Jeri Smith-Ready Part Two - Le Hero

Hi everyone, and Happy Canada Day where applicable!

Welcome to Act Two of my guest-bloggery. Today I thought I’d talk about an aspect of my latest novel (romantic urban fantasy Wicked Game) that I don't usually get to address, even though it's pretty much my favorite part.

(Don't forget, everyone who comments on today's post and yesterday's will go into a drawing for a signed copy of Wicked Game, or one of my other books if you already have that one. A name will be randomly drawn at 11:59pm tonight and announced in my final post tomorrow.)

In urban fantasies, the emphasis is usually on the heroine, and you can find a lot of blogs and reviews out there that talk about the “irrepressible” Ciara Griffin. Recovering con artist, creator of WVMP The Lifeblood of Rock ‘n’ Roll, yada yada yada.

But here at DIK, Heroes Rule, so I’m going to give Shane McAllister a chance to step up and be noticed.

Basic stats:

• Age: 39, but looks 27, the age he was turned
• Hair: light brown
• Eyes: pale blue
• Height: 6’5”
• Weight: I’ve never weighed him.
• Hometown: Youngstown, OH
• Education: some college (majored in music theory at Ohio U. but dropped out due to, uh, some problems he’ll only discuss with me)
• Sign: Pisces (hoo BOY is he ever a Pisces)
• Religion: Catholic (non-practicing since he was vamped, to avoid third-degree holy water burns)
• Likes: strong coffee, strong ale, strong women
• Dislikes: pretension

Enough with the baseball card facts-at-a-glance. What’s he really like?

Shane is cool. He and his maker Regina have cool down to an art form. Sometimes he comes off as more reserved than he really is. It’s not until someone turns him on (or pisses him off) that The Cool gets shed for The Hot.

He’s a feminist. A lot of his favorite bands are all-girl or at least female-fronted. He likes a woman to speak her mind, and he’s got no time for the ones who sit around and wait for him to tell them what to do (except during certain, ah, role-playing situations, *ahem*).

He’s romantic. He informs Ciara that at the end of his show, the last song he plays will always be for her. So she wakes up before 5:54am to find out what he’s thinking about her that day. It could be fun (“Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes), raunchy and insistent (“Give It Away Now” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers), or a quiet, plaintive expression of his need for her (“Human Touch” by Bruce Springsteen).

Plus, he plays the guitar. Because I love music so much (and have no talent for it myself), if a guy can make it with his own hands, that’s a giant plus in the Ideal Hero column. A guitar’s particularly sexy because of—well, just watch a dude onstage, strumming away. Looks suggestive, no? And if he can find all those chords and whatnot, just think what else he can do with those hands. (Note to other authors' publishers: More musician heroes, pls k thx!)

Oh, and the vampire gig? Shane was ambivalent about it at first, but twelve years later he has no regrets, and he doesn’t apologize for his nature. He’s comfortable in his own skin (which can reach a temperature of 97.9 degrees F after he drinks—not quite human, but close!).

In this world, being a vampire means more than consuming blood and avoiding the sun. The vamps in Wicked Game get psychologically and culturally ‘stuck in time’ when they’re turned. They speak the slang and wear the fashions of their original eras. Which makes them odd conversationalists but hey, fabulous DJs! Also, as a vampire ages, he or she ‘fossilizes’ and becomes less human, more monstrous.

Shane’s from the 90s, so he’s a lot more modern and “normal” than most vamps. He knows how to use a cell phone and surf the web. Ciara tries to bring him slowly into the present by teaching him about new music and life in the 21st century. She hopes that this way they'll still be able to relate to each other down the road. Not that she's thinking of a permanent commitment or anything. (She made me add that last part.)

Thanks to Ciara's marketing savvy, you can learn loads more about Shane on his MySpace page (ladies, go friend him and make her jealous) or at his page on WVMPradio.com. Listen to his favorite tunes and find out what he’s thinking.

You can ask him anything, but be warned--he's a private kind of guy. To loosen his tongue, you might try beer, bourbon, and other liquids that start with 'B.' ;-)

Time for me to kick back on the Island with an umbrella drink. If you need me, I'll be in the shade.