SEXY HEROES by DELILAH MARVELLE

Marvelous Delilah Marvelle has dropped by today to talk about her sexy heroes. I know, Delilah thinks all heroes are sexy. But I think hers are really, really sexy.

DELILAH SAYS:

When the beautiful and always charming Delle asked me to blog about sexy heroes, you better believe that I jumped all over the opportunity. After all, if it weren't for the sexy hero, I would be out of job. I would have no story. No motivation. No reason to live whatsoever. Yes, I was born for theater.

So what defines a sexy hero in my eyes? Truth be told, it is like asking me what chocolate I like best. White, dark or milk (although after a chocolate tasting I went to, which Delle was there for as well, there's much, much more than just that...) And heck, I'll be honest, I like it ALLLLL.

The reality is, however, that everyone's definition of a sexy hero is different. What is sexy to one person isn't necessarily to another. Sadly. Which can bring about quite the dilemma when a gal is actually trying to WRITE about the sexy hero. A hero whom everyone has to read and fall in love with. AND find sexy. Sometimes it seems downright impossible to create such a man. I would sooner find him walking down the street. Heh. But I try.

So here is a simplified list I use when creating a sexy hero:

Intelligent. Check.

Bold. Check.

Stupid. UNcheck. (Got you. Didn't I?)

Passionate in his beliefs. Check.

Passionate about the heroine. Double check.

Compassionate. Check. (Without the sobs, that is)

Honest. Check. (Though not too honest lest you never wear that dress)

Strong. Check.

Good looking. Check. (At least in the eyes of the beholder)

Physically fit. Check. (Because when he's fit, he has muscles. Yay!)

Hair that stays on his head and chest but never the back. CHECK!!!!!!

Tall. Yes, please. (Though not TOO tall...)

Well endowed. *TRIPLE* check. (I'm superficial)

Nice, tight rear. Check. (After all, one must complement the front)

Horny and kinky. (Uh...you decide whether this is good or bad)

Truth be told, I could go on and on. But in the end, I think that the sexy hero simply cannot be limited in his sexiness. Or something like that...

So. What is your definition of a sexy hero? And remember, it's quite all right to be superficial.

MORE THAN ONE?? HERO???

Note: Blogger is iffy today. If you're having problems posting comments, email Delle Jacobs and I'll post your comment for you.

Our guest today is the incomparable COLLEEN GLEASON, who is going to explain to us just how she managed to break the "One Hero" rules and keep us guessing, debating and fretting through five books. Who would be Victoria's hero? Would she even have just one? Today's the day we find out. And here's Colleen to tell us all about her fabulous and fabled Gardella Chronicles.

And while we're at it---

WIN YOUR CHOICE! ANY ONE OF THE GARDELLA CHRONICLES SERIES BOOKS PICTURED HERE. Comment, ask a question, and maybe you'll be the one chosen by Delle's totally un-biased drawing machine (random pieces of paper scattered indiscriminately amongst the un-biased cat's favorite treats).

*****

COLLEEN SAYS:

Today, the fifth and final book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles (As Shadows Fade) is officially released. It’s the last in the ongoing series about Victoria Gardella Grantworth, a female vampire hunter in Regency England. This series has been called “romance” even though, until this fifth and final book, Victoria hasn’t had her happy ever after.

But in this book, she does. It all wraps up.

But, when the third book in the series (The Bleeding Dusk) was released a year ago, readers had begun to start taking sides.

They were taking sides as to which of the two main heroes Victoria should end up with. And, like the discussions around Angel vs. Spike, or Morelli vs. Ranger, sometimes the opinions have been very strong and quite erudite! Even after the third and fourth books, and now into the fifth book, the discussion continues.

It’s a huge compliment to me that the readers of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles have been fairly split between whether Victoria should end up with Max Pesaro or Sebastian Vioget. I hear over and over that it’s because the two men are well-developed, well-drawn characters—and yet, very different.

I share this because I thought it would be an interesting topic for blogging here at Delle’s place: about those “multi-heroes”—and whether it’s a trend that romance readers (and writers) like.
Sometimes, when the heroine has more than one man to choose from, it’s sort of obvious that one choice isn’t Mr. Right—either he’s too much of a “best friend” or “brother” or “doofus” or “comic relief” sort of character. Or, as in some of my favorite gothics, he turns out to be The Villain.

But how do you write two men that are equally possibly Mr. Right?

First, though, let me speak about the whole multi-hero phenomenon, and how that affects romance.

We all know that romances have one hero, one heroine, and they ride off into the sunset together at the end of the book.

Well, in my books, that hasn’t happened—until today, with the release of As Shadows Fade. (And although I don’t have the space to talk about why my books are labeled romance even though there’s no HEA, you can visit this post on my blog at http://www.colleengleason.com/wordpress/2008/01/26/romance-or-fantasy/ to read the answer.)

But I always guaranteed that Victoria’s HEA would happen—because I have always only planned for five books about her, and I’ve always known that she’d get her HEA in the fifth book. And, in fact, by the end of the fourth book (When Twilight Burns, which was released in August), her choice was pretty clear.

So, I’ve always had an end in mind. And, since the beginning of the series, I’ve known who Victoria’s hero will be. I’ve never wavered from that choice, and knowing where I’m going and what has to happen to get her there have helped me to develop her story, as well as each of their stories—and how they relate to her and each other.

I think part of the reason my two main heroes (there are other ones that come in and out of the series as well) have been successful is because I’ve had five books instead of one in which I can develop their stories. I haven’t felt like I’ve had to fit everything into one book, nor have I felt like I’ve had to end each book with a Happy For Now ending, even if it isn’t the HEA. I think that makes a huge difference.

Now, the way I see it, there are two ways to attack a multi-hero storyline: either set up a love triangle (as Janet Evanovich does with Stephanie Plum, and Stephanie Bond is doing brilliantly with her Body-Movers series [she has three men for her heroine to choose from!])
—or make the story be an evolution (as happens in Sugar Daddy (Lisa Kleypas), Hot Shot (Susan E Phillips), and one of my favorite series ever, The Roselynde Chronicles [Roberta Gellis]).

In a love triangle, you’ve got two men vying for the same woman, or the woman wanting one man, and a second man wanting her. In order for it to work, in my opinion, the two men have to both want her (ergo Janet E’s never-ending Morelli vs. Ranger conundrum) so we feel the pull of attraction for both of them—and the heroine’s own indecision.

In an evolution story, the heroine starts off with one hero, and then evolves through that relationship into another one. She grows, matures, he dies, leaves her, whatever—but that first relationship ends, and the second one begins. And of course, that first one could come back and be the HEA…or the second one could be it.

An evolution happens in Roberta Gellis’s Roselynde Chronicles—in the first book, Alinor marries Simon, who is much older than she is. She also gets to know his squire, Ian diVipont, who becomes the hero (and one of my all-time favorites. Really. I read his book at least once a year.) in the second book, Alinor, after Simon dies. Bertrice Small also did this with her Sky O’Malley series.

What makes those examples of evolution stories different from what I’ve done with the Gardella Vampire Chronicles is that in each of those other cases, we get at least an HFN at the end of the book…which at the time, we think is an HEA.

While you don’t really get that with any of my books except the last one, you do see Victoria’s relationship evolving with the two men and you can see how different they are, how they want different things from her, how they act differently toward her.

The hardest scenes I have to write are scenes where she interacts with one of the men. I have to make sure they talk differently, react differently, and want different things. I love writing them, but at the same time, it’s hard, hard, hard.

So…what do you think about the multi-hero romances? Can you deal with them, knowing that there will be an HEA…at some defined point? Do you like the opportunity to have more than one hero to lust after? How will you feel if, when the series ends, the heroine ends up with the guy you didn’t choose?

What do you think about this trend?

DO YOU THINK I'M SEXY?

DRAWING! MAKE A COMMENT AND WIN
A free copy of SONGS OF THE HEART!

Available now: SONGS OF THE HEART Award-winning cover!

Released Dec. 2008: FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR "An absolutely brilliant read..."

STARS IN YOUR EYES coming February 27, 2009...Four blue ribbons from Romance Junkies!

Discover Rogue's Angels at www.roguesangels.blogspot.com

www.genenevalleau.com

With a theme like "Drugs, Sex and Rock 'n' Roll," can a rock star be a hero? With few exceptions, the New York publishing houses shy away from artists as heroes.

Yet from the time Elvis gyrated onto stage, teenaged girls as well as adult women have been saying a breathless yes to rock stars as fantasy lovers. As a teenager, I succumbed to a few crushes on rock stars, and my first serious effort at writing a romance novel featured a rock star hero.

To answer the question of "can a rock star be a hero?" I looked at some of the traits that make a hero. Sexual attraction is an easy yes for most rock stars. However, other traits I consider heroic are a commitment to one woman, a love for kids and dogs, and a belief in something bigger than themselves.

Do real rock stars possess these traits?

An Internet search for long-term rock star marriages turned up some interesting information. Perhaps the most famous musical marriage was Paul and Linda McCartney. They were married in 1967 and enjoyed a partnership until her death in 1998, nearly three decades. Together, they raised four children. Not so well known was that Beatles bandmate George Harrison was married 23 years until his death in 2001 and drummer Ringo Starr has been married for 27 years. Members of the Rolling Stones, one of the most famous rock bands in the world, count three long-term marriages, including the record-holder: drummer Charlie Watts has been married to Shirley Ann Shepherd since 1964, over 44 years.

While the tabloids may highlight rock stars trashing hotel rooms and spending outlandish amounts of money on luxury items while on tour, some music celebs have donated more to charity than most people will make in their life times. Along with country star Willie Nelson, singers John Mellencamp, Neil Young and others have raised more than $33 million for Farm Aid since 1985. Bono, the front man for U2, is well-known for his fight against poverty and hunger as well as a number of other causes, and for using his celebrity status to meet with world leaders to draw awareness of these issues. (By the way, Bono has been married to his childhood sweetheart since 1982.)

While researching, I also discovered the hardships that rocker Neil Young (of Cosby, Stills, Nash and Young as well as other rock bands) has faced make a heart-rending and inspirational story, including the fact that two of his children were born with cerebral palsy. Not finding a school that would meet the needs of their children, his wife of 27 years, Pegi Young, co-founded Bridge School in 1986, with funding from a concert featuring Neil Young and his friends. Since then, the school has become an innovative leader for students with severe physical and speech impairments.

I found many other examples--from Jon Bon Jovi to the Beastie Boys to the Red Hot Chili Peppers--that answered the question "can rock stars be heroes" with a resounding yes! So although some publishing houses may be wary of rock stars as heroes, Awe-Struck E-Books didn't hesitate to contract for my first three books, which feature heroes connected with a rock band.

Superstar Geoff Chastain finds true love with the virgin who changed his life in SONGS OF THE HEART, which was released in April 2008. His bodyguard falls in love with a demure psychiatrist as they race to rescue her kidnapped children in FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR, a December 2008 release. And the leader of the band finds happiness with the woman he has loved for over twenty years in STARS IN YOUR EYES, slated to go on sale as a download on Friday, February 27, 2009.

****

Tomorrow on Risky Regencies:

I forgot to say, look for me tomorrow on Risky Regencies
http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/
where my hero will be a woman: Susanna Dalbiac, Heroine of the Battle of Salamanca, 1812

Thanks for being patient!
Delle

Life's Lemons

I need to take a break to re-group today. Sorry I can't really explain. Many of you know I was a social worker for years, and you might also know that's a job that often feels hopeless. If you do that job, you often know, no matter what you do, you can't do what needs to be done. For one reason or many, sometimes nothing can change a terrible future.

Maybe later today, or perhaps tomorrow, I'll get back and post the blog I had been considering. In the meantime, I'm giving you this little piece of art- a design I played with a few days ago just for the fun of it. It's nothing but a computer-colorized rendering of an untinted black and white German Renaissance lithograph from the 1890's. I've believe the original artist is F. Von Hollaky.

Hugs to all,
Delle

WHY HOT SHOTS ARE HOT!

MJ Frederick today, talking about one of my favorite subjects: Hot Shots. MJ is a Samhain and The Wild Rose Press author, who writes adventure romance I'm afraid to pick up because I know I can't put it down.

This is a book you've got to read:

http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Shot-M-J-Fredrick/

***

I’d never heard of Hot Shot firefighters until the Colorado wildfires of 2000. One of the members of SARA, my writer’s group, had just moved to Colorado and was on the verge of the fire. She would email to tell us how heroic the Hot Shot firefighters fighting the fire were. The idea sparked and I started researching.

Hot Shots are physically fit-they have to be to hike to the fires, to work the incredibly long hours doing hard labor, tearing fuels away from the dirt so the fire can’t advance. They sleep on the ground when they’re in remote areas, which is most of the time.

Hot Shots are brave. They walk among the flames, face the dragon nose to nose. They go where most people will never go, mountains, deep in the forests, working to save property and human lives. They know fire behavior-they have to in order to remain safe. Mistakes can get them killed.

I love firefighters, men and women who go into danger instead of away from it. Their bravery is legendary. They see things day in and out that no one should have to see, from car accidents to people who lose everything. They have a bond with each other from working so closely, living together, depending on each other.

At the same time there’s a kind of arrogance, which my heroine Peyton sees in the hero, Gabe Cooper. I think there has to be a kind of arrogance, though, to do a job like that, to believe you can face the danger and beat it down. For Peyton, it’s a challenge and a turn-on, but when she can give as good as she gets, the sparks fly.

Are firefighters a particular favorite for you? What about cops? Who are your favorite heroes to read about?

MJ Frederick

Why Guys Don't Get It- And Women Don't Either

***

It was all going so well...


He was so attentive, so handsome, so perfect.
She was so adoring, so lovely.

She was already beginning to imagine the perfect life she was going to lead with him. It would be an endless round of balls and soirees, they would tour about visiting friends, perhaps abroad. And there would be a magnificent house, fine linens and imported china. And she'd have a family of beautiful girls and handsome boys, and he would be an adoring, attentive father.

He had already checked out her stunning figure, corsets and panniers notwithstanding, and by the time his gaze finally reached her face he was already imagining having her in his bed. Her marvelous assets did not end there, of course, and he had reached the stage where he knew she brought good family connections and dowry, would bear sons of fine quality to inherit his title and fortune, and her able skills would manage his household and social life while he was away on more important matters. By now, he could hardly keep his eyes, not to mention his hands, off her.

But then she did something so utterly female. Something any woman would understand.

I love this lithograph, AB Wenzell's The First Spat, from 1899. The body language says it all. Although I think it helps that she has a great corset, it's obvious she is defending herself well, despite his authoritarian stance. It's just as clear he sees her as the one at fault and it's his job to bring her into line.

Or maybe he was the one who did something utterly, clumsily male. From the look on his face in this engraving (sorry, I don't know the artist), I'll bet he has no idea what it was, or at least why it upset her.



Male-to-female mis-comprehension shown at its best. I say "mis-comprehension" even though I know it's not a real word because that's what it ought to be called. These pictures may belong to another century and have that era's markings in its dress, culture and manners, but they portray a never-ending conflict.

Men are different. It's not just that they love all those phallic symbol weapons- although it's clear they do. They both think and act differently from women.
Their brains have different wiring.

This last weekend I had the privilege of hearing an excellent speaker, Cassiel Knight , who talked about body language and how our bodies express what we're thinking even better than our words do. This isn't news to me or probably not to most romance authors, but she covered a lot of ground including some new information on the way men and women think differently.

Most of us won't deny that men tend to be more aggressive than women- although women are definitely learning not to be as passive as they used to be. But that's only the most obvious difference. Where we run into trouble in relationships is often in dealing with body language.

Joseph Christian Leyendecker's painting, Cu Chulainn, just about oozes testosterone. But it also portrays the difference between battle stance and comrade stance. His comrade stands by his side, while they ride together to face the enemy head-on. Men interacting with other men as co-workers or friends tend to not quite face each other directly. They will tend to put up non-confrontational body language when forced into such a position. This is also a leader-to-follower position, though, so it has to be interpreted carefully.

Women tend to face each other when interacting. One reason I'm showing you this painting called the Bower Meadow by Dante Gabriel Rosetti is that there seems to be something a little eerie, unnatural, about it. this s common with many of Rosetti's paintings showing several women. Can you see it? They're facing each other, but they're not sharing eye contact, despite other mutually intimate behavior like dancing together.

It could be, I guess, that women were more acculturated to not making eye contact in the late 19th century when this was painted. And yes, they are absorbed in playing musical instruments, and possibly doing more hearing than seeing. But it almost seems that Rosetti himself found the female eye contact and face-to-face communication uncomfortable. Women tend to see themselves as a part of a community of women, and their face-to-face communication can sometimes be almost beyond male comprehension. OR-- maybe they don't actually see it.

Two things that get in the way of men understanding women: First, they're not looking at their faces. (Yes, we know where they're looking. Another way they're obviously hard-wired.) And second, they're not genetically programmed to pick up very well on the clues on faces when they are looking at them. Both of these are strong points for women.

I think it's interesting that babies of either sex seek out faces and direct face-to-face interaction. While this doesn't change much with women, it begins to differentiate in boys at a pretty early age. Historically, at least in England, but also in many cultures over long periods of time, women have been thought to be in the same class as children, needing protection and provision, but not having the necessary intelligence, strength and skills to manage their own lives.

We've changed a lot over time. But we still have the same brains our ancestors had. No wonder we get so confused sometimes. If you follow the Zits cartoon in your daily paper,
http://www.arcamax.com/zits you'll see that teenagers may communicate with their tapping thumbs at the speed of light, but they still don't get how the other thinks.

First Girl: "Do you remember that girl in our kindergarten class with the brown hair?"

Second Girl: "The one who wore the skirt you liked? Yeah."

First Boy: "Do you remember anything about anybody you've seen more than five minutes ago?"

Second Boy: "I'm not even sure if I remember you."

Still different. Still confused. Good thing that in romance, we celebrate the differences, and actually make an effort to figure them out.