A life of crime is
easy…until love goes all ninja on your ass.
Asprey Charles has always assumed he would
one day take his place in the family art appraisal and insurance firm. “His
place” meaning he plans to continue to enjoy his playboy lifestyle, lavish money
on his Cessna, and shirk every responsibility that dares come his
way.
But when a life of crime is thrust
upon him, he is just as happy to slip on a mask and cape and play a highwayman
rogue. After all, life is one big game—and he excels at
playing.
Poppy Donovan vows that her recent
release from jail will be her last—no more crime, no more cons. But when she
learns that her grandmother lost her savings to a low-life financial advisor,
she’s forced to do just one more job.
It’s all going smoothly until the
necklace she intends to pawn to fund her con is stolen by a handsome, mocking,
white-collar thief. A thief who, it turns out, could take a
whole lot more than money. If she’s not careful, this blue blood with no
business on her side of the tracks could run off with the last thing she can
afford to lose. Her heart.
Warning: This book
contains masked crusaders, a remorseless con woman, and plans to boost a
ten-million-dollar painting. Expect high speeds and fast
hands.
********** GUEST POST *********
Romance Hero
Rules
There are unspoken rules in the
romance world that our heroes must abide by or be deemed unworthy. I’m not
talking about pesky things like following the speed limit or paying taxes on
time (both things my art thief hero is blithely unconcerned about). Most of us
are fine with a hero who skirts the edges of the law, whether he does so out of
a sense of justice or because he simply can’t help himself.
Oh, no. I’m talking about Romance
Hero Rules—those very important somethings that set a man apart from the crowd
and deem him worthy of true love. Here’s my list of essentials, though
I’m sure you have some of your own!
•
A hero must always see to his lady’s
satisfaction first. (Or, if not first, very soon in the immediate future. And
very often in the immediate future.)
•
He shall be manly
even when undergoing unmanly acts. (I don’t care if he’s polishing his
shoes or groveling or crying over spilled milk. Sex
appeal is required.)
•
Table manners should
never be neglected. (With the exception of shifters. They have sharp teeth. If
they want to forgo forks in favor of sharp teeth, I’m all for
it.)
•
He will pursue while
the pursuing is good. (I know, I know. It’s not fair that the man has to do the
chasing all the time. But, c’mon! He’s got to show *some* fight for his lady
friend.)
•
In times of trouble,
a hero’s body must always double as a shield. (If there’s a gun pointed at the
heroine and the hero isn’t doing his best to put his body in front of hers, then he and I need to have a serious
talk.)
•
He either has all his
hair or none of it. Period. (Poor heroes. A partially balding man never gets the
love.)
•
The law does not
matter to him nearly as much as his own moral code. (This one’s my favorite. The
best heroes are the ones who have their own sense of right and wrong—usually
with the heroine at the center. And he’s not afraid to bend the rules of society
to have his way.)
•
Once he realizes he
loves the heroine, all other bets are off.
In my upcoming
release, Confidence
Tricks, there’s a whole lot of
law breaking going on.
The heroine is a con woman who’s done time and plans on robbing again. The hero
is a playboy art thief running a huge operation out of an airport hangar. And
they’re both happy that way.
However, my hero takes the above
rules VERY seriously. He is, after all, a
gentleman. J
What about you? What Romance Hero
Rules are required in your reading? Any deal breakers that will have
you throwing the book across the room?
Tamara Morgan is a romance writer and unabashed lover of historical reenactments—the more elaborate and geeky the costume requirements, the better. In her quest for modern-day history and intrigue, she has taken fencing classes, forced her child into Highland dancing, and, of course, journeyed annually to the local Renaissance Fair. These feats are matched by a universal love of men in tights, of both the superhero and codpiece variety.
Her home is in the Inland Northwest, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and variety of household pets. Feel free to drop her an email at tamaramorganwrites (at) gmail (dot) com or follow her on Twitter at HERE
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