Book Binge is pleased to have Jenna Petersen back on the blog again. She’s here today to discuss her heroes with us and we couldn’t be any more excited than we already are. Jenna Petersen has written many fantastic books such as LESSONS OF A COURTESAN, SCANDALOUS and The LADY SPIES SERIES.

She’s got a great fan base and she’s such an awesome person. She also runs The Passionate Pen, which is a website dedicated to helping out aspiring authors. We think she’s pretty amazing, so without further adieu….Jenna Petersen…

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Hi everyone! I’m back! Now, don’t go screaming into the night, the ladies at The Book Binge have been nice enough to let me come back today and I promise to behave myself (at least a little). Also, I’ll be giving away prizes, so you have to stick around.

So last year, Wena here at Book Binge reviewed my book, Lessons From A Courtesan. It was one of my favorite reviews for the book just because it really seemed to evoke a strong, emotional response from her. Plus, it caused a bit of a stir and brought people to my website and that is always a good thing for an author (hey, we have to be a little mercenary… our publishing lives depend on it).

Anyway, later she asked me to do an interview on the site to talk to me more in depth about the controversy surrounding my book. So… what was the controversy? Well, it was my hero. In Lessons From A Courtesan I wrote a fairly dark hero who marries the heroine early (and against his will), leaves her and then continues his life as he led it before, including sleeping with other women (at least until she returned to his life). This, of course, caused a bit of a stir in the romance community because it’s a hot button for lots of readers. People either loved or hated Justin (and when they hated him, lordy did they HATE him).

So yesterday, I had a new book come out, Her Notorious Viscount and when Wena asked me to return and blog here this week, I figured this would be the best place in the world to talk about the differences between my heroes Justin (aforementioned hero of LFAC) and Nicholas (from HNV).

Although the romance genre is often slammed by outsiders for being cookie cutter or by the numbers, the fact is (and you readers all know this), that couldn’t be further from the truth. If only it was so easily as to do a paint-by-numbers formula! I mean, everyone and anyone could publish (and trust me, that does not happen). In truth, most writers go through the ringer trying to create a new story and fresh characters each time. We may return to the same themes (I am a big fan of healing through love and finding oneself), but with each story we try to tell those themes with new twists and different personalities attached.

So when I got the idea for Her Notorious Viscount, I knew instantly that Nicholas would not be like Justin in any way. Nicholas is harder in some ways. Unlike Justin, who really enjoyed the pampered existence he lived, Nicholas has shied away from the trappings of an upper class life. He has slithered down to the Underground, becoming a famous (and infamous) boxer. He feels at home in the filth and the true humanity of that place. But keeping a hero comfortable wouldn’t be any fun! I had to haul him out of the place he loves and throw him back into the ton, where he wouldn’t be revered, but reviled. And all his comfort would be gone.

In that way, I suppose he is like Justin. In Lessons From A Courtesan, Victoria’s return to his life turns Justin’s life on its head. It threatens his comfort and his view of himself and what he did to her. Ultimately those things start to change him. The same thing happens to Nicholas. He doesn’t want to change, but tragedy and the unexpected help of a woman (heroine Jane Fenton) may not be what he thought he wanted, but in the end they make him grow and change and become the man he is meant to be.

Will there be as much controversy with Nicholas? Maybe not. After all, he doesn’t cheat on Jane. But I hope that readers will find him as compelling as many of them found Justin. And grow to love him, just as my heroines both grew to love their heroes.

So tell me, how often do you like a hero despite yourself (as many of you did with Justin)? And what about a hero who you love from page one? Which one is more satisfying for you? I will draw a winner from all the people who comment and that person will win a signed copy of both Lessons From A Courtesan and Her Notorious Viscount so that you can compare the heroes for yourself. And this is the only place I’m giving away HNV, so comment early! And thanks for having me here.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Answer this question: How often do you like a hero despite yourself? What about a hero who you love from page one? Which one is more satisfying for you? Answer that question in the comment section of this post and your name will be thrown in for a chance to win a free copy of HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT.

Let’s make Jenna Petersen feel welcome, shall we? Good luck everyone!

HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT is available from Avon. You can buy it here.