Welcome MV Freeman!

Hey All! Hope you all will give a warm welcome to MV Freeman, a smart, funny and very talented author. Her debut book, Incandescent, is getting rave reviews. And after reading about her inspiration for her hero, it's no wonder.

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Take it away MV!

The Inspiration for Mikhail

Sometimes, I dream of my characters. Other times, they pop up when I least expect it. Mikhail Petrov, the anti-hero in my current book, Incandescent, showed up one day in my subconscious and refused to leave. I was watching the movie “Eastern Promises” a film about the Russian mob in England. The main character, Nikolai, was played by Viggo Mortenson. He was a man who played a dangerous game (I’ll be obtuse, it would ruin the ending!).

What intrigued me was the charm and dark humor the Russian, Nikolai, carried. It was different and I wanted to be able to capture the essence of it. I have some clips showing Viggo Mortenson’s character and why he appealed to me--the first is one where he drives the heroine in the movie home:

http://youtu.be/cyrDoGdif_o   (Anna’s Ride home—look at how he charms her)

In Incandescent, Mikhail is much like the hero in “Eastern Promises”. He shares the same charm and dark humor, the difference is what drives him—desperation. He’s trying to free himself and those under his command from the choking chains of a ruling class. He’ll use anyone or anything to obtain his goal. Another difference—I gave him a great power. He controls Earth, Air, and Water, it is his job to maintain the balance in the weather over allotted area; something he takes seriously. In order to do his job, he needs a strong forth Element, Fire.

Still, for all his nobility—Mikhail is an anti-hero. In the clip below you see Nikolai (Viggo) preparing to prep a body for disposal (Don’t worry, you don’t see him actually doing it in this clip). I included it to again show the dark humor and how cool and lethal he came across. See what you think:

http://youtu.be/-JBot7oQuKM (Leave the Room)-- Nikolai tells the man to leave the room, I’d leave the room.

The film is filled with these amazing clips illustrating a character who exudes power but not always by shouting. His intimidation is in how he talks, his body language, and how he handles himself. In my book, I give my hero paranormal abilities—but that isn’t what defines him. I try to show this with his interaction with the heroine (although he does cross lines).

My anti-hero, Mikhail is pushy and at times rude, but when he gives his loyalty and his heart, he’ll do what it takes to protect what is his. Laurie is a determined woman who had to learn to know her own strength and in the end, she’s able to handle someone like Mikhail but it almost costs both of them their lives.

Tell me about the heroes in books you read, have you found one that stays with you long after you read the story? Which kind of hero do you like? Some like their heroes to be good men, but in books, I like mine to be dangerous. 

I am giving a digital copy (Nook or Kindle) to one commenter today. 

Author Bio: M.V. Freeman is a native of Minnesota, but calls North Alabama her home. She is a member of RWA, and the chapters: Georgia Romance Writers and Southern Magic. By day her mind is filled with medical jargon at the local health clinic, but at night she finds herself exploring alternate worlds within our own. Heavily influenced by Slavic languages and culture, you will find she weaves these elements into her stories. Her award winning debut novel INCANDESCENT is the first in a series. She is currently working on the second book in the series while plotting another set of stories. When she is not writing, she's reading, cooking, throwing around kettle bells, or making coffee.

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Some gifts are unwanted, and Laurie Hudson’s affinity for fire is one she hates. It has destroyed her relationship with her family and she has few friends. She’s fought hard to keep the fire inside suppressed, living a low key life as a bartender, until a brutal and charming man blows into her life.

Around Mikhail Petrov, her careful control disintegrates. She is at once drawn to his urbane, cool demeanor and irritated by his overbearing manner. Her options are taken away when he kidnaps her, forcing her into a fight she wants nothing to do with.

As she learns to survive, Laurie faces the hardest choice of all, her freedom or the destruction of the frustrating man she’s come to care for.