In the beginning, there was Jed, and Jed was hot. He fired my imagination, kept me awake late at night as I worked on Breaking Point, fueling my fantasies of Zach McBride.
It only seems right as we celebrate the countdown to Breaking Point’s May 3 release that we bring the amazingly sexy Mr. Hill back for some heartfelt appreciation.
The top photo shows Jed in his natural habitat. No, not bed, you naughty women — football.
The shockingly sexy Mr. Hill played college ball, then opted for a modeling career instead of professional sports. And aren’t we grateful? I know I am.
This is the first photo I saw of him, and I can attest that I all but melted. My only thought was, “Oh. My. God.” And then my eggs started talking in their squeaky little voices, saying something like, “We want! We want!”As I’ve said, he has the most incredible obliques I’ve ever seen. And that trace of hair toward the bottom of the photo... No words do it justice — at least not ones I can put in a public place.
I thought I might share some photos with you that aren’t just drool-w0rthy but that also remind me of Zach in some way.
The photo above shows raw athleticism, and Zach, as you know if you’ve read any blog post I’ve written about him, is a former Navy SEAL who went into law enforcement after serving in Afghanistan. To be a SEAL, you have to have phenomenal physical and mental endurance.
The photo above makes me think of Zach worrying about Natalie — after taking a shower. Here he is worrying and getting dressed... Slowly....I like a hero who truly puts the heroine’s life first — anyone who’s read my books knows that. Gabe, anyone? Marc? Julian and those five rounds to the vest? From the moment he meets her, Natalie’s well-being is foremost on his mind, even when he can’t do a damned thing to help her.
As an aside... Though we talk about his pecs, abs, obliques and other enchanting muscles, he has a seriously beautiful face. (I wish there were more of it on the cover, but at least they got his mouth.)
Because Zach serves as a Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal at EPIC in El Paso (Google it), he sometimes ends up in Washington, D.C., hanging his bosses at the Operations Directorate, or OD. Sometimes, that means cleaning himself up and putting on a suit. When he does, he looks really, really good.Can you imagine the reaction of the administrative assistants at the OD?
“Oh, my God! It’s him again! Time for an eye-candy break!”
This photo makes me think of Zach getting his first night’s sleep after all of the action that goes down in the first third of the story. Navy SEALS and other special forces are trained to endure sleep deprivation that would put most of us in the hospital. And Zach gets an opportunity to exercise that particular skill, along with several others, early in the novel.
I didn’t realize this was Jed when I first posted it. Fortunately, I studied the image hard enough and long enough that I realize it was, indeed, him.
This makes me think of Zach as he and Natalie try to escape the Zetas by making an illegal border crossing into the U.S. He takes a lot more gear than this, but every long journey starts with putting on your pants, right?
I like the military-ish flavor of this shot, too.
Now, this photo doesn’t remind me of Zach at all. It’s here because — how do I say this? — it is the football britches equivalent of a wet T-shirt contest. Look closely.Gosh, do you hear that? What’s that squeaky sound? It’s... Oh! It’s your eggs.
And one last one before I let you get on with your Monday. This is one frame from the Breaking Point .gif that some of you are running on your blogs. It’s the one and only photo I have that was taken of Jed for me.
I still can't believe my editor went out and got him for me. I was so surprised when she told me.I asked for sand, and she gave me sand. Anyone familiar with Navy SEAL training will understand the phrase “wet and sandy.” And believe me, Zach gets plenty wet and sandy in the story.
The deputy U.S. Marshal duty badge on his hip is a nice touch. I just love the attention Berkley puts into their covers.
As for those words — undeniable attraction — they apply to Zach and to Jed.
Have a Happy Monday! And stay tuned this week as we roll out I-Team Trivia!
Are you ready?