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Now, He’s Sexy…What Makes a Hero Stand Out? by Sloan Parker + Giveaway
Filed in Giveaways , Guest Post , Sloan Parker , The Geeky Lover Posted on February 7, 2011 @ 7:00 am
24 comments
We are very happy to welcome Author Sloan Parker here at Book Lovers Inc today. She writes m/m romance and her latest novel Breathe released in 2010. Today she’s here to tell us what makes a hero stand out and who would be better suited to do that than an author who actually has two heroes in her novels. *wink* Please give her a warm welcome and look out for the question at the end for your chance to win your own copy of Breathe.
Thanks to Book Lovers Inc. for inviting me by the blog today. My name is Sloan Parker, and I write m/m (male/male) erotic romances and romantic suspense. Which means when I’m writing, I’m thinking about men…a lot!
So today I thought I’d talk about the hero of romance novels, particularly the type of hero I find myself drawn to lately. Not in terms of appearance, but personality.
I believe fictional characters should be crafted in such a way that they pop off the page and stay with the reader hours after the story is finished. These men can have ordinary, even flawed, qualities that make them real, but the way in which they are depicted, the way they move through the story, and how they evolve should stand out as extraordinary for the reader. I think this is accomplished best through the author’s deep understanding of and passion for their characters. The more passion I can put into my hero’s characterizations, the more three-dimensional he becomes and hopefully the readers will find themselves drawn to him.
On the surface, I think my m/m characters are fairly diverse, but as I started considering this blog post I realized several of my heroes do have qualities in common, qualities that I find interesting and appealing in a male hero:
Tough, but sensitive.
I love when a strong man lets his emotional barrier down, when he shows his vulnerabilities, lets passion, and eventually love, drive him. And vice versa: the man who initially appears physically (or emotionally) weak can be revealed as the strongest person in the story.
Fiercely loyal.
A man who puts others before himself. His priority is to protect and care for his family and those he loves. Maybe he’s the older brother who is concerned about his little sister’s safety. Or the man who watches after the lone, elderly woman living next door.
Knows how to love.
Even if he’s never let himself fall in love with a romantic partner, he isn’t afraid to love his family and friends. He may be avoiding romantic love right now, but he’s had love in his past or wants to find love in his future.
Flawed but willing to grow.
He doesn’t have to talk about his feelings all the time (that would be too much), but he does feel things and learns through the course of the story how to deal with those emotions. He cares about the world and the people around him. He’s not selfish, even if he does appear that way in the beginning. He’s learning to accept and improve his flaws, instead of ignore them.
This list describes heroes I found incredibly sexy.
How about you? What do you like in a romantic hero? What characters do you remember long after you’re done reading their story?
About the Author:
Sloan Parker, author of m/m erotic romances and romantic suspense, loves to explore the lives of people who are growing as individuals while falling in love. Her debut novel, MORE, is the winner of the 2010 Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and a finalist in the 2011 EPIC awards.
Sloan enjoys writing in the fictional world because in fiction you can be anything, do anything…even fall in love for the first time over and over again. She lives in northern Ohio with her longtime partner and their three neurotic cats.
About the Book:
Lincoln McCaw lost everything — his home, his job, his partner — after he caused a fatal accident. A year later, he’s drowning the guilt and despair in whiskey, but he needs to move on. His sister and her kids are counting on him. Then he meets a man who ignites a passion Lincoln thought he’d never find. Too bad one night is all they can have together. Now he needs to figure out how to turn away from the only person who makes him feel alive…before whoever is sending him threats decides Lincoln needs to suffer more than he already has.Jay Miller is surrounded by grief and misery until he finally gives in to all those years of sexual fantasies about being with another guy. Realizing he’s ended up in the arms of the man who caused his wife’s accident, he tries to pull away. But how can he give up a friendship he needs more than anything — a friendship and a love that could save him? He may not have time to make the choice before someone else destroys it all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GiveawaySloan is offering an ebook copy of Breathe to ONE lucky commenter
All you have to do is answer one of Sloan questions.
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email in blogger profile or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is open worldwide!
Giveaway ends on Saturday February 19th
and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good luck!
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Hi Sloan,
Great interview! 😀
I guess what I like in the hero is the fact that there are times when he can be a selfish jerk and get his butt handed to him sometimes because of that. Then he has to sit back and look at what he did to see what he screwed up. Granted, he might not see it in the same light but it's interesting to see it happen.
solimond@gmail.com
Usually I like heroes who can be sarcastic and smart. Even if they are good looking I remember lines and the way they talk and think.
aliasgirl at libero dot it
I am new to the m/m thing and loving it! actually I think it was the people here at Booklovers that got me hooked 😉 I just read Faith & Fidelity. Damn, those characters are going to stick with me for a while. In f/m romances I love an alpha-male that struggles with having to actually earn the respect and love of his woman rather than have her fall into his lap like he is use too. i think I would like this in a m/m too. You are on my TBR list now.
A hero needs to be strong, confident and kind. He also needs to have a caring and nuturing side too. And he needs to be drop dead gorgeous (lol!)
Hello Sloan!
I agree that a hero MUST show a sensitive side with the person he loves. He can be tough & cocky but if he can't be a little vulnerable with his hero/heroine it will never work.
I remembered Alex Kennedy from Megan Hart's book Tempted, Everything Changes & later Naked. He seems to be one way but underneath he is totally different.
GeishasMom73 on twitter
A hero can be as Alpha as can be so long as he can admit when he's wrong and show a vulnerable side to his friends/family.
smaccall @ comcast.net
I love alpha heroes, especially tortured alpha heroes. Those are my favorites. Zsadist from BDB is one character that I just love.
iqb99@yahoo.com
I love alpha heroes who fight for the people they love but have a hard time realizing that they are deserving of someone who loves them and wants to protect them.
smccar1 at hotmail dot com
Hi, everybody! Thanks for the comments. I love all the answers about your favorite heroes. Good luck on the contest.
Thanks again to Book Lovers Inc. for allowing me to share on the blog today.
@Nellie: Thanks, I’m glad you found it interesting. And I agree with you. It’s fascinating to watch the selfish jerk figure things out, maybe see where he’s gone wrong, or at least try to. Great answer.
@Reading mind: Oh yeah, the smart guy who knows how to play with words. That can be incredibly sexy!
@Sharon: Glad to hear you are enjoying the m/m you’ve been reading. Faith & Fidelity has two great heroes in Matt and Evan. (fyi: There are two more books in that series if you haven’t checked them out yet). That’s a great answer about the hero having to earn respect. There needs to be something to keep you reading. I don’t like it when it’s too easy for the couple to get together. And thanks for adding me to your TBR! I hope you enjoy the stories if you check them out.
I love a good Dom. He is sure of himself and hyper-aware of what his partner needs both emotionally and physically; a man who doesn't give a flying flip about what others may think about him, but honors those of any age who stay on the path to learn new things. That's my hero. Appearance doesn't matter, in fact a few scars add to both his attractiveness and air of mystery, and I prefer older to younger.
donnafisk at bellsouth dot net
@Andi: I agree on all counts. I like a kind, nurturing hero, but he does have to have a strength to him too. Oh yeah, and drop dead gorgeous. That works. 🙂
@GeishasMom73: Hi! Well said. A little vulnerability is a good thing. Oh, I have Megan Hart's Tempted on my TBR. Going to have to move that one up so I can check out Alex. Thanks!
@Sarah: I agree! The all alpha male with no hint of emotion or vulnerability doesn’t work for me. I l like him tough, but I like to see who he becomes when he is alone with his love interest. Then you really get to see him.
@Danielle: There is nothing like a tortured hero. I am quite mean to my guys. I usually have some horrible backstory for every single one of them. 🙂 While I was writing Breathe, a lot of people kept telling me I was taking it too far, that no one would buy that setup as a romance. But I just knew I could make it work with such a tortured pair (or at least I hoped I could).
@Stephanie: Love that! I think you just described my main character Lincoln (from Breathe). Or at least what I hoped to convey about him. He’s so lost he even pushes his previous lover away, but he’ll do anything to protect his family. *sigh* I do love that man…guess that makes sense since I created him 🙂
@Donna: I love that description! Especially that he’s "hyper-aware of what his partner needs" and "doesn't give a flying flip about what others may think about him." There’s something very sexy about a guy that knows what his partner needs without him/her having to tell him. He’s tough but clued in to the other person. Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Everybody loves a alpha-male XD But, sometimes a sweet and kind beta, is the best for the history. I like them more than alphas XDDD They look more realistic to me.
sweet.sayumi@yahoo.com.br
@petit: I agree. A sweet and kind beta can be the perfect hero. Most people would probably say all my heroes swing more to the beta type. 🙂 Well, definitely Matthew from More. Thanks for the comment!
I like the sexy hero who doesn't play on his looks all of the time. Strong, but knows how to be sensitive to peoples feelings. And I agree with your list.
lenikaye@yahoo.com
@Leni: Thanks! Glad you liked the list. And I agree about a hero who is sensitive to people’s feelings. Now that’s sexy! Thanks for checking out the post.
I always like a romantic character that is rough around the edges, and a little aloof, but underneath they are sensitive…also, someone strong or mind and body!
kimbers10[at]yahoo[dot]com
I like a character with all the positive comments already mentioned but I also like on who likes and appreciates children. Plus he has to have a great sense of humor.
Hi, Sloan.
I enjoyed your post; it was great.
What do I like in a romantic hero? I like his loyalty and bravery.
One character I still remember after all these years is James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (Jamie) from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.
Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I really enjoyed More and am looking forward to reading Breathe.
I really like protectiveness and loyalty in a hero. As well as a gorgeous physical package to go with it of course!
@KimberlySue: Thanks for checking out the post. I have a thing for the aloof guys too. I love when they start to open up. And there’s nothing better than hero who's strong but smart. 🙂
@Kay: Oh, I love funny guys too. I don’t write humor well, so I really admire and love those books with laugh-out-loud moments. And I agree about the kids. I've heard authors talk about character rooting interest. When the hero is liked by children or dogs, it’s easier for readers to like him too.
@Tracey: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the post. Oh, bravery is a good quality. I should have added that to the list. I still have to read the Outlander series. Glad to hear he’s such a memorable character.
Hi Kaetrin. I’m thrilled to hear you liked More. Thanks for saying so. If you get a chance to read Breathe, I hope you enjoy it as well. Protectiveness and loyalty…that sounds like Richard from More, so I must have a thing for those qualities too. *grin* The gorgeous physical package certainly doesn’t hurt either. Thanks for the comment!
I like a confident alpha male type who's concerned about his family and woman.
meredithfl at gmail dot com
Hi Meredith: I like that description! When I read a story with an alpha male I like him to be deeply passionate, he fiercely cares for those he loves. Maybe he’s all about protecting the other hero/heroine, and he can even be a jerk about it sometimes, but it’s because he’ll do what he has to, to take care of what’s important to him. Thanks for checking out the post.