Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! I am a part of TEAM PURPLE, and this is Stop #11. If you’re just joining us, there are two loops—pink and purple—and they begin at Lisa Bergren’s site and Robin Hatcher’s site for stop #1 for either stream. If you complete either the pink loop or purple loop, you can enter for a Kindle paperwhite and the 17 autographed books from that loop. If you complete BOTH loops, you can enter for the Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire HDX and ALL 34 autographed books.

BE SURE to keep track of the clues at the bottom of every post in the loop and the favorite number mentioned. You’ll need those clues to enter for the loop prize and every number mentioned in order to enter for the grand prize.

ALSO, please don’t use Internet Explorer to navigate through the loops. Some web sites won’t show up using IE. Please use Chrome or Firefox—they’re better anyway!

If you need some more info about the basics of the stop, click here.

Without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to my guest for the Scavenger Hunt, BECKY WADE. Becky is a great friend and a fabulous writer. If you haven’t read any of her books, you’re truly missing out! I’m so excited I get to host her. Welcome Becky!

Here’s Becky’s professional bio:

Becky makes her home in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children. She’s the Carol Award and Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award winning author of My Stubborn Heart and the Texas-set Porter Family series. She loves writing funny, modern, and inspirational contemporary romance! www.beckywade.com Facebook: authorbeckywade Twitter: beckywadewriter

Here’s the summary of her latest book – A LOVE LIKE OURS:

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

And here’s her EXCLUSIVE content, that you’ll only find in this hunt!

The Challenges and Joys of Brooding Heroes

Ah, the iconic brooding hero!

Here’s Google’s definition of the word brooding: “Showing deep unhappiness of thought. Appearing darkly menacing.” Yes! Typically, a brooding novel or movie hero is unhappy, menacing, and in some way heroic.

I love brooding heroes. To be honest, I love a lot of different kinds of heroes. The humble, sacrificial working man. The charming rogue that makes me laugh with his confidence and sense of humor. But there’s something especially romantic and heart-tugging about the brooding hero. Mr. Darcy, Mr. Rochester, The Phantom of the Opera, and Hawkeye from The Last of the Mohicans are all famous examples of this hero type. As you may already know, all four of those characters were first brought to life through books before finding their way into television, movie, or stage adaptations.

Sadness and loss shaped the reserved personalities of Darcy, Rochester, the Phantom, and Hawkeye. Some of the four have physical or mental scars. All are either intimidating or reclusive or both.

Jake Porter, the hero of my novel A Love Like Ours is definitely of the brooding variety. While serving overseas with the Marines, his vehicle was struck by an IED. He came away from the explosion with both physical injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Like the famous brooders I mentioned, Jake experienced loss, has internal and external scars, and is at times intimidating and reclusive.

Here’s the inside scoop on a few of the challenges and joys I faced while writing Jake.

THE CHALLENGES. Aloof, wounded men…

#1. …don’t like to TALK. I grumbled about this often to Jake when writing his story. I’m a fan of dialogue. For me, a story is never more alive than when its characters are exchanging fast-paced banter. But in order to be true to Jake I had to deal with the fact that trying to get words out of him was sometimes going to be like prying a stubborn walnut from its shell.

#2. …can be a bit boorish. Imagine trying to have lunch with Mr. Rochester. You’re sitting across from him over chicken salad sandwiches, trying to enjoy your meal and make a connection with him. He’s sitting there glowering, stuck in a dark mood and depressing thoughts. Before dessert, he sweeps off to return to his solitude. See? Boorish. I had a tricky time picking the right sort of heroine to pair with Jake. Then, in order for the heroine to believably fall for him, I had to counterbalance his flaws with redeeming qualities and a backstory that invited sympathy and understanding.

THE JOYS. Aloof, wounded men…

#1. …are inherently romantic. Brooding heroes practically come pre-packaged with romantic tension! They’re determined to remain bitter and isolated so it’s deliciously fun to watch them discover that they’re powerless to stop themselves from loving the heroine.

#2. …have huge potential for change. The best fictional characters experience growth over the course of their story. And no character is better suited to (or more in need of) growth than the brooding hero. Because of the hard condition of his soul at the outset of a novel, it’s extra fulfilling to see him altered for the better by redemption and hope.

Long live the brooding hero!

Who are some of your favorite brooding heroes from books, TV, and/or movies? What do you find endearing about this type of character?

THE SCAVENGER HUNT SKINNY:

Thanks for stopping by on the hunt! Before you go, make sure you WRITE DOWN THESE CLUES:

Secret Word(s): you

Secret Number: A NUMBER THAT I CHOSE is FOUR (4), because I just signed a brand new FOUR BOOK contract with Revell!

Got ‘em down?? Great! Your next stop is #12, Becky Wade’s site. Click on over there now. And if you get lost, a complete list of the loop with links can be found at our mother host’s site and you can get there by clicking here.

Additional Prize:
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