Guest Blog: Dianne Hartsock: Seducing My Hero

Heroes, those strong, brave and delicious characters. So irresistible and deserving of a lover that fulfills them. But how does one create this perfect partner?

Lord Taden is the hero in my latest m/m erotic fantasy, Nathaniel.

He ran his tongue over dry lips as a hesitant excitement filled him. Could this be the one to break the lonely cycle of his life? His days were spent in service to his family and those dependent on them, his nights alone in an empty bed. He longed for someone of his own, a lover to give him purpose outside the needs of others.

Taden is the head of his family and estates, the titled landowner with several families who work his fields and a small garrison of soldiers under his care and protection. He hasn’t seen war in his lifetime, but the country to the south has begun to push the border between them. A man of honor and duty and buried passion, I wanted to create a character to tempt him from his loneliness.

I opened the story with Taden freeing Nathaniel from his enemies.

They stared at each other, the stranger’s chest heaving. Taden’s heart squeezed at his evident terror, but the youth stood his ground and asked, “What do you want of me?” His courage was an almost overwhelming attraction to Taden, but his eyes darted into the trees as if to assess his options of escape. Taden had to tread carefully.

I wanted Nathaniel to be bewitchingly beautiful, but he needed to have an inner strength as well to be good enough for my hero. And a little mystery never hurts, either!

Bryce’s expression turned grave, and he leaned toward Taden, lowering his voice as he continued, “He spoke of Belega. You’ve heard the rumors. That land is alive with dark magic. So much so that the governor has forbidden entry into our country by any of its people. You know as well as I do it’s our heads if we offer succor to one of its witches.”
Taden’s lips stretched in a sour smile. “I’ve yet to see Nathaniel display any of this so called magic.”

Last but not least, Taden needs the reassurance that he’s important to Nathaniel.

Nathaniel’s lean chest rose and fell. “I’ve been with others,” he confessed in a quavering voice. “But I’ve never made love with someone before. It’s…shattering.”
Taden swallowed a hard lump in his throat, unable to speak. He could only hold Nathaniel against his pounding heart.

In Nathaniel, Taden is a hero with the common strengths of other men confronted by a magic he’s never encountered before. Nathaniel has a power that sometimes frightens and bewilders him, but in the end captivates him and makes him stronger. And who doesn’t like that?

Nathaniel
http://www.amazon.com/Nathaniel-ebook/dp/B007FTX0EC/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330637479&sr=1-6

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nathaniel-dianne-hartsock/1109203295?ean=2940013905429&itm=1&usri=dianne+hartsock

All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nathaniel-739041-143.html

BLURB:
From the moment Taden rescues Nathaniel from the Sutherlin soldiers’ torture, he finds himself caught in the gaze of the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen; amazing eyes that hold him thrilled and confused. The Sutherlins are planning to invade the beautiful Tahon Valley, but as Taden secrets Nathaniel from their reach, he finds himself drawn to the young man. Not only does he feel the urge to protect him, but he feels an ache he hasn’t felt in many long years.


Nathaniel claims to be a traveler from a distant continent, saying he comes in peace. True or not, the youth has powers beyond anything Taden has seen—control over men and animals and the very weather. Taden falls hard for the strange traveler, protecting him not only from the Sutherlins but from his own mistrustful people, who don’t understand Nathaniel’s powers and accuse him of being a witch…

Dianne Hartsock
Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock

BIO:
Dianne lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write her tales. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside and a fire crackles on the hearth inside that kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which she says is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.