The Trouble with 'Heroes'

When I'm writing a romance, I always make certain that the L-word - 'love' - isn't used too frequently or inappropriately. It loses its magic, its meaning, its specialness.

Another word that is overused, not in romance, but in everyday life is 'hero'. Take the most recent case of hero worship gone wrong. Oscar Pistorious.

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I don't know whether he's innocent or guilty, though his story does seem incredibly suspect to me. What has always puzzled me is how the public attaches the word 'hero' to sports stars. True, Oscar did overcome incredible odds to compete in the Special Olympics. However, so did a lot of other individuals. That makes them admirable, but not necessarily heroes.

I remember when the OJ Simpson case was raging in Los Angeles. Being in California, there was no way I could avoid coverage. The trial was on every freaking channel, 24/7. The word hero was attached to Simpson's name quite frequently. Again, I wondered why. He was great at football, but that didn't make him a hero. Not in my eyes.

So, who is a hero? In my mind, it's someone who does something difficult or nearly impossible, not for themselves or for glory, but to help others. What they gain from their actions isn't what matters - it's how they'll change the world for the better.

Consider what Malala Yousafzai has done to further girls' education in her native Pakistan. For that 

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'crime' she was shot by the Taliban. Men who had no qualms in trying to murder a young girl. No doubt they were hailed as heroes by other men in their village. Despite her injuries, Malala hasn't stopped fighting. She is a hero and so is her father who instilled in her the courage to go after what she wanted, not to be ashamed of being a female, but proud of the fact.

And then there's Jaycee Dugard. Kidnapped at 11 by a pedophile who was released from prison all too soon. Kept prisoner for 18 years. Forced to bear two children with him when she was a child herself.

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On her own, and with nothing more than a 5th grade education, Jaycee educated her two daughters. She endured to keep them safe. And once she was freed, she didn't exploit them as so many parents do with reality shows - she's protected them. When the State of California awarded her millions of dollars for their failure to protect her from her kidnapper, there were many people who said she was a gold digger. She had no right to any money. She could have run away. IMO, California didn't give her enough. No child should be made to go what she went through. Her youth was taken away. Instead of being bitter, she's survived. She's a hero.

In the 80s, a young mother named Diane Downs gunned down her own children so she could be with her boyfriend - a guy who didn't want kids. One of the children died. One was paralyzed from the waist down. The oldest suffered a stroke from so much blood loss. 

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The prosecutor at Downs' trial not only sought justice for the murdered child, but for the two who were left so damaged, so betrayed. He and his wife adopted them and gave those kids the first normal life they've ever had. He didn't do it for publicity or money.He did it because it was the right thing to do. He's a hero.

When I write, I don't make my male leads perfect, though I do want them to be honorable. To do the right thing by the woman they love and those they're supposed to protect. That's my version of a real hero.

My newest release Shameless Desire is available for pre-order from Samhain. It releases April 23. :)

Love the cover - it is sooooo freaking sexy!

Here's the blurb:

Passion without limit. Carnal hunger that knows no bounds.

Outlawed Realm, Book 3

Within Earth’s five dimensions, nothing is as it seems…and desire is never far away.

In E4’s jungle, Kuma’s the Alpha werewolf, bent on revenge against the hated guards. Swept with them from that dimension to E1, he prowls Seattle at night, stopping the thugs from abducting women for use as sex slaves in E4’s Pleasure Palace.

On her way home from her nursing job, Gwen senses danger in the night’s shadows. A stranger attacks. Clinging to consciousness, she watches the impossible, a wolf fighting him off…protecting her. She wakes in her own bed, convinced it must have been a dream until she sees Kuma in human form. Virile, intense. A man like no other. 

Within his powerful embrace, Gwen experiences rapture she didn’t believe existed. His unrestrained lust and burning need ends her loneliness, though not the menace they face. The guards are a constant threat in their hunt for women and their determination to see Kuma dead. Together, he and Gwen must fight—for his life, her freedom, their future.

Warning: Out-of-this-world sex and a romance to die for. Features a hunk whose inner beast won’t be tamed, and the woman who craves his most shameless desire. 

See you next month!

Tina

Tina Donahue

“Heat with Heart”

LOSING CONTROL (available now) 

COME FILL ME (4 STARS - The Jeep Diva) 

ILLICIT DESIRE (4 STARS - ROMANTIC TIMES)

SENSUAL STRANGER (BOOK OF THE YEAR 2010)

DEEP, DARK, DELICIOUS (HOLT MEDALLION AWARD OF MERIT)

Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/ 

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Anatomy of a Romance Hero

What is a romance novel hero, anyhow?

The word "hero" has been around in English since 1387. Its core meaning is "protector" or "defender". Usually a hero is male, and the female version is called a "heroine". Ironically, most romances' main characters are women, therefore, most romances are written primarily from the heroine's point of view.

Erotic romances are different from traditional romances in many ways, not only because the sex acts are portrayed graphically and in more frank language than in their tamer sisters. In erotic romances, the heroes are often the main characters rather than mere love interests for the heroine. They frequently are the driving force behind the stories. Their wants, fears, core beliefs and prejudices can fuel the journey, and they swoop up the heroine and take her along for the ride.

In literature (including the erotic romances I write), the hero has common qualities despite vastly different cultures and beliefs. Whether set in a medieval castle, a modern high-rise, a battlefield or an imaginary world, all heroes are larger than life. Usually an ordinary person given extraordinary circumstances, a hero prevails in spite of all the odds being stacked against him--in life, in career, in battle and in love.

This isn't a new concept. Joseph Campbell wrote about it in THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES more than sixty years ago. He described the hero's journey as beginning in an ordinary world, answering a call to an unusual world of strange powers and events. This hero must survive severe challenges, and if he does, he will get a great gift that may include the discovery of profound self-knowledge. After receiving this gift or wisdom, the hero may go back to the ordinary world, often facing yet another challenge on the return trip.

  

There are plenty of more recent books about heroes and their journeys from a writer's viewpoint. Two I've read and tried to apply are Christopher Vogler's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY and Robert McKee's STORY. Both of these books dissect the hero's journey as a basic structure for storytellers and screenwriters. I can't say I follow either author with slavish devotion, but I've tried to incorporate some of their advice as I create my heroes and their stories. I've also found much valuable information in DANGEROUS MEN AND ADVENTUROUS WOMEN, edited by Jayne Ann Krentz.

I've spent a great deal of time dissecting the eight hero archetypes in THE COMPLETE WRITER'S GUIDE TO HEROES & HEROINES, by Tami D. Cowden et al. My conclusion is that no memorable erotic romance hero is all "chief", all "warrior" or all "swashbuckler"--or all of any of the eight archetypes. He is basically one or the other, usually a chief or warrior in the books I sampled. He has other qualities, though, that may be primary characteristics of the "lost soul", the "best friend", the "swashbuckler", the "bad boy" or "the charmer".

 What qualities do erotic romance readers like best in their heroes? Well, I've written a lot of them, many of which are hero-driven stories. My personal bestselling heroes are "chiefs", each with a healthy dose of "lost soul". Kurt (A MUTUAL FAVOR) also has a touch of "professor" and a smidgeon of "best friend", while Gray (BITTERSWEET HOMECOMING) almost tips the scale toward pure "lost soul". Jake (FIRESTORM) is "chief" with "bad boy" and a little bit of "lost soul", while Jared (ROPED) is the ultimate wounded Alpha "chief".

My more recent football guys all share “chief” and "warrior" qualities, with touches of other archetypes that make each hero unique. Bobby (NAKED BOOTLEG) has "best friend" qualities, while Keith (FORWARD PASS) is a bit of a "lost soul" and Dave (HOT IN THE CLUTCH) has a lot of "bad boy" in his personality. Colin (COACH ME) is a "warrior"/"chief". These stories segue into the Necessary Roughness series where each hero has embraced a particular sexual kink. Warriors at their core, Jimmy (SACKMASTER), Jack (END RUN), Sid (BEST RECEPTION) and Matt (PRIME DEFENDER) demonstrate qualities of "charmer", "professor" and "chief" when circumstances demand they do so for the sake of the women they love.

To me, the most important quality of a romance hero is that he grows during the course of the story, becoming not only larger than life but also more than he was at the beginning. He may be a "chief" who has learned to display his deep emotions, a "lost soul" who has realized he has retained or gained more than he lost--or a "warrior" who has learned the value of mercy. That growth is what makes a hero memorable.

Coming soon: Wild One, Book 3, Caden Kink series, from Ellora's Cave

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Happy Holidays!

Ann Jacobs

http://annjacobs.net

My Top Five Hero Requirements

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I read romance not just to identify with the plucky heroine but also to fall in love with the hero. Most of us read to escape into other lives and worlds. I like to do my escaping with a hunk. Spaceship captain, investment banker, cowboy, soldier, barbarian or duke I find I enjoy them the most when they follow five basic guidelines.

1.      He is physically impressive. I don’t mean facial features though I won’t turn my nose up at a beautiful man. The first book I remember stealing, cough, I mean borrowing, at age fourteen from an aunt, was Julie Garwood’s The Prize. The hero, Baron Royce, had a significant facial scar. All the heroes I wrote that year were disfigured in some way.

By physically impressive I just mean that I like a large man. I like muscles whether they are sleek or bulky. Sure he needs to be able to lift a drink to his mouth and have a neck but other than that, I’m flexible (no pun intended). I sometimes watch wrestling with the mute on. I’m just saying. (I shrug here in a carefree manner.)

2.      He can kick ass and frequently does. Even if he doesn’t, he could. I am the daughter of a Marine. I rode past soldiers engaged in hot, sweaty, physical fitness on the way to the commissary during puberty. Enough said.

3.      He has a kind and gentle side. I like this in a hero even if the heroine is the only one who truly gets to see it. I like my heroes to be alphas and let’s face it, alphas can be pricks sometimes. It’s good to dial down the testosterone every once in a while.

4.      He’s dominant in the bedroom.Sigh. I write erotic romance. I really have closed a book or skipped over the love scenes if they were just a bit too vanilla. I like a little bite with my sex. I don’t write the hard stuff. I’ve read comments where my work is affectionately called intense. I subscribe to the “don’t like it, don’t look” school of romance.

5.      He loves and desires the heroine above everything else in his life. The hero would do anything to keep her emotionally and physically well. He would also do anything to keep her with him. I get antsy when the hero walks away from the heroine. Even if he thinks he needs to leave, I don’t want him to actually be able to do it.





Here is an excerpt from my eBook, Enslaved in Desire, that shows some of the sexual tension between my hero Venn and my heroine Camryn. It gives you a little taste of number 4.

The following excerpt is for those readers who are 18 and over only.

Copyright © Stormie Kent, 2011

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

He crowded her back and she watched in the mirror. He was dressed for meetings in a black dress coat, crisp white shirt and fitted black pants. The contrast of her nude body pressed against his fully clothed form made her press back against him to feel the pleasure of the smooth material against her hot skin.

“I didn’t tell you to move, sweet.” He stepped back.

She groaned. Her eyes clashed with his in the mirror.

“What’s with the restraint?” she asked.

“I know you like it when I hold you down, but I wanted to use my hands today. And you did say it would take chains to keep you in one place,” he replied.

She remained as still as possible and he watched her for a while before moving behind her once more. She wanted to think she would resist him, but she couldn’t. When he got like this, he wasn’t going to be put off and she liked how he handled her too much. She liked that he took all the passion and barbarian in himself and locked it down, only for it to emerge again once he’d made her mindless. She knew it was there, just sitting under the surface of his skin. She could see it in the way his smile didn’t match the fire in his eyes.

He gathered her hair in one hand and wrapped it once around his hand. He pulled her head gently to the side. She curled her toes into the carpet so she wouldn’t move.

His other hand came up, but only one finger trailed her throat from her hairline to her shoulder. His mouth followed and his cool hair swung forward and trailed over her arm and breast. He did the same thing over and over again to the back of her neck and then transferred her hair to his other hand and worked the same magic on the other side of her neck. He tugged harder on her hair and the pleasure shot straight to her cunt.

He stepped beside her and leaned forward, raining kisses on her chin and neck. Then he turned her loose completely. She whimpered.

“Keep your eyes on your face and body in the mirror,” he said, lacing his voice with command.

She stared into his eyes in the mirror. Then she lowered her gaze to her own face. Her eyes were slumberous. Her bottom lip was swollen where she’d bitten it in concentration and she was flushed.

“Beautiful,” he said.

*****                                                                   *****                                                           *****

So what are your requirements in a hero or heroine? Do you have any deal breakers? Are you attracted to one type of hero more than others? Leave a comment and let me know.

Stormie

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What Makes a Hero?

On and off during the last couple of years I've read that some men are afraid that books, such as the Twilight series, will give women and girls expectations that they can't possibly meet. They are afraid that their girlfriends or wives will want a perfect guy like Edward. Putting aside the idea that a vampire who sparkles in the sun, and doesn't have the control to do much more than kiss his girlfriend is perfect, the last thing men should be worried about is a fictional hero.

To be a hero to a wife, girlfriend, child or friend doesn't take supernatural ability. Yes, we love reading about men that kick ass and take no prisoners to protect their family, but it's the emotion behind that act of bravery that makes us crave that type of love story.

My husband installed a new water heater this summer, including rewiring the electric in the basement because it was a different type of heater than we'd had before. When he was almost finished I went down to hold the flashlight for him while he did the final wiring. He made a joke about his mad skills and how hot it was that he could do this type of work. We laughed about it, but later I realized that it IS cool, and yes, sexy, that he can give me back hot water without calling an expensive repairman. I also find it sexy that he is a good father, comforts me when I'm sad or stressed, and that he does little things like buy me my favorite kind of chocolate when he knows I had a rough day. All of these things combined make him a hero to me.

Rather than worrying about women having unrealistic expectations, perhaps guys should be focusing on truly getting to know someone and learning what makes them tick. If men really took a good look at our favorite romance novels I think they'd find that they CAN meet those expectations in their own way. Women aren't stupid. We know our man will never have supernatural strength to fight vampires or zombies. He may not have perfect abs or the ability to wield a sword, but that's okay. It's more about us wanting a man that we can IMAGINE would do those things if he could.

I think women simply want their own personal hero. For each of us this means something different and the man who figures it out is the one we'll love forever.

What do you think?

~Brenda

Brenda Hyde has been a freelance writer of home and garden articles for over 20 years, and now she's also writing paranormal romance through short stories and novellas. You can find her at the Wayfaring Writer blog here: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/.