Sunday, May 18, 2014

WHAT MAKES A HERO SO APPEALING?


What makes a hero so appealing?

Well, here I am holding a mug of freshly brewed coffee that’s piping hot in my hand ready to ‘chew the fat’.  That’s a term my aunt always used when she wanted to have a gab session.  So grab your coffee, sit for a spell and let’s gab.
As most women will tell you, picturing a handsome hero in a romance novel is pretty awesome.  It’s true, looks are only skin-deep and certainly don’t define who the person is, but for reading purposes, let’s just say GORGEOUS.  I don’t know about you, but I read for escape.  For me, reading a good romance is like going on vacation, or taking a bubble bath that takes me far away.  You know, just like that commercial claims about their product taking you away.  Well that’s what I want the story to do.  I want to be sitting right next to Mr. Hottie pretending to be his main squeeze.  And I want to feel every emotion the heroine is feeling. 
I want my heroes to be brave and stand up for me.  I want them to have courage and the determination to succeed at their goals.  I want them to be dedicated to their jobs and to me. And while we’re at it, lets throw in endurance.  Maybe a little valor?  How about sacrificing a little here and there, and above all, humility? Did I just say all that?  Does this happen in real life?  Sometimes, but I’m not sure every hero could be this perfect. 

Creating a hero is fun.  Seeing his flaws and molding his persona into what we want him to be is powerful.  A little like playing God.  Don’t you think?   If he doesn’t have any of these traits, he has to develop them over time.  And of course, the right person to teach him all these things is the heroine.
In my recent release, Educating Daphne written by my alter ego K. T. Roberts, my hero, Rory Winters has it all going on for him.  Oh, not at first, but . . .

He is gorgeous.  Picture the hottest looking male celebrity in Hollywood and that’s him.  He’s wealthy with a good job that came too easily to him.  So you say where are his flaws?  Brace yourself.
When it comes to his personal life, he can be arrogant.  He lacks conviction.  And sometimes he’s a pushover by taking the easy way out rather than speaking his mind. As an only child, tantrums were a way of life to get what he wanted.  He’s never had to fight for anything and as a result he can be very selfish.  And believe it or not, despite his good looks he’s a little insecure.
My heroine, Issie Carrington has known him since college.  She even worked with him for a while afterward at the Globe Newspaper.  But did she like him?  No!  She thought he was egotistical.  And when she was passed over for a promotion and he got the job as editor-in-chief, she was out of there in a heartbeat.  But now, she’s just lost her job at the Hurlington Press where she’s worked for three years reporting on the local political scene but she was careless and posted a picture of the mayor’s wife kissing another man.  And this is where Rory comes in.  He wants to hire her for a job well below her pay grade.  But there’s a method to his madness.  He’s been carrying a torch for her all this time.  Too bad he didn’t have enough guts to ask her out.  It all boils down to rejection.  Besides, he knows she resents him and he’s had enough of that throughout his life.
But now he’s pulling himself up by the bootstraps and he’s finding clever ways to win her heart.  Give her a job offering advice to the lovelorn so he can learn what she wants in a relationship.  If he flowers her with the things she wants, how can she refuse him.  Right?  But will it be a slam-dunk?  Not so fast, buddy.  There’s a little matter of the mayor.  He’s got the hots for our girl too. Will she see through either of their facades?  There’s only one way to find out  http://amzn.com/B008DBJHZC

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Okay, so did you pick a hero? What does he look like? Why don't you describe him to me?  Aww, c’mon, you know you want to.

 Thanks for stopping by to say hello.

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