I’m very very happy to host Lord Ben Doreé, the hero of Katharine Ashe‘s latest book, In the Arms of a Marquess (out today!), on Inside the Character’s Studio! I love love love hosting heroes, as they’re always the most interesting guests…and I think after you hear Ben’s answers, you’re going to sigh the whole way to the bookstore.
Welcome Ben!
What is your favorite word?
Trust.What is your least favorite word?
Responsibility.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
An honest woman with long legs.What turns you off?
Weakness of character.What is your favorite curse word?
Blast. But I rarely curse.What sound or noise do you love?
Her voice.What sound or noise do you hate?
The sound of suffering.What profession would you like to attempt?
I haven’t the time or inclination for a profession. I am sufficiently occupied running an empire.What profession would you not like to do?
Run an empire.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
She is yours. Now finally, and forever.
I mean, seriously? Dreamy.
The fabulous Miss Ashe (my cohort over on The Ballroom Blog) is offering up a copy of In the Arms of a Marquess to one lucky commenter! Katharine writes the most amazing adventure romances, and this series, The Rogues of the Sea, reminds me of how very much I love high-sea romance.
Tell us your favorite book, film or tv show set on the sea to enter to win the book! We’ll choose a winner on Friday!
August 30th, 2011 at 4:34 am
Theres also The Little Mermaid in which Ariel meets Eric on the sea =)
Guilty Pleasure: Posidon Adventures
Oh yea and theres also that one ep of Married with Children where Peggy dreams that she was in a high seas romance with Jefferson as the hot hero, Al as the villain and she was the kidnapped heroine.
August 30th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Julie, I loved Poseidon Adventures. Married with Children, lol. :) Ariel’s Eric is dreamy. When he rows after her in that boat — *after* he knows she’s not human — and says he won’t lose her again… total yummy hero!
August 30th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
I just love everything from the movie. My swoon worth scene is when they are on land, in the village and that brief moment of them dancing.
August 30th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
I love that scene, Julie. “Kiss the Girl” has to be one of my all-time favorite Disney scenes, period. When my little one was very little, we colored a poster-sized picture of Eric and Ariel in the boat just about to kiss. It is of course now hanging on my office wall (I’m looking at it right now). :)
August 30th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Awww…Prince Eric.
I swear he’s the reason I fell for my Eric. (shh. Don’t tell)
August 30th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
I’m going to tell him. I’m DM-ing him right now. ;)
August 30th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Prince Eric and Darien (from Sailor Moon) are my cartoon crushes who should be real. =)
August 30th, 2011 at 6:47 am
I absolutely love Pirates of the Caribbean. I love the story of Will and Elizabeth. I wish they could have had a happily ever after. And I can’t forget Capatina Jack Sparrow. Totally yummy.
I forgot about the Married With Children episode. That was too funny. I also like the Simpson episode were Marge was daydreaming too, and got mad at the kids for interrupting her dream.
August 30th, 2011 at 9:17 am
Ora, I nearly died — DIED, I tell you — sitting there in the theater at the end of POTC 3. I was piqued, to say the least. Fortunately the ticket seller had told us to stay until the end of the credits. But that did not satisfy in the least little bit. I like a tumultuous romance for sure, but after all that tumult we deserved their HEA!
August 30th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
LOL! I love that Simpsons episode! Where Ned Flanders is the fisherman with the seriously cut body? Is that the same one where she writes a romance novel? I can’t remember…but I’m pretty sure it is… Love in the Time of Scurvy!
August 30th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Thanks for hosting Ben today, Sarah! (He thinks you’re simply lovely, by the way.) :)
August 30th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Well, he can come sit by me anytime, Katharine. Thanks for coming over!
August 30th, 2011 at 9:39 am
I totally agree re: Will and Elizabeth! I loved Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom.I wish they could have had a happier ending.
The only other show I can think of at the moment that takes place at sea is Disney’s Suite Life on Deck, which one of my young cousin loves.
There’s also Hawaii Five-O, which does a great homage to Hawaii’s beaches and ocean. Not to mention fantastic eye candy with Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Dae Kim, and Scott Caan, lol.
August 30th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Lisa, giggle, Suite Life on Deck. More giggles. You know, I still think of Hawaii Five-O in such glamorous terms, all those bikinis and giant waves and action. And I was an impressionable girl. Obviously. :)
August 30th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Suite Life on Deck was fun, what with London’s shoe submarine.
August 30th, 2011 at 10:36 am
I read Katharine Ashe’s last book (the one prior to this one) because of an interview I read right here on MacLean Space, so I’m really looking forward to this next week.
This took place under the sea, rather than on, but I was obsessed with Seaquest DSV when I was younger. Anyone else remember that show? It had a talking dolphin!
August 30th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Hi, Meredith. It’s lovely to see you again, and thanks for your kind words. :) I don’t recall Seaquest DSV, but if it had a talking dolphin, I think I just may have loved it, lol!
August 30th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Yay! I love hearing that you discovered Katharine here, Meredith! I knew I wouldn’t steer you wrong! xoxo
August 30th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
I loved seaquest when I was a kid! I was in love with Jonathan Brandis
August 30th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
My favorite pirate movie is “The Pirate” with Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Light hearted but still romantic. Of course I love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies too.
August 30th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Do you know I’ve never seen that, Melanie? I’m putting it on my list right now!
August 30th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
Oh, I loved it! They were perfect in it.
August 30th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I love love love me some romances on the high-seas!
I’ve got to put a plug in for gorgeous James Malory and disguised-as-a-boy Georgina Andersen!
And, of course, there’s one of my very favorite books, Till Dawn Tames the Night…with sea captain/pirate Vashon (complete with dragon tattoo across his back and around to his…erm…parts). This one is out of print, but absolutely worth hunting down!
And, having just started In the Arms of a Marquess, I gotta say, Katharine’s Rogues of the Sea rank up there!
August 30th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Thank you, Sarah. :)
August 30th, 2011 at 2:38 pm
I can’t wait to read this book. It looks so good.
My favorite movie that takes place on the seas is Pirates of the Caribbean 1. I love that movie.
August 30th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Mine too, Danielle. I’ll admit that The Hunt for Red October runs a close second. But since it’s not a romance and really isn’t on the high seas, rather under it, POTC 1 will always hold first place in my heart. :)
August 30th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
I love Crimson Tide with Denzel and Viggo. They were in the submarine for most of the movie. Master and commander: The Far Side of the World is another fave.
August 30th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Jane, Master and Commander was such an adventure! And they did the costumes and battles and everything so well.
August 30th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Ooh, yes! Will and Elizabeth from POTC! Epic love and they only meet once every ten years so they’ll always get along! LOL.
Although not a romance, whenever I think about adventures on the high seas, Patrick O’Brian’s Maturin/Aubrey series is the first thing that comes to mind. I’m still upset that he died when he did, leaving Jack’s and Stephen’s futures unresolved.
August 30th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Okay, infinitieh, I think you needed to give an old SPOILER ALERT there for those of us who haven’t finished the series. ‘:) But I forgive you. Of course I do. ;)
August 30th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
It’s official–I’m in love with Ben! *fanning self* I’ve had this book (and Ben) on my Wish List since Feb 10 so I’m absolutely tickled the publish date has FINALLY arrived. Woo hoo!
Favorite show set on the water? I am probably not very original, but I just adored Titanic. I thought it was a shame that Leonardo was not rewarded for his terrific portrayal of the cheeky/romantic Jack Dawson.
Really looking forward to your book!
Laura T
heartoftexasbooks[at]yahoo[dot]com
August 30th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Thank you, Laura! :) As for the Leo/Kate Titanic, I was one hundred percent prepared to hate it (I’ve no idea why anymore), and I adored it. I do tend to like my romances HEA, but that romance pulled every string in my heart. Leo was fabulous indeed.
August 30th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
Does the movie Hook count? I absolutely love that movie. I know it’s not romantic and it doesn’t take place exclusively on the sea, but it’s definitely one of my favorite adventure/fantasy movies. :) My favorite part is still; “It so happens I am a lawyer.” “KILL THE LAWYER!” “I’m not that kind of lawyer…”
My second favorite that probably answers the question better is Master and Commander. Russel Crowe playing a Navy captain, yum!
August 30th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
Liz, you’ve got me giggling just from that Hook dialogue. I love me a swashbuckling adventure, mate!
August 30th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Princess bride. I love the scene where they are being chased from the sea to the mountain of insanity.
August 30th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
May, “Maybe he is using the same wind as us?” I humbly submit that everything about The Princess Bride is sublimely perfect. It is truly one of my favorite movies of all time, and no doubt part of the reason I write books with 1) heroes with secret identities, 2) pirates, 3) ships, 3) fencing, and 4) ROUSes. Oh, wait, not the ROUSes. But maybe I should put one in my next book. Aha… an idea takes root… :)
August 30th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I admit I love the old errol flynn swashbuckling pirate movies (ie: sea hawk) When in high school I liked the tv show seaquest dsv about a research sub w/ a dolphin as one of the crew. :)
August 30th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
gamistress66, I’ve just written a book about a swashbuckling pirate with the code name Sea Hawk. Coincidence? I think not! ;)
August 30th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Persuasion involves the astounding Capt. Wentworth. The movie from 1995 ends with them on the high seas. Does that count? :)
August 30th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
LilMissMolly, that version of Persuasion always counts for everything. In fact any version of Persuasion. I adore both the novel and films. It’s my favorite Jane Austen!
August 30th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
love POTC too!;)
and Hawaii-five-o! obviously!;P
August 31st, 2011 at 3:05 am
hi sarah n kat,
i have win this book,so don’t count me :-)
the sea romance i loved is : gentle rogue and pirate’s loved by jl.and maybe next book is your book kat ;-)
August 31st, 2011 at 11:54 am
I would have to say that my favorite show would be Love Boat. I used to watch this every week as a young girl. I have read some pretty good books that have taken place on boats like Johanna Lindsy. She has had many books that have taken place on boats. Like Captive of my Desire, Gentle Rogue, No Choice but Seduction, and That Perfect Someone. Some good movies have been Titantic(even though it is sad).
I would love to win this book so please choose me for the giveaway. Big fan of Katharine’s books and want this one bad.
Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
August 31st, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Katherine -
I’m going to mention a book I read while I was in High School in the 1960′s which is The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a book about power, the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality.
I’m sure many that read that answer think “but what has that to do with romance”? The reason I mention Lord of the Flies is because that was the one book I read that made me REALLY read a book, to think below the surface and as a teenager to start me on the path of examining not only how I read a text book but also newspapers, journals, and books read for enjoyment. It also made me look at news reports differently and to realease that each individual can read the same thing and come away from it with different conclusions.
That is also what I look for in a romance novel and it’s characters.
It’s a book that my sons were not required to read in school but after my older son “discovered” my old beaten up copy on the bookshelf both my sons read it on their own. It also lead to many dinner table discussions in the following weeks.
August 31st, 2011 at 2:15 pm
I enjoyed reading The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham. It’s one of her early pirate books.
August 31st, 2011 at 3:00 pm
**SIGH**…………
Okay. I’m back :-) My favorite movie set on the sea is Pirates of the Caribbean!
September 1st, 2011 at 11:25 am
My favorite movie set seaside is The Ghose and Mrs. Muir. Sooooo romantic!
September 2nd, 2011 at 2:47 am
I remember reading Susan Wiggs’s Charm School, about a woman going aboard a ship and falling in love…. It was nice, perhaps not a favorite.
Now, Jo Beverley’s The Secret Duke, he was also a captain and I loved this book! though there was not too much sea involved. So does that count?