Saturday, May 10, 2008

What do you love about your hero?

My first polished historical romance novella, Secrets Uncovered, is a Victorian piece about an American widow who journeys to England with her best friend in search of a man she thinks is her father. Along the way, she meets a sexy earl--Jamie Davenport, Earl of St. James--who cannot seem to take no for an answer. He teases and provokes her at every opportunity and catches her doing things that a proper lady would not do.

In the past, I've written stories and lost my momentum somewhere in the middle. No matter how much I wanted to write a long, intricate piece, it just wouldn't happen. And, I could not get myself to edit and revise.

Something happened with this book. Namely Jamie Davenport. When I did not know what to write, when I was frustrated, when I was unsure or when I was bored, Jamie was there, convincing me to keep writing. To keep putting his words on the page.

There's that old cliche that romance authors fall in love with their heroes. I suppose it is true. I have heroes of mine that I've liked before, but I will admit that I love Jamie. He's quite demanding. In a good way.

What do I love about Jamie?

Besides those incredible dark blue eyes (I liken them to sapphires and the sea at dusk), I love the way that Jamie is completely sure of himself. He never doubts his abilities. There is an innate confidence and assertiveness that just emanate from him. It's a quality I've always wanted, but apparently, it seems to manifest itself most often in my books rather than my life. Jamie can be very patient, but he is always persistent. After three months of being somewhat ignored by the heroine, he is still as determined as ever to win her over. He doesn't have a concept that life won't bring him what he wants. He assumes that all it takes is a new tactic or more patience.

So, what do you love about your hero? Or, if you are not a romance writer, what do you love about your favorite film or literary hero?

8 comments:

Crystal Jordan said...

I love that my hero is totally Alpha but willing to bend over backwards for my heroine.

Congrats on starting a blog!

Bethanne said...

I love that my hero has a temper. He's not perfect, just perfect for my story... :) and the heroine. Besides he's a pilot and very goodlooking.

Yay for the blog!

Romantic Heretic said...

My latest work is an anthology so it has several heroes.

They do all have things in common. First none of them are 'standard' romance heroes. They could all be people you live next door to.

They're very steady men, not flashy or loud. They'll stick to a goal once they set one, whether that's changing a spare bedroom into a home office for their lover or helping her overcome the psychological trauma caused by rape.

And they do love their woman beyond words. Which sometimes made it hard to write about them. ;)

Congratulations on your blog, Vivienne.

Vivienne Westlake said...

Thanks, Everyone. Rgraham, that sounds like the kind of man you'd want in real life. Someone confident and capable and emotionally stable.

I find it interesting that romance heroes are often the kind of men that we wouldn't necessarily date in real life. As much as I love my Jamie, in real life, I'd probably pretty skeptical of him unless I was just looking for a fling!

Crystal, I love the alpha heroes. Yet again, difficult in real life, but very sexy on the page.

Thanks, Bethanne. Your hero sounds very passionate. Someone who has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. A risk-taker, maybe?

Anonymous said...

Glad you changed the settings so I can comment! Thanks. I love my heroes because they are awesome! Okay, not very informative, I know.

Let's see, they are strong but tender with the heroine. They can be stubborn but around their girl they are puddles of ice cream. My heroes are big softies on the inside but scary looking tough guys on the outside.

Sage Burnett said...

Okay, my current wip has two heroes. I'm just getting to know them, but they are polar opposites in looks and personalities.

Belle Scarlett said...

Congrats, Viv, on the new website and blog! Looks great! Two more big goals down (except now you have to maintain them for life! ;-)

I love a blatant, unapologetic alpha hero with some kind of paranormal flavor, to make him almost "more man" than my heroine can handle. And I concur, the heroine is the one person he needs in a raw, fundamental way. Whether it's to break a curse that binds him, bring laughter and warmth into his preternaturally long life, or present him with a challenge he can respect. Oh, yeah, and his body won't let him rest around her. The biggest aphrodisiac, it's said, is being desired above all else. Since I put myself in my heroine's shoes that means I'm the constant focus of alpha adoration!

Best of luck, Viv, you're doing it!

XO,
Belle Scarlett
THE WOODSMAN is available at www.ellorascave.com
Learn how you could win an Amazon Kindle at www.bellescarlett.com

Vivienne Westlake said...

It's fun to read everyone's responses. Thanks for commenting!

Belle (My wonderful CP),

You hit the nail on the head. That alpha intensity is one of the things I love about romance heroes. A guy who desires the heroine above all else, one who is strong and determined, but sexy (no stalkers!). A powerful man who drops some of his control because he falls so deeply for the heroine.

There is something wonderful by being desired about a strong, successful, commanding man. That's one of the things I like about Jamie. He has this persistence that refuses to allow that he cannot have what he wants most in life. In this case, it's Elena, my heroine. And, as much as Elena publicly denies her attraction to Jamie, she is secretly quite excited that a man like Jamie will go to any lengths to pursue her. It's uncomfortable at times because Jamie honestly will use almost any means possible to get her...