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A hero barely holding on…
Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.
The woman who won’t let him fall…
Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.
About Me
- Pamela Clare
- I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.
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I-Team Reading Challenge — Hard Evidence chat
So how many of you have made it through Hard Evidence either for the first or second time?
Before we go on, just let me warn you that there are spoilers here. Reader beware!
This was my second attempt to write romantic suspense. The story grew out of a cover story that I wrote about the hideous, dark topic of sex trafficking and sex slavery. It was a really distressing article to write. But what stood out for me when I worked on it was that the men and women who worked to combat this crime sometimes have to pose as the monsters they’re trying to bring down. I knew it was dangerous work. But what concerned me most was the damage it would do to a human being’s soul.
And with that realization, Julian Darcangelo came into my mind. Like Nicholas Kenleigh from Ride the Fire, he stepped into my imagination more or less fully developed. I knew who he was, what he’d been through, how it affected him. Just like Nicholas, the dark emotion underpinning his story felt like very rich emotional material for me.
I’m not sure why I find inspiration in my characters’ misery, but there you have it. When I do workshops, I always tell people that I know I have my characters down when I understand their pain.
Thinking in retrospect, some of Julian’s über-alpha personality might be a result of my reaction to readers’ and reviewers’ responses to Reece. “A politician hero? You’re kidding! How stupid!” Never having read romantic suspense before I wrote Extreme Exposure, that novel was probably my most pure, un-influenced notion of what I thought romantic suspense was. But mostly it was just Julian being Julian.
He had to be beyond tough to endure the life he’d lived and to have succeeded at his career. But he was also very emotionally wounded, and we had a discussion not too long ago about where that led him — to a scene that one reader-reviewer on Amazon called rape. I thought some of you made some really amazing comments — things I hadn’t considered or put into words quite that way. (Have I told you lately that I love you?)
While reactions to Tessa were mixed, most readers went into heat over Julian. So what was it? His swagger? The five rounds to the vest? The sucky-swirly thing? The reaction took me by surprise. I just wrote what was in my head, and then I got e-mails full of drool. (Not that it bothered me, mind you. I just check e-mail with a sponge nowadays...)
Scenes I loved writing... Anything having to do with Julian’s background. The scene in the stairwell where he kisses Tessa for real. When he arrests her. The shooting range when she freaks out and he carries her to the break room. (“Coke or Pepsi?” he asks. “Okay,” she says.) The sex scenes. Tessa’s scenes with her mother.
Speaking of which... I was working on the reunion scene between Tessa and her mother in a coffee shop. Tessa wakes up, sees her mom and... I started bawling. In a coffee house! I made a couple trips to the bathroom to staunch my tears and yell at myself in the mirror. But then I realized it was hopeless. I’m not sure why that scene affected me like that, but the idea of these two women, both of them strong in their own way, both victims of an unspeakable crime and other violence finally connecting...
So what were your favorite scenes and quotes? For those of you who are on your 5th time through the story, are there aspects of the story that strike you differently as you re-read it? And for you members of Team Julian, what is it that you love so much about him?
And what specifically does the sucky-swirly thing entail, Ronlyn? You said you asked Julian. Let’s hear what he said. Or maybe I can get him in here to tell us himself. And, yes, this is something you’ll want to try at home.
Help promote Breaking Point: If you want to run an ad like the one to your right (scroll up a bit) for Breaking Point on your blog or website, please let me know. Anyone who runs the ad on her blog will be entered into a separate and exclusive drawing for a signed copy of the book. The ad, which I think is super-sexy, was designed by Jennifer of Sapphire Designs. Feel free to share with friends and help word about the book to go viral! The more friends who share it, the more chance you have to win.
To add the Breaking Point ad to the sidebar of your blog just copy the code in the text box below the ad and paste it into your sidebar on your blog for the 160x600 ad.
And if you would like to use the smaller 200x150 ad just grab this code below in the text box and post to your blogs sidebar.
Also, watch this blog for big news next week. No, no hints.
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Favorite Writing Quotes
—Emile Zola
"I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day."
—James Joyce
"Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery."
—Jane Austen
"Writers are those for whom writing is more difficult that it is for others."
—Ernest Hemingway
"When I write, I feel like an armless, legless man with a crayon in his mouth."
—Kurt Vonnegut
"The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar is the test of their power."
—Toni Morrison
"No tears in the author, no tears in the reader."
—Robert Frost.
"I'm a writer. I give the truth scope."
—the character of Chaucer in A Knight's Tale
47 comments:
Julian is my favorite type of hero,he's super alpha but underneath that tough tiger armor is a kitty just wanting to be held..or atleast that's what I got lol.
One of the scenes that I thought was sweet was how Julian bought Tessa a expresso/coffe machine and all the accessories that go with it.I thought that was one of the sweetest things a guy could do.I think things like that are so much more heartwarming than any handful of flowers and chocolates could ever be.
Another one of my fav scenes(Maybe my absolute fav scene from the book...) was Julian's strip tease for Tessa.Now that was definitely drool worthy!
Though Julian was the star of the show I really enjoyed Tessa as well.Maybe because I'm a southern girl myself! I loved Tessa's feistyness!
As for the 'sucky-swirly thing',I think that may have something to do with the 'downstairs' department *Waggles Eyebrows suggestively*
There are so many things in this book that I loved and really pulled at the heart strings like Tessa and her mom's reunion,Julian's upbringing,and the very real plight of so many young women in the world.
This book is most definitely in my top 5,thank you for writing it.
Hi Pamela,
LOL! Though I did not join the I-Team Reading Challenge, I might as well have since I always find myself visiting your posts! ;)
That being said, Julian Darcangelo *sighs*; I guess my sigh says it all?
Moving on, I would love to promote Breaking Point with the drool-worthy ad that you have - the first thing I noticed when I logged onto your blog just now. So let me know what I should do! :-)
Hey Pamela,
I haven't gotten to Hard Evidence yet, so I'm going to save reading the entire post until I do.
In the meantime I would love to help promote Breaking Point and have added Jennifer's fabulous ad on my blog in the sidebar which you can find here www.seductivemusings.blogspot.com
I didn't know how you wanted us to contact you and I couldn't find an email address on the blog. I also linked to the book page for Breaking Point on your website as part of the ad. Just as an FYI you might want to ad a link to the excerpt from the book page. I know you have it on the overview of the series, but after you read the blurb you want to read the excerpt and you can't get to it from the book page. As a reader I like easy access...keep me engrossed until I have to have it and buy :)
My favorite part is when Julian comes out of the shower with a towel and Tessa is on the phone and she gets distracted by Julian when he drops his towel and she sees his goods while he is putting his pants on. Then he turns around and starts undoing his pants while doing a pumping motion. OMG!!!! I'm laughing and fanning myself cause I can totally picture that moment. *HUGH ARSE SIGH*
I actually liked the supposed(i well call it loose control scene) cuz it lead up to the sweet scene with tessa given him more compassion which he needed to show is worthy of love...love the alphas to be bested into a soft side for a moment
I also like the scene with the "kid" gang seeing Dark Angel and later when they keep Tessa there in their lair til Julian can get to her...he is kinda a fallen angel with a heck of a lot of redeeming qualities...I want one
All your male characters have so many great attributes...that is why I love to escape to the land of Pamela Clare writings
Oh I love Julian so much. I think it's because you wrote him like a GUY so true to life. Does that make sense? I don't like a lot of romance novels (in fact, I won't touch them unless written by PC)... And that's because the guys are so unreal. They're a lot more like women, the way they think and act and rationalize. Even when Julian bought the espresso maker, when he gave it to Tessa, he clung to his bravado - just kind of grunted. It was romantic, but still in a guy way.
Favorite scene? Stairwell. OMG that was smoking hot!
On deadline at the paper, so I'm just hopping in to let you know that if you want to run the ad (thank you! thank you!), e-mail me at:
pamelaclare at earthlink dot net.
Replace text with symbols and delete unnecessary spaces.
I'll email you the .gif file and instructions later.
I probably won't be able to get online to chat with you until we put this paper to bed.
But please don't let that hinder you from chatting up a storm with each other!
In the words of the Terminator: "I'll be back."
I absolutely love Julian everything about him even when he was a jerk. I couldn't help but swoon for him. scenes I loved the most were almost every scene but ones that stand out are the stairway kiss for sure and when he confronted Tessa's friends on the rooftop, definitely the strip tease too. I really loved him at the end of the book when Reese and him are working on the house and he's saving the picket fence as a special project for himself. I also really love the relationship between him and Marc. What made me fall mad for Julian though was his shopping trip to make the safe house homely for Tessa.
Ah, I should have known this discussion was taking place when I caught Julian hiding out in my car this morning. ;-)
HE: the book I tossed across the room when Tessa opened the door to that red headed bitch. *le sigh*
There are so many things I love about this book, but I'll let others tell their favorites first.
Hey Pamela
Anyone that knows me knows that I am team Julian/Marc I cant' make myself choose. They are both so very ::::sigh:::: yummy!
Now for Julian... What caught my attention right off the bat was his dark mysterious past. Some of the sexiest alpha males out there have the tortured past/souls they don't think they are worth having happiness or love. Then comes along the one woman that makes them start to feel hope.
What is not to love about Julian? One of my favorite scenes is when the guys breaks into Tessa's bathroom. You could feel the fear through the pages while Julian is trying to get to her.
I'll say this when Julian falls he falls hard!
No matter how many times I read this book it never gets old! It is one of my favorite rereads.
I just finished Hard Evidence again last week.
What I love best about Julian is he seems like a hard ass, but inside he's a bit of a softy. He wants a home and family of his own and he's so thoughtful. What's not to love about a man who takes a bullet for you, buys you an expresso/coffee maker, AND can do the sucky-swirly thing!
Tessa is amazing too...she is kind of the opposite of Julian...she looks like a softie, but she's one tough cookie! She's not afraid to search out gang members...that takes guts! The love and compassion she shows Julian when he loses control and tries to convince her there's no good in him.
The scene where Tessa's friends sit in their car and spy on Julian...Love it!
There are so many great things about this book!
I'm totally a Julian's girl.
I can still remember picking up Hard Evidence the day before my flight home. The cover intrigued me. I flipped right to the shower scene. I blinked a couple of times, looked to my sister and said, "I have to have this book."
And the rest is history. Not only was Hard Evidence my first RS novel, it was my first Pamela Clare novel. Because of Julian, I got up the courage to email you and tell you all about how much I loved Julian and your writing. I drooled all over my first copy of the book. I read it so much, the spine gave out and the pages came loose.
One of my favorite scenes is when he takes the rounds to the vest. All of the bickering and arguing they've done together. The tension between them- it just all comes together for me in this scene. Brilliant writing. Years later I still go on and on about Hard Evidence to everyone I see.
I would love to promote Breaking Point on the blog. I'm not sure how it would work with Word Press. But maybe we could figure out something, PC.
Team Julian, front and center. I LOVE Julian :swoon: He has a mysterious past but there seems to be tenderness buried in there too. I love the scenes with the gang. I think it was really funny this big bad gang being all kind a sweet to Tessa, not at all what I think of when I think of a gang. I loved that you could feel the tension from the pages, and that you couldn't put the book down cause you just wanted to know what was gonna happen next. I also love Julian in the next book too, so protective and loving....again ::swoon::
Sneaking in quickly at the risk of all hell breaking loose here at the paper...
TEAM JULIAN: If you love Julian tough side and his tenderness, just wait till you read BP.
Any non-spoiler comments from those of you who've read it?
Any non-spoiler comments from those of you who've read it?
Just that Julian (and the other guys) continue to grow and evolve. And, there was one scene where Pam actually warned me against throwing my computer while reading which involved Julian. He's da man.
There is a chance that I may change my ways and be a single man kind of woman. Zach may kick Julian and Marc from the throne. :)I can't wait to read it!
OK, so I deleted my own posts because I don't know what I'm talking about. Jenn will be here before too long.
In the meantime, you can e-mail me for the .gif files or wait for her.
But by all means, let's not let this distract us from talking about Julian and Hard Evidence.
I'm soooooooo behind on the paper now that I have to pretend like the Internet doesn't exist until 3 p.m. CO time.
Gosh, Julian "Dark Angel" Darcangelo is that bad boy we just can't help but love! He is such a sexy badass!
I loved the hot kissing scene in the stairway! The striptease was also so sexy, phew *fans self*. And of course, which girl wouldn't feel touched when a guy takes bullets for her?
Hi Pamela and everyone. I just posted the codes for the ads where you can just copy the code from the text boxes below the ads and add them easily to your blogs side bar. But if you have any trouble just let me know and I will be happy to help in anyway that I can. Also just in case here are the direct links to the ads as well on photobucket...
for the 160x600 ad
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/jennj28/BP1.gif
and for the smaller 200x150 the direct link is
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b136/jennj28/BP2small.gif
Come on everyone lets tell the world about Breaking Point and Pamela's wonderful I-Team series!!! :)
Jenn, thanks so much.
One question: Is there a "Pause" function?
I find myself wanting to stop the .gif and just keep rereading the words "undeniable attraction." Over and over and over again.
LOL! Just kidding!
OMG! I am in so much trouble at work. LOL!
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No no pause button I'm afraid but if you would like just that one slide so you can stare at it I can send it to you hon np! LOL!
UH OH don't get in trouble at work now dear!
BIG HUGS!
I'm halfway through the book and savoring every moment. Julian is really one of my favorite heroes so far. Interestingly enough, I was attending a meeting last night at school and one class is going to a speaker on human trafficking. I immediately thought of your book...
Is it my imagination or do your heroes get hotter with each book?
I'm not doing the challenge, because I've been reading at a snails pace in the last couple of months, and entirely too busy to read the books in my TBR pile as it is BUT...just reading this post made me recall some of my favorite scenes from HE (stairwell scene...HELL yes!!), and made me reconsider my reasons to not re-read it right now! I still go back and forth between which I-Team is my #1 fave...I have always said Unlawful Contact, it was my first I-team, and I fell HARD for Marc. At the same time, there was something so insanely darkly sexy Alpha about Julian--and he was special enough for me to name my Kindle after him! :)
Anyway, I have'nt blogged a book review in a few months on my blog, but I think people actually still peruse it from time to time, so I added BOTH banners to promote Breaking Point! I LOVE the tall one...and I now have flashing Jed Abs on my blog that I might never take down!
Dear Pamela,
Who is this Julian you speak of? Just kidding, just kidding...
I LOVED Hard Evidence, and even though I reread it not too many months ago, all the comments about favorite scenes have me really wanting to re-reread it soon.
BUT, just to be clear, my very favorite Julian moments occur in Unlawful Contact. For those who may not be there yet (what are you waiting for), I'll just say that his caring for others was very sigh inspiring. Sweet AND drool-worthy.
Of course, that means I have Marc's story to thank for making me a true Julian fan. Huh, imagine that...
Sincerely,
Capt, Team Marc
For me the best kind of romantic hero, any kind of hero actually, is the flawed hero. Which Julian is, a flawed hero, unknowingly seeking redemption and finding it in the thing that he avoids but wants the most. Which he is! He's so real and so . . . a guy! You can see that when Tessa said in the epilogue that the transition from having nothing to having everything was not very easy for him, he's having problems with swearing and control, but he's trying!
Fave scene: Julian buying the groceries, azellias(pretty sure this is the wrong spelling) and coffee for Tessa(and condom, hihi!); Julian's strip tease when Tessa was on the phone(LOVE it!); AND Julian coming back to Tessa, Tessa saying she wasn't pregnant, Julian confessing his feelings then getting engaged!
Can't wait for BREAKING POINT Pamela! ;D
The newspaper made it to press on time. It wasn't pretty, but we did it. :-)
I've enjoyed reading these comments through the day.
As you can see, Jenn got the code up for all of you who want to help get the word out. If anyone has trouble utilizing it, please let me or Jenn know.
And thank you thank you thank you for being so enthusiastic and so willing to help! One of these days I might actually get to quit the day job and write for you full time. Does three new releases a year appeal to anyone?
Landipan, I like the idea of Julian being a kitty inside. Or maybe I just like the idea of him purring...
Given how much Tessa liked lattes, it really was one of the nicest things he could have done for her, isn't it? I'm so glad so many of you enjoyed that scene.
When I wrote it, I had fun making it a "fish out of water" moment for him. He doesn't seem quite to understand HOW all these things ended up in his truck. LOL!
And several mentions of the strip tease, too. Nothing like a guy who's got it and knows how to (tastefully and erotically) flaunt it. I'd like to meet a man like that.
Yes, the sucky-swirly thing is something a man does with his tongue and lips and the power of suction on a woman's most sensitive nether-bit.
I'm thrilled the story is in your top 5! And thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you so much, MDV Book Reviewer! I really appreciate your helping out. The code is there, so let us know if you need more help.
That's one meaningful sigh. I'm so glad you enjoyed him, er, the book. ;-)
BookLover1335, thanks so much! I can't tell you how much your support means to me. Getting the word out is so important.
Thanks for that idea for a link. I'll look at that. Because you're right -- they need to be able to hop straight to the excerpt.
I love the name of your blog, BTW. I'll be excited to see what you think when you get a chance to read HE.
Hi, AmandaK — I'm so glad you liked that scene. I thought it was fun to show that he had a playful side that Tessa was able to bring out. :-)
I'm so glad you posted!
Hi, Chele — YAY! I'm so glad you liked that. To me, it showed how much Tessa cared about him, how deeply she understood him and how truly strong she was -- a feminine kind of strength. A self-loathing part of him tries to scare her off and convince her and himself that he is BAD. And she turns that around and transforms it into forgiveness and gentleness and love.
Or that's what I TRIED to write, anyway. :-)
I want one, too.
I had fun with the gang scene. The idea that these hardcore gangstas were afraid of him gave him that air of badass-ery that I just love in a hero.
And thank you so much! That is such a sweet thing to say. I like it. :-)
Hi, Wendy — Thank you! I don't want to write heroes who are basically women. Guys do things differently and think differently. It makes them irritating a lot of the time, but in the right package it's also charming.
The stairwell scene is the FIRST scene I wrote for HARD EVIDENCE. They wanted an excerpt for the back of EXTREME EXPOSURE, so I had to spontaneously dream something up. And that was it. LOL! Then I had to make it fit the story.
Hi, Inkbella — You certainly moved through the series quickly. I think I laughed out loud while I was writing the scene where he confronts her friends who are watching him. That was so much fun. I hoped the picket fence thing at the end wasn't "too much" in terms of emotion. And when the men are working on the roof and take their shirts off -- that was another really fun scene. :-)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hi Ronlyn — He was hiding in your car?!? LOL! You know, I find that you seem to remember most the scenes that made you throw the books. And then the scenes that you, um, test drove yourself.
Ronlyn has thrown several of my books across the room. Fortunately, she didn't throw her computer when she was reading BP, as she mentions below. I DID warn her.
Hi, Crystal — You're the first to mention that scene. I wanted to show that he cared for her even without realizing that he did. When he thinks she's being assaulted, he loses that professional veneer and forgets his 10-codes and drives like a maniac. The best part I tried to save for when we were in Tessa's point of view -- she sees the broken glass door and assumes the bad guy did it. And Julian tells her that, no, he did it. That's how desperate he was to reach her.
And thank you for saying that! I'm so glad it's a keeper for you.
Hi, Alison — What an interesting way to compare Tessa and Julian. I hadn't thought of her being a kind of opposite -- soft on the outside but tough inside.
I'm glad you think of her as gutsy. A fair number of readers find her TSTL, some to such a degree that she ruins the book for them. But for an investigative reporter, what she doesn't isn't beyond the bounds of reality. I've done some extremely dangerous/stupid things before to get stories when I had no other choice.
I'm so glad you liked the story.
Now... Excuse me while I squeeee!
SIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG! Hello! Do you know how much I have missed you? Do you have any clue? I'm so happy to see you here.
I'm so glad that the book has stood the test of time for you. I remember when you got in touch with me, and I very much enjoyed visiting the blog and hanging on deck. It was a blast.
I bet Jenn knows how to deal with Wordpress. I wouldn't know how to begin. I think you can grab the HTML/Java gobbledygook and paste it in where you can paste HTML. That's about the level of my expertise, sadly.
Please get in touch so we can catch up, okay?
Hi, Hope — I'm trying to remember what Julian does in UNLAWFUL CONTACT... I had trouble getting started on that book because I just couldn't let Julian go. It was a real problem for a while.
I'm so glad the story kept you turning pages. The gang scenes were fun. I think we think of all criminals as just thoroughly bad people, but I've talked with convicts, drug lords and all sorts of people, and when they don't feel threatened many of them just act like, well, people.
Crystal, we'll have to see what you think about Zach.
I am SO eager to share this story with you. Talking about the other books is my way of keeping myself from going stark, raving bonkers waiting for the book to come out.
Just so you all know. LOL!
Hi Amy — You know, I feel that way, too. A man who's willing to give his life for mine is a man who has my full attention. LOL!
I tried to write that scene so that you could see and feel that there wasn't a moment's hesitation on his part. He was thinking only of her.
Jenn! Thank so much for creating the ad and getting it up here on my blog and working out the code! You are the best! Thank you!
And thanks for sending me that one, scrumptious frame. TASTY!
Undeniable attraction, indeed!
Hi, AHZ1 — Wow! That's interesting timing, isn't it? You're reading a book about human trafficking, and the subject pops up. It's more prevalent as topic in papers and such nowadays, and I'm glad to see that. The more people are aware, the less likely they'll end up with a brothel of sex slaves next door.
I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far! I hope you come back and share your thoughts when you're done.
Hi, Kristin — That's interesting. You fell hard for Marc, but named your Kindle after Julian. :-)
Thank you SO much for adding the ad to your blog. Jed's abs are a HUGE plus, aren't they? Slurp.
I wish you had more time to read and blog because I know you enjoy it. :-)
Hi, Kara — Good to see you! Are you getting revved up for next week's discussion of UNLAWFUL CONTACT? Gimme an M! Gimme an A! Gimme an R! Gimme a C! What's that spell? Kara loves Marc! Or something like it. :-)
I'm really trying to remember Julian in UC. Hmm... OH! Sophie. Right? OK, yes, now it's coming back to me.
See? I had trouble NOT writing Julian and it wasn't even his book!
Now I have trouble not writing the TWO of them, even in Gabe's and Zach's books.
Hey, Julian, Marc — sit down and SHUT UP!
I don't really mean that. LOL!
Yes, I am talking to the voices in my head.
Hi, Ronna — I'm glad you enjoyed the ending. I love babies at the end of a book, but it didn't feel right for them. Given how Julian's life has been, to transition from living under cover in the darkest corners of society to bouncing a baby on his lap... I felt he needed some time, you know?
Thanks for posting! It's always good to see you here.
I think there is Hard Evidence that Julian is pretty amazing. Even before I came to the blog I thought it was unfair that he has the leather jacket thing going & what do you know? Look at the pic for JD. LOL.
Not only does have that advantage, he also gets the sexy name Julian Darcangelo. So unfair.
Seriously, all my fave wonderful
scenes have been mentioned. Besides how your guys are with their women, I love how they interact with each other.
Hi, Mary — Yes, the cool name and leather jacket help. But if he were a jerk, I don't think they'd be enough to redeem him. ;-)
But Marc has a cool name, too. Hunter? I thought it was cool. And Marc with a "C" and not a common "K." Plus, he shags in and on a Jaguar. :-)
What's not to love about that?
I just like busting your chops on those two details. He is beyond wonderful as are all your guys
especially Marc with a 'c'(he's special because he was my first).
Wow, sounds like you had a grueling day at work. But nothing like us readers to cheer you up huh?
Will try with the links given and let you know once the ad is up!
Can't wait for BP!! ^_^
And all the early reviews are just making my all the more hyped up about it! ^_~
The ad is up! :)
What's not to LOVE about Julian? From his cool name to his bad boy image to his sweet and softer side - from the from the very top of his head to his "spectacular assets" on down to his toes, he's got it all going on! And getting updates on him in every book is an added pleasure for Team Julian!! I'm a little concerned over Julian's part in "Breaking Point." Please don't make me cry (unless it's the good kind of crying!!!). There's way too many "favorites" from HARD EVIDENCE to list -- I love each and every page and have read it several times now.
The entire I-Team is superb and without each of them, it just wouldn't be the same BUT Julian rules!!!
Hi, Mary G — You know, I often find that a reader's favorite hero is the one she met first.
Does this happen to anyone else? You start reading a series, maybe in the middle, and you fall in love with it. But as you read on you're less in love with it. And that first book remains the best of the series.
I've had that happen reading romance.
I try VERY hard to keep each book fresh so that this doesn't happen to my readers, but sometimes I wonder if the magic one feels when one is first introduced to a new writer's voice fades over time simply because it's not NEW anymore.
Maldivian BookReviewer — THANK YOU! I deeply appreciate it!
The guys (ok, Julian since it's HIS day) evolve in a wonderful way throughout the series, but they stay true to their core selves, if that makes any sense at all. Julian is still Julian, with all his rough edges and quirks, even after finally accepting Tessa is the love of his life and accepting that he *can* have the white picket fence. That he deserves to have all those things.
hehe...the sucky swirly thing. So, since you explained that one, after reading it the first time I turned to my wonderful Hubby-man (why do you think he told PC to write more. MORE MORE!) and asked him what HE thought it would be. Fun stuff. LOL.
Hi Pamela
It’s hard for me to have a fave, like saying one book is better than the other but that is not the case.
It’s more a matter of how a book affected you. I remember trying to reconcile even buying a book where
the hero is an escaped prisoner. I had never heard of you but somehow had faith that there was a reason for the plot.
I think Marc’s specialness came from what he had to overcome. He wasn’t a free man but had to protect Sophie & find the truth.
The handcuffs were invisible and therefore made the story more poignant. It’s how it affected my heart. The Team Marc thing is funny
because if I really really had to choose it would be so hard. So team RJMGZ it is (unless we’re trash talking each other LOL).
ok I love Julian my dark Angel but I love my Marc my Hunter too....can we discuss him now!?!
I am more concerned about Joaquin in BP...on the bus scene you have left me frightened...and i was/am so hoping he gets his book....did I miss something about Julian? oh May seems to be getting further away!!!
I'm shocked that no one has mentioned the shower scene. Just throwing that out there.
Hello?! JULIAN in the SHOWER?!
Julian. In the SHOWER. Naked. Wet.
Good point, Ronlyn. :-)
About to go into a series of (snore) meetings...
Catch up with y'all later.
Mary G, you have to read about Will PC in "heaven Can Wait" them yummies with their shirts off...
Ronlyn, WET SOAPY JULIAN can NOT be forgotten...thanks for the Reminder...too many fascinating stuff in PC books...maybe i will re-read them again and again...oh wait I have...
Mmmmmm.....Julian. Love him. Ok, where was I? Oh yes, the book. Well, I ultimately think this is a novel about redemption. I think Julian started out so hard, so macho and so jaded about everything, that it was impossible for him to believe in the soft, sweet, good things in life. Because in his life experience...all of that was just an illusion. Of course, Tessa was all of those things wrapped up in one neat little package. And, as he got to know her (and "unwrap" her...literally and figuratively), she began to change him. You could almost see his facade starting to crack and break open, letting the ugly stuff out and letting the light seep in. I also think that was a struggle for him and something he fought actively against. Because if he acknowledged the good feelings she brought to his life, then he also had to acknowledge the bad feelings within him. Since he'd been stuffing that down, far deep inside him for so long, I don't think it was something he wanted to deal with. Julian simply didn't want to "feel"....anything. I think all of that culminated in the scene on the floor where he was determined to "show" Tessa who he really was. Of course she (and we) knew he wasn't the horrible monster he'd imagined himself to be, and Tessa proved it to him in that moment.
I liked the juxtaposition of the two of them. Julian and his dark "don't mess with me" bad boy self. And, Tessa with all of her soft, fluffiness. The irony, of course, is that Julian really is soft and sweet underneath his exterior and Tessa is tough as nails under hers.
And, when the two of them came together, they made the complete whole. Their love really purified the both of them and was so sacred and healing. The perfect love.
Hope that made sense.
Dangnabbit, I still haven't downloaded these books. Life has been so crazy I'm hanging on by my teeth. Soon...
Going back to your response yesterday about my Kindle Pamela...I think that was my head subliminally telling me I love Julian as much as I love Hunt. Or, it might have simply been because I think Darcangelo is the most badass name for a hero I've ever heard of ;-P
Hooray! I just finished Hard Evidence today so now I feel like I can jump in, haha.
I'm definitely Team Julian, though I love all the I-Team heroes to pieces. One question that I might just be missing, what did Julian do with/to the gang bangers that made them afraid of him before Tessa even came along? "Dark Angel, man." Somehow I doubted that he revealed he was FBI because I'm sure they would have lit him up on the spot, and we can't have that because Juli-bean's too badass! I kind of feel like I missed a tiny bit of story there. :)