Sway Spotlight #2: Eric

I've seen Captain Wentworth in a few different incarnations:

 The 1971 version. Somehow, you can see the '70s in this guy.

This was the first movie of Persuasion I'd ever seen.

And of course, my favorite...

Stop smoldering at me

Awww...

 

Favorite, why? Well, my character of Eric Wentworth was just a teensy bit (okay a lot) inspired by this last guy. Yep, I totally pulled a Bridget Jones. Or maybe I should call it a Helen Fielding, since she's the author. (And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, Helen Fielding based her character of Mark Darcy on Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy, then she got lucky enough to have him play Mark in the film!)

Anyway... my Eric is a total old-school crooner. While Eric's looks were based on Rupert Penry-Jones, I modeled his career and song choices a little bit after Michael Buble. Of course, I couldn't forget Jane Austen's original Captain Wentworth, so I had to make sure my Eric made it rich rather quick, is optimistic and lucky, but also super bitter at being dumped by his first love.

The letter, oh the letter! *swoons* (I'm such a cheeseball)

 

Eric's parents died when he was young, leaving him and his two-years older brother to be raised by an even older sister who wasn't around much because she was trying to start her own career. Eric and his brother get sent to a fancy school and there he meets Ava who becomes first his best friend, then girlfriend, fiancee, ex-fiancee, then someone-who-is-worse-than-a-stranger.

Eric is talented, gorgeous, confident, and fun. He takes his music seriously, he's a hard worker, and he has this secret wish to be part of the Rat Pack. Eric was nothing but a total joy to write. Sometimes, I hated how awful he was being (Cry Me A River, anyone?) but I also got it- seeing someone you used to love, dredging up all those awful memories, feeling like you've moved on, but at the same time trying hard not to see the good in the them, trying not to remember all the reasons you loved them and all the ways they're even more amazing now. Eric has a personal journey to make through the book, and although it's not in his POV, I hope I did justice to that journey.

Some Buble inspiration (Bubspiration?)