Hi Leanne! Thanks for having Sir Giles and me here today. I really like your hero salutes and I agree, heroes come in many forms and definitions.
To me a hero, no matter the era in which he lives, places duty and the safety of others first, often sacrificing his own interests. That’s what Sir Giles of Cambria does in SILVERHAWK, my debut medieval.
Giles didn’t start out a hero. He started as a little boy who had to survive on his own after his mother and his grandfather died. Survival on the streets of a medieval town was incredibly hard. But then he was rescued by a famed mercenary, Mercadier. From that point, he learned to live and fight.
While many mercenaries were feared because of their cruelty, Sir Giles didn’t number among them. He had an inflexible code of honor and demanded the same of his men.
In SILVERHAWK, Giles’ honor proves flexible in one point—taking revenge on the man who seduced Giles’ mother, then deserted her, never knowing or caring he had a son.
But Giles’ innate heroism blossoms when he faces a fiery lady in mortal danger and is called on to stop a threat to England. Helping the lady and finding a traitor means he must postpone his lifelong dream of confronting his father, but he can’t pursue his own interests when others need him.
Here’s the blurb:
Sir Giles has come to England to kill his father, who seduced and betrayed his mother. First, however, he’ll seek sweet revenge—kidnap the old lord’s new betrothed. But when Giles uncovers a plot against King Richard, he faces a dilemma: take the lady or track the traitors. What’s a good mercenary to do? Both, of course.
Lady Emelin has had enough. Abandoned in a convent by her brother, she finally has a chance for home and family. Yet now she’s been abducted. Her kidnapper may be the image of her dream knight, but she won’t allow him to spoil this betrothal. Her only solution: escape.
Rescuing the intrepid lady—while hunting traitors—is a challenge Giles couldn’t anticipate. But the greatest challenge to Giles and Emelin is the fire blazing between them. For he’s everything a proper lady should never want, and she’s everything a bastard mercenary can never have.
I’d love to know what qualities others look for in a ‘hero.’
I’m happy to announce, in celebration of the upcoming release of my second medieval THE HEART OF THE PHOENIX on Sept. 3, that SILVERHAWK is on sale. Find it at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bQX3td
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/1bM6ua2
B & N: http://bit.ly/TU1Pzb
Please visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraBettisAuthor
Leanne Tyler 
Thanks for having me on your TGIF Heroes blog, Leanne. I really like the concept of thanking those of are of service to others.
Hi Barbara. I’d be curious to know how long it takes you to write a novel. Are you a pantser or a plotter? I’m assuming you chose Medieval because of your love of history?
I love Sir Giles for his code of honor…and other assets. Do give him my regards, Lady Barbara.
Hi Shirley! Thanks so much for dropping by. I did choose medieval because I love history and that period is one of my favorites. As far as organization goes, I’m something of a pantser, except I know how the story ends and a few points along the way. Before I begin, I do a story narrative that some might call a rough synopsis. The finished story doesn’t always coincide exactly to that early vision, though. How about you?
Hi Barbara, My writing style is very much like your’s. I love having wiggle room to allow a story to change and grow without the stiff restrictions of an outline. For me, Heroes are both easy and difficult to write because of their complex nature. Every hero has flaws and weaknesses, along with qualities that qualify him to be a hero. Melding those together into a man both respected and loved is a challenge for all of us that write romance.
I really enjoyed your blog.
Barbara, just wanted to say I read your book when it came out and really liked Giles slightly grumpy side and the dashes of humor.
Love historicals, Barb, and SILVERHAWK’s now on my Nook. So look forward to reading it 🙂 Best of luck with it and PHOENIX…from one pantser to another!
Great interview, Barbara! Qualities I tend to gravitate toward heroes seeking redemption and finding they still have honorable qualities locked within them.
Yikes, should have proofed the comment before posting! My editor is smacking my hands, haha!
Heh, heh. I didn’t even see the word out till you said something 🙂 We read what we expect to be there!
Oh, yes, Mary! Good qualities. I adore heroes who must been redeemed–and it happens when their sterling qualities are called upon. Thanks for coming by!
I love the blurb! Very intriguing. I’m a sucker for the bad boy mercenary