"I
need a hero. I’m holding out for a hero till the end of the night."
These
words are from the Bonnie Tyler song, Holding
Out For A Hero,
sung in the 1980’s and used as a theme song in the movie
“Footloose.” I have the song in my playlist, and I play it almost
every day to put me in the mood for writing my own heroes. We need
more heroes today, and not just the fictitious Marvel Comics heroes
in kids’ movies.
"He’s
gotta’ be strong and he’s gotta’ be fast"
Women
are just naturally drawn to a man of strength and sureness. And yes,
we are drawn to brawn and power. I mean no disrespect to today’s
smart and independent women, many of whom are also heroes as EMT’s,
police women, those who work for a fire department, doctors, nurses,
women in sports, women in the armed forces, caregivers – even
mothers should be considered heroes. But for this blog, I am talking
about the male heroes of romance novels – the flawed, yet in so
many ways perfect man, who is tough as nails but knows how to be
gentle with a woman and who adores the heroine.
"And
he’s gotta’ be fresh from the fight."
When
the men in my stories walk into a room, heads turn. People
immediately know this man is bigger than life. This man is in
complete control and knows no fear. Jake Harkner, in my Outlaw Hearts
series, is definitely that kind of man. After writing Jake, I had
trouble getting interested in new characters and new heroes. Jake is
simply one of a kind, so bold and so memorable that it was very hard
for me to leave him after four books and go on to other stories.
Those who have read this series know exactly what I mean.
"He's
gotta’ be bigger than life."
Another
unforgettable hero I wrote is Zeke Monroe (Lone Eagle) in my Savage
Destiny series. Zeke is another character that leaves everyone else
frozen in their seats when he walks into a room. Some characters just
have that aura of power about them, men who command respect and
attention the minute you lay eyes on them. Nick de Santos, the hero
in the book I just finished writing – THE LAWLESS BREED – is
another hero who commands full attention. When he rides into the
story at the end of the first chapter, readers will have an OMG!
moment and will immediately want to know more about this man.
"He’s
gotta’ be sure."
I
write heroes, and I will ALWAYS write heroes. Why? Because I write
about women’s deepest passions and deepest desires. Romance readers
want a hero, a man with skills that were needed in a time of wild
danger, a time of settling untamed country where there was no law.
And my heroines match my heroes in bravery and that special
independence that was once rare for women. I love writing heroines
who only make the men in their lives even stronger and more able to
defend home and hearth, able to hunt, to fight, and to lead.
"Where
have all the good men gone?"
Ya’
gotta’ love that bad man with a good heart, and the fact that a
true hero is willing to admit he couldn’t get by without the woman
in his life. As my hero Jake puts it, his wife is “the air I
breathe.” He fully admits he couldn’t survive without her. His
wife Miranda keeps Jake focused and keeps her ex-outlaw husband on
the straight and narrow. She taught him what love is all about, and
that love is his lifeline. At the same time, Miranda realizes she
needs and wants Jake’s protection and his sureness as a man who
knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations. Miranda knows in
her heart that she needs all that is “man” about Jake, and that
only compliments her as the heroine.
"I
need a hero."
Writing
strong heroines only helps enhance the hero’s role in a story. In
the opening chapter of RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME (coming November 2019),
the hero is about to be hanged.
It’s the heroine who saves his life, but not because she is Wonder
Woman. She needs the guy for his food and supplies and to help her
find her way out of a wild, dangerous land in which she is lost and
stranded. So, I have a brave, smart heroine helping a complete
stranger who turns out to be very brave and capable himself. These
two totally compliment each other in heroism and survival instincts,
yet there is a femininity
about the heroine that brings out the protective instincts in the
hero and makes him more “manly” just by being himself. Throughout
the story these two recognize what each needs from the other and each
totally respects what the other can contribute to their survival. The
writer of romance doesn’t need to make the heroine weepy and
shivering just so the hero seems more heroic. My heroes absolutely
admire a strong, brave woman who in many ways is his match, but who,
when it comes to true love and making
love, is soft and inviting and a woman in every sense of the word.
The heroine in turn wants the hero to be a man in every way in the
romance department, but she also expects respect and adoration.
That’s what women get from my heroes.
Through
all the changes in what is popular today, romance remains at the top
of most women’s reading list, and yes, men, too. How else are they
going to find exciting, action-packed reading, while at the same time
learning “what women want?”
Most
romance writers have adapted to today’s social changes, and they
understand that even though our heroines have to be much braver and
more independent than in those old, original romance novels of the
80’s, these adjustments do not have to take away from the natural
attraction a woman feels for a brawny, able hero. That deep, innate
need for a man’s man in our lives is what keeps readers turning to
romance novels for reading entertainment. So, I don’t know about
you, but …
"I
need a hero."
And
heroes are what I write.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Coming 24 September:
