Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Aloha to Shana Galen and THE ROGUE YOU KNOW


Bad Boy Inspiration by Shana Galen

When we think about Regency England, we tend to think of the balls, the carriages, the gowns. We forget that for every duke or marquess, there were hundreds of thieves and pickpockets living in the slums of the city. Covent Garden was an area of London with plenty of rookeries, and the thieves who lived there often banded together because there’s protection in numbers. My fictional gang called the Covent Garden Cubs is made up of the leader Satin, his second-in-command Beezle, and an assortment of pickpockets and house-breakers with names like Gap, Racer, and Stub. The gang also has one girl, Marlowe, and I wrote about her in Earls Just Want to Have Fun. Her best friend in the gang in Gideon, and he’s the hero in The Rogue You Know. Gideon is the ultimate bad boy who can cheat, lie, and steal with the best of them. He was orphaned at a young age and had no choice but to steal to survive. Now Gideon wants a different life for himself, and if he can just complete one last job, he’ll have it…or die trying.

When writing about my bad boy hero, I had plenty of inspiration.

1) Flynn Rider from Tangled

Yes, I know Flynn is animated, but he is the main inspiration for Gideon. Like the Disney bad boy, Gideon is charming, funny, and self-deprecating. Flynn makes no apologies for his lifestyle, and while he may try to hide his sensitive side, his love for Rapunzel brings it out.

2) George Gordon Byron, Baron Byron

Byron was a poet, nobleman, and ultimate bad boy. Described as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know,” Byron titillated the Regency world. He generated enormous debts, had numerous affairs and liaisons, and ultimately died young and tragically abroad. A bad boy with the heart of a romantic is always an inspiration.

3) Danny in Grease

We’ve all seen Grease so many times we forget that Travolta’s character was really a bad boy. He’s dangerous for Sandy’s reputation and just plain dangerous, period. But like any bad boy we love, love wins Danny over and he’s willing to change to be with the woman who means everything.

4) Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You

I love a bad boy who sets out to corrupt the good girl and then is corrupted by her instead. Heath Ledger is fabulous as the new kid in school who agrees to date the heroine…for a fee. “How do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways.” The banter between Patrick and Kat makes this bad boy movie memorable.

5) Nick Gentry in Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

While Gideon may be on the wrong side of the law and Nick Gentry a Bow Street Runner, Nick definitely serves as an inspiration. He’s a man with a dark past and much to hide, but Charlotte is able to peel away the layers one by one. Her love for him, and his for her, redeems this bad boy and makes us love him all the more.

I enjoyed taking inspiration from each of these bad boys and creating the character of Gideon. He may be a thief and a rogue, but he is also capable of deep love. And that’s what my books are about—characters for whom love changes everything.

Who are your favorite redeemed rogues?



She's beyond his reach...
Gideon Harrow has spent his life in London's dark underworld-and he wants out. A thief and a con, he plans one last heist to finally win his freedom. But when everything goes wrong, he finds himself at the tender mercies of one of Society's most untouchable women-Lady Susanna Derring.

...and out of her depth.
Susanna has spent her life in London's glittering ton, under the thumb of a domineering mother-and she wants out. When a wickedly charming rogue lands at her feet, she jumps at the chance to experience life before it's too late. But as she descends into London's underworld, she finds that nothing- not even Gideon-is as it seems. As excitement turns to danger, Susanna must decide what price she's willing to pay...for the love of a reformed thief.


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Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Book Reviews calls her books "lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter. 


shanagalen.com
facebook.com/ShanaGalen
twitter.com/shanagalen
Goodreads link

21898799

Sourcebooks is giving away 10 copies of  
Shana Galen’s Covent Garden Cubs series starter EARLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN at this link.

To answer Shana's question, I have an affinity for Lord 
Byron - my father enjoyed his poetry and named my brother after him.   Lord Byron's daughter is Ada Lovelace.  From Wikipedia (link),

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (née Byron; 10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first algorithmintended to be carried out by a machine. Because of this, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer.

I studied Ada, a DOD computer program named for the Countess, during my initial training in the Air Force. Finally, Bryon's cousin and heir, Captain George Anson, visited the Big Island of Hawaii after inheriting the title of Baron Byron.


27 comments:

  1. Congrats Shana!!! This is going be fantastic as all your books are :) Umm.. now that you mentioned Flynn, that's all that I can think of! I love that movie!!! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thanks for hosting me, Kim. I love your bad boy choice. Byron was mad, bad, and dangerous to know.

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  3. I've read all of your books Shana, and have loved every single one of them. I love a bad boy, too. I'm looking forward to reading Gideon's story. BTW, I had a lovely Auntie Ada, she was very feisty, and lived to the grand old age of 97.

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  4. Congrats Shana, I need to get this book it sounds good. I have to think of who is my fav redeemed rogue.....

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  5. Rhett Butler is a redeemable rogue.

    Denise

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  6. Hi Shana! It's nice to see you back on this blog and as usual you had a great post! Flynn Ryder is of course #1, having a young girl of my own I get plenty of chances to watch his transformation and I love it every time.

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  7. Johanna Lindsey had some pretty great historical badboys - like James Malory.

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  8. It's always the one I'm currently reading lol.

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  9. The only bad boy I can think of at the moment is from a book I read many. many years ago. I don't think it was that he was so bad, just that some of his behavior left a lot to be desired. Wulfgar in THE WOLF AND THE DOVE by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.

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    1. Oh, he's great, Pat! I haven't thought of that book for a while. Thanks for the reminder.

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  10. I'm fickle, my favorite is always the one I'm currently reading about. It's kinda horrible when one of previous 'loves' shows up in a book I'm reading - I hate having to choose between them! ;-)

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    1. You are very loyal, Glenda. I think that's commendable :-)

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  11. This book sounds really good. Can't wait to read it. After reading this post Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing comes to mind.

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  12. I do remember Patrick Swayze as well. He is called to mind for me as well. Love the sounds of this new book.

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    1. Thanks, Debby. Now I feel like watching Dirty Dancing.

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  13. Congrats on your new release! One of my favorite historical bad boys is Sebastian from The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

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    1. I love him too, BookLady! So many of Kleypas's heroes are memorable.

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  14. I read and enjoyed The Rogue You Know. I usually love Shanas stories. But this one was especially great reading.

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  15. I'm fickle. My favorite bad boy is always the one I am currently reading about.

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