BWL Red Carpet - Casting Your Characters: Actors

This month's behind the Cover Artist's Curtain is a special edition.  Today we will be Casting Characters.

First up on the Red Carpet - we have Tyler Bishop.

Character Name:  Tyler Bishop  

Book:  Ellie's Legacy

Author: Ginger Simpson

About Tyler: Handsome and rugged, Tyler is totally bamboozled by Ellie.  One minute she's a flirt, the next minute she acts like she's angry with him.  Although he wants to please her father and show he can be the best foreman ever, Ty's being there seems to be a burr under Ellie's saddle and he's really attracted to her...just not sure if the feelings are mutual.  He tries looking out for her best interest, but that just makes her think he's bossy.  No matter what he does, he's damned.

Ginger's Casting Pick: "I pick handsome country western singer, Blake Shelton to play the role.  He's definitely a good ol' boy with the looks, charm, and definitely the witt to try to do battle with Ellie."

Tyler's Shining Moment: 

It appeared as though Ellie had turned into a full-grown woman overnight, kind of like the newborn foals in the spring. One minute they were awkward and gangly and the next they had filled out and turned into something spirited and beautiful.

Oh, Ellie wasn’t a horse, but she did have spirit, and she certainly was a beauty. The thought of all those curves in the right places and the memory of her luscious lips awakened a distinct part of his body. He tugged at the crotch of his trousers and moved back to the mirror to put on his tie.

If luck was on his side, in a few hours he’d be holding her in his arms, and maybe on the way home, he’d steal another kiss or two.

With that in mind, Ty went outside, stopping at the flowerbed next to the porch. It was only fitting he give his lady something special, but only a few late bloomers remained. Luckily one stood out among the wilted. Carefully, Ty plucked a pale pink rose to give to Ellie in celebration of the occasion.

BLURB:  Tomboy, Ellie Fountain is determined to stop the conniving neighbors from their plot to take her father’s land. She’s an only child, Fountainhead is her legacy. The handsome ranch foreman, Tyler Bishop, is a burr under her saddle and a barrier to her future. Her pa treats him like the son he never had, and Ellie is jealous. She’s out to prove she’s as good as any man at ranching… but her biggest threat may not be the polecats that are killing the cattle and taking potshots at her….it might be her heart. 

And now here comes Stuart Montgomery.

Character Name: Stuart Montgomery

Book(s) Featuring the Character:  Cold Gold (Book 1 The Buxton Chronicles), On Borrowed Time (Book 2 The Buxton Chronicles)

Author: Victoria Chatham

About Stuart: Intelligent, moral, loyal, career oriented. Would like a woman in his life but realizes he is too single minded to be a good husband. His chosen profession is his life. 

Victoria's Casting Pick: "William Baldwin because he is capable of playing two sides of the same coin as shown by his roles in playing a killer in The Preppie Murder and a firefighter in Backdraft.  He has that lean, dark look that I imagine Stuart Montgomery to have."

Stuart's Shining Moment: 

They boarded the steamer berthed at the end of the pier without incident. The purser directed them to the lounge and reminded them of their departure time. Randolph thanked him and chose a table with a fine view across the Bay. Serena fiddled with the buttons on her jacket but smiled when Randolph took her hand.

She looked at the backs of hands, still hairless but pink with healthy new skin. His singed hair had been cropped back almost to the scalp but already grown back into its normal thick brown thatch. His face still bore signs of the damage done in the fire, but Dr. Miller was sure he would sustain no lasting signs of his ordeal. The only reservation he held was for the strength of Randolph’s lungs and strongly advised him to see his own physician once they were back in England.

“Here he is,” Randolph said quietly and rose to greet Montgomery.

Serena steeled herself to look at him and was shocked at what she saw. Montgomery, so similar to Randolph in height and build, had lost some weight and his face looked raw and gaunt. In spite of her misgivings at seeing him again, her heart went out to him. He had, after all, risked his own life by racing after Randolph into a burning building.

BLURB: Lord Randolph and Lady Serena Buxton’s orderly lives are upset by Pinkerton Agent Stuart Montgomery’s unexpected arrival at their estate in England. And this is no ordinary social call!

Montgomery is investigating four suspicious deaths at an American aviation company, and of the two remaining partners one is the old friend of Lady Serena’s. Can Montgomery convince his friends to return to America with him in hopes of finding the missing piece to the puzzle that will help him close the case?

Serena has her doubts. Her concern for her friend, Sir Hilary, is overlaid by her fear that Randolph may once again find his life in danger from an old adversary who once left him for dead. Does Montgomery really want their assistance? Or is his case just an excuse to renew a potentially scandalous association with her?  Time is running out as events escalate revealing more secrets than ever suspected.   

Coming down the carpet now is Alexander Hamilton.
That's right - the US President.

Character Name: Alexander Hamilton

Book(s) Featuring: A MASTER PASSION: Love and Liberty, A MASTER PASSION: Glory Passes

Author: Juliet Waldron 

About Alexander: Born illegitimate in the West Indies, orphaned early, grows up in poverty, Hamilton is determined to change his life. He’s energetic, passionate, intelligent, idealistic, utterly driven to recast himself as a gentleman/knight-in-shining-armor. He’s sensitive, sensual and has a temper, which  sometimes gets him into trouble.

Juliet's Casting Pick: "Ryan Gosling has the look, but he's also got some range as an actor."

Alexander's Shining Moment: 

"Thompson," Alexander asked the sergeant who was wading through the crusted snow beside him, "have you got any idea how much farther?"

    "No, Captain." The provincial's half-expected reply. "Never been west of the Hudson 'til the run we just took ‘cross Jersey."

    "I hope we get there soon." Hamilton muttered inside his frozen, sodden muffler. He was giddy with misery, suffering a terrible catarrh. His head and chest ached. His hands, feet and face stung and burned. He tried to rouse himself by focusing upon the upcoming battle.

    One again we'll fight the British. Fight them -- by God -- after all this running!

    Nevertheless, the pumping thrill of anticipation he'd felt as they'd met the enemy in summer was nearly impossible to muster, a dead horse incapable of being flogged to life. It was as if his mind was as frozen as his feet.

    We will fight -- eventually. We will be killed, or not be killed --eventually. I shall never give up...

            In the meantime, they were on an endless march in an icy hell, putting one aching numb foot in front of the other...

Book Blurb: Betsy's passion is Hamilton, but while he adores his wife and children, there are times when he loves America more.

And here is Jack Dunlevy walking towards us now.

Character Name: Jack Dunlevy

Book(s) Featuring: Family Secrets, Family Ties and Family Honor

Author: Jamie Hill

About Jack: Jack Dunlevy is a handsome, burnt out cop who smokes too much and drinks too much. He has a penchant for pretty women and little kids, and rescuing them makes him feel worthwhile again. 

Jamie's Casting Pick: "Adrian Pasdar has the look that I believe Jack has, dark, scruffy handsome, masculine with deep, soulful eyes."

Jack's Shining Moment: 

Inside Jack’s room, Crystal looked through his closet for another sweatshirt. “I need to do some laundry. Things are getting desperate here.” She found a shirt and pulled it over her head, and then watched him grab the hamper and shove his wet clothes in it.

“Let’s gather it all up and we’ll do it now.”

She gave him a small smile. “Yeah?” She had never met a man willing to help with the laundry. Sure, Jack had done it once, but that was before. Crystal generally found relationships changed after ‘the deed’ was done.

He looked at her and shrugged. “What? It’s just laundry.”

She shrugged back and tossed her towel into the hamper. She glanced out to where the boys were and then back at him quickly. “So you really think I have what they need?”

He smiled slowly at her and replied, “I know you have what they need. You just have to convince yourself of that fact.” He carried the hamper out the door in front of her and added in an offhand tone, “I also know you have what I need. I guess it’s up to me to convince you of that.”

Crystal followed him, not really aware she was smiling until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the boys’ room as she picked up their laundry. “Hell’s bells,” she muttered to herself, and wondered why she felt so happy.

BLURB: Family Secrets A Cop in the Family, Book 1

As if stumbling over a dead body isn’t enough, Crystal Cartwright finds herself playing surrogate mother to two small boys when their father–her neighbor–doesn’t come home. The kids aren’t much trouble, but the thieves, drug dealers and kidnappers they’re about to encounter are.

Detective Jack Dunlevy, a cop down on his luck, draws the cases no one else wants. A simple investigation involving a dead homeless man quickly changes as Crystal enlists Jack’s help with the children. Drawn into a mystery that none of them could have anticipated, they’re faced with a situation that will change their lives forever.

“Ms. Hill is a genius! The plot line was AMAZING. It was action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. Ms. Hill has become a favorite author of mine and I consider her to be an automatic add to my “to be read list”. If you are a serious suspense loving reader who loves to form bonds with the characters, this is definitely the book for you! I loved it and can’t wait to read more of Ms. Hill’s books, she has the gift of knowing what the reader wants and then hitting you with an ending you certainly don’t expect. Two thumbs up!” ~ Val, You Gotta Read Reviews, 5 Stars

So what do you think?  Which of these handsome men deserve the best actor award?  Which character deserves his own award?  

Stay tuned for the next episode of Casting Your Characters when the ladies get their turn down the red carpet.