Lynn Kurland: Deerstalkers and Knights in Shining Armor

As I was watching raindrops falling on my yet-to-bloom roses—cheesy, yes, but I think I might not be the only one ready to leave winter behind--I started to think about a few of my favorite things. I probably have too many, which is why my bookcases are overflowing with books to be read and my house too full of fiber to be spun and yarn to be knit, but when it comes to characters that stick with me long after the book is closed, I have to admit a terrible preference for guys with swords.

They don’t have to be real swords, though if I were stuck in the Middle Ages, I wouldn’t argue with that sort of accessory. I just like a man who can take care of stuff that needs to be taken care of. If fast cars, historical textiles, and super sleuthing are involved, so much the better.

I think that’s what I like best about the hero from ROSES IN MOONLIGHT, which hits shelves later this month. Derrick Cameron doesn’t carry a sword, though he can use one, but he does have a fast car and I feel fairly confident that in some box somewhere there’s an old, beat-up deerstalker that he wore when he was ten while reading mysteries under the covers with a flashlight. I’m not sure he’s quite prepared for the woman he thinks is his biggest problem to actually be the one thing he’s missing in life, but it wouldn’t be a romance without a happy ending!

Who’s your favorite fictional sleuth and why?