In the courtly literature of the Middle Ages, the hero chose a lady to adore from afar and serve. No hugging, no kissing, no fooling around. It was a beautiful concept, the lady put on a pedestal and worshiped by a brave knight who lived to do her bidding, slay dragons, dispose of enemies and in general, make himself useful to his beloved while pining for some small token of her esteem. Love, with a capital L.
Fast forward to modern times. The heroine has a job, duties, responsibility, but still in her heart she yearns for a man who will make her feel like a princess. Even if she actually has a job that provides her with the cash to live like a princess, she wants her One and Only. Romantic love lives. But what does she want and who does she want?
Years ago, a friend of mine surprised me in the middle of the work day by remarking that the first time she saw her ex-husband roaring down her street on his motorcycle, long blond hair flying in the wind and a wicked gleam in his eye, she was hooked. They had quite a saga, with good times and bad, and enough drama to fill volumes, but the memory of that first glimpse of her man of action will never go stale, and will probably remain with her into the furthest reaches of old age, a dazzling memory of a time when all the world was theirs for the taking. What kind of man puts a sparkle in your eye and makes you want to keep turning the pages? Do you like the flashy guy with the attitude who makes you want to take him down a peg until you find out he really has a heart of gold. Do you like the Take-Charge man who can solve any problem except the female mystery he encounters in the person of the heroine? Or do you like the untamed guy, revving his engine and daring the woman to come along for the ride, even though it’s going to be a wild one?
Tell me what kind of hero rocks your world.
Melina Morel
