One of the pleasures of writing romance is the fun of creating the perfect hero.
As you all know by now, I love cowboys. In real life as well as fiction. I also have a weakness for firemen and military men.
Vamps? I don't get it.
But we're all different, and that's what makes writing so much fun.
I've started a new ms--yeah, yeah. I know. But I will finish this one.
Anyway, I was thinking about the hero (Garret) and what would make him sexy.
Short, dark hair. Check.
Blue eyes. Check.
Okay, maybe brown. Check.
Tall. Check.
Broad shoulders that can carry his burdens, along with his lady's. Check.
Long legs and a nice ass that Wranglers fit all so well. Check and check.
Strong hands that can handle an unruly calf or a woman's soft skin with equal skill. Check!
Ok. Physically, he's awesome.
But it's got to be more than that.
He has to have character.
Honor.
Be sexually confident.
Kind, but a little arrogant, too.
Loyal.
Strraight-shooting.
Know how to give and take love....!
A lot to ask of a man. But a hero must possess these traits for me to find him attractive.
What do your heros have to have to make them special?
As you all know by now, I love cowboys. In real life as well as fiction. I also have a weakness for firemen and military men.
Vamps? I don't get it.
But we're all different, and that's what makes writing so much fun.
I've started a new ms--yeah, yeah. I know. But I will finish this one.
Anyway, I was thinking about the hero (Garret) and what would make him sexy.
Short, dark hair. Check.
Blue eyes. Check.
Okay, maybe brown. Check.
Tall. Check.
Broad shoulders that can carry his burdens, along with his lady's. Check.
Long legs and a nice ass that Wranglers fit all so well. Check and check.
Strong hands that can handle an unruly calf or a woman's soft skin with equal skill. Check!
Ok. Physically, he's awesome.
But it's got to be more than that.
He has to have character.
Honor.
Be sexually confident.
Kind, but a little arrogant, too.
Loyal.
Strraight-shooting.
Know how to give and take love....!
A lot to ask of a man. But a hero must possess these traits for me to find him attractive.
What do your heros have to have to make them special?
Ohh, ohh! This made me so excited, because there's actually a workshop/activity at RomCon called Build a Hero... we (authors) get to discuss how we create our heroes, and then work with a table of participants to create one together.
ReplyDeleteBut on to your question... I like everything you've got listed, but I also like to give my hero a weakness or vulnerable point. Cowboys and firemen are YUM for me, too!
Oh, Piper!
ReplyDeleteYou know how to make a girl jealous. I soooooo wish I could go to RomCon. Next year....
A vulnerbility. Of course. That's the ticket I forgot. Thanks for coming by!
I agree with Piper..some kind of vulnerability so that, every now and then, the heroine can take some of his burdens, too!
ReplyDeleteAnd if he looks like he could ride a bull and win, all the better....
Yep. That's why I love kelly so much. He has vulnerability!
ReplyDeleteAnd those bull riders--did it just get hot in here?!!!
My heros are all flawed. I think that their flaws give them more character and that changing some of those flaws make them even more sexy with the right heroine.
ReplyDeleteThey have to have honor
Body build is nice, some of mine are lean others bulky
I love a man who doesn't have perfect features, a once to many broken nose, scar on the face,
emotionally and physically scarred too- shows they've over come
Intelligent is a must not bookwise but street wise too
Loyal to no end or for the first time wanting to have something significant other than a quick piece of ass which is their norm.
cocky but humble too.
Hi, Hales.
ReplyDeleteYes, Flawed. Of course. I have one hero (Derrick) who is actually kind of on the chunky side, and he's one of my faves!
Hmmm, what do my heroes have to do? A few things, only some of which they really can control. Tall, dark hair/eyes (okay, yeah, so sue me, my heroes somehow keep ending up with one, the other, or both not dark), and bulky. Not fat (although I've seen some pretty cute/hot men who aren't GQ material - Jack Black comes to mind), but not one of those Lyle Lovett, scrawny types.
ReplyDeleteUsually, they're men of honor, but not always. They're flawed (not usually fatally, no matter what a certain villain who's trying to masquerade as a hero despite my best efforts to push him where he belongs may think). Sense of humor is, usually, crucial. However, I think that varies too b/c what some people find funny, others don't.
Men in uniform don't hurt, but by no means important. Arrogance - as long as they're justified in it, this is deal-with-able.
Hey, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by! I agree with everything you said!
Let's see I like my hero tall hair more of a light brown not too light just a shade of light, blue eyes, sense of humor, stron gon honor will fight for what he believes is right. Protective but not smothering, has hidden hurt that makes him vunerable maybe not even hidden something he tries to pretend isn't there to keep from giving his heart away until he meets the heroine. She knows or latches onto the hidden and soothes it away and he is gone. I don't know if that makes sense or not.
ReplyDeletemy favorite is the athlete if the hero is an athlete I will buy the book without even looking at it. I also like fireman and special ops.
ReplyDeleteI like the hero to be confident a little cocky but not to coky just sure of himself yet a guy who is nice to everyone.
Humor and jocks?!!! Kathy and Michelle, yes! I love athletes, too!!!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, this could take a while. I like every hair type from dreads to bald. Body type: I like BIG men. Big muscular arms, broad chest,six pack abs and...you know! I also like a nice butt! He has to be an alpha, but doesn't mind if the woman takes charge in the bedroom once in awhile. (He's just that secure with his manhood.)
ReplyDeleteHe'd do anything to make his lady happy but knows how to say no.
Flaw: A must. Has to have at least two.
Oh and I almost forgot. Killer smile and white teeth. Full kissable lips. Is it getting hot in here?
Shawn!
ReplyDeleteDamn straight it's getting hot! I need ice! And I agree about the....um...well, you know!
We had a tall patch of grass right dead in our front yard one year. I finally asked the roommate what it was. When he didn't want to answer, I pushed until he did. It was a nest of baby rabbits, and he mowed around it until they disappeared, so I guess my hero has to be one who would mow around baby rabbits.
ReplyDeleteBull riders? Uh, my ideal hero would have to hang longer than the requisite eight seconds! (Now, I've got George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning" going through my head!)
ReplyDeleteAside from being prime beefcake with an easy smile, my hero stands by his principles despite the odds and defends the convictions of others even if he doesn't agree with them. And in the end, no matter how difficult it is for him, he does the right thing.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteI just melted into a big old puddle on my chair. That's kind of a gross image, but true, nontheless!
I was thinking about heroes just yesterday. Alpha heroes are nice, but you know, I just don't write them, because too often they're just a little too cocky for my taste. I like my heroes to be honorable. A great sense of humor is a must. But I also like them to have doubts and insecurities. I like it when they really love that woman, but, damn, they don't always understand her.
ReplyDeleteI've had this anti-alpha hero thing for a while because one of my favorite heroic characters is Antryg Windrose of Barbara Hambly's Windrose Chronicles who is best described as a geeky mage, and, perhaps because he caught me so off-guard, one of the sexiest characters in fiction. IMHO.
Lettera22~
ReplyDeleteI think if a man can hang on a bull for 8 secs, he's probably going to be able to hang with a woman long enough to satsfy~~~LOL.
First, a hero has to turn and face whatever is coming down the pike head on. He never shirks, he never turns his back. He's the go-to guy and will do whatever needs to be done whether it's changing a baby's diaper or wielding a sword. He must have a sense of humor, be kind, loving and forgiving and love animals.
ReplyDeleteCher
Absolutely, Cher!
ReplyDelete