What Makes a Hero?
Huge thanks to Wendy Lou for hosting me on her blog today! I’m thrilled to be here to discuss a topic that is near and dear to all romance authors’ hearts—HEROES! Whoot!
Nothing gets a romance reader’s motor running like the perfect hero. Truly, writing a story that contains the ideal guy can make or break the success of a book. As such, there is always a lot of discussion about what makes a great hero amongst the author forums, blogs and loops that I belong to. Should we write our heroes as the Alpha male—make him bossy, controlling and unwavering in his opinion of what is best for his heroine? Or is the Beta hero a better choice—a guy who listens, meets his heroine with understanding and provides her a warm safe shelter regardless of the mistakes she’s made? Perhaps a combination of both Alpha and Beta (aka the Balpha) is the ideal option—a strong man who knows his own mind, but isn’t afraid to cry or show his tender side when the occasion calls for it?
What occupation best says “romance hero”? Fireman? Billionaire Tycoon? A sword-wielding prince on a white horse or perhaps a brooding rock star? What about financial status or physical attributes? Should he have a good sense of humor or be filled with unfettered angst?
However an author chooses to depict her hero—an attorney, a mechanic, a struggling entrepreneur—there is one, above all, I think it’s very important we remember to pay homage to in our list of swoon-worthy men…and that is the partner standing by the author’s side as she creates all of these make-believe characters.
You see, without that guy—the one who helps me through my ups and downs, listens to me rant about a bad review or helps me celebrate the release of my latest book. The man who works to support our family while I spend countless hours staring at the screen researching plot points or writing and rewriting…and rewriting…that important piece of dialogue. The husband and father who orders in pizza while I’m furiously working to meet a deadline, and then does the dishes and makes sure the kids get to bed at a decent hour. The man who tells me I’m beautiful, kisses me and loves me unconditionally…without that guy, I would never be able to chase my dreams, and that makes him a better hero than any I could ever write onto the page.
So, here’s to the husbands out there. The significant others and special men in our lives that are there for us without fail, after we right “the end” and finally sit back from the computer. They may not be perfect…but they got one thing none of our characters will ever have. They are real.
AJ writes wonderful heroes. I can say this; I've read all her Golden Key Chronicles books and fell in love with them from the start.
Rowena’s Key, the first of these stories can be found at:
Amazon Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/laqv8hj
Amazon.uk Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/jvkp8tw
This is followed by: Candra’s Freedom, Caedmon’s Curse and Braedric’s Bane.
The four novellas are now also available as one huge fantastic story (with bonus story): The Golden Key Chronicles.
Amazon Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/kyjgbaf
Amazon UK Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/kptthlf
AJ Nuest is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spends most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs have just informed her the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship.
Thanks for coming on and talking heroes with me today, AJ. And it's so true what you say about our long suffering husbands. :-)
You can find AJ's books in all good on-line retailers and reach her at the contact points below:
Website: http://ajnuest.com
Blog: http://ajbooks.blogspot.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest
Author FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest#!/pages/Tattered-Pages/259835887466
Twitter: @AJNuest
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ajnuest/boards/