Why I Love The Nay Sayers
So I was writing my last book, MONEY HONEY, and my heroine needed a female friend to provide some perspective. Maria “Goose” di Guzman strolled onto the page and delivered it mercilessly. She was wry, smart, and spot-on with the advice, whether my heroine wanted to hear it or not. (She didn’t.) And to top it all off, she was nearly six feet of long-legged, dark-eyed sex appeal, all wrapped up in a designer suit.
In short, she was perfect.
A little too perfect, actually. I thought, “Nobody is this well groomed for no good reason. I wonder what she’s trying to cover up.”
Turns out, it was kind of a lot. You’ll have to read MONEY SHOT for all the details (and I hope you will) but the short version is that Goose did Something Awful when she was sixteen and decided to leave her awkward, dangerous, impulsive self behind. Now, a dozen or so years later, she’s groomed herself into near inaccessibility. She shows the world a pretty, sexy shell, but her true self is tucked safely inside where she can’t hurt anybody. It’s a lonely way to live, but it’s way better than being herself and damaging everybody she loves.
Then a case takes her to Mishkwa Island where she meets park ranger Rush Guthrie. A rough military career left him pretty broken emotionally, but one look at Goose has his heart sitting up and staking a claim. Any woman who can perform that particular miracle, Rush decides, is worth pursuing. And he’s not going to be happy with a fake smile and some slick charm. He wants to see who’s inside the pretty package. He wants her. Her body, yeah, but also her heart.
Here’s the scene where he refuses to accept one without the other:
He shook his head. “I won’t lie to you, Goose. I want you. A lot.”
She glanced at the front of his pants. “Yes, I can see that.”
“You’re missing the point,” he said grimly. “That?” He waved a hand toward his crotch. “That’s biology. If scratching that itch were my only goal, I could do it by myself. It wouldn’t be as much fun as what you’re offering but in the end I’d be just as alone. And I’ve been alone a really long time now. I’m tired of it. What I want from you is more than sex. I want to make love to you. With you.”
She stared at him, the breath driven from her lungs. “You don’t even know me.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Go figure. But I don’t argue with my gut anymore.”
“And your gut wants to make love to me?”
He smiled. “With you.”
“Even though I stand here ready to blow you, screw you, and otherwise fulfill whatever adolescent fantasy you can come up with?”
He closed his eyes, pained. “Yes. I’ll forgo that in the hopes that, once you get to know me, you’ll be willing to make love with me as yourself and not some porn-star wannabe.”
She chewed the inside of her cheek and tried to work up some anger. Anything was better than the shame and guilt chasing each other through her emptiness inside her. “Did you just call me a porn-star wannabe?”
He winced. “No, I said you were acting like a porn-star wannabe. I don’t know why either, because believe me, you were doing fine on your own.”
She sighed. “You don’t any other mode, do you? It’s just all honesty, all the time.”
He lifted those surprisingly solid shoulders. “Yeah. Sorry. I’m hoping to grow on you.”
Now Rush knows he’s not charming the socks off her here. But he doesn’t have to charm her to get her into bed. All he has to say is yes. But he says no. And why? Because he wants more than what she’s offering, and he won’t be satisfied with anything less. Because he sees something better in Goose than she sees in herself. And because he won’t ignore it, Goose can’t ignore it either.
This is what I love about those smart guys. The thinkers. They’re uncomfortable and prickly and they refuse to accept pat answers. They never take the easy path, and they’re always telling us no when we’d rather hear yes. I’m reminded of my favorite scene in Emma, the one where Mr. Knightly calls her out for delivering a witty zinger at the expense of a sweet, vague older lady. He wouldn’t say anything, he stresses, except that he knows Emma to be a better person than her behavior would indicate. “For shame,” he says, but all I’m hearing is I’m in love with you.
So that’s me. I love men who tell me no and thwart my best-laid plans because they expect better of me. I love the men who look deeper than other people, and see things most people miss. In themselves, in others, and in us. And then they challenge us to see it, too. And when a guy like that says, “I love you,” you’d better believe he means it. Yum.
So what about you? What weird, oddball trait do you find irresistible? Impress me and there could be a copy of MONEY SHOT in it for you! (Continental US only, please.)
Thanks Susan! Contest will run through June 12th.
Susan Sey’s Website l Series Listing
I’m in Canada so can’t be entered. Just wanted to drop in & say I loved Money Honey & i’m so looking forward to Money Shot. Keep on writing.
Hi, Mary! Thanks so much for swinging by, & for your kind words about MONEY HONEY. I hope MONEY SHOT lives up to expectations!
It’s not really a weird or oddball trait but I’m far more attracted to guys who have that “quiet competence” air, and not as much to looks. I want a guy who just handles anything that comes his way. It’s not intelligence per se, but rather simple common sense that I love. Luckily for me, I found one of those and he’s definitely a keeper.
JenM wrote: I want a guy who just handles anything that comes his way. It’s not intelligence per se, but rather simple common sense that I love
Oh, that’s definitely hot. And you found one! Wheeee! Definitely keep him.
I can’t say that there is any oddball trait that I go for, lol.
Anyway the book sounds good.
Blodeuedd wrote: the book sounds good.
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
It’s not weird, but I do love a sense of humor. I guess I need a good laugh to go with my romance!
LSUReader wrote: t’s not weird, but I do love a sense of humor. I guess I need a good laugh to go with my romance!
So wise! A good laugh is always useful, especially when you’re dealing with matters of the heart. Plus I do love a guy who can make me laugh.
I love that my husband is a total nerd. When it comes to video games, playing paintball, and computer programming; he almost gets as excited as I do about books. He has the bredy sexy thing down, and I loves it!!
MinnChica wrote: I love that my husband is a total nerd.
There is something really attractive about somebody embracing their inner geek, isn’t there? It’s that whole “Here I am; take me or leave me” thing. It’s so liberating. And being around somebody who actually likes themselves & isn’t hiding a thing for appearances sake? It’s kind of heady. Love that, & your husband sounds like a gem.
Living in Holland, so not eligible, sadly. The book sounds like fun. I like it when the hero knows what and who he wants and goes after her, and won’t take no for an answer. Ofcourse, not in a murder mystery ;). A quirk I like, is if they prefer tea over coffee.
Aurian wrote: A quirk I like, is if they prefer tea over coffee.
Ha! Me, too! But then I’m a tea drinker. I love how coffee smells but the taste…I just can’t get into it. A guy who likes tea is okay by me.
Great article, Susan! I agree, the guys who are not easy, who are honest, and who act with integrity are totally worth it. A PITA sometimes, sure, but in the end, someone who I can love AND respect because he respects me and others is a gem. I’m so lucky I married one! Is he perfect. Heck no! But I’ll keep him :-) Oddball trait, not really, though I do love an oddball sense of humor….
Hi, Lisa! Totally agree on the oddball sense of humor thing. And when somebody else’s oddball humor lines up to my oddball humor, it feels like a gift from the universe. So glad you found yours, & are hanging onto him!
Wow, Susan, that excerpt is a humdinger! Wow, hurry up, Mr. Postman. For those who have failed to see the earlier instalments of this particular story, I”m waiting for MONEY SHOT to turn up from the Book Depository and clearly it’s swimming its way here on the back of a geriatric turtle! As you say, I love a man who can apply his brains as well as his brawn!
Anna wrote: Wow, Susan, that excerpt is a humdinger!
Hee hee. I had myself kind of a time trying to figure out how to break that scene in order to keep things PG and still capture the flavor of the scene. I’m glad you liked it! Here’s wishing the Amazon pigeon some luck and speed as he wings his way down under!
Congrats on the new release, Susan. I think it’s cute when a guy can show his goofy side every so often. Maybe do silly things to make you laugh.
Not all guys are secure enough to show us their goofy sides, are they? Don’t they know how endearing we find it? A dear friend of mine has a couple of teenaged boys & I find them utterly charming. They’re so awkward and funny and unfiltered still.
I’m totally with the geek-loving girls. No alpha can ever turn me on as quickly as a sensitive guy who asks if “it” (insert dinner, kiss, sex-whatever you choose) is okay with the heroine, and then is just as excited by the result as she is. The quirk I love is total togetherness, a full-on partnership–not a domineering one on either side.
Hi, Liz! Oh, yeah, the guy who asks permission. I do love that. Not that a take-charge guy isn’t great sometimes but if I get to choose? Give me a partner any old day. Somebody who wants to BE in a relationship with me, deciding things together and building a life as equals. Yep. Big turn on there. Wrap that up in a geeky package & I’m all over that. :-)
Oh, I forgot to add..I am LOVING Money Shot!. I just read the excerpt you gave us last night and thought it was such an amazing scene.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Lisa! MONEY SHOT definitely strikes a different note than my previous book (a little darker & not as immediately loveable, I guess) but I think it’s more rewarding because of that. I hope you’ll stick with it!
Susan, this book just sounds better and better the more I read about it. To me, there’s nothing sexier than a good-looking man who is also wicked smart.
Sexy AND wicked smart. Oh, let me take a moment to sigh. Nothing better than a guy who hits both those bases. But if I had to choose, I’d totally take wicked smart. (So long as he’s clean & well-groomed. That’s essential.)
Hi Susan!
When I read MONEY, HONEY, I ran around telling everyone how fabulous it was. I am SO looking forward to MONEY SHOT. Believe it or note, I I had tears in my eyes reading your blog. I love exactly the same quality in a hero–someone who is strong enough to deny his baser needs because he won’t settle for anything less than everything from the heroine. *Swoon!*
Oh, Christine, I have tears in MY eyes reading your comment! There is nothing an author loves better than to hear she moved somebody. Thank you so much! I hope MONEY SHOT lives up to expectations!
Oh. My. Susan, Rush is SO swoonworthy! I love a man who’s willing and longing to know the real you, the one you’d sometimes rather hide! How can Goose resist??
Hmm… what irresistible oddball trait makes my engine rev? I love the smart guys, the ones who are cannot let something go not understood, but who research and persist and pry until they get it, whether it’s surround sound, perfect chicken teriyaki, or me ;) Yep, that brain in combination with heart does me in every time…
Hi Susan! My favorite quirk of my husbands is that he can find the “conspiracy theory” in everything, and I do mean everything! It makes for fun discussions in my house.
Ha! That does sound like fun! I have to admit, I’m attracted to a good conspiracy theory. I’ll bet there’s a lot more of that going on than we know about…
I enjoy the heroes who don’t broadcast their awesomeness, like the Scarlet Pimpernel: playing a fool and disguising a hero. Hotness.
And I can’t wait for Money Shot. *bounce*
Vivien! The Scarlet Pimpernel was probably the first romance I read! (I must’ve been ten.) That scene where he kisses the steps where she walked, but not until after she leaves? Oh. Swoon, indeed!
I’ve been thinking… and I can’t come up with anything! LOL! I’m attracted to guys for such various reasons, I couldn’t begin to compare them all ;-)
And now I feel bad for objectifying men. :-)
You’re probably onto something there, Chelsea. Each hero must be taken as an individual & assessed for his own merits. There is something heroic in every person, & it’s our job to ferret it out. That’s kind of a nice world view.
Great post, Susan, and I love that excerpt, love Rush already and can’t wait to read his and Goose’s story.
I totally love smexy men, don’t think I could ever love someone who wasn’t smart, but I like some screwball humor woven in there too. So I know my hero doesn’t take himself or the world too seriously.
I’m with you, Jo. I love a screwball sense of humor, especially when it’s not the dominant note in the personality, you know? Like when a guy’s mostly all-business but every now & then a little moment of screwy humor shows up. It’s so unexpected & speaks to a hidden strain of whimsy buried deep. I find it just charming.
Sometimes it’s a nice change of pace to read about a mild-mannered clutzy hero, such as Carter in Nora Roberts’ Vision in White. There was something endearing about him taking dancing lessons so he didn’t step on Mac’s feet. Romances are filled with alpha heroes, so it’s nice to read about the occasional beta hero.
Oh, Carter. Man, I loved him. And I loved that Mac found his clumsiness so endearing. Those two just made me happy. Something to be said for the beta…
Susan,
I’ve love Goose for along while, ever since meeting her Money, Honey. She so deserves a man like Rush. Nothing better than a man who makes you think and one who matches your intellect. Now as long as he knows when to laugh at himself, then he’s perfect!
Suz
Hi, Suz! Funny you should mention that whole “knows when to laugh at himself” thing. That’s part of Rush’s little journey. He needs to find his way back to joy & Goose is such a big part of that. It was so much fun to write about him rediscovering his capacity to just laugh.
i like how a man can be confident, stand tall and respect himself and those around them. laugh at himself and i have to admit, i love a bit of an alpha. this book sounds so good. i cant wait to get my hands on it. and your expert is a tease! lol :)
Thanks, Shadow! I hope Rush lives up to your alpha expectations–I know I’m fond of him. :-) Happy reading!
I’d have to repeat another commenter about the quite confidence.
When I met my husband, I was dating a LOT, which he knew and I didn’t try to hide from him. But, he had this look in his eyes, this confidence and assurance, that just said “I know we belong together.” He never got jealous even if he was at my apartment when another date came to pick me up. He just knew. THAT was sexy.
I’d have to repeat another commenter about the quite confidence.
When I met my husband, I was dating a LOT, which he knew and I didn’t try to hide from him. But, he had this look in his eyes, this confidence and assurance, that just said “I know we belong together.” He never got jealous even if he was at my apartment when another date came to pick me up. He just knew. THAT was sexy.
akbabcock at gmail dot come
Wow, that *does* sound sexy! Good thing you snapped him up! A confident guy really is attractive, isn’t he? Especially when it translates into a whole bunch of “go ahead–get it out of your system. I’ll be here when you’re ready for a real man.”
Swoon.
Aw! Rush sounds like he’s worthy of Goose after all!
A sense of humor is nice in a guy, as long as it’s not mean.
Oh, he is! He definitely is! And he finds his sense of humor….eventually. :-)
Sometimes I think I’m the oddball, it might be better to ask others what they find tempting about me! hahaha
meredithfl at gmail dot com
I like how you roll, Meredith! They should totally have to pony up what they love about us! This is an essential & largely overlooked quality every hero needs. Props to you for reminding me to put this front & center!
Major thankies for the article post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool.