I am very happy to welcome to BLI and introduce to you today  Monique Martin, author of the Out of Time series: a highly original and fantastic series which combines time travel, romance, and even has paranormal elements. I loooved Out of Time, the first book in the series and am extremely excited that its sequel was released recently! So please give a warm welcome to Monique and read on to discover this amazing series!

(You can read my review of Out of Time here.)

When I started writing “Out of Time” I had a mishmoshed picture of what Simon Cross (the hero) looked like. He’s not the sort of romance hero you see on covers, shirtless and shiny. (And hooray for them because – hubba-hubba). He’s a forty-year old British professor of the occult who is happier, or thinks he is, on the periphery of life. He’s smart, a bit of a pill and oozes a stoic vulnerability that will melt your heart.

He started off as a bit of various actors and has melded into his own Simonyness. But I’m often asked who do I see as playing Simon? The answer isn’t simple. There isn’t one man, but several who have eau de Simon.

Let’s just take a moment to imagine Alan is reading us, well, the phone book, does it really matter? That voice! From his villainous, but sexy turn as Hans Gruber in Die Hard to his villainous, but sexy turn as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, he’s got it goin’ on. Simon qualities: Voice, passion, did I mention voice?, vulnerability.

Jason Isaacs

Those eyes! He’s a bit rough around the edges for a classic Simon, but if Daniel Craig can be James Bond, Jason Isaacs can be Simon Cross. Simon qualities: Dirty fighter, hot temper, will do anything for you.

Jeremy Irons

I know some of the younger readers are asking: Who? Like Alan Rickman, Jeremy’s a little, well, a lot long in the tooth for the part now, but circa 1995 or so, he would have been terrific. Heck, Jeremy even played Alan’s brother, Simon Gruber in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. He’s not quite manly enough for Simon, but he does embody some very Simony things. Simon qualities: Class, sophistication, and an elegant grace.

Richard Armitage

Boy howdy. He’s got that smoldering stoic vulnerability down, doesn’t he? Is it hot in here? Of MI-5 and Robin Hood fame, he’s so good he’s bad and so bad he’s good. And, if you haven’t seen Richard in North & South (no, not the Patrick Swayze Civil War mini), run, do not walk to your nearest DVD player and watch it! Swoon. Simon qualities: Smoldering smolderiness, hard exterior with a soft center and an “I want you so badly” look that should be illegal.

Astute readers will have noticed that that’s only four Simons. That’s where you come in. Who would you cast as a forty-something Brit who broods sexily and makes you weak in the knees with a smile meant just for you? Put your suggestions in the comments area for a chance to win a digital copy of “When the Walls Fell”.

Find out more about Monique and her books at her website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

When the Walls Fell by Monique Martin
(Book #2 in the Out of Time series)

Professor Simon Cross and his assistant Elizabeth West have returned from their accidental journey into the past and are adjusting to their new life together as a couple. But an unwanted visit from the Council for Temporal Studies could change everything.

A murder in the past is changing the future, and if the killing isn’t stopped, Simon Cross might never be born.

When they arrive in 1906 San Francisco, Elizabeth and Simon have no idea who wants Victor Graham dead or how it will happen. With the earthquake that leveled most of the city just days away, the race to save Graham thrusts them into a complex mystery of jealousy and revenge where murder might be the least of their worries.

The exciting sequel to Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance, When the Walls Fell, is a time travel adventure filled with suspense, mystery and romance.

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Monique has generously offered an ebook copy of When the Walls Fell to a lucky commenter!