Fire and Ice would like to welcome author Danielle Thorne to our site. She has written a wonderful post called ” Why Imperfect is Perfect” plus she’s donated a copy of her most recent book Josette as a giveaway.
About her: Danielle Thorne is the author of Historical and Contemporary romance with such titles as THE PRIVATEER, TURTLE SOUP, and BY HEART AND COMPASS. Other work has appeared with Espresso Fiction, Every Day Fiction, Arts and Prose Magazine, Mississippi Crow, The Nantahala Review, StorySouth, Bookideas, The Mid-West Review, and more. She won an Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest’s 2006 annual writing competition and the 2008 Awe-Struck Short Novel Contest.
Danielle writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. She was the 2009-2010 co-chair for the New Voices Competition for young writers, is active with online author groups such as Classic Romance Revival and moderates for The Sweetest Romance Authors at the Coffee Time Romance forum boards. She lives with four sons and her husband, who is an air traffic controller. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors, High School marching band music competition and BSA Scouting.
Why Imperfect is Perfect
Most people don’t enjoy blemishes. We throw away moldy bread, agonize over pimples and rub those little smears on the mirror. Why then, do we prefer our heroes with a few defects?
This isn’t a new idea. Jane Austen created one of the most memorable and complicated heroes in 1813 when she penned PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Our first few encounters with Fitzwilliam Darcy do not fare well in the opening pages. How could anyone fall for such a rude snob? But in a matter of chapters and exchanges of the heart, it isn’t just Elizabeth Bennet who falls for the gentleman. Readers do, too.
Most of us started out with Prince Charming, while toddling around in our mother’s heels, but by the time reality sank its teeth into our innocent little hearts, things were changing. Suddenly there was the “bad boy.” He was the cute but always-in-trouble boy on the playground with the cool tee-shirt and sweaty hair. You know the one…he yanked your ponytail hard enough to make you cry and lured you under the monkey bars for a sloppy first kiss. We all ran from boys like that. But it was kind of fun.
Nobody wants to reach for something they don’t believe they can ever have and let’s face it–none of us are the perfect size with perfect features. Our scars from reality’s bite marks make it hard for us to buy that some perfect hero is going to sweep us off our feet and love us for eternity. And if it can’t happen for us, we have a hard time buying it can happen for a heroine, even one that we love. We need a hero with a few flaws. Whether they are physical, emotional, or just a personality quirk, flaws make our heroes more human. They give us something to forgive. (So we can forgive ourselves?) And don’t forget, there’s also the flattering idea that a woman can make a man love hard enough to actually change!
The perfect hero is imperfect. We love him despite his flaws. He loves us back, and he changes for the better. I believe this principle gives us hope, not just for our heroine’s Happily Ever After, but for our own. There are still a few good gentlemen out there. I should know, I married one!
A good romance story can be so much more than a Cinderella story. It can make us believe that despite all our blemishes we can be loved; and despite his, he’s still the next best thing to Mr. Darcy!
Find out a little more about my moody hero in JOSETTE. Inspired by Jane Austen’s work, it’s my interpretation of romance in the Regency era of elegance and manners.
Josette Price sees her future in Beddingfield Park. While her brother, George, needlessly pursues a naval career, she promises to watch over their beloved parents and the park estate. Nothing would make Josette happier than to see her sister and her self settled within the palings of Beddingfield. But dark, brooding Captain Carter rides into their lives with news that ruins everything: George has been lost at sea.
Learning the Park is entailed to their cousin, Edward, Josette must decide between marrying her fickle relation or helping her besotted sister trap him in her stead. Only Captain Carter and his delightfully spinsterish relatives can stop the Price girls from making a choice that would be the greatest tragedy of all.
Here’s to heroes!
More about JOSETTE?
http://www.daniellethorne.com/josette/
Danielle Thorne
http://www.daniellethorne.com/
www.thebalancewriter/blogspot.com
Gina
What a GREAT post! I’ve never really thought about it like that, but what a good point! We do like our heroes with a few flaws, because it makes them seem approachable and relateable. It makes us feel better to know that everyone has flaws, even people we look up to. I’m definitely excited to read this book!
Sophie
Love the fact that Danielle pointed out that flawed heroes make for the best stories! Wonderful interview!!
JoAnn Arnold
A flawed hero makes for a very interesting character. I’m looking forward to reading the book now. Great interview
Mary L Walling
Flawed heroes? The best kind. Mine are my husband and my dad. Both for different reasons. I have read “Josette”. If you haven’t, then you should. It is a definite “to read” book.
Marie Rearden
If our heroes didn’t have flaws, they would get pretty boring. I’m glad you mention the ‘bad boy’ here. Don’t we all want one of those? 😉
Great, great post!
Marie, http://marierearden.blogspot.com
A. Knight
Flawed heroes are great heroes. Same goes for heroines. It’s true what Danielle says: It most definitely is hard to buy that a heroine finds this perfect male specimen to ride off into the setting sun and into their happy ever after. It’s so…unbelievable, unrealistic. But, whoa, Danielle really has a way with words, so much so I may just hunt down her novel. She makes such excellent points, that I got sucked right into the post.
Thanks for sharing this!
Asher K. (Paranormal Indulgence)
lulilut
How true, girls love the bad boys. Even after we grow up we love the idea of a making him a new man. Must be the testosterone! 😉
Your book, Josette sounds wonderful. Congratulations!
Danielle Thorne
This comment has been removed by the author.
Danielle Thorne
One more time, without the typo(!): Thanks for coming by you all–and for the comments, too! Have a great week and good luck at the drawing.
brendajean
I loved the guest post! We do accept flaws in our men so much more readily than our own. Who would want someone perfect? They would be impossible to live with!
bchild5 at aol dot com
aurora M.
I am a fan of the classic too and this book looks just as sweet as them ♥ Great guest post!
veltara(at)yahoo(dot)com