This week on Romance Writers Weekly, Kathryn Renard is asking about celebrity crushes. Do authors have them and what makes the person crush worthy. And if we’ve ever crushed on a character we’ve written.  Hope you’ve visited Leslie Hachtel who proceeded me on the hop. She has a new release just out, The Dream Dancer. Love the cover!

Celebrity crushing has been ongoing in my life since the age of seven, starting with Commander Chekov of the USS Enterprise. Stop counting how many years ago that was!

Cataloging through my list of crushes from movies/TV, pop stars, to gods of Rock is surreal. Stories in my head with my favorite characters began as a kid to check boredom, worry, and sometimes loneliness. A coping mechanism that still works today through words on a page.

I’ll admit that a crush on Maximus from Gladiator brought my first novel to life. Beginning as fan fiction, the story turned an epic historical where a Roman Centurion falls for his Tribune’s daughter who happens to be a healer and becomes a surgeon in her father’s legion. The reason I fell for Maximus was that he lived and died by a code. For me, loyalty is at the top of list for character traits. The ability to kick ass is a close second.

As far as crushes on my own characters, Ray Andrews, the hero in my firefighter novel, Hot as Blazes is the largest crush thus far. However, he is literally smoke. I didn’t take him from an actual person, only a sum of parts.

He’s built like an NFL tight end with a handsome mug, but shies from the attention his looks foster. He comes off as a player to the heroine because he’s never been serious with women. He only wants her, but until now a promise kept him from revealing his feelings. He’s a man of few words and speaks through actions.

Now that you know I’m a head case, on to Kathryn Renard who wanted to know our dark secrets.  Yep, I’m heading there now. Maybe she’s a closet Justin Bieber fan! LOL!