Deadly Couples Back to Blog
Hi, everyone! Today I am very excited my friend (and VERY talented author) Edie Ramer as my Deadly guest. Welcome, Edie!
A huge thank you to Cynthia for inviting me to be part of her Deadly posts. To go with the Valentine theme, I thought I’d talk about unusual couples. What better book to start with than Deadly Heat, the 2nd book of Cynthia’s Deadly series. She’s a firefighter and he’s a Special Agent in the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division. On their first meeting, she slugs him in the jaw to drag him out of a fire. Not the usual cute meet. (You can read the scene here.)
In Devil Moon: A Mystic Romance by Dana Taylor, she’s a straight-laced assistant high school principal who wears “signature” outfits. He’s a former football star and former alcoholic who’s now the high school coach and doesn’t have any clothes that match.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips says her heroine in Call Me Irresistible is “spoiled and impulsive, five-feet-ten-inches of good times, good intentions, good heart, and almost total irresponsibility.” The hero is “so mature, so smart, so completely together.” SEP had another match planned for him, but they were both too perfect. Together would have been perfectly boring instead of imperfectly fun.
Movies. It’s not my favorite, but Mr. and Mrs. Smith definitely make an unusual couple. Though I’m sure they aren’t the first who tried to kill each other and ended up in therapy.
One of my favorite movies is Love Actually. That had quite a few romances, but I’ll pick Colin Firth’s character’s romance with his Portuguese maid while he’s in France writing a book. The maid can’t speak or understand English, and he can’t speak or understand Portuguese. Yet they fall in love.
And we’ve probably all seen the Disney film Lady and the Tramp. Most Regencies have that same theme going on.
My most unusual couple is from my first self-published book, Cattitude. She’s a cat who switches bodies with a woman but keeps her cat attitude – even as she falls in love with her former owner. He’s been taking care of his family since he was fourteen, and now that his brother and sister are old enough and responsible enough to manage without him, he’s ready to travel. Anyone who has anything to do with cats knows they don’t travel well.
The hero in my book Dead People, the first book of my Haunted Hearts series, is a former rocker who doesn’t believe in ghosts. The heroine is a ghost whisperer. He wants conventional. She wants acceptance. Opposites again.
When couples are so different there’s a built-in conflict. Like the vampire heroine and the human hero from Cynthia’s Immortal Danger. You can put the two together and watch the fireworks fly. And don’t we love watching a good fireworks show? The more sparks and explosions, the more entertainment.
Can you think of any unusual couples that stuck in your mind? If you’re a writer, have you written any?
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Wonderful post Edie- Great thoughts about mis-matched couples and the built in conflicts that arise from that. Love the examples you chose. I also adore the movie LOVE ACTUALLY.
Eve Dallas and Roarke, cop and kinda former thief from J.D. Robb. Not a romantic couple but Hap and Leonard from Joe R. Lansdale’s series. A white, low class southern guy and his black, low class, homosexual best friend.
Jillian, as I wrote this, I realized Love Actually had a bit of a theme going on. Colin’s character with the maid, Hugh Grant’s character with a member of his staff, and Alan Rickman’s character’s affair with his secretary. And I’m from Milwaukee, so I had a real kick out of the Milwaukee scenes. lol
That’s a hidden theme I didn’t see, Edie- thanks for steering me there.
Anne, I’ll check out Lansdale’s series. One of the most well-known mismatched couple is male/male. The Odd Couple. A slob and a neatnik living together. That has to be worse than two hitmen.
Jillian, every time I watch Love Actually, I get something new that I missed before. It’s one of those movies that has nuances and gets better every time you watch it.
Adore “Love Actually”! It’s one of my favorites. Gorgeous cover on the DEAD PEOPLE novel. Sounds like the conflict between the two would be intense. As a writer, my two favorites are still Diana and Ryder from THE CALLING series. I had pictured her as a kick-ass modern heroine and he’s an old-fashioned Southern gentleman. Immediately bound to grate on each other. As for what to look for in books by other authors, I so loved the first scene in DEADLY HEAT!
Caridad, I have a great cover artist, Laura Morrigan. The cover for my next book is even more fantastic.
The couple from The Calling sounds great. I’ll check it out! And I loved Cindy’s first scene too. She writes riveting scenes.
Cool, sounds like some good books here. I haven’t read one of your books yet and looks like I need to remedy that.
I enjoy stories about odd couples who get together and beat the obstacles to true love.
wonderful!!!
Valerie
in Germany
valb0302@yahoo.com
Valerie, odd couples have a built-in conflict, which is why they’re fun to read about or watch on TV. And to write!
Edie, what a fun blog post. I loved WHMS and just recently watched it again. YOur love relationships sound like I’m going to love them to, when I finally get a inute to sit back and read them.
The only couple I can think of with my brain-dead imagination right now (cramming for a deadline) is Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.
Liz, good luck on finding time to sit back and read. Rhett and Scarlett are classic mis-matched couples who are perfect for each other. (I didn’t read the sequel, but I’m sure Margaret Mitchell meant them to get together again.)
Okay, I need people to know I’m only typing with 7 fingers!! LOL Can you say spell check??
Liz, I had to read your comment twice to see what you were talking about. My eyes just slid over it.
Of course Eve Dallas and Roark was the first couple I thought of too!
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is another great example.
I love the couple from Vicki Lewis Thompson’s A Werewolf in Manhattan…writer Emma Gavin writes about werewolves (sure she’s writing fiction) and Aidan Wallace, heir to a pack of wealthy New York werewolves.
Another one! Nora (society) and Mick (mafia) from Nancy Martin’s Blackbird Sisters (Mick was originally hired to kill Nora. Not the best start for a romance!)
great topic
Cyndi, I keep hearing about A Werewolf in Manhattan. I’ve been snowbound lately – it’s snowing again now! – but I plan on buying it when I get to a store.
I’ll check out Nora and Mick’s book. That’s great conflict!
Hi Edie,
It’s funny how opposites attract. I know several real life couples that I have to shake my head at – but they’re happy so what do I know! I enjoyed Mr. & Mrs. Smith as a fast paced funny action escape and thought the characters blended well.
Love the sound of Dead People, great mismatching! And of course I thoroughly enjoyed Cattitude!
Dale, I know a few couples like that, too. I can tell you that if a neat-nik married me, he’d be pulling his hair out. Or mine.
Thanks for the nice words about Cattitude!
Edie, what a great topic. As you know, I really enjoyed your mismatched couple in Cattitude. It’s got that whole Little Mermaid theme going on–which is a bit of what goes on with Colin Firth and his Portugese maid.
In Sense & Sensibility, Alan Rickman’s steadfast heart is captivated by the romantic and overly sensitive younger sister played by Kate Winslet. I cry every time I see that movie when she finally recognizes the value of his love.
Amy, I saw Sense & Sensibility, but it’s been a long time. I’ll have to rent it again. I’m a fan of Alan Rickman. Love his voice. And Kate Winslet is a great actress.
I never thought of the Little Mermaid theme, but you’re right. It does. Thanks! I’ll use that from now on. lol
Amy- I love S and S, too – for the same reason. My friend and I argue all the time about Mr. Darcy vs. Col. Brandon. I think Brandon is much better as he was always loyal and true and wanted his love to be happy even if it meant she was with another man AND, most importantly, he was never rude or mean to Maryann. I even have a tee-shirt that says Col.Brandon > Mr. Darcy! LOL!
Strange couples – this made me think of he couples of Lew Tolstoi, like Anna Karenina,imprisoned between marriage and love.
I love to write stories, where the couples are not really in contrast, but have more o less the same goal – beyond loe of course; yet fight and betray each other for someoe else’s sake or for an odd oath.
Like my Napolitan Mirella: Whilst the French noble, she falls in love with, has come to defend the freedom of Naples, Mirella – against her will and desire – betrays love and the young Republic (of 1647) to save her conspiring brother’s life.
Annemarie, those are great conflicts. In my books, my characters usually have an inner conflict that keeps them from committing to each other instead of an outer one. But I wouldn’t like every book I read – or write – to be the same.
Eve and Roark, definitely popped into my head first… I have enjoyed many books with unusual couples… always great to see how writers bring them together… love to see them get past whatever obstacles are in their way!
Colleen, Eve and Roark seem to be a favorite. I’m making my characters from my next book, Dragon Blues, into a continuing series. I should read her series and see how she keeps it interesting.
Great topic!
I think one of the reasons we see this in fiction is because it resonates with so many people in life. I’m a writer- and therefore a bit of a loaner. My DH is a total extrovert. He really does LOVE lots of people. It doesn’t matter if he knows them or not. Give him time… the man has never met a stranger.
And, of course, its our differences that lead to conflict and– untimely, growth.
or maybe just a good spy movie. 🙂
Loved Cattitude, Edie!
Laura, I can see you in a spy movie. You have on that slinky gown that you wore in Orlando. lol
My son can talk to anyone – he doesn’t get that from my husband or me – and his wife is definitely an introvert.
I love this blog, Edie! A la Mr. an Mrs. Smith, my fave deadly couple is Jax Cassidy and Marcus Cross in ENEMY LOVER. 😉
Karin, I love Jax and Marcus! They’re both so intense and raw. You did an awesome job with them!
Eve and Roarke are the one couple who come to mind for me!
Diane, clearly they’re the most popular. I really need to read that series.
For unusual couples…
Have you seen Dharma and Greg? They are one of my favorite opposite couples!
Your book, Dead People, sounds fantastic. Will definitely check it out.
The only odd couple I can come up with is The Beauty and the Beast. Talk about opposites.