Today we have the pleasure to welcome an author we don’t have to present anymore…(but let’s anyway *wink*). Thank you Zoe Archer for visiting Book Lovers Inc once again *g*. Zoe’s new book, Stranger, was released this week. It is the 4th book in The Blades of the Rose series and the hero is my favorite character in the series, Catullus! Let’s give a warm welcome to Zoe, who will tell us more about a new kind of hero, the Pi. Stay tuned and you could win a copy of Stranger!
Nerd. Brainiac. Poindexter. Geek. We’ve all heard these names. Heck, many of us readers have been called those names.
I never understood why being smart is supposed to be bad, or embarrassing. Intelligence is good—it keeps us alive and aware. When it comes to brains versus beauty, I’d rather have brains (though I don’t always feel that way when it’s bathing suit season).
And when it comes to romance novel heroes, smart is sexy.
There are alpha heroes: take-charge guys who answer to no one, know exactly what they want and stop at nothing to get it. There are beta heroes: the guy next door, who listens and cares and is there for you when you need him. Some have even suggested there are gamma heroes: men who combine the leadership of an alpha with the gentleness of a beta. There’s also the omega: a man who operates outside of society, the edgy loner who doesn’t follow the rules.
May I also humbly suggest the newest hero addition: the Pi (π ), also known as the kick-ass nerd.
Usually, the nerd is depicted as exceptionally intelligent, poorly socialized, and physically weak. The opposite of the strong, burly jock. Like this sad example of nerdiness. But where is it written than someone who is intelligent has to also be feeble? I say, bring on the smart guys who can kick butt. I know they’re out there.
Consider if you will Navy SEALs. Here are men who aren’t just in prime physical condition, but intelligent, too. They have to be, in order to successfully carry out complicated and dangerous missions. You don’t drop a muscle-bound moron deep into enemy territory and hope he blunders in the right direction. No, you send men with razor-sharp minds, knowledgeable about chemistry, physics, engineering, foreign languages and cultural practices. They are kick-ass nerds.
Or consider that bastion of brainy masculinity, Angus (yes, Angus) MacGyver. Sure, he could land a punch or scale a building, but he was also immeasurably intelligent, jury-rigging everything from explosives to flying machines. Women (and some men) swooned over MacGyver not just because he was cute and fit, but because he was very, very smart. And nothing turns a woman on like knowing that her man has the brains to face any threat.
Catullus Graves, the hero of my newest novel STRANGER, is a Pi, a kick-ass nerd. He comes from a long line of mechanical and scientific geniuses. For generations, the Graves family has been inventing diabolical devices and gadgets for the Blades of the Rose to use in the field. Catullus continues on in this proud tradition. He and his gadgets appear in every one of the Blades books. But Catullus isn’t tied to his workbench. No, he goes out into the field, searching out and protecting the world’s magic—just like any other Blade. He can engineer a flame thrower using makeshift implements. He can also throw a mean right hook. Catullus believes in the philosophy of having a strong mind and strong body, so that when he’s faced with the threat from the villainous Heirs of Albion, he’s confident that he can meet the challenge.
Of course, in some ways, Catullus is still a nerd. When it comes to women, he finds his clever mind at a loss. His flirting skills are sorely underdeveloped. It doesn’t help that most women think of him as an object of curiosity rather than as a man. When he finds himself in conversation with women who aren’t members of the Blades of the Rose, he’s sadly tongue-tied—a marked contrast to what he’s like either in his workshop or out in the field.
Fortunately for Catullus, he’s just met someone who might be his perfect woman. Gemma Murphy is one of the only female reporters in Chicago, and she’s forthright and spirited. She’s also rather taken by a shy, bespectacled inventor, a man who knows what it’s like to live on the fringes. Catullus is smart enough to realize that if there’s something, someone, he wants, he has to be bold. And right now, he’s got his clever eyes on a freckled American journalist. Gemma is about to learn what happens when an incredibly intelligent man puts his brains to use in the field and in the bedroom.
So, alphas are fine. Betas are good, too. And we can make room at the table for gammas and omegas. But when it comes to flat-out sex appeal, give me my kick-ass nerd. I want to have my Pi, and eat him, too.
Who are your favorite nerd heroes (or heroines)? Can nerdy also be sexy?
Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of STRANGER!~
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About the book:
Gemma Murphy has a nose for a story – even if the boys in Chicago’s newsrooms would rather focus on her chest. So when she runs into a handsome man of mystery discussing how to save the world from fancy-pants Brit conspirators, she’s sensing a scoop. Especially when he mentions there’s magic involved. Of course, getting him on the record would be easier if he hadn’t caught her eavesdropping…Catullus Graves knows what it’s like to be shut out: his ancestors were slaves. And he’s a genius inventor with appropriately eccentric habits, so even people who love him find him a little odd. But after meeting a certain redheaded scribbler, he’s thinking of other types of science. Inconvenient, given that he needs to focus on preventing the end of the world as we know it. But with Gemma’s insatiable curiosity sparking Catullus’ inventive impulses, they might set off something explosive anyway…
About the author:
Zoe Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master’s degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. Her BLADES OF THE ROSE series—featuring dashing men and fearless women—will be released Fall 2010. Zoe and her husband live in Los Angel
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~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Zoe is offering a signed copy of Stranger to 1 lucky commenter.
All you have to do is answer Zoe’s question
or leave a meaningful comment about the guest post.
Please leave us a way to contact you
(email in blogger profile or twitter name-
no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is open to US/Canada/Europe.
Giveaway ends on Saturday, December 18th
and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
About Caro The HEA Lover
Caroline is a HEA loving, yarn addicted French who's desperately hoping to get a HEA of her own. If she's not reading then she can be found knitting while listening to Audiobooks or watching Tv shows. Her secret addiction is reading websites that make fun at other people's expense (DYAC, Failbook)! Caroline also blogs at the Secret HEA Society with Susi.
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I think luke skywalker is a nerd (at least in the beginning). I think they can be as sexy as any other hero.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
So this isn't a book example, but I adore Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) from the SG-1 series. He's smart and kicks ass. He goes to other planets, fights aliens, and uses his brain to do it all.
I adore nerds – after all, I'm married to a guy who really is just like a real-life McGyver. His favorite saying is "Modify your environment" LOL. However, there are so few nerd heroes out there that I can't think of one off-hand.
I can't wait to read Stranger. It sounds great. No need to enter me though, I've already got the book.
As a proud geek/nerd, this topic is close to my heart.
Here are my 3.14159 favorites:
1) Neo from the Matrix.
2) Peter Parker from Spiderman – his ability to sling webs is a result of science, not radiation.
3) Hermoine. Without her, Harry Potter is snake food.
The .14159 honorable mention goes to Willow – the brains behind Buffy & her Scooby gang.
Oh, and me after I've recovered 10 years worth of memories, manuscripts, and pictures from that dying hard drive that won't boot anymore. 🙂
-TG
Doh. Forgot an easy way to contact…
@techsurgeons on Twitter
There are already quite a few nerds mentioned in the posts above, so the only other nerd I can think of is Clark Kent. I think he got all the nerdy details like glasses, hair style and clothes but he's still so sexy! 🙂
Forgot the email addy…
claudigc at msn dot com
My favorite nerd has always been MacGyver. I actually own a lot of his seasons on dvd and watch them ever once in a while. He may not have been an alpha male, but I still thought he was sexy.
seriousreader at live dot com
I always thought of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird as being kind of nerdy, but oh so wonderful. Great post. Thanks for visiting. (Email in profile.)
Nerdy is sexy 😀 I love my nerd, though he is not really that nerdy in the end, truth be told I am surely a bigger nerd 😉
Fav nerds, ohh Daniel from Stargate, he makes me drool
I *completely* agree that smart men can be leaders/alphas/whatever too. I've known them in real life, so I know they exist. 🙂 Someone who's all brawn and no brain doesn't interest me at all.
@jamigold
Quinn from Victoria Dahl's, Start Me Up. Love brainiacs!
jenma76 at hotmail dot com
Denise Robbins writes nerdy heroines and they can also kick-ass. Nerdy can most certainly also be sexy!
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
*looks around, specifically at Techsurgeons TechGuy and FredTownWard* Good grief, this post has brought out the nerds (funny nerds, but nerds)!
However, YAY for nerds! My fave is MacGuyver; he's the reason I studied engineering in college.
ironss[at]gmail.com
i love nerds!! they are definitely sexy!! my fave nerd is seth cohen from the o.c.! there are many book nerds i love too, but i can't think of them right off. thank you for the contest!
inthehammockblog at gmail dot com
I didn't think that a world of shifting geography would work but Ann Bishop somehow not only managed it but sell it to boot! …So, yeah, I think nerd can be sexy, but, it takes a talent to do that. And, no, I haven't read any nerdy heroes yet… so this book would be interesting 🙂
Cherry Mischievous
cherrymischif-warrior [at] yahoo [dot] com
I always thought Clark Kent was a lot more appealing than Superman.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
I liked Clark Kent in Superman too. He was very funny. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
When I was a kid I had a huge literary crush on Encyclopedia Brown (anyone remember him???). He just knew everything! …and he was gracious enough to ask ME to solve his mysteries before he did! lol
But on the grown folk front ^_^…nerds are always sexy! I think it's their intensity for whatever it is they're into. Hell, I still carry a torch for Donatello of TMNT. So what that he's a turtle! He's the brains of that outfit, dangit!! ^__^
-Alisha
schalazeal @ gmail . com
I've sat here racking my brain and I can't come up with a single nerd, even though I know I have a soft spot for them, being a nerd myself. I think nerds can be sexy, though many of them have to work harder at it than others. Sometimes though, the right looks and the right dedication and brains can be totally sexy.
jlynettes @ hotmail . com
Oh, yeah, nerds can be sexy!!! Just look at Clark Kent! And what about Barney Stinson. And Matthew Maconahay has been kind of nerdy in some of the roles he has played….and I DARE anyone to say he's not sexy!!!
BornajhawkATaolDOTcom
I have a crush on Dr. Daniel Jackson and one of my favorite nerd heroines is Hermione. I, also, love the nerds in the Big Bang Theory. Another great nerd heroine is Evie from the Mummy.
marlenebreakfield(st)yahoo(dot)com
The nerd I think of is Hermione Granger.
sgiden at verizon.net
My new favorite nerd, as of two days ago, is Chuckie from "Alien Tango"!
Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article
oh yeah, nerds can def be sexy – sexy as hell!!! I love all the guys mentioned above, especially Daniel Jackson *dreaming*
Zoe, congrats on your newest releaes – can't wait to read it!
greetings, Ina
Omg. Nerds can definitely be sexy. First nerd love was Peter Parker. Later on came Murdock from the a-team. Right now it's definitely Chuck. I love the series. Number one Girl crush would be Willow. So cute.
One more brainy hero…
Dr. Bruce Banner who gets all Hulky when you make the mistake of getting him angry but is normally a mild-mannered nerd.
-TG @techsurgeons