FINDING A HERO ...

When you read, are you able to envision the characters? Do you like reading a book where the author has clearly defined a character's appearance. Does it distract you if characters, especially main characters, are left out there sort of dangling so that you have to make them up yourself?

 I can tell you that for me, a character's appearance and mannerisms just might be the hardest part of the whole book. It isn't rocket science, but it's tedious and my OCD kicks in and makes it harder than it needs to be. No doubt every author has his or her own method for constructing a character.  I've tried holding a character in my head as I write, but then after about 50 pages, I start to forget the eye color, the hair color, the height, body type, etc, etc.

The hero's appearance is especially important in romance novels. A long time ago, in one of the early conversations I had with one of my editors, she said to me, "Don't forget that romance novels are fantasies." ..... I've never forgotten her telling me that. I added it to the lore I collect for building a successful romance "hero."

So in an effort to make the whole process easier and more efficient, I started searching for heroes in celebrities of which there are copious pictures. Once I found the images of the hero and heroine in pictures of real people, my job became a lot easier.  .....  As a side note, I should add that *all* of my heroes are good-looking, alpha and heroic. All of my heroines are beautiful. After all, if I'm creating a fantasy, isn't that how it should be?

Adam Rodriguez.

The process is not always instant. For example, I searched for days for an image I wanted to imagine as Troy Rattigan in THE HORSEMAN. Troy's mother is half Hispanic with thick black hair and deep brown eyes. His father is blond, tall and lean and Scots-Irish. I started looking for a celebrity whose appearance might be the result of that mix.

Then I started thinking about the personality I was creating for this character. He's a friendly, fun-loving guy, so that attitude had to reflect in his appearance. Believe it or not, it wasn't that easy to find. I ended up with the actor, Adam Rodriguez. What do you think? Is he a hero you can envision in a romance novel?

The heroine, Samantha Karol, was almost impossible. I ended up buying a picture of her. She's small, with a bushel of thick black hair that hangs past her waist (of which, she's very proud). She has intriguing blue-green eyes that look at you directly and full, cherry-red lips. I have a friend who has blue-green eyes and as long as I've known her, the color of her eyes is so riveting, they're distracting when we talk. I can never tell what she's thinking.

I thought that intense characteristic would be fitting for a woman who had grown up an orphan with a no-nonsense toughness about her. She's a survivor. I don't know this model's name, but she came the closest. Can you picture Troy being so attracted to her he can't keep from falling in love?

These are the stars in THE HORSEMAN. Does their appearance make you want to read the book? Let me know what you think.

Holding Out for a Hero... a Beta Hero

Holding Out for a Hero... a BETA HERO

When I hear/read about heroes, most times the word that comes before it is Alpha

Alphas are the leader of the pack, the rough and tumble man who runs head first into the fray. The guy that can sword fight the enemy and defeat the Huns all while kissing the stuffing out of his lady love. He's big. He's rough. He's amazing!!

But I love my Beta heroes as well.

What is.. or rather.. Who is a beta? What is he like? 

Betas are softer in some ways. We're not talking about a beer gut or couch potato... we're talking about different kinds of 'soft'-er.

Where an Alpha may dive into trouble, the Beta may have a more intellectual method of problem solving. Where an Alpha maybe sweep a woman straight off of her feet and over his shoulder, a Beta might show her gentle affection. That's not to say he's not passionate, but he just expresses it differently.

Huh... still not sure?

Okay, let's talk Austen.

Darcy - dark, brooding, brash Alpha

Tilney - witty, humorous, gentle strength Beta

How about Western TV heroes - Big Valley -

Nick - headstrong, fighter, ladies man Alpha

Jerrod - lawyer, more settled/mature, Beta

And the show that I feel has more Beta Males than you can shake a stick at - Little House on the Prairie -

Pa, Almonzo, Adam (Mary's Husband) -

dependable, salt of the earth, gentle... but is there any doubt they loved their wives with passion and deep emotion? nope...

When I sit down to write, I don't say that I'm going to write Alpha or Beta. The character type depends on the situation, but when I write my Sweet Historical Western Romances, you'll find that my heroes are always Betas.

A simple touch, a softly spoken word, he's a man with more of an inner struggle than an external one with fists swinging or guns blazing. But he's a man who I think exemplifies the phrase 'still waters run deep.'

They're not always the men who call attention to themselves, but they're just as much in need of a good woman

Who are My Beta Heroes?

 Stay With Me -

Hayden Samuels worked hard to make something of himself. Unable to follow in his father’s footsteps he found work that gave him a purpose and joy. Now he has to return and tell his father that he wants to live his life on his own terms, even if that strains their relationship to the breaking point. But when the stage rolls into town he comes face to face with a young woman that makes him think twice about leaving.

Her Gentle Heart - 

Hampton Wells has been working hard at one train station after another, biding his time until there’s a job for him to be the one in charge. Trouble is, he’s been hiding an important secret from his friends and his boss. And now, temporarily situated at Sweetwater Springs during a snow storm, his secret is about to be revealed and threaten his job. Or, he could let down his walls and ask for help. But that’s not really the kind of man that he’s been. 

Always, Ransom -

The Express took men and rode them hard across the West. That adventuring spirit belonged to men full of life, ready for whatever met them on the trail, everything, except for love. 

Ransom McCain was the last man hired to ride for the Three Rivers station, but he was chosen to take the first ride west because he could think on his feet. Tensions are high because there are people determined to make the express fail, and little does Ransom know that he would fall for a woman caught in the crossfire.

Home to Roost -

'Quinn' - Most people in Bower know him as a hermit, a mountain man who hardly talks and likes company even less. His parents named him Livingstone Quinn, but unlike his namesake, he doesn’t want to explore. He doesn’t want to discover. He just wants his peace and quiet, all by his lonesome with his animals on his homestead. When Brigid literally falls at his feet, he keeps telling her she needs to leave, but shocks himself when he keeps finding reasons for her to stay. What will he do when he runs out of excuses?

What Betas await us in the future? I can't wait to find out!

Reina Torres -

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