It's the question that almost immediately comes up whenever we meet new people
for the first time, an easy way to get an idea who this person is (and to fill
any uncomfortable silences <g>). After all, what we do for a living often
says something about who we are as people. That’s definitely as true for
fictional people as for real ones, and one of the most interesting parts of a
book can be reading about what the hero and heroine—and even secondary
characters—do for a living.
When it comes to Intrigue, and romantic suspense in general,
protagonists in law enforcement tend to be fairly common, which certainly makes
sense. Police officers, federal agents and investigators are more likely to be
drawn into criminal matters or dangerous situations than the average citizen.
But there are plenty of Intrigues that don't involve characters in law
enforcement. From cat burglars to dream researchers, rock stars to toymakers,
illusionists to cartoonists, Intrigue heroes and heroines have been a varied
group over the years. That's certainly true for my books. Personally, I tend to
lean toward the type of romantic suspense where the main characters aren’t
involved in law enforcement. I love the added tension of two people without any
investigative or protective training thrust into circumstances beyond their
experience, usually for very personal reasons. As a reader, I was probably
influenced by the fact that that was more the case when I started reading
Intrigue way back when, as you were more likely to find two regular people
caught up in a mystery. (Anyone remember when heroes in law enforcement were
rare enough in Intrigue that there was a Lawman promotion one year to point out
books that had them?) Plus, I’ve always enjoyed reading about interesting and
atypical careers and learning more about them. As a writer, I wanted to write a
wide variety of story types, and characters with a wide variety of careers are a
natural extension of that.
The hero of my first book was a bounty hunter. Since then
I’ve had a doctor hero and business executive heroine in BEAUTIFUL STRANGER,
followed by a pro football player hero and writer heroine in A STRANGER’S BABY.
My latest Intrigue, November’s TRUSTING A STRANGER, features a hero who’s a
corporate attorney and a heroine who's an interior decorator. And yes, each of
their careers—and why they chose them—says a great deal about who they are.
That’s not to say I wouldn't—or won't—write about characters in law enforcement,
anymore than I wouldn't read one. Actually, I just submitted a proposal with a
hero who's a homicide detective. I'm working on a few more proposals as well,
each of which involves characters with completely different careers from any of
the above.
What about you? What are some of the careers you enjoy
reading about in Intrigues? Can’t get enough of those cops, secret agents and
bodyguards? Are there some interesting careers you'd like to see more of? Or
what are some careers you've read about that were interesting, in Intrigue or
otherwise? Anything you might not have thought you’d want to read about
beforehand that turned out to be fascinating?
Technically, I’m supposed to be blogging Monday, but I’m not
sure how often I’ll be able to get online, so I’ve decided to turn this into a
two-day extravaganza. One commenter will win a choice of BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
or A STRANGER’S BABY, featuring characters with the careers mentioned above.
The winner will be drawn and announced late Monday.
Kerry Connor
www.kerryconnor.com
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