Melinda Leigh "She Can Run" blog Tour!!!

Please Welcome Melinda Leigh 

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BOOKS READ 'N' MAKEUP DONE

Heroes

First of all I want to thank Books Read ‘N Makeup Done! for hosting a stop on my blog tour. SHE CAN RUN is my debut romantic suspense. I’m thrilled to share my excitement about its release with your readers.

Today, I’d like to talk about heroes. Let’s start with five important facts about my ideal romance hero.

1. Deep down, he’s a nice guy. Sure, a tortured hero can have issues that make him surly. But he should a) not be surly toward the heroine because he loves her, b) be less surly by the end of the book to show he’s learned something, or c) have a strong heroine who calls him out on said surliness. An alpha hero needs an alpha heroine.

2. A sense of humor is a must-have quality. No wiggle room on this one.

3. I like manly men. In movies, I’d rather see a face that’s been lived in than one that’s been nipped and tucked. My romance hero will never use more hair product than my heroine or hog mirror time in the bathroom.

4. He will do what is right when it counts, even if he doesn’t want to. Anybody else thinking about Han Solo here? Sure, he was the bad boy, and we all had our moment of panic when he deserted the rebel cause to make good with Jabba the Hut. But he came back, even though it ended up costing him dearly.

5. Heroes are good with children and dogs. There is nothing sexier than a big strong man gently handling a small, fragile creature. I must not be the only woman who thinks this. When my children were babies, women would flock to my husband every time he went out solo with an infant. He was the Pied Piper of young women as long as he was pushing a stroller.

We romance readers all have our weaknesses. I have a close friend who will read any book that involves a secret baby. Me? I’m a total sucker for a wounded hero story. How about you? What hero qualities make your heart melt?

Want to know more about me and my book? Check out my website,  www.melindaleighauthor.com. I love to hear from readers. Please connect with me on Facebook & Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

Ten months ago, Elizabeth Baker uncovered a dangerous secret about her politician husband—a secret that nearly got her killed. Now she and her children are running for their lives. When Beth is hired as the caretaker of a remote Pennsylvania estate, she dares to hope she has found a corner of the world where Congressman Richard Baker can’t find them. But when her new boss dies suddenly and his nephew inherits the estate, Beth is faced with outwitting a former homicide detective who is very smart, very suspicious—and very attractive.

Forced into retirement by an injury and grieving the loss of his uncle, Jack O’Malley is unprepared to share his new home with a strange woman and her two kids. He is even less prepared for the instantaneous attraction he feels whenever Beth enters the room. She is beautiful, intelligent, kind…and obviously terrified of someone or something. As Jack’s investigation uncovers the shocking details of Beth’s past, the rural community is shaken by the murder of a local woman  Driven by instinct and desire, Jack is determined to keep Beth and her children safe, even if doing so means putting his heart—and his life —on the line.

More than a decade ago, Melinda Leigh left a career in banking to raise her children and never looked back.  She started writing when her youngest child entered first grade as a way to preserve her sanity.   Her stories have won writing awards including Put Your Heart in a Book, The Marlene Award, Where the Magic Begins and The Gateway to the Best.  She Can Run, her debut romantic suspense novel with Montlake Romance, released in November 2011 and became the #1 Hot New Release in Kindle Romantic Suspense.

Melinda is also an avid martial artist. She holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate, studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and teaches women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs and one neurotic cat with an inexplicable fear of ceiling fans.  With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.