Eloisa James | Big Reveal ... Her Favorite Character

People are always asking which of my characters is my favorite.  Favorite?  I've written over twenty books.  Let's pretend I had forty children... would I play favorites?  I sincerely hope not (though I'm also pretty sure I wouldn't remember all their names).  At any rate, my answer to that question changed with THE DUKE IS MINE.  I do have a favorite character now: Rupert Forrest G. Blakemore, one of two heroes in Duke.  When the novel opens, Rupert is betrothed to my heroine, Olivia.  He lost air at birth and consequently he doesn't speak in full sentences—but he has the clearest and most honorable approach to life of any character I have created.  He is a poet and, at the same time, a tremendously brave warrior. Rupert is not the only hero of THE DUKE IS MINE.  I think it's clear from the back of the book (so no spoiler here) that Olivia ends up with Quin, the Duke of Sconce.  But Rupert is the prism through which that love happens.  He is the clear, untarnished voice of novel, and it's through one of his poems that Quin learns to trust his feelings, to grieve and to let go, and thereby to love Olivia.  It's through learning loyalty to Rupert that Olivia learns to fight for what she wants—as he did.

One of my children lost air at birth.   There were no consequences as severe as
what happened to Rupert.  But it did teach me to remember that people we might
think of as "other" and treat differently have precisely the same heart as the
rest of us do—and often more.

Rupert changes every character in the book for the better.  And he changed me.  So, after twenty-some books, I do have a favorite character.  And in case you're wondering, I do also have a favorite movie:  Forrest Gump. So, if you could take any movie and transform a favorite character into the hero or heroine of a novel, which movie would you choose?  And would you make that person into a hero— or a villain? 

Comments

10 comments posted.

Re: Eloisa James | Big Reveal ... Her Favorite Character

For me, that has already been done with Gone With the Wind - I SO love everything about Rhett and Katie Scarlett!
(Felicia Ciaudelli 1:57pm January 3, 2012)

Often, when I cannot sleep, I plan Wuthering Heights out so that it has a happy ending. I know this ruins the whole gothic darkness of the book, but sometimes I think if people hadn't been such jerks to Heathcliff and if Catherine had had herself alittle come-uppance, perhaps life owuld have been less painful and horrid for all affected by those 2 and their terrible choices and behaviors.

I am also a huge fan of L.M. Montgomery, and I so long to see 'Rilla of Ingleside made into a movie ( following the book, CLOSELY ! ) that it pains me..lol.
(Rebekah Yoder 3:04pm January 3, 2012)

Definitely Viggo Mortensen's character, Walker, in the movie A WALK ON THE MOON. He was the interloper in the movie. I always imagine that he learned so much from his affair with Diane Lane's character, Pearl, that when he drove off to California he would settle for nothing less than forever from his next relationship. Definitely, the hero for his next go around :D
(Linda Walker 3:37pm January 3, 2012)

I have been in love with Mr. Darcy since I was 18! That is now almost 50 years ago. I read "Pride and Prejudice" on a lark during finals my Freshman year at college and by the time he came to propose, I was in love! Mr. Darcy was/is handsome, tormented and decidedly just what an 18-year-old college student needed and still does. Of all the features I've seen produced, the original "Masterpiece Theater" production in the 1970's captured the spirit of Jane Austen's book the best. I've measured every hero of every book ever since against Mr. Darcy, many have fallen short.
(Trudy Miner 4:36pm January 3, 2012)

I love all the Hallmark movies. I would use Merdith Baxter as she plays such good movies. She can be either good and bad and do a good job.
(Jane Squires 6:26pm January 3, 2012)

I love GWTW. I would choose Rhett and of
course he would be the hero.
(Carla Carlson 8:42pm January 3, 2012)

I read a book that made Rebecca a heroine because she was a take-charge modern woman and made the unnamed heroine kind of a villain because she was mousy and conventional. I hated it!
(Lisa Elwood 12:11pm January 4, 2012)

I enjoyed Masterpiece Theater's "South Riding" starring Anna Maxwell Martin as
Sarah Burton playing the role of Headmistress of a girl's school. I was very
impressed with her acting and how well she adapted to the role of a truly caring
teacher. I would love to see her character in a book featuring a strong governess
in charge of a bunch of unruly children.
(Connie Fischer 12:29pm January 4, 2012)

I like Les Roberts series of mysteries with a gumshoe detective who goes through rich settings while solving crimes and dipping in romance.
(Alyson Widen 1:18pm January 4, 2012)

I have terrible mid-term memory so I don't have a movie to
suggest...and my son & husband haven't picked movies lately
that are "romance friendly" to rewrite. What can I say, I'm
a reader of other's fiction - not my own. BUT that being
said, I love the "Castle" series on TV. I'd write myself
into Kate's character and fall REAL hard for Nathan
Fillion's Richard Castle. They've grown his character into a
real knight warrior.

I am looking forward to collecting your books now that I
have discovered you in the blog-o-sphere :-) glittergirl54
at ymail dot com
(Lenna Hendershott 2:24pm January 4, 2012)

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