They say love makes the world go round, but many of us who
enjoy reading and writing Romance feel there should also a good measure of lust
thrown into the mix. Attraction, so I
feel, makes the “action” in the stories that thrill us. It doesn’t have to be overt and in-your-face:
a Christian Romance writer can still tell us how her heroine’s heart speeds up
and butterflies fill her stomach when the hero gives her that special
smile. Of course, it can be pretty
steamy too, as any Erotic Romance author who’s ever written a shower scene can
tell us.
So, what makes the attraction that spins the world? Pity the poor Romance writer who has to
create the perfect hero. Because not all
women in the world, and certainly not all the women who love to read Romance
are attracted to the same kind of man.
Good thing for posterity that’s so, or the continuance of human kind
would certainly be in jeopardy! But when
a writer sits down to create her male protagonist, for what details does she
reach?
Some women like men who look like angels, with golden hair
spilling over their shoulders and a slow, not-so-angelic grin. Some like whipcord strength, some bulging
muscle. Some like their men dusky and
dark, some quicksilver bright, some blue-eyed, some brown. Some like dastardly and dangerous men, some jokesters
with a quick wit; some are fascinated by power or an agile mind. For it’s not just the physical details that
turn us on.
Quite possibly, there is no such thing as a “perfect”
hero. But an author can make her male
lead compelling and beguiling, vulnerable and yet courageous enough to risk his
heart. Isn’t it these things that attract
us to the men we love in real life?
I believe in creating heroes who engage a reader’s emotions
as well as her hormones. I love to build
my stories around two people finding that one perfect, even spiritual bond that
transcends mere incidentals such as hair, skin or eye color.
Gareth de Vavsour, of my latest release, Champion of Sherwood, is just one such
hero. A young Norman knight newly
proven, he is on his way to take up a post with his uncle, the Sheriff of
Nottingham, when his whole world changes, first because he is captured by
outlaws in Sherwood Forest, and second because he lays eyes on that one woman
for whom he will be ready to sacrifice anything … even his life.
Come walk with us for a while in Sherwood, and discover
whether Gareth is a hero to whom you could give your heart.
2 comments:
Excellent topic! You're so right that everyone has different taste. Write a hero who appeals to you and there will be others who feel the same.
Champion of Sherwood sounds like a great romance. Adding it to my TBR list. I love variations of the Robin Hood legend!
Thanks, Kate! I hope you enjoy the read.
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