I love romances. I love heroes—both reading and writing them. I
have, as we all do, more than one favorite hero and hero types. The alpha male
with the heart of gold tops my list, but there’s another layer to that great
character trait that really gets me squirming and clutching the book (or
Kindle, or iPhone, or…you get the picture) to my chest and sighing—the
super-clever, sneaky, purposefully self-deprecating alpha male with a heart of
gold. Sounds complicated? Oh, you betcha. And that excites and invests me in a
story more than any other hero out there. Hard to write, but when he’s done
right… Oh, my.
I just finished reading Georgette Heyer’s These Old Shades
yet again, and her hero, Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, is all that and
more. Clever, constantly in control, on top of things, and ten steps ahead of
everyone else. He’s intimidating and awe-inspiring, all the while making people
believe he’s a bored, pampered aristocrat. So when he brings the denouement
down on everyone’s’ heads with iron control, calculation, and effect, I find
myself cheering and squeeing like a fangirl every time.
Another hero (or anti-hero, yeah, super-big fan of those when
they’re written well) who may very well be the ultimate example of my favorite
type of hero is C. S. Pacat’s Laurent from her Captive Prince series.
Those stories are simply brilliant. Nuanced, frightening, thrilling,
unexpected, nothing-as-it-seems brilliant. She writes Laurent with some great
goal already in mind, I have no doubt, but the discovery and the journey of his
character has been gripping so far. Taking a character and turning him around,
from hating him, believing him shallow, spoiled, cruel, possibly downright evil
and revealing his true nature and motivations bit by bit in the narrative and
action of the story is not only captivating for the reader, but also difficult
to accomplish as a writer. I’m enthralled and dying for the third book. Dying.
A hero that has been on my top five all-time favorites list ever
since I first read his story years ago is Lorenzo Gage from Susan Elizabeth
Phillips’ Breathing Room. Clever, gorgeous, actively encouraging people
to think the worst of him, making fun of himself—he’s irresistible. He protects
the heroine and those he loves from himself as well as outside threats,
sacrifices, all the while maintaining a selfish façade that hides his big old
heart of gold. And did I mention quick-witted and clever? That, above all, is
my favorite kind of hero.
P.S. As it happens, I just finished reading SEP’s perfectly and
appropriately titled Heroes Are My Weakness, and Theo Harp… Another of
her heroes that hits all my wonderfully complex favorite traits.
A contemporary romantic suspense
Published May 2014 by
Grizzlypeake Press
80,000 words
DEA Special Agent Emmaline Justice
is determined to be recognized for her work, not her sex. She doesn’t have time
for an intriguing, wounded RCMP inspector. When the contacts she cultivated
over long months of an international undercover investigation keep showing up
dead, Emma must use her instincts as both an agent and a woman to determine
Beaulieu’s role in the case and in her life.
One woman tore him apart. Another is brave enough to put him
back together—if his past doesn’t kill him first.
Excerpt
“Hey,
Ash.” One of the rookie constables stuck her head through his office door.
“There’s an American Special Agent that wants to talk to you down in the
conference room if you’ve got a second.”
“FBI?” he
asked, leafing through the papers on his desk until he located a particular
sheet. When she didn’t answer, he glanced up to see her shaking her head.
“Homeland Security?”
“No,
she’s a DEA agent.”
Ash went
still as suspicion locked his limbs. “She?”
“Yeah.”
The rookie shrugged. “Her last name is Justice, if you can believe it. Yanks.”
He
believed it, all right. His damn luck, after all. Anticipation heightened his
senses, but he wrote the rush off as wariness. Special Agent Justice tried to
drop kick him the last time he’d seen her. He wondered what other tricks she
had up her sleeve. He’d love to wrestle with the attractive DEA agent again.
Special
Agent Justice stood behind the table facing the door as he entered the
conference room, but he spotted the telltale tap of one high-heeled foot. Her
face was every bit as appealing as he remembered, her tall, curvy body encased
in a smart suit that was both feminine and professional. The feel of her pinned
between him and the side of the building at the gym flashed through his
mind—and body. He hid the predictable reaction under a smile meant to charm.
“Special
Agent Justice of the DEA. Nice to see you again.”
Her chin
lifted, and he let the smile hover. So, she’d decided to play the game with
bravado and defiance. Blood leapt in his veins, and he fought to temper the
automatic male reaction.
Buy Links:
AUTHOR BIO
I’ve lived in the
suburbs of the Mid-West, desert of the Southwest, and foothills of the Rocky
Mountains. Since moving to an island in the Puget Sound with my husband and
dogs, I’ve learned to play a mean game of 5-stand, catch squid, clams, shrimp,
and crab. Good thing I like shellfish.
Author of the paranormal romance Wraith series published by The Wild Rose Press.
Social Media
Website: http://melissa-fox.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaFoxWords
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFoxWords
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Fox/e/B009YC0ERO
I'm a big fan of These Old shades too, but his osn, Vidal, in Devils cub is there with my fave. heroes too.
ReplyDeleteOH, yes! She wrote such wonderful heroes. Siiiigh. Thanks for reminding me about Vidal, Kryssie!
DeleteThanks for having me today, Melissa! Such a fun blog series :)
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
DeleteMy apologies for not getting on to greet you yesterday. I had a frantic day with getting the hubby from the airport and company all yesterday afternoon. Thank you so much for participating in My Kind of Hero!
Enjoyed your post. I also am attracted to rogues - best wishes with your book!
ReplyDelete