I’ve been looking forward to today on the blog for soooo long! My awesome friend Jill Kemerer is with us. Her debut novel just released–Small-Town Bachelor. EEK! I’m so happy for her and so excited to welcome her to the blog.
Jill and I thought it’d be fun to have a little hero chat. Because, you know, that’s a happy subject! In fact, I’m over on her blog today talking about MY made-up hero.
Enjoy Jill’s post and be sure to check out her new book!
Hero Inspiration: Josh Duhamel!
One of my favorite parts of writing a new book is finding the perfect pictures to represent my characters. I usually spend a few hours on entertainment sites like UsWeekly and jot down any actors/actresses who might work. Then I head straight to Pinterest and search for pictures of them.
What can I say, it’s a tough job!
My debut novel, Small-Town Bachelor, released this month, so I’m excited to share the inspiration for Reed Hamilton—Josh Duhamel!
Follow Jill’s board Josh Duhamel on Pinterest.
Why is Josh Duhamel the right celebrity to represent Reed?
Well…when I pictured Reed, he had short brown hair, an athletic body, smiling eyes and a reserved air. If you browse the Pinterest board pictured above, you’ll see Josh Duhamel in various moods. The fact he is pictured with puppies and dachshunds? It sealed the deal. I loved him. I’d found my Reed!
One thing that might surprise you: in my book, Reed starts out much more private than Josh appears. Reed is a loner, ambitious, driven and prone to being serious. But the more time Reed spends with Claire Sheffield (a vet tech caring for otter twins next door), the more he relaxes. His playful side comes out, and by the end of the story, I see him with an open, happy expression similar to Josh’s in many of his pictures.
My next book, Unexpected Family, comes out in September, and it too follows the Sheffield family in fictional Lake Endwell, Michigan. Wait until you see my inspiration for Tom Sheffield, Claire’s older brother! *fanning myself* Like I said, it’s a tough job!
Thank you so much, Melissa, for hosting me today!
If you could pick one actor to cast in a romance novel, who would you pick?
Have a terrific day!
***
Jill Kemerer writes inspirational romance novels with love, humor and faith. A full time writer and homemaker, she relies on coffee and chocolate to keep up with her kids’ busy schedules.
Besides spoiling her mini-dachshund, Jill adores magazines, M&MS, fluffy animals and long nature walks. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Jill loves connecting with readers, so please visit her website www.jillkemerer.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter.
More about Small-Town Bachelor
A Place to Call Home
When Reed Hamilton arrives in Lake Endwell for a family wedding, he expects to do his part as best man then head back to the big city. But when a tornado postpones the wedding, the town is in shambles and Reed is injured. Thankfully maid of honor Claire Sheffield offers him one of her cottages to recuperate in.
Dedicated to her family and her dream job at the zoo, Claire is all about roots. She’s this city slicker’s opposite, yet as they help the town rebuild, Reed is captivated by her stunning looks and caring ways. He can’t ask Claire to leave the life she loves for him, but he also can’t imagine ever leaving her behind…
Interested in buying Small-Town Bachelor? Click on http://jillkemerer.com/books/small-town-bachelor/ for links to purchase!
Comments 9
Oh man, Josh Duhamel has always been a favorite celeb of mine! Yay for him being the inspiration for your book – now I can picture that while I read it! 🙂
He’s one of my faves too, Susan! Is it wrong to say I enjoyed making his Pinterest board?? Ha! 🙂 Thank you!
Author
True story, Susan and Jill: I didn’t even know who Josh Duhamel was. I’M SO BEHIND!! So thank you, Jill, for expanding my man knowledge. LOL!
I enjoyed Small Town Bachelor and I definitely think Josh Duhamel fits for Reed. I actually imagined an actor named Chris Wood when I read it and I imagined Alexis Bledel as Claire (probably because of my GG obsession and because she was the only actress I could think of with blue eyes and dark hair).
Great post!
Jill, what a wonderful article. For my work in progress, I’ve chosen the brooding Colin Farrell for my hero. The picture of him on my pinterest board for this book is the exact way I pictured the guy when I first came up with this story. You can see my pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/andreacox144/supermarket-sparks/
Blessings!
Andrea
Jill, my husband and I started watching a show on t.v. called Battlecreek on Sunday evenings. He is an FBI guy on that show. If you haven’t seen it, you need to. He is pretty dreamy. Oh, and Mayhem from the Allstate Commercials is in it too.
So, as I read Small Town Bachelor, I’ll be thinking of Josh.
Melissa, all I can say on the subject of Josh is You’re Welcome!! Hahaha!!!
Charissa, Alexis Bledel would be a terrific fit, too! She and Claire are similar in looks–isn’t Alexis a cutie?? Thank you for reading my book!!
Andrea, Oh My! Colin Farrell has that ooh-la-la hero quality I love. Great pic of his–messy hair, wide eyes. Yes!
Dana, I’ll have to check out that show! I used to watch The Walking Dead, but it lost me this season, so I need a good Sunday program! Oh! Oh! I just checked out the CBS website for it–I didn’t realize Josh is the FBI agent!! I’m definitely tuning in now! Thank you!!
Jill, the spiky hair and tortured expression in Colin’s eyes is why I chose that particular picture for the inspiration of my character. Those two things were exactly what it was about Colin that jumped out in my mind that fit my character perfectly. I had just seen Saving Mr. Banks when it hit me that Colin (who portrayed the inspiration for Mr. Banks in that movie) was the spitting image of the character bouncing around in my mind. And when I googled pics of him… well, that one grabbed me.
That’s really creative! I never would have thought about picking an actor or actress and sort of base a book character off of them. That’s a good idea though, because it might help keep away those writer’s blocks if you have a real person to inspire stories.