Fresh Fiction Blog | Jennifer Estep | Secret Addictions...What are Yours?

Greetings and salutations! I want to say thanks to the folks at Fresh Fiction for having me on the blog today. Thanks, guys!

Now, I love reading and writing, but I have to admit that I’m totally addicted to TV as well. Seriously. I watch waay too much TV. Why? Because the characters on TV are just as fascinating as the ones I read about in books – and so many of the male characters remind me of hero archetypes that can be found in romance books. Like these guys:

Chuck: Chuck is the classic beta hero – a nice guy who gets thrust into a world full of spies and danger but manages to come out on top every single time. He’s a sweet nerd who always manages to save the day. Who wouldn’t want to come home to a guy like that every night?

How I Met Your Mother: Ted, Marshall, and Barney. Ted is the sweet, hopeless romantic, Marshall is the sweet married guy, and Barney, well, let’s just say that love isn’t exactly the first thing on Barney’s mind. But it was so much fun watching him pine for Robin – it gives me hope that Barney can be redeemed someday, like so many villains in romance books are. There’s nothing better than a reformed bad boy. LOL.

Nikita : Michael. Ah, Michael. He’s suave, sexy, and keeps his emotions under control – except when it comes to Nikita. It’s been so much fun to watch Michael struggle with his feelings for Nikita. He can’t help but love her, and the audience can’t help but root for the two of them to finally overcome their differences and declare their feelings for each other.

Burn Notice: Michael Weston and Sam Axe. These are the tough guys you want on your side when the chips are down. Together, the two of them can get out of just about any situation. Michael’s the serious quiet one, while Sam is the boisterous sidekick who always seems to have a beer in hand.

Hawaii Five-O: Steve McGarrett, Danny Williams, and Chin Ho Kelly. Another set of tough guys who’d be good to have around in a crisis – and they aren’t too hard on the eyes, either. LOL.

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite TV shows? Who are some of your favorite male characters? Share in the comments.

Jennifer Estep writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

Books in the series are SPIDER’S BITE, WEB OF LIES, and VENOM. TANGLED THREADS, the fourth book, will be published on April 26, while SPIDER’S REVENGE, the fifth book, will be released in October.

Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

The first book, TOUCH OF FROST, will be out in August, while the second book, KISS OF FROST, will hit shelves in December. FIRST FROST, a prequel e-short story to the series, will be out in July. Visit www.jenniferestep.com.

Comment to win a copy of TANGLED THREADS -- US/Canada addresses only.

Comments

Thank you for your post, Jennifer.

Whereas your drug of choice is TV, mine is Facebook. And with all my posts, comments, and other activity on that social net, there's no way I can keep this addiction secret!

Where do I go to find guys who remind me of my favorite romance heroes? Only one place. You guessed it: my imagination.

Good luck with the release of TANGLED THREADS.
(Mary Anne Landers 2:35am April 18, 2011)

We haven't had a TV for more than 35 years. We are addicted to reading (and
our dog) but neither is a secret. We are known here for our reading. That said--
KEEP WRITING!!!!!!
(Sandra Spilecki 6:16am April 18, 2011)

I never really watch t.v. anymore... I'd rather read!
Congratulations on the new books, Jennifer! My daughter and I both love
the Elemental Assassin series, and can't wait to try out your YA series!
(Debbie Burdeen 6:25am April 18, 2011)

I love NCIS, Castle and The Mentalist!
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 6:37am April 18, 2011)

I was addicted to Lost. There really hasn't been a show since, that I felt that strongly about. I would say I am addicted to my hobbies- one of which is reading.
(Debbie Penny 6:47am April 18, 2011)

Unfortunately, where I live, all I can get in are 4 Canadian tv channels, one of which is in French, so the shows I can watch are "slim pickens'" at best. A few of them are shows from here in the states, but not shows that I would really care to watch, so I keep the radio on. Outside of that, I volunteer in a knitting group one day a week, so yarn and knitting is another addiction, as well as reading, when I'm not doing my caretaker duties where I live. You could say I have a full plate!! And yes, your book is on my list!!
(Peggy Roberson 7:09am April 18, 2011)

Love watching NCIS and CSI, been watching Survivor since the beginning. Addicted to reading and my husband would say addicted to the dog too *L*
(Jean Patton 7:23am April 18, 2011)

MY FAVORITE TV BOYFRIEND," IS CHRIS NOTH IN ANYTHING!
(Silvana Moscato 7:26am April 18, 2011)

Since Guiding Light went off the air I am not into TV at all; of course being addicted to Facebook helps stay away from tv!

I love country music though and a lot of those male artists are hot! Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, I could go on and on! They are my "secret" addiction!
(Jody Hollenbeck 7:31am April 18, 2011)

my is going to the authors site and then do blog
and then i all so like to read
(Desiree Reilly 8:06am April 18, 2011)

I love reading and watching tv. I know it's bad, but the tv is always on in
the house.
(Beth Melito 8:12am April 18, 2011)

I also love TV. I watch American Idol, Survivor, The Apprentice, all the Food Network shows, etc.. But I also enjoy reading. I think that tv and reading is a better addiction than most others that may not be as healthy for you.
(Cheryl English 8:22am April 18, 2011)

The only thing I watch are all of the NCIS. Even old ones have to be seen again. Otherwise, I'm reading or looking for books online.
(Renee Brown 8:43am April 18, 2011)

I don't watch too much TV but one of my favorites is: NCIS and Mark Harmon. And the new Criminal Minds with Forest Whitaker
(Diane Sadler 8:52am April 18, 2011)

Love your Gin books, Jennifer. I don't watch much TV now, but I used to watch the old La Femme Nikita, with Roy Dupuis as Michael. Your description works for him, too!
(G S Moch 9:22am April 18, 2011)

I much prefer reading to tv. With tv, you already know what the heroes look like, and they might not be exactly what you want. With reading, your imagination is the limit! I do love NCIS though!
(Beth Foster 9:32am April 18, 2011)

I haven't read this series yet. Sounds good!
(Lisa Garrett 9:41am April 18, 2011)

The Hawaii Five-O guys are my favs...without a doubt!!
(Dawn Staniszeski 9:45am April 18, 2011)

Definitely CBS Monday nites and The Big Bang Theory - and any nite of the week I get to see Criminal Minds!!
(Kelli Jo Calvert 10:45am April 18, 2011)

Hi, everyone! Sorry I am so late chiming in. I just wanted to say thanks for all the nice words about my books. I appreciate them!

Mary Anne -- Thanks! I appreciate that.

Christina -- I like the Godiva bars with the raspberry filling. So good!

Rachael -- Thanks!

Sandra -- Thanks! I plan to keep writing.

Debbie -- Thanks! I hope you and your daughter enjoy the YA book when it comes out in August.

Marjorie -- I like The Mentalist a lot too.

Debbie -- I enjoyed Lost too. I still miss seeing Sawyer every week.

Peggy -- That's cool. Knitting is one of those things that I think would be fun to learn how to do, although I'm probably not coordinated enough to do it well. LOL.

Jean -- I'm a big fan of both NCIS shows.

Silvana -- I love Chris Noth on The Good Wife.

Jody -- There are a lot of cute guys in country music these days.

Desiree -- I love to read too. I wish I had more time to read these days.

Beth -- It's always on in my house too. LOL.

Cheryl -- I love the Food Network too. There are always so many good-looking meals on there.

Renee -- Sometimes, I'll watch the old NCIS shows on USA on the weekends.

Diane -- I like NCIS a lot too.

GS -- Thanks! And I watched the old Nikita too. I keep hoping they'll have Roy Dupuis or Peta Wilson guest star on the new version.

Beth -- I like picturing characters in my mind too, although Mark Harmon is very easy on the eyes. LOL.

Lisa -- Cool. Hope you get a chance to check out my books.

Dawn -- I really think Five-O has gotten better as the season has gone on. I'm loving the Wo Fat storyline.

Kelli -- I keep meaning to try The Big Bang Theory. Everyone seems to love that show.
(Jennifer Estep 11:05am April 18, 2011)

Always fun to find a new author to read. Thanks for doing
contest.
(Tammy Barringer 11:11am April 18, 2011)

Tammy -- No problem. I hope you get a chance to check out my books.
(Jennifer Estep 11:57am April 18, 2011)

I don't watch tv but generally read. However, I am tempted to buy a television. Have heard about several shows that sound wonderful.
(G. Bisbjerg 12:31pm April 18, 2011)

G -- I'm totally addicted to TV. I should turn it off and read more. LOL.
(Jennifer Estep 12:34pm April 18, 2011)

I enjoy watching Smallville, sadly ends in a few weeks, some reality shows, ... I actually cut down on watching TV... read more now instead!
(Colleen Conklin 1:00pm April 18, 2011)

Colleen -- I need to cut down on TV and read more too. That's one of my goals for this summer.
(Jennifer Estep 1:17pm April 18, 2011)

I love Nick Castle of Castle-smart, funny AND easy on the eyes. And I can knit while i watch.
Thanks for the opportunity, Jen!
(Kathy Fannon 1:23pm April 18, 2011)

Kathy -- I've watched a few episodes of Castle. That's one show that I need to get caught up on.
(Jennifer Estep 1:42pm April 18, 2011)

I ONLY WATCH TV AT NIGHT. I LOVE THE LAW AND ORDER TYPE SHOWS. MY FAVORITE IS CLOSER. ALL THE EXTRA TIME IS SPENT READING!
(Joe Bianchi 2:24pm April 18, 2011)

My secret addictions? Himmmm, now let's see. I do have many, but that will take a few posts! lol OK, here's 1 of them. When I go food shopping, I always get my hubby a sweet treat, but since I am always on a diet, I have my secret Chocolates that I hide for me. Lady Godiva, oohhhhh, and I YUM, YUM eat them up. Of course I eat them curled up with a steamy romance!!!!!!!! lol
(Joanne Bozik 2:24pm April 18, 2011)

I just keep my husband company watching tv, I am more interested in reading.
(Kathleen Bianchi 2:27pm April 18, 2011)

Don't watch much TV, rather be reading a good book.
(Sheila True 2:28pm April 18, 2011)

Congratulations on the new releases! Thank you for having this give away. It is so thoughtful.

I love NCIS - Gibbs be my drug of choice!
I am also addicted to: The Closer, Castle, NCIS LA, and the CSI shows and Law and order.
A new show that I like is Body of Evidence.

Now that we have dvr with our cable. I record my shows, then watch them later so that I can skip the commercials! LOL
(Kimberley Coover 3:12pm April 18, 2011)

It seems I'm not the only commentor that only uses their TV to watch NCIS. It's really the only show I follow.
(Chantel Williams 3:30pm April 18, 2011)

Joe -- I like The Closer a lot too.

Joanne -- You can't beat Godiva and a good romance read. ;-)

Kathleen -- That's cool.

Shelia -- I like reading and watching TV about the same.

Kimberley -- Thanks! Gibbs is really cute. So is Tony on the show.

Chantel -- I like NCIS because it's just a fun show with cool, quirky characters.
(Jennifer Estep 3:45pm April 18, 2011)

I don't watch much anymore, only a couple of shows these days. All of the shows you mentioned I do watch Nikita though! Fun show, and it totally reminds me of your novels!

Can't wait to read tangled threads :)
(Van Pham 4:35pm April 18, 2011)

I love the guys on NCIS. It's always nice when there is a marathon going on. I also enjoy have the marathon on in the background while I read.
(Jennifer Lower 4:46pm April 18, 2011)

Van -- Nikita is a really fun show. I hope it comes back next year.

Jennifer -- Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ducky, Abby, Ziva ... you just can't go wrong with NCIS. ;-)
(Jennifer Estep 5:10pm April 18, 2011)

Thinking about all the shows I like or have liked and across the board they all had delicious men cast. My current must sees are the original Criminal Minds (Shemar Moore) and Hawaii Five-O (Alex O'Laughlin). My week is not complete without my fix.

Good luck and happy writing!
(Tracie Travis 5:45pm April 18, 2011)

NCIS is great. As well as Criminal Minds! They are part
of great TV.
(Betty Miles 5:54pm April 18, 2011)

Tracie -- Oh, yes. Alex O'Laughlin is very easy on the eyes. LOL.

Betty -- I like NCIS a lot too. Can't wait to see what happens with the season finale.
(Jennifer Estep 6:09pm April 18, 2011)

criminal minds.. and i cant wait to read your new book!!!
(Jennifer Beck 6:29pm April 18, 2011)

Jennifer -- Thanks! I hope you enjoy Tangled Threads. ;-)
(Jennifer Estep 6:58pm April 18, 2011)

I agree with your calls on Hawaii Five-O and Burn Notice. I'll add in Castle and White Collar.
(r w 7:32pm April 18, 2011)

sorry no tv except American Idol I'm to busy reading all the books by my favorite authors.I own well over athousand books and always have more on the way. I just bought a Nook so my husband can"t guess how much I spend on books.
(June Leas 7:36pm April 18, 2011)

I always liked Doctor Who for wild sci-fi plots (and recurring villains who look like giant vacuum cleaners) but when Torchwood started, the characters blew me away. Characters dealing with strange things but all tangled up in their relationships. And if you need scenery, there is the delicious Captain Jack.
(Carol Drummond 8:05pm April 18, 2011)

My TV character addiction is House. I have it bad for a bad boys, I like Wilson... but the one that stimulates me is House. He pushes the limit, searches, and underneath it all is just as vunerable if not more so than the rest.
(Carla Carlson 8:16pm April 18, 2011)

I love Criminal Minds, the new Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior, CSI and CSI Miami, and many more shows. THey all have at least 1 hottie on them, which could be the reason I started watching in the first place.
(June A, Manning 9:29pm April 18, 2011)

Greys Anatomy, Criminal Minds, NCIS. My absolute favorite guilty pleasure is new shoes and dark chocolate. Who needs therapy and drugs when there are new shoes to be brought home. The dark chocolate is the icing on the cake.
(Maude Allen 10:10pm April 18, 2011)

Of course, reading is a biggie on my list. I have recently discovered blogs and blog contests. And, I like some of the reality shows like Survivor and Last Cake Standing.
(Jennifer Beyer 10:49pm April 18, 2011)

Addictions are too many to name, and include many that are listed here. jewellust on my smart phone. gotta break these bad habits. thanks for the contest.
(Lisa Kendall 11:01pm April 18, 2011)

When I saw the topic of addictions my mind went to Dark Chocolate. But as I read further & saw the subject was TV shows, I agreed with your choices, but I would like to add Bones to the list.
(Diane Sallans 11:18pm April 18, 2011)

OK I watch way too much tv too. Not as much as I used too though. Some of my favorite guys, if I were writing a romance novel, either rouges or the hopeless romantic;

Steve Burton aka Jason Morgan of General Hospital
Josh Hollaway aka Sawyer from LOST (sorry I know he's one of Teresa M's favs too. But sharing is the nice thing to do.)
Maxim from DANCING WITH THE STARS, talk about a BAD BOY! I need oxygen!
The guy who starred as King Henry VIII in the TUDORS, brain dead and can't think of his name.
ALL of the guys, past, present and future from BROTHERS and SISTERS. Rob Lowe anyone? LOL ANd all for different reasons.
(Amy Conley 11:49pm April 18, 2011)

Gray's Anatomy, Mike and Molly, True Blood... seeing a man deeply in love is so attractive!
(Robin Daily 12:16pm April 19, 2011)

I love How I Met Your Mother. I'm also a big fan of Mike and Molly & The Big Bang Theory. I've enjoyed reading your Bigtime series and Elemental Assassin. Can't wait to read Tangled Threads!
(Yuka Liew 1:09am April 19, 2011)

Burn Notice is one of my very favorite shows! Bruce Campbell is such a funny guy and he's perfect for the role of Sam. He's a true lady's man, lol!
(Amy Z. 1:21am April 19, 2011)

Four weddings, we are addicted as a family luckily so no arguing over remote!
(Barbara Hanson 5:03am April 19, 2011)

Hi, everyone! I'm just chiming in again to say thanks again for all the nice words about my books. I appreciate them, and I hope everyone enjoys Tangled Threads even more than the other books in the series.

And you guys mentioned so many great TV shows like Burn Notice, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother ... I think I'm going to have to add some new programs to my list. LOL.
(Jennifer Estep 9:04am April 19, 2011)

Your books are one of my addictions Jennifer! Oh and I secretly love Californication. It's so raunchy, but I keep hoping Hank will be redeemed somehow. I too love Hawaii 5 - 0, more than I thought I would and I'm so happy they "recycled" the theme music! :)
(Patrice Tinsley 3:00pm April 19, 2011)

Patrice -- Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying my books. I love the theme music on Five-O too. It's just so catchy.
(Jennifer Estep 3:12pm April 19, 2011)

Castle is the best show for 4 seasons worth of RV viewing. I enjoy watching Nathan Fillian's crooked smile make an appearance. The show's got a romance angle that appeals to me.
(Alyson Widen 8:23pm April 20, 2011)

Alyson -- Fillion is so quirky and charming on Castle. I keep meaning to get the DVDs and get caught up on the show.
(Jennifer Estep 3:52pm April 21, 2011)

I started watching The Tudors and seeing Henry as a young king is interesting.
(Lindsey Ekland 6:00am April 22, 2011)

Lindsey -- I've been meaning to check out The Tudors too ...
(Jennifer Estep 9:19am April 23, 2011)

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