The Raven Saint hero - Captain Rafe Dubois

The winner from last week's drawing is Ashley Davis!!! Congratulations, Ashley, please send me your email address and/or your mailing address so I can send you the book.

This week, let's take an in-depth look at the hero in The Raven Saint, Captain Rafe Dubois.

Brief Description: Tall, well-built with jet black hair and dark, smoky eyes, Rafe Dubois has no trouble attracting les femmes. That is, until he comes across Mademoiselle Grace Westcott. The son of Henri Dubois, a rich planter on the French island of Saint Dominique, Rafe, at age 26, has already amassed a fortune of his own by hiring himself and his ragtag crew out as mercenaries to the highest bidder—performing whatever dirty deed is required of them, without question. But Rafe has an oddity that baffles both his men and Mademoiselle Grace. Instead of spending his wealth on himself, he gives most of it away to the poor and sick in Port-aux-Paix, his home town. In fact, it is his ultimate goal to build a hospital in the poverty-stricken port for those who cannot afford quality care. In truth, Rafe wants nothing more than to infuriate his father, a man who mistreated Rafe from birth and who committed the ultimate act of betrayal against his own son. I picture Rafe looking a lot like Orlando Bloom in the pirate movies. :-)

Strengths: Protective, Smart, Leader, Good heart, Intuitive, Risk taker
Weaknesses: Bitter, Arrogant, Rebellious, Loves Praise, Pessimist, Bad Temper

Inspiration: Rafe is the ultimate Bad Boy. And I love writing the bad boy! He’s rude, extremely macho, and arrogant. Yet he is a true leader, a commander who inspires others to follow him. He walks on the wild side and has a dangerous look about him. But inside, he’s a wounded warrior with a heart of gold. I think this is my favorite type of hero to write because bad boys are so deep, so passionate, and there’s a lot of stuff going on beneath the surface. Rafe has lived a lifetime of abuse and neglect. Those he trusted and loved the most stabbed him in the back. Consequently, he hates God and hates women. He has no self value, so he searches for it in the praises of others. Pretending to be altruistic, he is only satisfying his need for value and for revenge against his father—a father who has an outward appearance of piety that disgusts Rafe. Can you imagine the fireworks that are set off when Rafe meets the pious Grace Westcott?

If you would like to be entered in the drawing for The Raven Saint this week, please leave a comment about this post. (And don't forget to leave your email address--I had two people last week who left me no name and no way to contact them) If you entered last week, please enter again as I'm not going to bring those comments forward.

Thanks everyone!