Today we welcome a long-time friend of Heroes and Heartbreakers as well as a fantastic author. Amanda Bonilla’s Shaede Assassin series features Darian, who is the titular Shaede Assassin. The second book in Darian’s adventures is Blood Before Sunrise, which was just released. Thanks for joining us, Amanda!
Earlier on my blog tour, I talked about a guy I saw in a Walmart. He was well over six foot-five, he was wearing all black, with a long black trench coat and big, thick-soled combat boots. His head was shaved to show off the tattoo on the back of his head that read Mayhem in this crazy looking script. His ears were gauged and he walked around the store as though he didn’t notice all of the people doing double-takes as he passed. The guy looked like he’d stepped right out of an urban fantasy novel. And I think some people just look like they could be vampires, werewolves, or assassins. I don’t know what it is. They just give off a vibe.
It’s not hard to imagine Angelina Jolie as an assassin. And not just because she’s Lara Croft, Evelyn Salt, Jane Smith, and countless other badass characters. She just naturally looks like a woman who might know Krav Maga, have mad skills with a katana, and can shoot a 9mm and not even worry about the kick.
Oded Fehr is another actor who comes to mind when I’m picturing an assassin. Besides being dead sexy, he has a sort of mysterious-slash-dangerous thing going for him. It’s not a look that he has to work at by any means. Deadly assassin just sort of wafts off of him. Inhale the danger. It smells good.
It’s a little known fact that I have mad love for Paul Bettany. I don’t know what it is. I definitely like guys with a lean, swimmer’s build. Or, it could be his gorgeous light eyes, or his lips…God, those LIPS…but I digress. ;) I’ve always thought there was something ethereal about him. Fae-like.
I once spent thirty minutes writing a character sketch about a girl I’d coached in volleyball who reminded me of a fairy. Lithe, willowy, with wide brown eyes, and soft features, she stood with her elbows and knees turned in toward her body as if keeping a secret. Completely otherworldly. I could almost picture her standing under a bower with flowers woven into her hair. Cate Blanchett has the same look. Could that preternatural vibe be the reason she was cast in Lord of the Rings?
Adrian Grenier. Shifter. I mean, seriously, have you ever seen anyone who looked more like some kind of were? He’s got sexy alpha-male written all over him. Nothing about him comes off as weak or shy. He’s wild. Animalistic. I can totally see him as some sort of shifter. Maybe a sleek, black jaguar. Meee-ow.
I can name one thing right now that countless women have in common with Anne Rice: A deep and abiding love for Matt Bomer. In fact, I started watching White Collar because Anne Rice pimped the show on her Facebook page. She has declared more than once that Matt is her ideal Lestat. I have to agree with her. Matt has the vampire look: beautiful and alluring. The perfect predator. You don’t suspect the danger until it’s too late. Honestly, I wouldn’t put up much of a fight if Matt wanted to sink his fangs into me. But it’s not just celebrities who are rocking the vampire look. My friend Tracey used to work in a building with a guy she dubbed, “Vampire Boy.” Picture Rehvenge from JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Floor-length coat and everything. According to Tracey, he totally rocked the vamp vibe. I would have looooved to get a good look at him!
Have you encountered someone who gave off a particular vibe? Maybe they reminded you of an Army Ranger, or they looked exactly how you picture an alpha werewolf. What celebrities do you think have a preternatural look?
Amanda Bonilla lives in rural Idaho with her husband and two kids. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. When she’s not writing, she’s either reading or talking about her favorite books.
