Recently, I had the bizarre experience of reading a book
that I ended up loving even though the dynamic between the hero and heroine was
not (as I soon realized) what I like best in a story. (Charlotte Stein’s
Control.) It’s erotic romance, by the way, with some, er, issues about control.
The hero of that story is a submissive man.
Almost as recently, I was at the hairdresser getting my hair
beautified. There was one gentleman and six women in the salon and, as it
turned out, all but one of us had read 50 Shades of Gray. The gentleman laughed
politely when I suggested he should read it so he could be in the in-crowd. By
completely unscientific polling, I determined that readers who liked Twilight
tended to also like 50 Shades— of course.
I have a similar theory about readers who are Team Edward or
Team Jacob (from Twilight) predicting whether one is likely to be Team Bill or
Team Eric (from True Blood.) Me: Jacob and Eric.
These experiences got me thinking about the kind of Romances
I like best. I have to say, I really, really, like the Alpha male. When a story
is about power dynamics between a couple, it seems I prefer the hero to be the
strong, silent type. The alpha-hole as some call a hero who behaves in ways
that would get him arrested in real life, does not work for me, by the way. But
mostly, speaking as a writer here, I feel that’s because the Alphahole is most
often the result of weak writing. The
writer failed to see and resolve the issues of that extreme hero.
At the end of this post, I have a giveaway and a question
for you.
Why, Yes! I Do Have a Book to Promote!
Actually, I have two.
Midnight Scandals is a historical romance anthology with
stories by me, Courtney Milan and Sherry Thomas. We self-published this, by the
way. My novella is One Starlit Night and it’s about former lovers who might
still be in love. You can read more about the anthology, read sample chapters,
and find buy links to your favorite vendors, at my website: MidnightScandals
One reviewer has said about this anthology: “pretty close to
perfection.”
Not Proper Enough is another
historical romance, book two in my Seducing the Scoundrels series for
Berkley. I describe the story like this: He’s loved her from the moment he saw
her: she’s always hated him. You can read more about Not Proper Enough at my
website: NotProper Enough
One reviewer said: “OH MY GOODNESS! What an awesome book! I
loved every minute of it. “
What’s your favorite type of Romance hero? Are you like me,
and the Alpha hero really works for you? Sound off in the comments. I have five print copies of Not Proper
Enough to give away.
Carolyn Jewel was born on a moonless night. That darkness
was seared into her soul and she became an award winning author of historical
and paranormal romance. She has a very dusty car and a Master’s degree in
English that proves useful at the oddest times. An avid fan of fine chocolate,
finer heroines, Bollywood films, and heroism in all forms, she has three cats
and a dog. Also a son. One of the cats is his.
***Carolyn's winner is Jennie Coleen561! Congratulations! Please email your mailing information to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com.***
***Carolyn's winner is Jennie Coleen561! Congratulations! Please email your mailing information to totebag@authorsoundrelations.com.***
21 comments:
I always expect an Alpha hero in my Romance reads. I do love a strong, intelligent proper Gentleman. Of course, the Rake makes for delicious reading.
Oh yes, rakes makes reading so exciting. They're the type who "doesn't" believe in love at first, but get all to clueless, speechless and all flustered when it comes to dealing with the love of their lives. I've read a book, where the hero was a "perfect" gentleman, and honestly it was boring. :(
I like the Rakes....because as they say about the TV program Leverage...sometimes bad guys are the only good guys you get! That said, I don't like the alphahole...nope...give me a good bad boy any day of the week.
Alphas are my thing, especially if they are a little bit tortured :)
Oh my gosh, that is so funny. I've never heard the alpha-hole term before. That's hilarious. And it fits so many men too. I do like an alpha hero but I want him to be willing to let his lady take the lead and I want him to also be kind and compassionate. I like bad boys too, but I don't like them to be self-centered jerks. I like strong men characters, but they need to know when to be show their weakness too.
Hi Carolyn. Love your book covers. I like alpha heroes. They are so sexy and exciting.
My favorite hero is a combination: Alpha
strength and Beta protectiveness. He also
has a touch of the rascal in him which I
enjoy as well!
BTW, Super covers!!
Pat C.
Hi Carolyn! Love your books! I do prefer alpha heroes -- especially when they are Rakes that are rescued by their feisty heroine.
Hi Carolyn!
I too am all about the Alpha hero! In fact, the more Alpha the better:) It's that whole take-charge mentality that really works for me.
CONGRATS on both of your stories!! Can't wait to read them!
yadkny@hotmail.com
An alpha hero is a must read for me too! Nothing is a quicker turn-off for me than a weak or submissive hero. I definitely want to be in the drawing for one of the books. It sounds great!
jcn@centurytel.net
I LOVE alpha heroes. I like a man who isn't afraid to take charge and be a bit aggressive. Yum!
Thanks for a great post and congrats on the new releases! I'm kinda on the fence about alphas. Some of them are written very well and the dominance/strength is a plus. Others aren't so great and they come off as sociopathic, cavemen beating their chest and dragging the heroine into a cave by the hair. So it's a fine line for me.
Carolyn -
I knew that Not Proper Enough was being released September 12th but was thrilled to see that you also had a novella included in Midnight Scandals with Sherry, Courtney and Carolyn!
You can send a Rogue to me anyday - exactly the type of hero I love! After being married to my husband for 42 years I can tell you a Rogue of the 1st degree settles in quickly to be a wonderful husband and life-mate who will always put you first! So feel free to give be a alpha hero everytime!
Congrats on the releases!! They both look really great. Alpha hero all the way!
mlawson17 at hotmail dot com
I like my hero to be strong, bold, and witty. I have fallen in love with the cover of Not Proper Enough. Her hair, the dress, the background, the colors just grabbed me. I can't wait to read what these two get into and how they find their HEA!
Thank you for the chance in the giveaway. :)
leahweller(at)bellsouth(dot)net
I love alpha hero in romance as it means the man is strong and intelligent and cause heartache for the woman and makes for a great romance novel. Ohh I been wanting to read your anthology after I found out it features Doyle’s Grange
Congratulations on your new book. I always like the Rakes and the Alpha hero.
I'm looking forward to reading this.
Penney
I like the alpha hero with a compassionate edge that a woman brings to the surface!
Hi
Congrats on your book, I enjoy reading about the alpha hero - not sure I would want one in my life - but like reading about them and the usually great heroine that is paired with him.
Thanks for the chance
Pam
tpibrew@msn.com
I love an alpha hero. I like a strong, dominate, protective hero. I also love him to be loyal & loving. I love alpha characters. This book sounds great. Would love to win and read. Thanks for the giveaway.
christinebails@yahoo.com
I always enjoy reading about alpha heroes. I like for them to have a great sense of humor, be intelligent and have a big heart.
cambonified[at]yahoo[dot]com
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