Rami Ungar, a fellow author I know who excels in the horror genre, recently did a post that looked like a lot of fun. I couldn’t settle on specific books or characters, so I’m going to be more general in my answers than he was in his. He did a great of listing out specifics, and I enjoyed reading what he came up with in his favorites for the horror genre. You can check his blog post here if you’re interested.
On to my answers…
The Perfect Book Tag
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The Perfect Genre
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Romance. Specifically, I love historical romances. The reason I enjoy romance so much is the happy ending. I’m assured that no matter how bad things get during the course of the story, things will turn out okay. I don’t get that kind of assurance with any other genre. The guaranteed happy ending is what prompted me to start reading this genre in the sixth grade, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
The Perfect Setting
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My favorites are Regencies and historical westerns, but if I had to pick the one that I would write if I couldn’t write anything else, I would pick the historical western romance. I have a fondness for mid-to-late 1800s. I know life was tough back then, but the stories of husbands and wives sticking together no matter what came there way reveals to me just how powerful love can be. In a couple of the tours I’ve taken to old towns and homesteads, many of these people would travel out west with no idea what to expect. They had God, they had each other, and they had their children. It’s just a beautiful testimony to the importance of faith and family.
The Perfect Main Character
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I like a main character who works hard, knows how to protect himself and his family, and has integrity. Dave Larson probably sums up my idea of the perfect character.
The Perfect Best Friend
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The comic relief. I love it when the best friend of any main character brings humor into the story. Sometimes this comic relief ends up being the main character, and while that is fun to read, it’s always more fun to me when the main character’s best friend has the funny lines that make me laugh.
The Perfect Love Interest
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As much as I love Dave Larson, I really like a man who can make me laugh. So I’m going to have to go with sense of humor as being the biggest quality in this area. Someone like Christopher Robinson would be someone I’d lean toward because he is funny, loyal, and patient. Plus, my husband is a lot like Christopher. That’s why Christopher won over Dave in the end. (Sorry to those who love Dave the most.)
The Perfect Villain
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I actually love the villain who ends up becoming the hero in another book. The reason for this is because this type of character has many layers. One in particular is Neil Craftsman. He had a complete turnaround from villain to hero, but the change didn’t happen right away. It took time and suffering for him to get there. It’s a good display of redemption. I love the theme that anyone can have a second chance. That is the appeal of the villain, and if I can find one I can transform into a hero, that’s exciting.
The Perfect Family
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I love the family where there’s witty banter between the family members and they accept each other (faults and all) without judgment. The Larsons are my idea of the ideal family. They’re not perfect. They have quirks. They have moments where they get upset with each other. But at the end of the day, they will do everything they can to help each other out.
*****
I’m going to stop here. I spent 2.5 hours on this post (it was hard to make find the images best suited for each category). Also, my mind is blank on the other categories I would have to choose from: the perfect animal/pet, the perfect plot twist, the perfect trope, the perfect cover, the perfect ending. Well, I love an arranged marriage trope, but there are several ways to achieve this and I love them all. I love marriage of convenience plots, forced marriage plots (whether it’s with a shotgun or through some trick by another person), and mail-order bride or husband plots. I can’t pick one.
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Because he reminds you of your husband, I think it’s imperative that you prefer Christopher. You know where my heart lies, though he’s nothing like my husband. It would be hard to write Tom,(my husband) into a romance- he was a nearly completely left-brained person, a scientist, and I think he was just meant for me. His sweet nothings whispered in my ear, were “We are like enzymes and their substrates- having certain talents and abilities singly, but together unlocking other abilities and talents beyond our capacity by ourselves.” Yeah… I told him I’d never heard such romance from any other man! So, no, he’s never going to show up in a novel, but, then there’s Dave Larson!
That’s so funny. I’m still laughing. I bet he was a real sweetheart despite his lack of flowery language. He sounds like someone you could depend on no matter what. 😀
I’m sitting here trying to figure out which one of your characters would be most like my husband. He’s usually very quiet, so when he suddenly says something really funny, people are surprised. He has a corny sense of humor.
Hmm… Looking through my list of books, I’m thinking Rick Johnson (Sally Larson’s husband) might fit. He’s more of a quiet character who does have a sense of humor but it rarely comes out. For the most part, he’s a straight-and-narrow type of character. In Her Heart’s Desire, you get the best glimpse of his sense of humor when he catches onto the plan Sally created in order to get him interested in her, and he thinks it’s romantic to “kidnap” her in order to elope with her. This is seen as both funny but also corny to Sally when it occurs.
I originally wanted to say Tom Larson, only because Tom’s sense of humor isn’t fine-tuned like the other Larsons. Joel sees him as corny, as do some other characters. He, however, isn’t quiet. 😀
Great post, Ruth. And it’s totally fine to go general. Sometimes finding specific answers is really tough!
BTW, how are you doing with the movies I recommended?
It was harder than I thought it’d be. You did an awesome job of coming up with specifics. I don’t know how you did it.
Surprisingly, without drugs, alcohol, or sacrifices to Eldritch Terrors.
LOL That’s so funny. You have a great sense of humor. 😀
Glad someone thinks so!
Rami, what kinds of books do you write?
Horror, mostly. My latest book is a fantasy-horror story called Rose, about a young woman turning into a plant creature.
Catherine, it was a good book. I think you’d like it. 😀
Thanks, Ruth! 😊
I love horror. I’ve seen you on Ruth’s bog a lot. (I’m usually here under Lauralynn Elliott, LOL).I’ll have to check that out!
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it if you read it.
I bought it, so I’m going to read it as soon as I finish the book I’m reading.
Excuse me while I go scream in excitement. Can’t wait to hear what you think.