Hot Guys and Guitars: Rock Star Heroes

Photo by Schmeegan via Flickr

I once heard an editor for a major romance publisher say that women don't find rock stars attractive. Ummmm, what? Do we need to take a trip on the way way back machine (called YouTube) to see Bobby Soxers go crazy for ol' Blue Eyes, girls pass out from excitement listening to the Beatles, or people chant BRUUUUUUUCE at a Bruce Springsteen concert? I mean, yeah, Springsteen's kinda old and crusty nowadays, but it wasn't for nothing that Annie Leibovitz photographed his butt for the cover of Born in the USA. Girl knew what she was doing there. And (some) people still find Axl Rose attractive, although why is something of a mystery.

The point is, anyone with sense can see that rock stars are attractive. Unless you actually know them, in which case you're probably like, "I know you're on the road, but could you at least TRY to shower once in awhile?" But these are books we're talking about! Personal hygiene can simply be assumed.

Even if you know some real-life musicians and are aware of the less-than-glamorous aspects of their lives, rock stars are still romantic figures in the popular imagination. Like cowboys and knights in black denim, they're heroes of the working man, living by their wits and talent. They have a freedom us schmucks with 9-5 jobs can only dream about, and all the highs and lows of a job without a safety net.

So yeah, I think rock stars are actually perfect figures for a romantic hero. Yet finding rock stars in fiction is pretty rare. Why? I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that rock n' roll isn't as popular as it once was. I've heard some people say it's dead, but I prefer to think we're living in the 21st century version of the disco era. Either way, there aren't a lot of super-successful rock bands out there anymore, and those that are don't have hot leading men. 

With one notable exception: Adam Levine. ZOMG, Levine is soooooo hot. I feel the need to compulsively tweet about his insane attractiveness multiple times whenever I'm watching The Voice, that's how hot he is. And he's super duper nice and funny and owns more sweaters than I have ever seen any other American male wear and I DON'T KNOW WHY but for some reason I find this INCREDIBLY ADORABLE. Just thinking about him makes me get all capslocksia with excitement. 

But it's not just physical attraction! Come on, I'm not THAT shallow (actually that's debatable, but let's say I'm not for the sake of argument). Levine's also talented and the lyrics to his songs reveal a romantic, sensitive soul. "It's not right, not okay/To say the words that you say/Maybe we're better off this way…" Who hasn't felt like that during a break-up??? It's like he's speaking to my sooooouuuuuuuullllllll.

So if you're wondering who Michael de Bracy in The Aspen House is based off of… keep wondering. Ha! I kid.

Is there a rock star who makes your heart flutter?

Goodbye, Blogust

Today is the last day of Blogust, which was hosted by Beyond Elsewhere and The Chum Buckett. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person still participating in this challenge, but that's okay. It taught me a lot. For one, no matter how many posts you schedule in advance, they start to run out all too quickly. Also, when I'm in the middle of a work in progress, as I am right now, I think there will have to be a moratorium on blog posts. One would think there'd be enough hours in a day to work on a manuscript and write short blog posts, but apparently not.

One good result of Blogust was that the topics we were given really gave me a lot to think about and helped me focus on what I want and appreciate what I have right now. Although I have several other blogs, I haven't blogged about my personal life in years--I take care to only mention it superficially, if at all, on my other sites. Honestly, opening up about my life here was uncomfortable and a little nerve-wracking; but now that the month's over, I think I realized some important things due to those posts.

I'm not sure I've really settled on a "voice" for this blog yet, which was the goal I originally had for Blogust, but the event has given the blog a great start. So thank you, Blogust!

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Climb Every Mountain

Yes, I'm scared to follow my dreams. Who isn't? Nothing's worse than a dream that dies in its pursuit, lying crushed on the ground like a bird that flew straight into a window.

Just because I'm scared to follow them, though, doesn't mean I don't. I think the opportunities to do the things you've always wanted to do come along--maybe not in the time frame and way that you want or imagine they will, but eventually they do. A professor of mine once told me, "If you really want to go to Europe, you'll get the chance," and he was right. In such cases it would be foolish not to go for it.

However, sometimes you (meaning I) get impatient and want to FORCE things to happen. This never works out and tends to make you and everyone around you miserable.

So while I am scared to follow my dreams, I think I'm more frightened that I'll lose faith they'll come true and stop dreaming.


This post is part of Blogust, a meme where we post every day in August. For more information, topics, or to sign up, visit Beyond Elsewhere.

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Fate and Destiny

The three Nornir, or Fates. Found in Fredrik Sander's 1893 edition of the Poetic Edda.

A man's character is his fate.
-Heraclitus

Do you believe in fate? I definitely do. We all have things happen to us that are beyond our control--the circumstances of our births being the most obvious. But our reactions to those events, that is our destiny.

The thing is, people are going to react a certain way based on their personalities. That's just a fact. Yes, you can achieve a certain kind of self-awareness, but if you do, do you think you can escape fate? If you've read even one Greek tragedy you know the answer to that question.

Fate and questions of free will and destiny provide a rich fodder for stories. Although we can make our own choices, once those choices are made, we can't go back from them; and who knows but that there wasn't really any other choice for us to make? No matter who we are or what we decide, it all leads us to the same fate.

This post is part of Blogust, a meme where we post every day in August. For more information, topics, or to sign up, visit Beyond Elsewhere.

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