Hey Hero, What's Your Sign?

I have a confession to make...yep, I'm one of those people. You know the kind I'm talking about...the kind of person who finagles your birthday out of you, all the while calculating whether you're an Aquarius or a Taurus or a Leo and assessing just how correct their best guess for your sign was before they knew for sure. Yes, that's me. The truth is, I find astrology fascinating. Not that I structure my day based on the lines printed in the daily horoscope column in the newspaper. Sun sign horoscopes are far too general to be of any use. Think about it - as of October 31, 2011, the world had approximately 7 billion people. This means that approximately 500 million people share each sign, and I highly doubt all 500 million of us will meet an old friend or rekindle a long-lost passion on the same day. However, I do find the personality characteristics associated with the sun signs to be right on the money most of the time. Coincidence? Possibly, but in my experience, I've often been able to guess a recent acquaintance's sun sign based on his or her personality. I know I fit my Scorpio profile to the proverbial T, and my husband is the epitome of the optimistic, outdoor-oriented, athletic Sagittarius male.

All of the signs have positive and negative characteristics. For example, Scorpio is reputed to be a highly sensual sign, which would make a great deal of sense for a romance author. I suspect that many romance authors have some Scorpio in their astrological chart. Scorpios are also known for being passionate, determined, driven to achieve, and deeply loyal and possessive in love. We're also known to be a bit secretive (romantic suspense, anyone?) Scorpios are capable of achieving great heights or plummeting to the depths of despair. We're also blunt-spoken (think about Vice President Joe Biden...no silver-tongued devil there), and tend to love being in control. As far as negative Scorpio characteristics, Scorpios tend to be jealous, sarcastic (is that truly a negative...to me, sarcasm is a second language), and may be compulsive or obsessive. Female Scorpio celebrities include Hilary Clinton, Demi Moore, Vivien Leigh, and Julia Roberts...no shrinking violets here! Famous Scorpio men include Leonardo DiCaprio and Gerard Butler...these are not men I'd think of for a comedy of manners. On the other hand, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant are both Virgos, a sign known for meticulous attention to detail, order, and intellectual characteristics. Can you imagine any other actors being so well suited to the roles they played in Bridget Jones' Diary or the roles they've fit so perfectly in Jane Austen adaptions, especially Colin Firth's classic portrayal of Mr. Darcy? Somehow, I can't picture Robert Downey, Jr. or Russell Crowe (both are Aries whom I adore!) as Mark Darcy, even though they are both phenomenal actors.

I must confess that I consider a character's "sign" when I'm plotting a story. For my most recent Ellora's Cave release, Claimed by the Spymaster, I envisioned my hero, Alec, a spy for the Crown, as an Aries. Aries men tend to be arrogant, independent, possessive, passionate, and impulsive, with a taste for adventure. Unlike a methodical Virgo, who'd plot all the logistics before springing into action, my Aries hero decides on the spot that abducting a traitor's intended will provide the advantage he needs to lure the man into his trap. He's courageous and bold, a perfect match for my Scorpio heroine, Valentina. Valentina meets Alec's challenges and passion and in the process, claims the bold spy's love. On the other hand, Jason Kane, the privateer hero of Claimed by the Captain, was conceived as a Scorpio while the heroine, Cathy, is a gentle, romantic Pisces. Cathy's compassion and intuitive nature allow her to see the captain's true nature even through Kane's drive for vengeance and destroy the bitter shell Kane has erected around his heart.

I'd love to "hear" your thoughts on astrology and characters in romance. Hope you'll leave a comment...one lucky commenter will win a free e-book of Claimed by the Spymaster. Winner will be announced Friday, November 4.