A DEFIANT APPRENTICE Thrust into indentured servitude as a child, Shona Slayter is counting the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she gains her precious freedom. Unfortunately, the new laird of the estate has other plans—and he’s determined to keep her bound to him. The only way for Shona to be free of her bonds is to marry the man who holds the key. But seducing a handsome laird is not what she was trained for, and the more she tries to win his heart, the more she loses hers. A HARD MASTER With a young son to raise and a crumbling Scottish estate to manage, Conall has enough to worry about without the brazen, beautiful Shona challenging him at every turn. But their heated spats are starting to turn into real sparks…and soon the Scottish hills are ablaze with their forbidden attraction. Yet no matter what Shona is willing to do to buy her freedom, Conall has no intention of letting her go...
What qualities do I look for in a man? In both real life and fiction, to me the most important one is the last on your list: integrity.
Looks might attract me, but they won't last.
Devotion is welcome, but I wouldn't expect total devotion. No matter how much a man might love me, I would always have to share him---with his career, his causes, his friends and relatives, his other commitments.
Whether he has a sense of humor doesn't matter to me. I can crack enough jokes for both of us.
In this day and age, the sense of protection should be mutual. Both the man and the woman should provide for each other, on various levels.
But in any era, the last quality on your list is fundamental, essential, paramount. He must think and act in terms of the highest principles. Or at least, do his best in this regard.
To me at least, a romance hero should be truly heroic. And for real men, and women, their struggles in everyday life can also represent a form of heroism.
Good luck with the release of "Lessons in Loving a Laird"! (Mary Anne Landers 9:20am April 1, 2012)
I believe that if the man loves God with all his heart and seeks to have the best relationship with a woman, he will seek direction through God's Word. I do enjoy a sense of humor......as it helps to keep things in perspective.....and having some similar likes makes a huge difference. I like Mary Anne's comment....."Their struggles in everyday life can also represent a form of heroism."
At the end of the day, it's what we do with each set of 24 hours that God gives us, that will make a difference. How they respond to life's dips and curves will let me know who they are........and will make it easier for me to make a decision if I will choose to spend time with them.
A man whose example leads me to a closer walk with God will definitely catch my attention, as well as a man who wants to continue learning about many things, not thinking that he already knows it all!!
At the end of the day, I ask the same question to myself....."who will I become in five years time if I choose to stand by this man?"
I want to be a better person........and time always shows who people really are by their actions, and not so much by what they say about who they are.
So if they can speak the truth with love, are good stewards of what God has given them, can make me laugh, and maybe enjoys cooking and four- footed people and loves to travel?????????
I'd definitely consider it!!!!!!!! (Gabi O-M 3:58pm April 1, 2012)
Like the list. Don't have facebook. (Alyson Widen 4:53pm April 1, 2012)
You have to be the champion of writers, because you really hit the nail on the head!! There is one thing that you did forget, however. No matter how strong a man is, he does have to know how to be tender towards a woman, as well as in other situations. That tender side does have to show, without him looking "girly," if you know what I mean. He should also be helpful, which the picture playfully depicted. I got a big kick out of it!! I can't get into the Bonus part because I don't have a Facebook account, and don't want to get started with one. I love the cover of your book, and can't wait to read it. This will be a first for me as far as reading your books, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. After having to take a hiatus from reading, which I sorely missed, I'm finding out about more authors, like you, that I need to put on my TBR list. (Peggy Roberson 5:54pm April 1, 2012)
Traits I look for in a man? I think you overlooked a big one in my book and that's He's Got To Have Brains. He doesn't have to be a rocket scientist (I'm married to a former one of those and there are days...) but there's got to be something up there. There's nothing worse than having to pull a dumb man along behind you or having to dumb yourself down so he doesn't feel insecure. Like I said, you don't have to be a PhD that can unravel my genetic code but I would like to know you can work your toaster. (Patricia Eimer 8:57am April 2, 2012)
Integrity/a sense of honour, both personal and public; a sense of humour, and the laughing eyes to go along with it; the ability to show that he cares about you, both in private AND in public; the protection thing; and finally the least important - good looks. This last doesn't always have to fit the "norm" (whatever the heck THAT might be!), it just has to be looks that appeal to YOU.
Like a couple of others above, I don't do FB and don't plan to, so that option of winning is out. Having been stalked once on a social media site, I'm not willing to open myself up to that ever again.
Later,
Lynn (Lynn Rettig 4:07pm April 2, 2012)
Wow did you create a fantastic list. I would agree with all your points and add intelligence and a deep commitment to living a life pleasing to God. Few get how to incorporate that into romance novels but much of the time it's there just left unsaid. I think someone with all the qualities you listed just about encompasses a man who lives a life pleasing to God. Thanks for the giveaways, this book sounds really good! (Lenna Hendershott 1:01pm April 3, 2012)
Wow did you create a fantastic list. I would agree with all your points and add intelligence and a deep commitment to living a life pleasing to God. Few get how to incorporate that into romance novels but much of the time it's there just left unsaid. I think someone with all the qualities you listed just about encompasses a man who lives a life pleasing to God. Thanks for the giveaways, this book sounds really good! (Lenna Hendershott 1:01pm April 3, 2012)
My worst date? I don't think I've had one. I prefer to get to know men as friends in a social atmosphere - so we already have some common interest and I can see how lots of people interact with him. On the very rare occasions that I've fancied taking a further step, I know if it doesn't work out we can still be friends. That's how I met my husband. I've never understood how some people, male or female, choose to visit singles bars like workers standing at a hiring fair. Why would you want to date someone you know nothing about? (Clare O'Beara 7:07am June 27, 2012)
oh my. Thank goodness it was all so very long ago that I've forgotten the details of those awful dating experiences before I met the man I'd marry a few months later. I was terrible at choosing dates! I am so very lucky that I married a man as honorable and solid now as he was then - I look at my sisters and think - it could have been me. I wish you all the best, honestly and truely, and hope that some wonderful unclaimed treasure rises to meet you. (Beth Fuller 6:43pm June 27, 2012)
I was in college & living off campus. I invited a guy over for a home cooked meal. I made roast beef, twice baked potatoes & not sure what else, but how often do you eat like that in college? After dinner, he said he was going to a party in his dorm, didn't invite me & showed up downtown with another girl later on. I just couldn't believe it! (Sharlene Wegner 6:44pm June 27, 2012)
We were to meet at a park and go for a walk and maybe a drink afterwards. This was an online "meeting", and a real one at the park. He saw what I looked like, suggested we go for the drink right away, wanted to meet at the place, and he left. He left, didn't meet me at the place, never answered my call to find out what happened. I knew very quickly that his idea of me didn't match up with rethe real me. (Debra Simning-Chapman 8:08pm June 27, 2012)
Some guy got fresh way too fast and I sent him on his way and lost his number. (Alyson Widen 8:51pm June 27, 2012)
I grew up in a very strict household, so I wasn't allowed to date much. There was one time, though, where I was out with my friends, and we were going out for the evening. There was one person who wanted to tag along with us - the reason being that he was infatuated with me. I'm the type of person that doesn't like to hurt another person, so I didn't have the heart to say no. It was a miserable night for me, because I had to entertain him, as well as try to have a good time with the rest of my friends in the time allotted. Needless to say, I didn't have as good a time as I could have had. I wish I could go into more detail, but you never know who reads these entries!! lol I would love to read your book!! Mr. Right will turn up when you least expect it. Just be patient. I know you've heard that before and it's easier said than done, but it will happen. Have fun in the meantime, and relax!! (Peggy Roberson 9:23pm June 27, 2012)
Had to chuckle through your post! (G. Bisbjerg 1:51am June 28, 2012)
I decided to use a baseball term to help me in dating. Quite simply said, "3 strikes, and you're out"!!!! This one is a doozie. Hang onto your hat, we're going on a ride!!
I met "C" at a friend's Christmas party. There was what I thought was an interesting guy, he came over to talk, and at the end of the party he asked for my number. So I willingly exchanged numbers with this man, since I had met him at my friend's house trusting that she knew him well enough to invite him to her house.
When he called and said he'd be interested in doing whatever I wanted, I chose tennis at the park. He agreed, saying that it sounded like fun, so off I went to meet him at the park, arriving with my tennis racquet swinging. Imagine my surprise when we arrive at the courts and they were all in use! I asked him, "Didn't you reserve a court?" No, he had not. Strike 1.
I told him I knew of another park not too far from where we were, and for him to follow me. So we arrive at the second park, but they did not have tennis courts there, so we decided to go for a walk. Not five minutes had passed in our walk, that a park ranger pickup truck moved right behind us, informing that the park was closing in 15 minutes. I remember that I laughed, thinking.....this is just getting really funny. Strike two.
So then C says, "Let's go have a drink" and I said I would prefer getting a frozen yogurt, and he proceeded to tell me how much he did not like frozen yogurt but that it was all right, and that he thought in a mall narby they had a frozen yogurt shop. This time I drove my car, and he was in the passenger seat. We arrive at the mall he directed me to and I must have droven through it twice, and there was no frozen yogurt shop anywhere. At that point I should have categorized it as a Third Strike, yet I really wanted something to come out well from this and I said I knew where there was a frozen yogurt shop, so off we w (Gisselle Oreilles 9:18pm June 28, 2012)
Just to finish my story, it went fro funny to just bad, as this man proceeded to ask me as I was taking a spoonful of yogurt, why I hadn't had any children yet, since I was over 35, and even had the gall to make nasty comments about my car, asking me if I owned my home!!!!! I just couldn't wait to get away from him, but I had to drive him back to his car.......and that was the beginning of the end!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Gisselle Oreilles 9:23pm June 28, 2012)
A first date I had with a guy was just so wrong! He seemed so friendly, smiling and outgoing which impressed me....at first. He took me to a movie and then proceeded to SING out loud with the characters in the movie. I was shocked, horrified and totally embarrassed! I could not wait to get out of there and safely home and got rid of that dude in a hurry! (Connie Fischer 11:06am June 29, 2012)
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