Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Guest Author - - Teresa Medeiros

What a thrill it is to be guest blogging at The Romance Dish today! PJ, Gannon, Buffie and Andrea first became a daily fixture in my life when I was hosting the very first multi-author blog on the internet—SQUAWK RADIO—with my best peeps. The Romance Dish is proudly carrying on that tradition by creating a place on the web where readers can hang out and laugh and form lifelong friendships of their own.

This coming September I'll be celebrating the publication of my 20th novel The Devil Wears Plaid. I've often said I have the best job in the world—I get to fall in love with a gorgeous new man every year and, as long as those royalty checks keep coming, my husband doesn't even mind!

If I don't fall in love with my heroes, how can I make my heroine (and you, my darling readers) fall in love with him? If my pulse doesn't quicken when a Connor Kincaid or a Billy Darling saunters into a room, how will I know how my heroine feels the first time her hand accidentally brushes his or she catches the glint of sunlight in the burnished gold of his hair?

So I spend 6-9 months of every year mooning and swooning, burning and yearning right along with my heroine. Sometimes after I've finished a book and my hero and heroine have ridden off into the sunset to celebrate their hard-earned and much-deserved happy ending, I even mope and mourn for a season.



(I had a terrible time getting over Gabriel Fairchild from YOURS UNTIL DAWN and Julian Kane from THE VAMPIRE WHO LOVED ME!)




But then I write those magical words "Chapter One" and my next hero walks into the room…and my heart. (I just have to be careful not to call him by my last hero's name because everybody knows that's bad form—like accidentally shouting out "Jen" instead of "Angelina" during a tender moment.)

While a sardonic quirk of the lips and looking good in a kilt certainly don't hurt a hero's chances of winning my heart, there are three qualities that are absolutely irresistible to me:

1) Intelligence
2) A sense of humor
3) The willingness to rush into a burning building to rescue a basket of kittens





Today I'd love to learn what quality is most likely to tempt you to fall in love with a hero? One lucky commenter (US residents only) will win an autographed hardcover of my most recent release SOME LIKE IT WILD.












Thank you so much for blogging with us today, Teresa. It's always a pleasure to have you visit! You can chat with Teresa on her Facebook Fan Page, follow her on Twitter or meet some of the heroes who have won her heart at her website.

74 comments:

  1. I think the most likely quality for me would be strength of mind and body. I do like my heroes to be strong enough to take care of his woman and his family.

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  2. Hi Teresa, good to have you here with us today!

    I don't like heroes who just don't 'get it'. Like, one who understands everything wrong, who makes the wrong conclusions, whatever. Someone who just doesn't listen carefully.
    I don't like people like that in real life, either, so it really bothers me in a romance (or whichever) novel.

    Don't know how you can say that. I want my heroes to be ... clever? Not with a slow mind? Doesn't matter, you know what I mean. =)

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  3. Hi Teresa

    I gotta say I loved the last 2 releases I am slowly trying to get all of your other books together so I can read them as well.

    In a hero I love a sense of humour and one who will listen (even though they are always correct) they listen to the heroine and yes will race into a burning house for a basket of kittens LOL a true Knight In Shinning Armour.

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  4. Hi, Teresa! I am a great fan of yours! I read "The Bride and the Beast", and immediately bought six more of your books! I'd love to win "Some Like It Wild"!

    I love Alpha Males who are somewhat gruff, tough and rough around the edges. Gorgeous in a very masculine way. A voice that will make your skin dance : ) They have an inner core of kindness, are innately intelligent and charmingly funny when they choose to be! Gosh, I want one of those!!!

    gcwhiskas at aol dot cm

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  5. Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm so excited to be here today with you guys!

    Helen and Virginia, I'm so glad you "discovered" me and I hope you'll enjoy building your "Teresa Medeiros Collection" :)

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  6. Hello, Teresa! You are one of my auto-buy authors. I love your stories! I am having a hard time finding some of your older books because, as a store owner told me, your books are keepers, so readers don't trade them in.

    I like heroes that are fun, funny, protective, listeners who validate a heroine's feelings, and sexy. That's why I like the heroes you write about!

    Thanks for being here today!!!

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  7. I'm with you- Intelligence, humor and courage.

    I guess I got lucky and married someone who has all those already.

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  8. The thing most likely to attract me to a hero is inner strength. Someone you can count on when the chips are down. Someone supportive.

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  9. Good morning, Terri! We're so happy to have you with us today.

    I'm all about the alpha hero. Tall, sexy, strong...and capable of being brought to his knees by the love of his heroine. *g*

    A sense of humor and a soft spot for animals....absolutely!!

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  10. They have to cook brilliantly, without complaining, and clean up.

    Think about it...obviously, that means Mr. Perfect would be smart (he can read a recipe). He's strong, wielding pots. He's gorgeous, because housework makes us all beautiful, right?

    Blowing you kisses, Teresa!

    Eloisa

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  11. I like the laid back man's man hero. Those buttoned up businessmen just don't do it for me.

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  12. Cooking is a wonderful quality in a man, Eloisa! Almost better than bulging biceps and great abs!

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  13. Hi Teresa!!

    My favorite Hero would be a slightly serious man but with a hidden sense of humor (does that make sense? haha!). He's not silly or always laughing but when he does laugh... his smile would brighten his face and instantly send the heroine's heart all aflutter. I just finished Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig and that's how Alex was.

    Another trait (and this one is a little strange) is when the hero is slightly clumsy. Not overly clumsy but I think it makes it a slightly even playing field. Of course, I love a clumsy heroine too - I can connect all too easily with that!

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  14. Your list is good and I also love a hero who can laugh at himself and would do anything for the heroine.

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  15. Hey Teresa~

    I love a hero who is flawed/tortured in some way. They hook me every time!

    Good luck on the release, wishing you all my best! I've been a fan for a long, long time!

    Jaime

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  16. Hi Teresa! I think number 3 on your list does it for me - how can you be a hero unless you're willing to defy death to rescue a litter of kittens?

    Um, that cupcake looks fabulous. Anymore where that came from?

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  17. Good Morning, Teresa! How lovely to see your smiling face here at the Dish. :)

    I love all different types of heroes but it's the tough alphas with the heart of gold that get to me every time.

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  18. Virginia said; I love Alpha Males who are somewhat gruff, tough and rough around the edges. Gorgeous in a very masculine way. A voice that will make your skin dance : ) They have an inner core of kindness, are innately intelligent and charmingly funny when they choose to be! Gosh, I want one of those!!!

    ...and I want his brother! Well said, Virginia!

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  19. Vanessa said; Um, that cupcake looks fabulous. Anymore where that came from?

    LOL! Vanessa, that was my first thought too, when I saw Teresa's photo.

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  20. They have to cook brilliantly, without complaining, and clean up.

    Well said, Eloisa!

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  21. Teresa, you mentioned that your 20th novel (Congrats!) comes out in September. Will you tell us a bit about the hero of THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID? (Love that title!)

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  22. Hey Teresa! (waving madly from "upper" KY)

    I'm standing in line at B&N in snow....that's how eager I am to get The Devil Wears Plaid....

    Too soon?

    Never for Teresa Mederios book!

    Ah, heroes.....how many attributes, let me count the ways.

    Two come to mind. Sense of humor and not ashamed when his vulnerable side shows...um NOT like in Men's Figure Skating last night...:-0

    And for those seeking Terri's backlist...I've got it :-)

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  23. Vanessa, I'm sorry. It was a Gigi's cupcake and I ate them all ;)

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  24. PJ, I'm returning to the Scottish Highlands for THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID. My hero is Jamie Sinclair, a strapping young Scotsman who attends the wedding of his dearest enemy...and decides to make off with the bride :).

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  25. Hi Teresa ^^

    There is always one quality that will always make me fall in love with the hero and that is honesty. I just adore honest men. A man that is always honest with a girl can be assured never to beat around the bush, to lead the girl feelings around, or hurt her with lies. I love men like Mr. Knightly from Emma. Honest, upright, and i find their rigidity somewhat sexy as well. ^^

    Melissa

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  26. My must have list is simple: looks good in black, large hands, strong wrists, when he walks he leads from the hips.

    I know; I'm shallow

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  27. Leads from the hips. Yep, that's a good one.

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  28. I must post a Disclaimer! Sherri Erwin from The Whine Sisters blog just told me they were blogging before Squawk Radio. Since we started in March of 2005, they must have started in March of...1820! Which at least makes us younger. Well...some of us... ;)

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  29. And yes, Connie, we already know you're shallow. And young.

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  30. I think one of my husband's most endearing qualities is that he loves DIRTY DANCING every bit as much as I do.

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  31. Teresa, a man who loves DIRTY DANCING is definitely hero material!

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  32. It's hospital volunteer day so I have to leave you for the afternoon.

    Have fun! I'll be back later!

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  33. there was that movie in which leonardo dicaprio plays a guy that impersonates doctors etc. and while he's a doctor he meets a nurse and in one scene she's upset and he put his arms around her, hugging her in such a loving, comforting yet sexy way. so i've watched leo in other movies and he does it the same way. so i realize that it is how LEO hugs, not just the way he's acting a scene. so i think how a man hugs you and comforts you is a very, very important consideration.

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  34. Speaking of "Dirty Dancing" and heroes, let's remember Patrick Swayze. I think Patrick was beautiful inside and out! He was an amazing dancer, being both sensitive and athletic. He and his wife, Lisa, were awesome when they danced together! He was very much a family man who loved his wife, his home and his pets. Gone way too soon!

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  35. I agree about Patrick, Virginia! A real-life hero! It's so hard to be a male dancer, yet look totally masculine and sexy and he certainly achieved it!

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  36. Morning, Teresa~~I like broken heroes~~men who've come through some cataclysmic event, physical, psychological, or both~~and who are seemingly irrevocably changed by the experience. Enter the HEROINE. Now there's a combination that's irresistible to me. Put him in a kilt and give them both a bad attitude. Perfect!~

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  37. and Virginia and teresa? he led from the hips...

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  38. i absolutely loved the book yours till dawn but it's second to my favorite Teresa Medeiros book which is my first one from TM: a kiss to remember. i read it many years ago when i was still in high school and remains an all-time fave.

    i like heroes who have a sense of humor, flawed/tortured but can take care of business and courageous.

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  39. The quality that's sure to cause me to be swept away by a hero is sheer strength. Like the kind of strength that can border on dangerous, but is sure to make any woman, even the greatest heroine, weak at the knees.

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  40. Well, you listed my top three, but the quality that always puts the cherry on the sundae, if you will, is that sardonic quirk of the mouth and sexy look through thick lashes or an intense sexy stare. (I swoon at intense sexy stares. *sighs*)

    And the ability to give good banter.

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  41. For me, heroes have to be believably flawed. I hate a perfect hero. Wounded heroes are auto-buys for me as well. It's that "Beauty and the Beast" syndrome, I guess, LOL

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  42. As I've already read SLW, please don't include me in the contest.

    However, I most definitely want in on the question.

    Best qualities in a hero: Contrasts, I think.

    As a reader, you're used to the hero going all alpha, and then he turns around with tears in his eyes. Enough to squeeze out my heart, I tell you.

    So yeah. Contrasts.

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  43. I'm more shallow than Connie. I want a hero who has something to lead *with.*

    Christina Dodd

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  44. Leads from the hips, Connie?

    Thaz a good one!

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  45. I was waiting for Christina to chime in.

    hahahaha!

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  46. Thank you, Chelley, I'm pretty sure I wrote A KISS TO REMEMBER many years ago when I was in high school ;)

    And I knew we could count on Christina Dodd to remind us of the most important quality a hero can possess! ;)

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  47. J Perry, For a minute there I read that wrong and said you wanted a hero who wore "contacts". Maybe I need some! :)

    (And my word verification this time is "ovadom". Like a kingdom of ovaries!)

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  48. And you guys are inspiring me with all of these wonderful masculine qualities! I have to actually go write after lunch. My hero has a tall order to fill!

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  49. I think one of my husband's most endearing qualities is that he hates DIRTY DANCING, but he will sit on the couch with his arms around me and watch it. Over … and over … and over again. Poor thing. The qualities most likely to tempt me to fall in love with a hero, are the same qualities that attracted me to m husband. A hero must be Intelligence, and have Street Smarts. He has to have a sense of humor. He has to be strong enough to ripe a man apart with his bare hands, but be gentle enough to rock a colicky baby. He is with out question courageous, But most important, a hero must be willing to sacrifice the things that are important to him for the wellbeing of the person he loves. Without complaints. And without regrets.

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  50. Intelligence and a sense of humor are high on my list too, but integrity is my #1 qualification for a hero. It's an old-fashioned word, but at its core, it means wholeness, having no gap between what he says and what he is. Of course, it doesn't hurt if he also has eyes that speak, gifted hands, and a "walk that leads from the hip." ;)

    Terri, I'm excited about the new book too. August 31, right? I'm also delighted about the recent reissues of Breath of Magic and Touch of Enchantment. Any more reissues scheduled? I have lots of Medeiros books that are suffering from the Velveteen Rabbit Syndrome.

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  51. I love a manly man...strong biceps, a five o'clock shadow, and a swagger in his step. But his hands are as tender and loving as a child's.

    Oh, yeah, and I'm a sucker for the cliché: tall, dark, and handsome in a swarthy way.

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  52. You're right, Julie! A man who hates DIRTY DANCING but will watch it with you anyway may trump a man who loves DIRTY DANCING!

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  53. Janga,
    No word yet on any more reissues but I'll certainly keep you informed. I feel really blessed because all of my titles are still in print and available on-line, some of them in the special $4.99 and $5.99 editions.

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  54. Terri, my husband is a Dear. He’s just not very demonstrative in public.
    My husband loves Action films. IE Blood, bombs, and broads. Not necessarily in that order. When he watches a romance I swear he wiggles around like a hyperactive two year old while he groans “I can’t believe that your making me watch this kissy-kissy scene”. So when we went out on Valentine’s day I figured that we would go and see “ The Blind Side“. Not an action film or a romance.
    But when my DH and I showed up at the theatre it was packed. The movie we had intended to see was sold out. There were however seats available for two movies that would start in an hour.
    The movies were Valentines Day & The Wolfman.
    Can you guess which movie I chose? I picked The Wolfman … because I knew that my husband would enjoy it. I also knew that my husband knew that I hated scary movies … so the dear thing held my hand the whole time. It was a sweet and romantic gesture. And quite a Big deal for a man who would blush if he got caught holding my hand in public. He says that holding hands in public is high school stuff.
    Bottom line?
    He got his action flick & I got my “romance”!

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  55. To me, a hero should be intelligent, brave (although how smart is it to risk his life for a basket of kittens?), and fun to be with. Sure, he should be a reasonable listener and cooking is a plus (so the heroine doesn't have to stress about his favorite foods), but he should be comfortable in his own skin so that it's not drama all the time (just part of the time).

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  56. Hey Teresa!!! I am SOOO happy that you are with us today! I have finally made it home from the office (I swear I should claim all those people as dependents since I see them more than my family!) and can now chat away with you :)

    Do you know I still sigh everytime I see Some Like It Wild? I just love Connor . . . as you know I have an affinity for that name :)

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  57. Oops, forgot to answer your question Teresa! The quality I like most in a hero is the ability to wear a kilt and make me feel giddy all over. Of course he has to have the desire to take that kilt off too ;-) Yep, honesty is what you get from me *VBG*

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  58. um NOT like in Men's Figure Skating last night

    Joanie, while watching the skating last night I was thinking that there were a few hotties out there.

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  59. Teresa said: I'm returning to the Scottish Highlands for THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID. My hero is Jamie Sinclair, a strapping young Scotsman who attends the wedding of his dearest enemy...and decides to make off with the bride :)

    Oh Teresa, I am so happy about this book! I love all thing Highlands, especially when there's a strapping young man involved *wink*

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  60. Connie, large hands are a DEFINITE must!!! :P

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  61. Christina Dodd said . . . I'm more shallow than Connie. I want a hero who has something to lead *with.*

    LMAO! So true Christina, so true!

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  62. Joanie, while watching the skating last night I was thinking that there were a few hotties out there.

    Um...there were a FEW. ALL of them were talented skaters but the gloves? Not so hero like...

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  63. Wow, y'all have been busy today! I just got back from seeing The Lightning Thief with my son...great movie!!

    Welcome, welcome, Teresa!! We are thrilled to have you with us today! Yay, we get a new TM book this fall -- or would that still be summer?! Anyway, can't wait for it. I'm also looking forward to your contemporary. Can you tell us a little about it?

    As for your question, I totally agree with intelligence and a sense of humor. Especially a sense of humor. That's totally my husband. And I looooove dark haired heroes. I'm a sucker for them. ;-)

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  64. I absolutely always fall in love with a hero who has a soft side,while trying to be strong enough to protect the heroine,and of course,still be a "manly man"in front of his peers!.and of course a kilt will do it every time!...thanks for all the great reads,
    I just reread Nobodys Darling,for the 10th time,and still feel helplessly in love with your Billy!

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  65. I love a sense of humor. But sexy eyes and a terrific smile don't hurt!

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  66. Buffie, So glad you could finally join us! You should have told your boss you needed the day off to hang out with us at The Dish ;)

    And I'm so glad Connor won your heart in SOME LIKE IT WILD. He has exquisite taste in women, you know ;)

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  67. Made4Books, Thank you!

    Billy Darling from NOBODY'S DARLING is still one of my personal favorite heroes (although it's hard to pick--like picking your favorite child!) Whenever I think about that rocking chair scene...is it getting hotter in me or is it just me? ;)

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  68. I love the rakish, witty man who's a bit of a rogue, but with a caring heart that he can't quite hide.

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  69. Hi Teresa,

    The qualities I love best in heroes would be intelligent, sexy, compassionate, sense of humor, and charming when they want to be.

    ...and I get to enjoy all these qualities in "Teresa's men"...er... I mean "characters"!

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  70. A little bit of vulnerability (amongst all that manliness, of course!) will make me melt every time. I tend to favor Beta heroes :)

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  71. Intelligence and a sense of humor... But it sure is fun reading about the qualities everyone else adores!

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  72. Teresa, thanks so much for blogging with us today! It's been fun reading what qualities everyone looks for in their heroes.

    I've marked my calendar and will be counting the days until the arrival of another drool-worthy hero from you in September!

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  73. My heroes must have a sense of honor. It may be deeply hidden under some less than desirable traits, but when it counts, he will do what is right.

    Love your books.

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  74. Thank you guys again for having me! It's always a pleasure to "dish" ;)

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