Posts tagged with: death and taxes

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Oct 30 2011, 1:00 am in death and taxes, Death and taxes series, Death Taxes and a French Manicure, Diane Kelly, funny mystery, tara holloway

One of the aspects of writing the Death & Taxes series that was both the most challenging and the most fun was creating the men in Tara’s life.  It was tempting to make her boyfriend, Brett Ellington, perfect.  But then he wouldn’t seem real.  And, honestly, as I thought things through, I realized I had no idea what the perfect man would look like and act like. 

Many of the things that are attractive in a man are mutually exclusive.  Should he be tall, dark, and handsome?  A business type in a power suit with a high-paying job downtown?  Or should he be less refined, maybe a lean, natural type, with shaggy sun-bleached blond hair, blue jeans, and a mischievous grin?  Either type could provide some fun.  And should he be a self-assured, take-charge alpha male?  Or perhaps he should be a less dominating, easier-to-be-with beta?  Some situations call for one, some for the other. 

In theory, the perfect man would understand his woman, sense her every mood and respond accordingly.  He’d be a good provider, physically fit, tough but sweet and caring, too.  He’d cook, clean, pay the bills, walk the dog, scoop the litter box . . . okay, even I’m not believing this anymore.  Such a creature simply does not exist.

But that’s actually a good thing, right?  Really, if the men in our lives were perfect, it would be easy to become complacent.  There’d also be no arguments followed by make-up nooky.  Life would probably be pretty darn boring.  And who are we to expect perfection?  Speaking for myself, I know I’m far from perfect.  And I don’t want to even try to be.  Who needs that kind of pressure?  My hubby isn’t perfect either.  He leaves every light on in the house and I have to follow behind him turning them all off.  He also leaves cabinet doors hanging open, as well as the lid to the washer.  But he never complains about my lack of housekeeping or cooking skills, either, and he forgives my occasional random bitchfests and the fact that I tend to take in every stray cat that appears on my doorstep.  So, all in all, I think I made a pretty good choice.

What traits would make a man “perfect?”  Is there even such a thing as a “perfect” man?  What traits do you find attractive and what traits are deal breakers?  Join in the chat for a chance to win a copy of Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure, some SWAG, and a $10 e-giftcard.  The winner will be announced this evening, so be sure to check back to see if you’ve won!  

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