rogue of the error of his ways. What I just adore, is that in this movie, whether or not the actual history was quite this way, the gender roles are completely reversed!

Here she is at the start of the movie where we learn how very roguish she is. (Note the wonderful Mandy Patinkin in the clip as her previous lover.)

I love stories where the woman is scandalous one pursuing the man. In fact, I’m writing one of those at the moment!

***

And I cannot wait to read it!!!

I told you Sabrina was awesome! Tell us…do you like it when the heroine acts as seductress? Or when she wears pants and defies social conventions of the time? What are your favorite romances that feature women as rogues? One lucky commenter (US only) will win a copy of Sabrina’s amazing On These Silken Sheets!

It’s pub-sister week here with Writers on Rogues! Yesterday, Maya Rodale and today, one of my very favorite people, Katharine Ashe, who is not only a fellow Avon author, a fellow March author and a  fellow The Ballroom Blog author…but we also share the same literary agency! We’re also both bespectacled. And we both like men in kilts. We were obviously destined to be friends. Katharine’s latest book, When a Scot Loves a Lady (amazing title, amazing cover, amazing book) is out this week…and you must must must go buy it! 

Take it away, Katharine!

–

Because my new book When a Scot Loves a Lady came out this week (yay, Sarah, book release sister!) I must first mention here my two favorite Scottish rogues, both of them Roberts: Robert the Bruce, the 13th-century king who defied the English, and Robert Burns, the 18th-century poet and libertine whose poetry appears in When a Scot Loves a Lady. Bruce was a warrior, a rebel, and a hero to his people. Burns was brilliant, passionate, and very funny. But I can’t praise either of them to the rafters because they were both unfaithful to their wives and that Just. Will. Not. Do.

So instead of relying on history to serve up a rogue for me, I will turn to fairy tale. I choose as my rogue today my favorite animated hero of all time: Flynn Rider from Disney’s Tangled.

Why is Flynn Rider my favorite rogue? Because he is:

Handsome.

Charming.

Clever.

Dead set on his goal and he won’t let some little blond chick get in his way, no matter how wide her eyes or how determined her pleas.

Fearless. (Except when flying off a cliff, which of course is understandable.)

Swashbuckling.

Kind at heart. (When he was a child he read stories to all the other children in the orphanage… about a swashbuckling hero!)

Adventurous and ambitious, but not to the point of hurting good people.

A dreamer who dreams big then makes his dreams come true.

and…

Willing and able to change for the better, even to forget his own ambition entirely when it means helping the woman he loves to live her dreams.

There you have it! My favorite rogue.

Oh, and one more thing — the clincher, really: Flynn Rider is his secret identity. His real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. And at the end of the movie he reclaims his real identity without giving up any of the charming, adventuresome, swashbuckling fearlessness that makes him such a delectably dashing rogue. He does it because that’s the man his lady fell in love with. The man he always really wanted to be.

To this author of heroes with secret identities, that just about makes him perfect.

–

I honestly should not have been surprised to discover that Katharine’s favorite rogue is Flynn…she talks about him…a lot. But who wouldn’t? He’s a charmer…and I have to be honest, Tangled might be my favorite animated movie…that is…until Brave comes out in the summer…speaking of Scotland…have you seen these trailers?? OMG. I die. SO GOOD. And this trailer is like the best beginning of a romance novel EVER.

I’m super excited for this edition of Writers on Rogues…Maya and I discussed her favorite rogues on the way to the Book Cove in Pawling, NY…and I can assure you there are few things more fun than a road trip conversation entitled, “Who’s your favorite rogue?”

Maya Rodale is my fabulous, fun pub-sister at Avon…her most recent book, The Tattooed Duke (are you kidding me with that cover and title? Seriously? YUM), released on Tuesday alongside Rogue!

Even better, Maya and I are on the road this week! Tonight, we’re with the incomparable Eloisa James at WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn, and for those of you in and around Lansing, MI, you can come meet us this Saturday at Schuler Books when we read with Katharine Ashe, Caroline Linden and Sophia Nash! Please join us!

But first…read this fabulous post from Maya on a rogue we both love (a chance to win a signed copy of The Tattooed Duke, below!)

–

I was going to write this post about my husband, but he had a rare moment of modesty and humility and declined this amazing opportunity for me to rave about all his roguish qualities. Weirdo. So I shall write about my other favorite rogue. He was in a movie. You might have seen it once or twice or a thousand times. It’s called The Princess Bride.

The rogue in question is known simply as Farm Boy. Or the Dread Pirate Roberts. Or the man in black. Or Westley. He possess all the requisite rogueish elements:

1. Mystery. See above about all those names. Where did he come from?! Where has he been all those years?! How on earth will he manage to storm the castle in time to stop the wedding?!

2. Swashbuckling skills. Whether besting the best swordsman in the land, fighting a giant barehanded, climbing the Cliffs of Insanity without a rope or wrestling with an ROUS, he is the master.

3. A scandalous secret. If his secret about the Dread Pirate Roberts ever got out…oh, there’d be trouble! Mutiny! Any decent Rogue has some wicked secret in his past.

4. Bromance. Even more impressive, Westley makes friends with his previous foes, Fezzik and Inigo Montoya. They have different goals, but band together and support each other. Awww.

5. He says things like “As you wish.” All the time. Yes, it means “I love you” but it also means “Sure, honey, I’ll take care of that for you.”

6. Stoicism. The guy spends days being told “Westley I’ll most likely kill you in the morning” and shrugs it off. Buttercup is getting married and a horrible shrew to him and he steadfastly loves her and plots to win her. He survives torture by thinking of true love.

7. Humor. Even when he is locked in an underground torture chamber he still maintains his sense of humor. I’m all the more impressed, since my own sense of humor turns off after 9:00 pm.

8. Ability to come back from the dead. I think we can all agree this is an important life skill. Of course, it helps when one is either 1) not actually dead or 2) only mostly dead.

9. Dedication & Determination. Nothing will stand in his way! Not years of piracy, his beloved’s engagement, The Cliffs Of Insanity, Swashbuckling, the freaking Fire Swamp, nearly dying…storming the castle? He’s on it. Why? Because he has true love on his side….

10. True Love. For Westley it’s a once in century kind of love. It’s the reason. It’s protection. It just is.

—

That leaves us with one topic for comments: The Princess Bride is the Greatest Movie Of All Time. Discuss. Bonus: Have you ever read the book? It’s even better than the movie.

One lucky commenter (Chosen Monday – US Only) will receive a signed copy of The Tattooed Duke!

I’m so excited for today’s edition of Writers on Rogues — my celebration of rogues in honor of the release (next Tuesday!) of A Rogue By Any Other Name — because my friend Lauren Willig has written about a rogue I just knew she couldn’t resist.

As you certainly know, Lauren’s Pink Carnation series is an homage to the Scarlet Pimpernel…the books (now numbering nine!) follow a collection of English Spies during the Napoleonic Wars as they trounce the French, save the day and find love in the process. The most recent in the series, The Garden Intrigue, is out this week (I’ve already got my copy…do you have yours?)! 

So…that said, is it any surprise that when asked to wax poetic on her favorite rogue…she chooses Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlet Pimpernel? 

Take it away, Lauren! 

—

They seek him here, they seek him there; those Frenchies seek him everywhere….

In the library of a London mansion, a man in an elaborate waistcoat slips through the darkness. Light flickers briefly before subsiding again into darkness. Moments later, the only remnants of his presence are the charred remains of a message among the ashes of the hearth and the faint, elusive scent of a very exclusive sort of snuff. Meanwhile, in the ballroom, a dandy is seen proclaiming a bit of a doggerel verse, punctuating his rhymes with a wave of his quizzing glass.

Yes, it’s my favorite rogue: the Scarlet Pimpernel. Otherwise known as Sir Percy Blakeney. Baronet.

I had other rogues in my past. My very first rogue, when I was just a wee thing, was Robin Hood, as played by Errol Flynn. Talk about style and flair! Dumping a haunch of poached venison on the very table of Prince John, hijacking monastic conveys, pricking Friar Tuck’s pride and filching his lunch—and, of course, seducing Maid Marion in the very castle of his enemy. Swoon! Robin had all the impishness of a good rogue and the tights. We really can’t forget about the tights. From Robin Hood, I graduated to Zorro (anyone else remember that Disney theme song? “The Z that stands for Zorro!”), who also had the crucial rogue components: a puckish sense of humor, a way with a sword, a quick quip, and, behind all the insouciance, a deep and driving sense of honour.

The extra “u” is for extra derring do.

And then I found Sir Percy. Sir Percy was the rogue to end all rogues, fop by day, daring spy by night, tweaking the nose of the humorless revolutionary authorities (and, really, can there be anyone more humorless than Robespierre?). He even had the mandatory chorus of all male colleagues, for as we know, no rogue is an island. Rogues need other rogues to provide lead ins for their quips, the occasional rousing “huzzah!” and, of course, sequel fodder. A true rogue knows better than to take himself too seriously—and Sir Percy was willing to masquerade as a a buffoon, to be the butt of London’s jokes, and to hide his intelligence under and excruciatingly awful waistcoat and even worse poetry.

Augustus Whittlesby, the hero of my latest book, The Garden Intrigue, an English spy undercover as a truly awful poet, is a direct tribute to Sir Percy and his wonderful, doggerel verse.

Long may we seek him here, there, and everywhere!

–

Now it’s your turn, readers! Lauren talked about her earliest rogues…Sir Percy, Zorro & Errol Flynn…who was your earliest rogue? One winner (Internationally!), will receive a copy of Lauren’s latest (winner to be chosen on Friday)!

On  today’s edition of Writers on Rogues — the fabulous Kate Noble joins the celebration. Now, I think Kate is the Bee’s Knees. She’s clever and funny and I adore her wonderful Regencies…only more so now because my next book sports a ginger hero, and we authors of ginger heroes must stick together (Kate’s ginger is the swoon worthy Jason Cummings in Follow My Lead)!

But I digress (And can you blame me? Redheads are my favorite.)…I knew Kate would have a fabulous pro-rogue stance…and sure enough, she does.

—

rogue
[rohg] noun, verb, rogued, ro·guing, adjective

noun
1. a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
2. a playfully mischievous person; scamp: The youngest boys are little rogues.
3. a tramp or vagabond.
4. an outcast, especially in animal groups: rogue elephant or other animal of similar disposition.
5. Biology. a usually inferior organism, especially a plant, varying markedly from the normal.

Out of all the definitions of a rogue, I like the first the best. Nothing against rogue elephants, but there is little better than taking a wholly dishonest, knavish scoundrel and then – in true romance novel form – redeeming him. While a scamp already has rather fun, impish connotations, and a vagabond is probably just in need of a shower, the true rogue is the one who lives a life of utter uncaring dissipation, and then, is tempted by something (or better yet, someone) who does make him care.

In Regency times, there was no better person who fit the definition of a rogue than Lord Byron. He was intelligent, led life the way he wanted, getting exiled and catching gonorrhea in turns (when he lived in Venice during Carnival in 1819, he famously said that he caught the one bout of gonorrhea he hadn’t paid for), and every so often becoming completely obsessed with one of his paramours. He holds constant fascination for many of us still today, because of the way he lived – unapologetically – and because of the dedication to his writing that was the one thing he seemed to take seriously. (A true rogue always needs a goal – else he’d simply be a wastrel.) But what is the modern-day equivalent of the Byron Rogue?

The Jersey Shore guys? They have the dissipation and drinking and DTFing right, but lack the charm and the purpose – hence, wastrel-dom.

Matthew McConaughey? Nah, just a scamp in need of a shower.

Ladies, I give you Chuck Bass.

On Gossip Girl, the introduction of Chuck Bass is not a promising one. In the pilot episode, he acts only as a troublemaker – and in fact, takes some shocking liberties with poor high school freshman Jenny Humphries. But as the show goes on, the character of Chuck Bass deepened, and expanded. He’d had everything given to him his entire life… except for his father’s love and attention. He has the run of the city – both the highest echelons and the underground – but the dissipation that normally fills his 17-year-old days doesn’t excite him anymore. He’s searching for something he can’t define.

But there is one person who does make him care… one person that he sees the point in being good for: Blair Waldorf. They may drive each other crazy, but they always find their way back to each other. When Chuck’s father dies – it’s Blair’s house he goes to when he’s finally reached the bottom of his grief. When he inherits his father’s real estate empire, he finds that meaning, that goal that he needs, and will work his ass off to make himself a success in the family business.

Oh, he’ll always have that roguish touch – he’ll always be prepared to blackmail idiot Yale secret societies and outmaneuver his opponents by getting them wasted at his underground burlesque club, but the perfect ending to Gossip Girl for me is Chuck, reformed but still a rogue, and Blair (hopefully sans headband) having their happily ever after.

–
Kate’s hit the nail on the head with this one. The reason why we love rogues is because of that Chuck/Blair dynamic. Bad boy meets the one girl he just isn’t good enough for…and sets out to reform. Le sigh.

So, what do you think, readers? When it comes to your rogues of choice, are you more Byron or Bass? Historical or Modern Day? Silk turban or silk smoking jacket? (Fun fact: Eric walked into the room while I was watching Gossip Girl one day, looked at the TV, and said, “Why is that guy always dressed like Hugh Hefner?” I nearly spit out my diet coke. But, for the record, Hugh Hefner–not a rogue. Just…ick.) Anyway…tell us your thoughts in comments, and one lucky winner will receive Kate’s yummy Follow My Lead (chosen on Friday – US Only).

I make absolutely no secret of the fact that I love Sophie Jordan and have since her very first book came out, when I was just a romance junkie with a dream of being a writer.

When I made the leap from YA to romance, Sophie was one of the first romance writers to welcome me into the family–and I had a tremendous friend crush from the start. In fact, I called my sister after our first lunch together and said, “This is officially the greatest job ever. Guess who I just had a burger with?!?” Well, several years, several hundred phone calls and a few RWA conferences behind us, Sophie’s now not just a friend crush and favorite author, but also a friend. So, when I conceived of Writers on Rogues–she was my first email. Because if you can’t ask your friends to talk about hotties on your blog, what can you ask them?! 

And then…when she told me which rogue she wanted to write about, well…obviously I was going to make room for this in the rotation!

–

When Sarah invited me talk about rogues I was like: sign me up!

Of course, I would do just about anything the fab-fab Sarah MacLean asked me to do! I’ve adored her ever since I met her on my first visit to NYC — and then I read Nine Rules To Break When Romancing Rake. Safe to say, my love for her magnified! Ever since, I can’t get enough of her or her books! And her books – oh, my! I’m waiting with baited breath for A Rogue By Any Other Name, absolutely positive that the hero will be the most roguish rogue ever!

Heaven knows I love a good rogue. I’ve been reading them for years. Reading about great rogues is what made me want to write about them in the first place. They’re that perfect sexy bad boy that oozes danger … meaning not really bad at all, just misunderstood. At least in my book (er, books). All they need is the right woman to fight for and set them on the right and noble path. But before they’re set on that path? Ohhh, the naughty fun! There’s the story! The complexity, the drama, the emotion, the adventure. Er, and romance. Did I mention romance? It’s always about the romance.

Most of the heroes I write about in my British historical romances are rogues. Almost always tanned with perfect teeth … and muscled … and hot. I once had a friend point out how rare this eighteenth century British male specimen would be. Hm. Sure. Maybe. But I operate in fantasy. Although I write fiction, I like to use a little modern day inspiration. And who better than an Englishman to inspire me in creating my rogues of old?

Behold … a tanned, muscled Englishman with great teeth …

And behold again ….

And because you can never behold him enough…

There you have it! Inspiration to feed anyone’s notion of the perfect rogue! David Beckham just might be the most perfect rogue. Sure, there are others – like Colin Firth and Richard Armitage. I love them both. They’re beautiful – great in the role of hero … but they don’t possess the edge of a true rogue. David? He’s got the requisite edge. Hmm. Staring at these photos, I feel the sudden urge to invent a new rogue for a new book. What do you think?

–

Oh….drooooollll…David Beckham. I mean, is it really fair that he get so many of the good genes–talent, looks, and that bangin’ body all together? I mean, it’s fair for us…but for general humankind, that can’t be best. David is the first sports rogue on the list, but there are SO MANY sports rogues! Is there one in particular who makes your heart pound? Share in comments for a chance to win a copy of Sophie’s Wicked in Your Arms (US Only, winner to be chosen on Monday)! 

On  today’s edition of Writers on Rogues — the fabulous Anna Randol joins the celebration of rogues. Anna’s debut romance–A Secret in Her Kiss, is a fabulous Regency romp set in Constantinople, and a wonderful book that I devoured in one sitting.

When I invited Anna to join us to talk about her favorite Rogue, I didn’t know what to expect…but she has not disappointed!

Take it away, Anna! 

—

When Sarah emailed me to ask if I had a favorite rogue I wanted to highlight to celebrate the release of A Rogue By Any Other Name. I responded right away. Not only do I have a rogue, but he’s dashing, funny, and quite handsome.

Readers, I give you Jack Rattenbury!

Umm… okay, or maybe I just think he’s handsome because I picture this smuggler instead. (And yes, I am a nerd. It’s something I’ve learned to live with.)

Raised by a single mother, Jack spent his childhood running free and unrestrained along the coast of Devon, England. By the age of sixteen, he’d already given up on a dozen professions, charmed his way out of a French prison, and sailed the seas as a pirate. Sure, you may say, that’s interesting, but what makes him a rogue worthy of being compared to the Marquess of Bourne?

If Jack were here, I’m sure he’d make a case for himself. (He did title himself the Rob Roy of the West.) But in his absence, I’ll make his case.

A true rogue needs adventure:

One day the smuggling ship he was working on on was captured by a French vessel. The French removed the officers but left young Jack behind. Now luckily for Jack, the Frenchman ordered to sail Jack’s ship to the nearest French port turned out to be far more interested in drinking than sailing. He was happy to let Jack have the helm. But when a heavy fog set in, Jack steered the ship to England instead. Every time the French asked where they were, he gave them the name of a place closer to France. When they got near the “French” coast, Jack jumped overboard and informed the British customs officials who gave chase and reclaimed the ship.

A true rogue needs a keen wit:

While England was at war with France during, the Royal Navy tried many times to impress Jack (forcefully recruit him to serve on their ships).  But Jack, being dashing and clever, escaped every time. One lieutenant in particular took his escape personally and tried to hunt him down. But Jack wasn’t easy to catch. As he crept through the countryside, he traded his cap to another lad for his hat.

We’ll assume the Jack’s old cap looked like this. (And yes, he was man enough to own this before its time.)

And his new hat looked like this. (Because let’s face it, Jack wouldn’t wear anything that didn’t have a bit of swagger.)

The men chasing him caught to other young man, allowing Jack to escape. Later this same lieutenant tracked him to an inn and threatened to shoot the owner if Jack wasn’t turned over. Jack, hearing the warning, climbed into a chimney where he hid for over an hour while the building was searched.

A true rogue needs a beautiful woman to try to tame him and fight at his side.

Jack met his match when he married the (I will claim on Jack’s behalf) beautiful, feisty, and brave Anna Partridge. We’ll assume she looked like this.

On at least two occasions, she rescued Jack from both the customs officials and the Royal Navy. Once she grabbed a lieutenant by the neck and then called for the rest of the town to join in and hold him off while Jack escaped. Another time she rowed a boat alongside the ship where Jack was being detained and even wrestled a pistol out of the hands of one of the officers when he shot at them. That sounds like a woman worthy of our Jack!

Pretty convincing case for a rogue, isn’t it? But with all the rogues out there, why did I decide on Jack? Well, a rogue also needs a certain flair. A devil-may-care disrespect for authority. Well, Jack doesn’t need me to prove this one. He did it himself. After finally settling down with his wife and children, Jack had the gumption to write a book boasting about his illegal escapades called Memoir of a Smuggler. The final line of memoirs says, “I have since been served with a summons to appear before the magistrates; but as I took no notice of that, I received another.” Yep, that’s definitely a true rogue.

–

Now it’s your turn, readers! Sounds like Anna has written about two rogues, Jack and his awesome Miss Partridge! Who is your favorite Roguess? Share in comments for a chance to win a signed copy of A Secret in Her Kiss (winner to be chosen on Friday)!