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Linda Morris | In praise of difficult men
Thanks for having me at Fresh Fiction today. I guess you could say I've always
had a spot for difficult men. Maybe it started with my adolescent obsession with
Moonlighting, the show that launched Bruce Willis's career before he
decided to become an action hero. The show was a deliberate throw-back to the
screwball romantic comedies of the thirties, and once I realized that, I was off
like a shot, tracking down all the Thin Man movies, His Gal
Friday, anything with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, and anything,
absolutely anything, with Gary Grant. Those movies are full of difficult,
wise-cracking men and the spunky women who love them.
Difficult men are my weakness, but not too difficult, mind you. I don't want to
deal with a real jerk or an abuser, in reality or fiction. But that guy who sees
through all the heroine's smokescreens, who doesn't suffer fools, who says what
he thinks, regardless of what anyone wants to hear? The guy who can stand up for
himself and his lady, and stands up to his lady when it's necessary? The
guy who occasionally shoots himself in the foot because he can't stop himself
from saying what needs to be said? The guy with a little tarnish on his shining
armor? They get me every time.
Guys kind of like Joe Dunham, the hero in BY HOOK OR BY CROOK. He's
gotten himself kicked off of the Chicago Police Department because he wouldn't
go along with a corrupt scheme in his department. Now he works as a security
consultant for wealthy developer Richard Smithson. You'd think that having lost
one job over his impulsive actions, he'd have learned to keep his mouth shut and
follow orders.
You would be wrong. When Smithson asks Joe to work with his spoiled daughter Ivy
to prevent a foolish marriage by his other daughter, Joe senses trouble coming,
but even he is taken aback by how fast he gets in over his head with his
client's beautiful daughter.
After they're stranded together in a mountain cabin, things heat up between
them, but Ivy wants no part of it. She's trying to keep her sister from a
disastrous relationship with the wrong man, not get entangled in one of her own.
Here's a quick excerpt:
She pulled her hand away with effort. "The cabin was a special
situation," she explained. "Not really the real world. Now that we're back in
the real world, I think we ought to try to put things between us on a
professional footing once again."
"The real world? I didn't know we'd ever left it. Tell me about
this distinction. Why is this motel parking lot the real world, but a cabin an
hour or so away is magically not?" His jaw had that pugnacious angle that it
took on when he made her life difficult, and Ivy sighed.
You don't think Joe is going to go along with that, do you? No way! No difficult
man would make it that easy on a heroine.
Comment to win an e-copy of BY HOOK OR BY CROOK
Comments
20 comments posted.
Re: Linda Morris | In praise of difficult men
sounds like a lot of people i know. looks likea good read.
(Lisa Fitzgibbons 10:50am April 27, 2013)
Sounds like Joe might be my kind of hero😄
(Evelyn Diaz 11:50am April 27, 2013)
Difficult men are fun to read. I assume they must be lots of fun to write too!
(Pam Howell 11:52am April 27, 2013)
I have a difficult, actually very difficult, man!!!
(Vicki Hancock 12:24pm April 27, 2013)
Sounds like a good book.
(Susan Falkler 12:24pm April 27, 2013)
Just enough difficult!
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 12:36pm April 27, 2013)
Most men are difficult at one time or another! ;)
(Sue Galuska 12:51pm April 27, 2013)
Oh I like the sound of this book... thanks for sharing! :)
(Colleen Conklin 1:17pm April 27, 2013)
sounds like a great book cant wait to read it
(Denise Smith 1:29pm April 27, 2013)
Men are difficult. But the one that really are difficult can be keeper if you challenge him right back.
(Kai Wong 3:08pm April 27, 2013)
Mom 11
(Kent Cook 4:12pm April 27, 2013)
Thanks so much for all the comments. Best of luck to all of
you! Yes, difficult men are fun to write about. Luckily I know
lots of them, so they keep me inspired!
(Linda Morris 4:47pm April 27, 2013)
My husband is difficult, because he's annoying. Of course, he would say I
was the difficult one!
(Tanja Haack 4:55pm April 27, 2013)
ok, sounds like a good read. thanks for the draw:)
(Barbara Studer 7:10pm April 27, 2013)
I would like to read this.
(Charlene Fraley 8:45pm April 27, 2013)
Sounds like a good book. Thanks for a chance to win.
(Linda Hall 10:29pm April 27, 2013)
arent they all difficult?
(Debbi Shaw 10:43pm April 27, 2013)
No, I do not believe that Joe is going to put up with all
that and when you fall in love with someone it does not
matter where you are living or what you are doing for sure.
Thanks for the fantastic contest. Sounds like a fantastic
book to read. Thanks, Cecilia CECE
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 11:01pm April 27, 2013)
Sounds like a good read.
(Pat Lieberman 11:15pm April 27, 2013)
Look forward to reading this book.
(Carol Woodruff 10:53am April 28, 2013)
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