My Kind of Heroine: NOT a Super Model by J. Hughey #NewAdult #Romance @jillhughey

It's easy to make a hero notice the knock-out beauty standing in the room. Attention is effortlessly drawn to the firecracker that's all bang and smoke. How do you make him notice the slowly burning flame in the corner with enough heat to sustain him through his entire life? There's something about her, deeper than her skin and bigger than her boobs, to draw him in. She's the heroine I want and it's her story I want to read.

I like a heroine who is pretty darned average on the outside. I'm fine with a bit of softness at her waist and legs that DO quit at some length shorter than Barbie Doll's proportions. Or maybe she is athletic and flat-chested. After all, for every female body type, there is a man who prefers it, and it's more fun to read (and write) about those interesting people than the same stereotypical caricatures over and over and over.

As an author, I've written eight heroines so far, and I'd say only two would be called beautiful by a casual observer. The others are plump or too thin, or simply average, or even have a characteristic that is off-putting, like weirdly colored eyes. Often, they are aware of their "imperfections," making the hero's reassurances a beautiful part of a growing relationship based on more than animal lust. And he isn't perfect either.

My Kind of Hero: The Imperfect Hero by J. Hughey #99cents #NewAdult

I've read I don’t want to even admit how many heroes and created seven so far in my writing career and My Kind of Hero has to be flawed. My leading man has to have problems and imperfections. (Even my most stereotypical alpha hero, from historical romance Unbidden, has flaws.) I want strength but I don't like domineering men. He must be capable of respect for a woman, and forming a relationship beyond physical attraction.

I'm currently infatuated with Boone Ramer. (My Kind of Hero is usually whomever I’m writing at the moment.) Boone is the male lead from my new release, Eruption. He's the second son in a family of Nebraska cattle ranchers, and he’s a level headed, all-American nice guy. The kind of guy a woman stares at and, even as she does it, isn't sure why. I physically modeled him on a youthful Bailey Chase, the man who plays Branch on the TV series "Longmire." Boone's easy on the eyes, with a nice body from playing football, but not underwear model handsome. He's the boy you wish your daughter would bring home instead of the unemployed goth biker dude, and confuses my main character, Violet. She thinks she likes bad boys but develops a giant freshman crush on Boone. (She and her BFF/roomie refer to him as Hotness!)

If he wants to reciprocate, he hides it, because he's an RA in her dorm. A relationship with her is against school policy and, as you've probably guessed, Boone is a rule-follower.