Talking About The Sexiest Man Not Alive With Deb Marlowe

Rapscallion! Rake! Wanderer! Adventurer!
All accusations that the Earl of Treyford acknowledges with pride. The scandalous son of a disgraced mother, he has no time for the pretty niceties of the ton, nor the simpering debutantes who populate its ballrooms.

He has returned to England to aid an “aging” spinster facing an undefined danger. But Miss Latimer’s dark and sultry beauty, her fascinating mix of knowledge and innocence, arouse far more than his protective instincts.

Can such an improper aristocrat learn to be the true gentleman Miss Latimer deserves?

At this time of year there is a lot of talk about the Sexiest Man Alive or the Sexiest Man of the Year, and while I’m completely willing to go along with the coronation of Hugh Jackman for 2008—especially in the wet scene in Australia—I was thinking of starting a new tradition:  The Sexiest Man Not Alive.

Think about it—we can interpret it in so many ways!  It can be a real person from years past, or a fictional character from books, movies or TV.  They can be sexy because of their physical attributes or because of their intellect or their tough-guy-hiding-a-vulnerable-interior character.  The possibilities are endless!

To get the ball rolling, I’ll list a few of my own nominees, although I think I could fill an entire blog all by myself.  🙂

First up, I am forced to nominate the Earl of Treyford, the hero from my new release, An Improper Aristocrat. Trey knows firsthand that people are cruel, passions are dangerous and both are best avoided.  He’s found the danger of adventuring far preferable to the damage that people inflict on each other.  He’s turned his back on England and travels the world searching out antiquities from ancient civilizations.  Trey is my version of a Regency Indiana Jones.  In fact, when I think about it, Trey had his start as an amalgamation of Indy, of Nicholas Cage in National Treasure, throw in a little Brendan Fraser from The Mummy and a lot of a fascinating real life figure:  Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

I could do whole blog on Belzoni too.  He was truly amazing.  A giant at 7 feet, 7 inches tall, a strongman who traveled the fairs and theaters of England, an engineer, an explorer who discovered the tomb of Seti I, the entrance to the second Giza pyramid and countless treasures for the British Museum, he definitely goes on my list.

How about Mr. Darcy?  I find him fascinating in all of his incarnations.  There’s just something about that reserve.  I always rejoice when Lizzie cracks his aloofness.  And I think there’s something to appreciate in all of the recent versions of him.

Here’s another real life candidate:  Prince Leopold of Colburg, husband to Prinny’s heir, Princess Charlotte.  He was widely held to be a handsome, pleasant young man. How differently history might have turned out had he not lost his young wife in childbirth?

Now it’s your turn!  Who would you nominate for Sexiest Man Not Alive?  Gerard Butler in 300?  Sean Bean as Sharpe?  Or how about Vampire Bill from True Blood?  Share the past or fictional men who jump-start your heart!  I’ll give a copy of An Improper Aristocrat to a commenter!