Valentine heroes - the winner

All week it was such a pleasure to refresh my creative senses by gazing at the photos of George Clooney, Roque Santa-Cruz and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo. [ see post below ]
They certainly cheer a girl up!

But for Valentine's Day, the ultimate hero has to be Antonio Banderas.
I'm just a sucker for those Latin eyes..... sigh. The air sizzles and..... he's certainly going in my novel.

Valentines

All my stories come from looking at pictures of people. Obviously, I need a range of inspiration. Well, that's my excuse for storing all the gorgeous faces I can find. Valentine's day is fast coming up, so here are three possible hero models.

George Clooney would fit into any category of romantic novel. What's not to like? Who would say no to a male with so much beauty and charm. Just lose yourself in that smile.

If you want a young, cheerful Valentine for a hero, Roque Santa-Cruz has a wonderful smile and exudes energy and fun. If he were the hero in a historical story I feel sure his name would be Rupert.

A true Valentine dream, the smouldering eyes of Ildebrando d'Arcangelo would set any girl's heart fluttering. Add to that the serenade he would sing in his incredible baritone, the allure of his physical beauty and this is the Valentine dream par excellence. What a gorgeous hero for a romantic novel set in any period.

Prinny and his Pavilion #MarinePavilion

On 12th August, 1783, George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, celebrated his 21st birthday.

Shortly after this date he arrived in Brighton for an eleven day visit to his uncle, the infamous Duke of Cumberland. The pair threw themselves into an endless round of entertainment, all spiced with lavish amounts of food and spirits.

The Prince liked Brighton so much that he returned again and again. In Brighton his lifestyle consisted of gambling, boxing, riding, horse racing, cricket, balls, theatre visits, banquets and love affairs. At first he rented a farmhouse and eventually bought it. This building was situated at the end of the main road from London to Brighton, ideally placed to create a stunning impression on all visitors to the town.

It became known as the Marine Pavilion. Initially, the Prince added to his new home in the French Neo-Classical style.


     

As with all his interests, however, he constantly changed his tastes. Thus, the Pavilion underwent further enlargements and modifications. By 1802 there was a new banqueting room and a confectionery room. [The Prince kept three confectioners on his domestic staff!]

In 1801 the prince received a gift of some oriental wallpaper. From that point he had the Pavilion redecorated in a range of oriental styles, featuring Indian and Chinese elements. This was accompanied by further remodelling of the exterior to the highly exotic appearance it has today.



By the time the Pavilion looked like this, 

George IV looked like this...

                          

The Prince Regent and his Pavilion feature in The Rake's Challenge, 

the story of a seaside holiday that nearly went horribly wrong.

The Rake's Challenge