Layers of Men... Or, Men are Like Onions

**UPDATE*** Congrats to Nymfaux for winning a signed cover flat of Ascenion. You can contact me at Sablegrace@ymail.com to claim it!

Happy Wednesday Undergrounders!

Heather half of Sable Grace here with a topic I've been thinking about alot lately as I read through my Rita entries and get to judging. As I look over the covers of the yummy men and read through the pages describing them, I can't help but wonder about the men of Hollywood and who would fit our books!

We all know the men who'd make great cover models out there, and I'm not really going to waste much time on them. Johnny Depp, Matthew McConaughey, Mel Gibs-- wait, that was 15 years ago. Sorry. But what about the men who deserve to be heroes and won't be simply because they don't fit the stereotype?

In my head, I like to think they stick the gorgeous young, buff guy on the cover, then bait and switch with the personalities that are so sexy, it would be unfair to give them to the visually stunning!

So here's my collection of men who you'd find within the pages of any good novel, but will likely never see on a cover:

Liam Neeson - Chiseled, indescribable looks. Plays kick-ss heroes in the movies and you could find him on the page of most best sellers. The problem? He's a little TOO indescribable. A little too rough? I'm not sure I know the answer to this one!

A personal favorite, Ricky Gervais. Like him or hate him, you've read his personality in a book a time or two. If not as the hero than as the wise-cracking sidekick. He's brutally honest ("I like a drink as much as the next man--unless that next man is Mel Gibson"), he's smart, he's got that dry British humor that I adore. But I'm never going to see him on the cover of a novel unless it's his memoirs. Why? Because he's kind of short and kind of chubby. Still, I can't help but crush on him a little.

Colin Firth. Granted, he could very well pose for the cover of a Regency set romance. But on the cover of an Underground author? Not a chance! He's charming, adorable, witty and smart. Definitely hero material. But is he the man you picture kicking ass? Not so much. Will you find him written as the hero, a secret tribute, inside the author's work? Very likely!


Another one who comes to mind (thank you, Laura) is Jake Weber of TV's Medium. He plays Allison's husband, Joe DuBois. Quiet, supportive, nearly perfect husband. I adore his character so much, I've (and a few of my friends have as well) developed a serious crush on Jake. But, he has that sensitive quality about him that will keep him off book covers for a long while, even if he was a little kick ass in Dawn of the Dead!

Am I missing any ohs0sexy men who wouldn't make the cover model cut? Or, riddle me this: Are there any handsome men who might make the covers but you'd never see them written on the pages as a hero?

Comment to win a signed cover flat of Ascension!

Ahh, those hot, sexy guys between the covers.

...The covers of books, I mean.

It's easy to fall in love with the likes of Clive Owen, Robert Downey, Jr., George Clooney, etc. etc., because we can see and hear them...but those of us who are book-lovers, who devour the literary hunks, know that it's just as easy to find a literary crush.

I mean...Bones. Need I say more?

Okay, how about Roarke? Hmm?

I thought so.

And then there's Mr. Darcy. *sigh* And Rhett.

Yes, yes, I've had my share of literary crushes (and some of them were even my creations--which I think helps when writing a book. You have to love the hero or your heroine won't!)...but it's not just a recent thing.

No, indeed. I've had literary crushes since I was back in middle school, maybe even grade school. I think my very first one, which I vaguely remember, was Rudy, the red-headed boy in Carolyn Haywood's Betsy & the Boys. Now, that's going wayyyy back to maybe second or third grade. And it was because he had red hair. (I have a thing for redheads.)

And then of course, I was enamored with Ned Nickerson, but he never even held Nancy Drew's hand (although he certainly seemed to rescue her an awful lot). Wimpy, I thought.

Interestingly enough, even though I read all the books, I never fell for Joe or Frank Hardy. (Except for the TV version of Frank.)

Nor did I think Almanzo Wilder was all that exciting, until I recently re-read These Happy Golden Years...that's when I realized what a total stud he is. (All those muscles pulling on the wild horses...driving through blizzards to drive Laura home...I mean, the guy's nickname was Manly, for pity's sake!)

*crickets*

Um, are you still with me?

But my first real, true, long-lasting literary crush was Trixie Belden's Jim Frayne. Yep. It's that redhead thing. (Which is why Ron Weasley is the one who makes my heart go pitter-patter, not Harry.)

I admit, I read those books in grade school...and then I went back and read the good ones in middle school. And maybe even high school. And maybe I even have sought out some Jim/Trixie fan fiction...so what? In my mind, they're still teen-agers, and I'm ready for them to get on with things, thankyouverymuch!

So...what about you? Who was your first literary crush? 'Fess up!