It's my Birthday... I'll oogle if I want to

It's my birthday this Saturday and I'll be thirty-mumblemumblemumble years old and there have been a lot of changes in my life in the past few months so I thought this next blog post would fun and totally frivolous.  No real serious ideas or opinions (well I guess most of it is my opinion).  The idea for this blog came from the continued need for Hollywood to take really great reads and for the most part rip them to shreds.  There have only be a handful of books that I have seen successfully turned into movies or television and even then something happens along the way (especially in television) that ruins the story line.

But I digress, this was supposed to be a fun blog.  Well rumors are flying about the highly anticipated...I say sarcastically... movie deal for the 50 Shades of Grey movie.  Mainly "who will play Christian Grey?"  It seems that everyone and their brother is all "I'd play 50 Shades if asked"... Really, guys, really?  Have you read the books?  If they do make a movie I NEED the guy to have read the books, like the books, and truly identify with Christian.  I love this character, I don't want to see it destroyed or changed to fit a preconceived mold.  Of course that is how I feel about all the characters in my favorite books which is why I'm never really all that excited when I hear they're making a movie.  But what if they did make movies out of my favorite characters?  Who would I want to play these covetous roles?  And thus the LIST!  It was tough work searching through all of the sexy, steamy pictures of the actors I've chosen, but hey it's my birthday... I can oogle if I want to.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
Wrath - Jason Momoa





Rhage - Chris Hemsworth

Zsadist - Wentworth Miller

 Butch O'Neal - David Boreanaz

Vishous Son of the Bloodletter - Jonathan Rhys Meyers (although he'd have to bulk up a bit he has V's eyes so he wins!)




Haven't come across anyone who fits best for Phury, Manny, Tohrment, Rehvenge, John Matthew, Qhuinn or Blay but maybe that'll be another post.

Dark Hunter Series

Vane Kattalakis - Joe Manganiello (sorry Joe I know it's another werewolf but you play them so well!)

Acheron - Francois Arnaud





Some of my other favorite books...

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: James Fraser - James McAvoy

Widow Woman by Patricia McLinn: Nick Dusaq -Joe Manganiello (yes I know I've used him before but I'm biased and it is my birthday and I really wanted to give him a role that wasn't a werewolf or a stripper)


Finally I will weigh in with everyone else on who I feel would look the most like Christian Grey and who I also think would be able to actually do him justice.  Some may not agree but again, it's my birthday not theirs.  And the coveted title of  dom Christian Grey goes to... *drum roll*

HENRY CAVILL!!! Yes superman would be perfect.  He's just the right age has all the right coloring from his eyes to his hair and he has this way of looking wicked and wounded but sexy and dominating at the same time.  Here are just some highlights of his attributes.  You be the judge if he fits the mold for Fifty Shades...

So these are some of the few actors I actually picture when I'm reading.  I've recently started Game of Thrones but I've already watched the television series so naturally the characters look like the actors in the show but honestly the books are so good I'd have to agree with those they cast.  So here's some nice eye candy for those of you who might like to have a visual of the characters you've read about.  From one addict to another... happy reading!

Wall action - The Height of a romance novel

So if the average man is between 5'7 and 5'10 it only stands to reason that the men in romance novels are NOT in this average.  I mean really, who wants to read about an average size guy with average size attributes?  We get that everyday.  So what I've learned is that the average height of a romance hero is between 6' and 6'8 (this was how tall Acheron was in the Dark Hunter series and the tallest of the men of any series I've read).

Naturally, the height is also indicative of the size of other more impressive male areas.  Again who wants to read about average.  But really even if they're over 6 feet does it really come up to their belly buttons (even soft)?  In Magic Mike it was assumed that Big Dick Richie's could but he did use the aid of certain enhancing equipment.  In the books there's no enhancing equipment there's just all natural well endowment.  Naturally of course the women are intimidated by all that height and length and width.  The length and width thing I get, who wouldn't be intimidated by a penis that is basically half as long as a woman's torso?  But why be intimidated by height, I am sooo not!  There is something so sexy and exciting about having a man tower over you, who could protect you from whatever may threaten you.  Not to mention that in addition to being extremely tall and well endowed they're totally ripped.  No surprise there either.  This facilitates one of my favorite romance novel love making positions - held up against a wall/being carried/standing up.  The men in these books need to be extraordinarily tall so that any woman (be they short or tall) will be able to fantasize about a towering male who takes her in an uncontrolled passionate embrace and slams her up against the wall holding here there while his other talents go to work, also the women are never quite as intimidated from that point on.  Here are some excerpts from some of my favorite scenes:

"Pulling her further into his arms, he pushed her back against the shower wall and plunged inside her in one swift motion" - The Lottery  by Alexandra O'Hurley

"Oh, fuck the paperwork," he growls.  He lunges at me, pushing me against the wall of the elevator.  Before I know it, he's got both of my hands in one of his in a viselike grip above my head, and he's pinning me to the wall using his hips." 50 Shades of Grey by E.L.James

"There was only the briefest of pauses...and then John started pumping again - 

No, He was carrying her to the bed in the darkened room, the motion of his striding thighs pushing him inside of her and pulling him free and pushing him back" - Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

"Abruptly, he pictured her naked and up against the wall, her legs spread, her hair unbraided, her hands cupping her breasts.  Like a good boy, he was on his knees..." - Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

These are just a few.  Many of the my favorite scenes revolve around this type of claiming.  There's something so raw and commanding about having a guy be able to not only lift you and take you but sustain it throughout.  I used to be a much bigger girl than I am now and I think this got me excited because I really wanted someone to be able to sweep me up like that.  But it really is much easier for a tall man to do this I would think what balance and all (but I could be wrong... maybe it's just something I fantasize about).  Climbing a guy as tall as you is sort of like climbing a bush instead of a tall tree, the tree is much more exciting, and I do like heights!

Alexander Skarsgard

Joe Manganiello

So lest you think there aren't any men out there that can "measure up" here is a list of some hot "real" men who meet the criteria of a romance hero (at least in height... I haven't had the pleasure of researching the other attributes in person so I can only speculate).

Francois Arnaud

Channing Tatum

• Joe Manganiello - 6'5
• Channing Tatum - 6'1
• Alexander Skarsgard - 6'4
• Christopher Meloni - 6'0
• Chris Hemsworth - 6'3 (could be Rhage)
• Jason Momoa - 6'4 (definitely Wrath)
• Taylor Kitsch - 6'0
• Matthew McConaughey - 6'0
• Francois Arnaud - 6'2
• Wentworth Miller (who should really play Zsadist) - 6'1
• Hugh Jackman - 6'2
• Nathan Fillion - 6'1
• Zak Bagans - 6'1
• Gerard Butler - 6'2
• Jensen Ackles - 6'1
• Henry Cavill - 6'1

Several of them have been on my list of five but mostly they're just a sample of the hot "real" men that meet romance novel criteria for that "up against the wall" excitement.  Although I don't always imagine actors in the roles of my favorite men, rarely do they actually look like what I picture. Perhaps some of you might like a little inspiration when you're in the throws of some great "wall" action. From one addict to another... Happy Reading!

The Brothers - Rhage

 Lover Eternal is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  Although it can be read separate from the other books it's still best if read in order.  So we've learned all about the vampire culture and species.  We've met the king and ultimate queen of the race.  We have also met the other brothers as well as the enemies they face.  As stated before J.R. Ward does an amazing job of getting you interested in the other characters while she's writing the main love story.

In book two we get to know Rhage and Mary.  Rhage is the playboy of the group (not that the other guys are slouchers in bedding the opposite sex).  He's affectionately nicknamed Hollywood by the brothers because of his movie star good looks and smooth moves with the ladies (both human and vampire) and due to some nasty curse by the Scribe Virgin he has to release excess energy through sex of fighting (Butch a human who has been allowed into the group quips when he witnesses the curse first had that he needs to remember never to get between Rhage and a woman again).  Needless to say he goes through women like a black dagger goes through a lesser.  What you learn is that although it seems that Rhage has it made in the sex department, he's lonely and actually jealous of the other brothers who have shellans (that being Tohrment and Wrath at this point).  Naturally his curse doesn't allow him to get to close to someone because he's always afraid he'll inadvertently turn into a dragon and eat the woman (and not in a good way).

As with all of the boys he's HOT!  Well built with blond hair and blue eyes, they describe him as more handsome than Brad Pitt (which isn't that hard to do lately... Brad is not aging that well).  I have to tell you that after seeing Thor, Chris Hemsworth is the spitting image of Rhage!  And he's got the attitude to play him.  So picture that scene in Thor when Chris comes out in just a pair of tight jeans and no shirt and that's pretty much how you can picture Rhage.  But I digress... Rhage is a great asset to the Brotherhood, his ability to wipe out a major group of lessers is often extremely helpful.  So how do we help him through his loneliness and yearning for a shellan?  Simple we bring in the human!

Mary is human.  No vampire DNA anywhere.  She's also dying of cancer.  But her caring heart and extremely insane calmness at being informed not only do vampires and undead human enemies exist, but one of these vampires has decided that he wants her (scars and unimpressive looks and all).  Lucky girl!  She meets Rhage after she befriends a pre-trans vampires (unknown to her and the pre-trans at the time) and thinks she's taking him to meet some martial arts experts.  This is the introduction of John Matthew.  He will get much more involved as the series goes on along with the introduction of his best friends Qhuinn and Blaylock (boy are they a post for another time!)

Of course the romance between Rhage and Mary is fraught with peril and the ever present threat of her dying of the leukemia.  The best thing about this book is it's the funniest of all the books.  Rhage had a great sense of humor and Mary is sarcastic and quick witted.  The inner dialogue is about as quippy as the the banter between Rhage and the other brothers as well as his sexy bedroom talk with Mary.  For a change it's actually Rhage who gets chained up (so for those of you who like be a little more Christian Grey than Ana Steele this should appeal to you), but of course it's for Mary's own safety.  Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh right!  This book also sets up the next book in that it introduces the heroine of that book in the character of Bella.  The way the book ends just pushes you into reading the third book.  The third book is the most intense as far as emotion and back story of the vampire Zsadist.  If you've picked up the series with Wrath and Beth, then keep reading because there are more characters introduced in the next few books as well as development of story lines for future books.  Lover Eternal is a great read by itself but really continues the saga of this group of brothers who are trying to save their race and themselves in the process.

Book Two of Black Dagger Brotherhood Series