Hump Day Hottie: Ashley Cowie

Wow, it's been a long time since I've had a hump day hottie, but I just had to share my new discovery, Ashley Cowie. I was scrolling through the TV guide on my DVR when the show Legend Quest popped otu at me.  I've written about my love for the National Treasure movies, and this seemed like a unique combination of those movies and Dan Brown's novels. The first episode that I watched was about the Holy Grail. Sweet, I was eager to hear what he had to say compared to Dan Brown.

Well imagine my surprise when Ashley Cowie turned out to not only be a hottie but a Scottish hottie! Be still my heart.  He's also a member of the Scottish Knights Templar. I'm not sure what that means but it sounds awesome. The TV show didn't disappoint, although I had the feeling that Dan Brown must be sitting in his house, counting his money, thinking 'Wow, that's even crazier than what I came up with!" Cowie's Quest tooks him from Rosslyn Chapel to Providencetown Massachussets, to Washington, DC and finally to the Statue of Liberty where he concluded that it was possible that the Freemasons (because Lord knows they have their hands in everything) melted down the Holy Grail and used the metal to forge the original torch of the Statue of Liberty.  Are you with me?

That's almost insane enough to be believable.  The other episodes that I watched thanks to Syfy on demand includes the search for Merlin's grave, Moses' Staff, and the Stone of Destiny which they may actually have found. There were only six episodes in this first series, but hopefully Syfy will order more. There hasn't been a show this cool since Josh Bernstein's show Digging for the Truth on the History Channel or Brad Meltzer's crazy show.

But back to Mr. Cowie. He's a photographer and a self-taught historian (sort of like me).  Unfortunately he's married, which is just how my luck runs. Just when I find a man who ticks all my boxes (Scottish, interested in history, slightly bat sh*t crazy), he's not available. *Sigh* However, he's now replaced Josh Bernstein as my bit of thinking woman's crumpet. Sorry Josh! Anyway, you're looking for a six-foot tall Jewish blonde who likes the outdoors (by the way, if you haven't found her, how is that working for you? UPDATE:  Josh Bernstein is getting married on Sunday to Lily Snyder who is tall, blonde and Jewish, as well as well-connected).

No, I'll settle for using Mr. Cowie as the prototype for a contemporary series that I'm thinking of working on, that would involve a loveable rogue like him.  Think of the Michael Douglas character in Romancing the Stone but hotter and Scottish!

You can read more about Mr. Cowie in this interview with The Morton Report.

Hump Day Hottie: Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck is 65 people. Yes, I said 65.  Does he have a painting up in his attic because the man looks sinfully good for his age. If I were ever to write a romance or women's fiction where the hero was considerably older than the heroine (like Suzanne Brockmann's THE ADMIRAL'S BRIDE), he would totally be the hero.  He wouldn't be a Regency Rake but perhaps an older farmer like the hero of Lavryle Spencer's classic novel YEARS or perhaps an older politician in Washington DC or a tycoon during the Gilded Age, who has made his money in railroads or silver and come to New York to launch his daughter in society and falls in love with the social secretary he hires who has been widowed and has to take a job.  She can be guiding her daughter and his daughter and they fall in love.  That would be a different historical romance novel.  Or perhaps a rancher who orders a mail order bride, and ends up with a female doctor.

Even though he's a Republican, I love me some Tom Selleck.  I thought Monica was crazy to turn down Richard for Chandler on FRIENDS. And I adored him in THREE MEN AND A LITTLE LADY as well as the reporter in IN/OUT with Kevin Kline.  He's equally at home in comedy or in drama. He's so solidly masculine yet he has that voice that doesn't quite go with the body.  I also adore that he's been married to the same woman for like 25 years.

I will be seeing Mr. Selleck in the flesh tonight because I'm seeing a preview of BLUE BLOODS at the Paley Center in Midtown. I'll be posting a review of the show tomorrow.

Hump Day Hotties: Fifty Isn't Fatal

Two of my favorite actors have turned 50 this month, a day apart. Hugh Grant turned 50 first on September 9th and Colin Firth the next day on the 10th. I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. Where has the time gone.  And Kenneth Branagh turns 50 in December! All my twenties heroes! Happy Birthday to them both and I must say that they are both looking very dishy.  Who says that 50 is fatal? Certainly not Colin Firth, who received his first Oscar nomination this year for his work in Tom Ford's depressing but lovely film A SINGLE MAN, and is expected to receive another nominatinon for his work as King George VI in THE KING'S SPEECH which received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival I heard.  I will definitely be lining up to see this film.

I first became aware of Mr. Firth's work in 1984 when I was studying abroad in London in college.  The film was called ANOTHER COUNTRY, and Colin played a budding Marxist who roomed with Rupert Everett's character, Guy, who ends up defecting to Russia.  I can't tell you how many films both good and bad I have watched over the years to see Mr. Firth including VALMONT in which he was miscast and both BRIDGET JONE movies where he played Mark Darcy. However, his portrayal of Fitzwilliam Darcy in the BBC's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is where the world first stood up and took notice, particularly that scene where he comes out of the lake dripping wet. Le Pant!

One of my favorite Colin Firth films is actually LOVE ACTUALLY where he stars with the other birthday boy of the month Hugh Grant.  It was the film MAURICE where he starred as the love interest of James Whilby that I first saw Hugh Grant in all his floppy haired glory. He really was very pretty back then.  I was in London, studying at The British American Drama Academy where I saw the film just before I came back to the States. Of course, I had a whopping crush on him, following his career through Barbara Cartland TV movies and the miniseries CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE where he played Charles Heidsick.  I cheered when FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL came out, and he became a big star.

And then came Divine Brown! Who knew that Hugh Grant had jungle fever? But Elizabeth Hurley stuck by her man until she finally realized that he was never going to marry her, and they broke up.  Since then he's sort of reinvented himself in films, playing a cad in the Bridget Jones films and gave a wonderful performance in ABOUT A BOY.  I still adore watching him in NOTTING HILL but my favorite has to be LOVE ACTUALLY which is my Christmas film.  I even watched the craptastic film he made with Sarah Jessica Parker on the plane to England, HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MORGANS and the film he made with Drew Barrymore where he played an 80's pop star MUSIC AND LYRICS.  If you haven't seen this film, it is worth just to see the horrible 80's video.

So Happy Birthday Gentlemen!

Hump Day Hotties: Australian Edition

I love Australian men, they're such Alpha Males and the accent kills me. Here are just a few of the Australian Hotties that have hit Hollywood in recent years.

Hump Day Hotties: The Men of Wales

Super Sexy Ioan Gruffud

Owain Yeoman of The Mentalist

Matthew Rhys

Michael Sheen

Rufus Sewell (okay he's only half-Welsh)

Hump Day Hotties: Chef Edition

Hump Day Hotties: Scottish Edition

This week is Tartan Week here in New York and on Monday, I had the privilege of attending Dressed to Kilt here in New York, hosted by Sir Sean Connery and his wife to benefit several charities including the Wounded Soliders Project. So in honor of Tartan Week, this week's edition of Hump Day Hotties celebrates some of the hottest men in Scotland.

Hump Day Hotties: Jane Austen Edition

This post was inspired by two things, Amanda McCabe's blog post over at The Risky Regencies and the novel Writing Jane Austen by Elizabeth Aston.

Hump Day Hotties: Vampire Edition

Mitchell from BBC 3's Being Human

Damon and Stefan from Vampire Diaries

Who else but Spike from Buffy

And Angel, Buffy's soul-mate

Hump Day Hotties: Irish Eyes are Smiling Edition

Colin Farrell

Cillian Murphy

Jason O'Mara

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (I hate the show but love him)

Ciaran Hinds (the only Captain Wentworth)

Hump Day Hotties: Oldies but Goodies Edition

Anthony Stewart Head, Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and now Merlin

The only Colonel Brandon needed

Still gorgeous after all these years but please don't ever sing again!

Another gorgeous Irishman

Trevor Eve (his wife did those Taster's Choice commercials with Anthony Stewart Head!)

Hump Day Hotties: Olympic Edition

2-Time Olympic Silver Medalist Elvis Stojko

2009 World Champion Evan Lysaceck

1998 Olympic Champion Ilya Kulik

Canadian Champion Patrick Chan