A Hero From the Wrong Side of the Tracks - Annie West

I've written a few romances now. Well, okay, more than a few. More than twenty five published ones, in fact. (Yay!) And I'm in the process of deciding what story to write next as I've just handed a book in to my editor. The world is my oyster as I let my imagination run free to come up with a romance I'm burning to write. I'm also in the lovely position of having a book out now, called SEDUCING HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER so you can see there are some exciting things happening right now.

 

As a result, my mind has been drawn again and again to the sort of hero I'd like to write next. He'll be strong, I know that, and determined. Will he be tortured by a difficult past, or maybe happy with his lot in the world?

 

I confess that, because SEDUCING HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER is currently receiving reader feedback (positive, I'm glad to say), I've been thinking a lot about Donato, my hero in that story. He's a classic rags to riches hero. Born to poverty, he'd lived most of his childhood in places most parents would fight to keep their kids away from. To say he came from the wrong side of the tracks is an understatement. He understood the seamier side of life while still young, but a series of events which could have broken a lesser spirit, instead make him determined to succeed and make something positive of himself.

 

One of the things I particularly enjoyed about Donato was that he'd got where he was (with wealth, confidence and success) on his own merits. He didn't get a head start from his family but worked against the odds to succeed. That takes courage, determination and energy. I think too that appeals to the part of me that enjoys seeing the underdog win. He turned his life around after an early brush with the law and incarceration, which made him see the two different directions his life could take in stark detail.

 

So now I'm wondering if my next hero should be a hero with a dark past, from the wrong side of the tracks and past actions that have made him the man he is today. Or perhaps someone born to privilege, who's known success and has a golden touch.

 

What do you think? Do you enjoy seeing the underdog come out on top?  Or stories about a reformed bad boy? Or do you prefer stories (like the sheikh stories I enjoy) where the hero was born knowing he carried the weight of duty as well as privilege on his shoulders.

If you're interested in checking out SEDUCING HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER here's a taste

Donato Salazar can’t forget his tragic past and he has no intention of forgiving the man responsible. Jilting his enemy’s daughter will be the icing on the cake of his revenge, and beautiful Ella Sanderson is certainly sweet enough.

Except Ella isn’t the vacuous socialite he expected and she refuses to marry him! Her rebelliousness only makes Donato want her more, so he’ll have to persuade her…touch by breathtaking touch.

But soon Donato finds himself enthralled by their magnetic connection. As their fake wedding day approaches, one question weighs heavily on Donato’s mind: to love, honor…and betray?

and a few links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Harlequin
Annie's Website

Reading At The Beach

We were lucky enough to have a hot spell last week. It was perfect timing as I had just received a notice from Mills & Boon that they were starting their #SummerSizzler campaign. They were inviting authors to contribute.

Any excuse to go to the beach, right?

Here I am at 'my' beach. (It's not really mine. I drove there, but it was only two minutes. We can see the lake from my kitchen window, but we're not 'on' the lake.)

I have to say, as work assignments go, this one was about the best I've ever had. Here's another photo I staged while I was there.

I *love* the beach, especially reading (and napping) there.

For years, when I was still waiting to publish, I would take my kids to the beach and write on my alpha-smart or in a notebook while they swam. Nowadays, the beach is literally my vacation time, when I'm allowed to relax, unplug, and read my fellow authors.

In the summer, I run down to the beach so often, I keep a tote ready with all the usual supplies (sunscreen, lip balm, a few dollars for ice cream) and I always have a couple of books in there.

You're probably wondering who I like to read? Presents/Modern authors, of course! These were my favourite books long before I published and now it's even more fun because I know so many of the authors! And, even though in some ways it's 'homework,' it never feels like work.

The life of a romance author really is an amazing blessing!

How about I share some of this luxury by sending one lucky commenter some beach reading?

Seduced Into The Greek's World is on the shelves now, but the first three in the series are harder to find. Comment below with your favourite beach or favourite author to read on the beach and I'll pick a winner on June 22nd to receive autographed print copies of No Longer Forbidden?, More Than A Convenient Marriage?, and An Heir To Bind Them.

Here's the blurb for Seduced Into The Greek's World:

"I want you, Natalie. Not after five o'clock. Now." 

Every woman has a fantasy she only dares dream about in the dead of night. But for single mom Natalie Adams, the reality of an affair in Paris with infamous billionaire Demitri Makricosta surpasses even her wildest dreams!

Demitri is astounded by fiery Natalie. One night isn't enough, so to quench his lust he insists she become his mistress.

The closer Natalie gets to emotions Demitri has kept locked away, the more he distracts her with dazzling gifts and luxury holidays to ensure that seduction remains the only thing between them…

Here are the quick links for Seduced Into The Greek's World:

Amazon: US | Canada | UK | Aus | eHarlequin | Mills & Boon Aus | Mills & Boon UK 

Chapters | Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | GooglePlay | iBooks

If you'd like more information on the first three books in the series, please visit my books page.
Have a great summer!

~ Dani

Search For A Hero

Who's your ideal hero? There must be as many different answers to that question as there are readers of this page! In real life, we look for somebody we can get along with, and who'll try to smooth out life's ups and downs for us in the same way we try to make things better for them. Naturally, physical attraction plays a big part, but sometimes the most beautiful box can turn out to be empty, if you see what I mean ;)
Developing a fictional hero feels like it should be the perfect job, but you soon discover it's impossible to please everyone, all the time. The advice 'write about what you know' comes into play here, as falling in love with the central character makes everything flow so much more easily.  Finding yourself wondering about where he'd like to spend the weekend, or considering his seductive little bedroom tricks makes work a total pleasure.  Some writers like blonde, blue eyed Nordic types but personally, I'd find it tricky to write about a guy like that.  My weakness is for tall, dark men like my OH. Marrying the perfect man must be the ultimate in taking your work home with you, and means that inspiration is never far away. I write Modern Romance/Presents Extra for Harlequin Mills & Boon, and its lines have such a spread of character types and writing voices that there's a hero for every taste. The one thing they all have in common is that they're an affordable luxury.
And they never, never leave wet towels on the bathroom floor!

What do you look for in a fictional hero?

You can catch up with Christina Hollis on her website, http://www.christinahollis.com and on Twitter as @christinabooks.

Girls Know What They Want - Fiona Lowe

You know the expression, ‘drop a pebble in a pond and watch the ripples flow’? Well that happened at our house over the weekend. It all started because of a new TV which wasn’t going to fit in the TV cabinet. So the TV cabinet had to move and by the end of the day four rooms were involved in a major furniture reshuffle and now a wall needs painting!!

Halfway through all this I had to clear out a chest of drawers in the office as it was unexpectedly going back into circulation downstairs...I tell you, never get a new TV ;-). Anyway I found a box that had gone on holidays with us a year and a half ago. It contained a note book where I’d scribbled down some story ideas that eventually became “The Surgeon’s Special Delivery”, along with some pictures from a couple of magazines.

At the very bottom, next to some batteries, was a scummy bit of paper, a bit water damaged with blue writing on it. I remember my teenage son coming back from a walk along the beach saying, ‘I found this on the sand and you might find it useful.’ (Bless him!)

As I re-read the scrawl of (and I am guessing here) a 15/16 year old girl who was obviously describing her boyfriend or the boyfriend she wanted, I was stunned by how she'd written down exactly what every woman wants (physical description aside) and what every ROMANCE AUTHOR puts into her hero.

Here is the double sided list…. Has strength, is gentle, has integrity, is trustworthy, is flexible, has spontaneity, is patient, is reliable, is loyal, has initiative, is honest. And on the other side she’d written..dark hair, olive skin, sense of humor, funny, has respect for self and others, knows himself, comfortable in his own skin, jenerous (sic) giving, we understand each other.

Isn’t this the perfect Hero list?

What do you want in your hero? Let me know and I'll choose a winner and send a copy of 'The Surgeon's Special Delivery.'

Callum Halroyd is the dark-haired doctor and reluctant protector in Fiona’s latest release, The Surgeon’s Special Delivery If you're not in the UK or Australia then the best place to buy it is The Book Depository with FREE World -Wide PostageTo read an excerpt and to see pictures that inspired the book visit Fiona at her website

Heroes -- Alpha, Beta or Somewhere in Between?

What's your favorite kind of hero? For some, it's the strong, powerful, wealthy, self-made ALPHA male and for others it's the understanding, patient, compassionate boy-next-door BETA male. For some, it's the man in-between that fits their perfect fantasy.

Miriam Webster defines Alpha: socially dominant especially in a group of animals . In romance novels the alpha hero is often self-made, a man who runs an empire and has all the answers. He's a man in control of his emotions. He knows what he wants. He's cool and confident and appealing. He's a man full of sexual prowess, but choses his women with decretion and an expert eye. Often his dominant personality is his greatest asset and his greatest flaw. It's sort of that love to hate him and hate to love him, that keeps the story unique and compelling.

The alpha male rarely shows his vulnerable side and he's usually very hard on the heroine, though he's never outwardly cruel. Sometimes he's misunderstood, but makes no excuses for his actions. I must admit that sometimes when I read an alpha male who's a little over the top, I get frustrated and want to toss the book across the room. He can be extremely infuriating. Writing an alpha hero can be a huge challenge for an author to get the traits right but still give the man an ounce of humanity and keep him real. But with the stakes so high, an alpha hero story can be filled with loads of sexual tension and conflict. The reader waits throughout the story to see him soften and allow the heroine to touch his life. He's vulnerable only to her now and there's a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in that.

In my November Harlequin, Bodine's Bounty, - the man with one name- is just that kind of alpha hero. He's a self-made, successful bounty hunter on a mission to find his brother's killer, yet first he's duty-bound to protect the runaway heroine as she ventures on a wild-goose chase to find her outlaw father. Bodine is hard as nails. He's led a difficult life. He wants nothing to do with Emma as his future is all laid out before him and she doesn't fit into his plans. But Emma, a small slip of a girl with a wonderful gift slowly breaks him down, not so much by showing him her vulnerabilites but, her strength.

On the other hand, the BETA male might have all the same appealing physical characteristics as the alpha male, but he's not J.R. Ewing in the oil business or Dr. McSteamy in the hospital setting. Often he's the boy next door, or the heroine's friend, or a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's not afraid of his emotions. He doesn't always hide them away. He can be Joe Average, an ordinary man struggling for success or a man happy with his lot in life. The Beta hero may have a tender side. He's the father trying to raise his teen-age daughter, or the mechanic who loves what he does for a living. Maybe he's not James Bond, but he definitely has qualities that appeal to the heroine and for the reader -- he's a man you can fall in love with.

I usually write Alpha hero stories, but I've read some really great romances where the hero is Beta. The one that comes to mind right now is Erin McCarthy's, Heiress for Hire. There are some really poignant and touching scenes between the hero and heroine and between the hero and his young daughter which earned that book a place on my keeper shelf.

I've come up with a list of traits for the Alpha and Beta hero. See if you agree.

The Alpha Male is always:

Confident

Cool

In control of his emotions

Self-made

Dominant

Shows his vulnerable side rarely

Sexually appealing

The man every woman wants

The Beta Male is often:

Understanding

Patient

Vulnerable at times

Caring

Boy next-door type

Shows his emotions

A man worth knowing and loving

Traits they share:

Often misunderstood

Sexually appealing

Capable/skillful

Comfortable in their own skin

So what traits do you most admire in a hero? And here's the hard question - if you had to choose one and you couldn't combine the "between" traits, whom do you prefer to read about, alpha or beta and why?

Win a copy today in a random drawing for a 2-in-1 Desire of my Expecting the Cowboy's Baby and Emilie Rose's,Exposing the Executive's Secrets. I'll post the winner later today!

Charlene

Stop by my website when you get a chance at charlenesands.com

There's a great Win in Winter Contest going on!