THE PERFECT HERO

By Caroline Clemmons

When you pick up a romance, what do you expect from the hero? Let’s talk about the main components of a hero, shall we?

 First, let’s get his appearance out of the way. Do you require a thick head of hair and perfect physique before a man can be a hero in your eyes?  Does he have to be a certain height, have a particular color of eyes, and wear his hair a certain way? If he’s bald, are all bets off? What if he’s a geek who wears glasses and isn’t that fit? What each of us means by “perfect” hero physically probably differs from one reader to the next. Not that I’m turned off by a handsome man, mind you, but I don’t care as much about his physical aspects as about his character.

For instance, I remember a friend who dated a wonderful man wo was crazy about her. She stopped seeing him because his hairline was receeding. She ended up marrying a nice looking guy who was an alcoholic who beat her.

Gregory Peck, one of my

favorite actor heroes ever

 

There are several qualities that are necessary for a hero, at least IMO. These qualities might not exist at the first of the book, but they’d better be there by the end or I want my money back.

 

[1] He has to be trustworthy. In our part of the country, you hear “His word is his bond.” That means if he says it, he’ll do it and you don’t need a contract to hold him to his word. No man with that reputation would risk losing it.

 

Chris Hemswrth

[2]  Loyalty. If he’s your friend, you don’t have to worry about him stabbing you in the back, figuratively or literally. He will defend you to others and, as the saying goes, have your back. Another saying from the Southwest along this line is “ride for the brand,” and it doesn’t just mean cowboys who work on a ranch.  If he takes a man’s money for a job, he won’t cheat his employer.

 

Michael B. Jordan

[3] Not afraid of commitment. Not just in romance, but I’m reminded of a man with whom man I once worked. He was in his thirties but still lived in the rented apartment he moved into for grad school, rented his office, leased a car, had the same girlfriend for five years—yet wondered why no one took him seriously as an adult. His lifestyle was still grad student. Talk about arrested development! 

Liam Hemsworth

(Are there any homely people

in their family?)

[4] Takes a stand. This may be a part of commitment, but I list it separately. It means he won’t be a “yes” man to anyone. He is not afraid to state his opinion about a course of action, and not afraid to follow up on that opinion.

 I’m sure you can think of more qualities you look for your heroes. Tell me what they are, and which you think are most important.

  

What Makes a Hero by @JoanReeves

As a romance author, I think about heroes a lot because each romance novel calls for a hero.

What Is a Hero?

Is he the guy in the picture to the left? He's got looks and muscles. Does that make him a hero? People claim football heroes, rock star heroes, and generally use the term hero to mean anyone they admire. Does extreme success and likability make someone a hero?

No. Popularity, personality, and skill in a demanding field just makes an admirable person. Maybe it makes someone a potential hero, but it takes more than a pretty face, good body, and charm to be a hero--in a romance novel or in real life.

Real Heroes Give

In my humble opinion, a real hero--male or female--gives unselfishly to help others...often, to protect those in harm's way. Most people don't think about the heroes in their own family, but I think you should look no farther than your own family to find heroes. Think of the fathers--and mothers--who work hard to give their children a better life. They're heroes. Far better to idolize them than some hip hop artist or bad boy football star.

Real heroes give. They sacrifice--often for strangers. Sometimes that sacrifice is the ultimate one that claims the hero's life.

Real heroes? Try Fire Fighters and Police Officers who put their lives on the line every day of the week. They and other first responders are heroes.

Doctors and Nurses who volunteer for Doctors Without Borders are real heroes. Many doctors and nurses and other medical staff, from every field, volunteer in free clinics and in countries where villagers never see a doctor. Two of my doctors do this.

Dentists do the same, providing care for the poorest of people who have little access to quality care. My dentist does this every year.

Volunteers who who work in poor villages and countries to bring people the basic necessities that we take for granted like clean water--they're heroes. Every year people volunteer to dig wells in places where the nearest water source might be a creek or a river miles away. The number of places in the world that lack the things we take for granted like clean water, septic systems, etc. is shocking.


Soldiers who protect and serve that we might have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are heroes. National cemeteries are full of these heroes who have given their lives in every war and conflict.

Real Life Heroes Inspire Fictional Heroes

If you read romance, you know how popular the military hero and law enforcement heroes are. I had a former soldier in Old Enough to Know Better, April Fool Bride, and Heat Lightning.

In fact, the hero of my current work in progress, Last Christmas, is also a former soldier who is now in law enforcement. In other books I've written, I've had heroes who were in law enforcement.

Is a romance novel hero vastly different from a real life hero? Maybe the romance hero is a little better looking and has six-pack abs rather than love handles, but the qualities of protectiveness and unselfishness exist in both the romance novel hero and the real life hero.

This desire to protect and serve is why so many romance heroes are soldiers and cops.

In my romantic comedy, Cinderella Blue, I have a cop hero, but I did a bit of a flip-flop with what the reader might expect. In most stories involving a cop hero, the cop avoids commitment at all costs.

In Cinderella Blue, Detective Bruce Benton, first introduced in Nobody’s Cinderella, is commitment phobic, but so is Detective Andrea Luft, his new partner who he realizes is perfect for him. He's the first in their growing relationship to want commitment.

I had fun solving Andie’s problems stemming from her emotional baggage. Here's a short excerpt to show you these two cops in action.

Excerpt, Cinderella Blue

Heat shimmered in waves above the pavement. Across the street, Bruce Benton saw a cluster of shops that created one-stop shopping for women looking to drop a few grand on a pretentious wedding. He crossed the street and headed to the flower shop. As he passed the glass storefront of a photographer’s studio, he saw a woman inside. A nano second later, he stopped abruptly. The heat must be frying his brain. He retraced his steps, casually glancing in again. The woman wore a wedding dress, but instead of a bridal bouquet, she held a handgun.

Bruce drew his Glock and eased the door open. A bell over the door jingled. He cringed as he slipped inside. Maybe she was deaf. The woman whirled. Nope. Not deaf. She held her gun in the same shooter’s stance as he. “Take it easy, lady. Maybe the photographer took some lousy pictures of you. That’s no reason to shoot him.”

“That’s funny.” The blonde suddenly grinned, but her gun never wavered. “You’re cute. Anyone ever tell you that you look kind of like Karl Urban?”

“Let’s not talk about some Aussie actor. Let’s talk about you. Why would a sweet thing like you have a gun?”

“Sweet thing?” Irritation replaced her grin. “Lower your gun. Lay it on the floor.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see I’m a–”

Everything happened at once. A man rushed from behind her, slammed into her, and sent her flying into Bruce. They went down in a tangle of arms, legs, and miles of white satin. She came up snarling.
Bruce leaped up, gun in hand. “Freeze!”

He grinned and pulled out his handcuffs. “I always wanted to say that. Just like a TV cop. You lost your gun, sweet thing.”

He stepped toward her. With a snarl, she whirled. He saw a white blur and felt agony in his hand. A roundhouse kick to his solar plexus cut off his gasp of pain. He hit the floor. Wheezing, he tried to rise, but the blonde stood over him with her gun–and his–pointed at him.

She smiled. “Uh uh, sweet thing. You stay right where you are.”

Bruce groaned. Not from pain so much as humiliation. Crap. He’d never live this down.

What kind of a hero do you like best in romance novels? Do they reflect the qualities you admire in your real life heroes?

Post Script

Joan Reeves writes Sassy, Sexy Contemporary Romance. Her books are available at all major ebook sellers with audio editions available at Amazon, Audible.com, and iTunes.

All of Joan's books have the same underlying theme: It's never too late to live happily ever after. Joan lives her happily ever after with her hero, her husband, in the Lone Star State.

Subscribe to Joan's free newsletters: Writing Hacks, tips about the art, craft, and business of writing, and WordPlay, her email list and book chat for readers. Find Joan online: Blog, Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

THE FLAWED HERO AND WHY WE LOVE HIM

We women are suckers for the wounded hero. It's in our nature to believe we can "fix" the brooding hero and live happily ever after. This idea is nothing new. Beauty and the Beast is a very old French fairy tale with a hero with a physical flaw and the mother of all attitude problems.  Enter Belle. A little love, patience and persistence and we have a transformed prince.

I enjoy writing characters who have quirks and flaws. They are so much more interesting than the perfect hero who always has the answer and never takes a wrong step. Can you imagine James Bond being attracted to plain little Jane Eyre? Mr. Rochester tried harder. Well, he did lie and manipulate, but it was all for love. She managed to change him for the better. Wait, that's Beauty and the Beast again.

The perfect hero would be difficult to live with. St. George slayed the dragon and saved the girl. Then what? Did he go out dragon hunting for the rest of his life or settle down and raise little princes? Imagine him sitting around polishing his armor and reminiscing about the good old days. The alpha male needs constant action.

As a writer, we want interesting characters with problems we can relate to. The hero's journey is much more interesting when life isn't simple or easy. Maybe it's because, in reality, we have so many wounded warriors returning home. We love these men and women who did their job to protect us and paid the price. They return with baggage we all want them to have a happily ever after.

Cowboy in the Making by Paty Jager

Austin on Jammer

My grandson Austin(a cowboy name isn't it) is eight. He has a ready smile, big blue eyes, and a loving attitude. Until you rile him. Then he can get spittin' mad.

He wanted to go horse back riding. He picked out the tallest, longest-legged mare we have. She's always proved a gentle soul and the two of them bonded. He can't reach all the way up on her back to give her a good brushing but he can sure croon to her. "That's my baby." "You're a good girl."

Most kids are scared to sit way up in the air on Jammer's back. Not Austin. With some help he climbed up on Jammer and was grinning like he'd been handed a bouquet of lollipops.

I taught him how to stop her, turn her, and all around make her mind. Of the three grandchildren riding that day, Austin was the only one who wasn't intimidated by the horse. He pulled her around and made her mind without a squeal or a complaint. Being a long-legged Tennessee Walker Jammer and Austin were always way ahead of the rest of us I'd holler, "Turn her in a circle," and they make two or three wide circles until we caught up.

After the ride, Austin insisted on unsaddling and taking her hackamore off. He managed to unfasten the cinch but I had to pull the saddle down, but he took it from me and waddled to the tack room with it. Just like any good cowboy he took care of his horse and again crooned what a good baby she was.

As we walked back from the pasture after letting the horses loose, he said, "Jammer and me get along good. She's my baby and I love her."  Then he grinned, whooped, and headed for the bike.

I couldn't be prouder of the way he treated the horse, enjoyed the ride, and took pride in the job he did. He has all the qualities I like to put into a cowboy/hero in my books.

www.patyjager.net
Writing into the Sunset
 

My Vision of a True Hero by Paty Jager

Most of us who are married or in a significant relationship feel that person is our hero. Yesterday when my husband did nothing but stand there and let me use his body to drag myself to my feet, his hero status went up three notches.

When I thanked him his comment was, "After seeing that fall, I wasn't sure where to touch that wouldn't hurt you."

I like to think of myself as a bit of a cowgirl, but getting bucked off twice yesterday, I'm almost ready to stay seated in my chair and only write about wild rides on equines and the taste of dirt in the mouth.

Keyword--almost.

My friend who also has horses suggested that there might have been something under the saddle blanket to make my usually calm and unflappable horse toss me twice. As much as I didn't like letting her get away with throwing me, after the second time I hit the ground I couldn't get back on, physically.

My hero didn't see the first toss. He was busy in the house drawing up a septic drain field for the house we're in the process of building. I called him out after I caught Lily and asked him to hold her while I got on. She danced a bit and I finally made it back in the saddle. He let go and we did three circles where I usually lunge her. In hindsight, I probably should have lunged her more rather than crawled back on. When I stopped to get off, she started bucking and took me through a tree. I don't know if it was an 8 second ride, but it felt like an eternity before I couldn't hold on an longer and hit the ground.

My hero ran to my side and waited for me to even feel like getting off the ground, then stood stoically as I grabbed hold of his pocket and dragged my battered body off the ground. He then leaned me against a pick up and headed after the horse. By the time Lily ran back my direction, I could hobble enough to corner and catch her. I pulled the bridle and saddle off and handed the lead rope to my hero. He led her off to a corral by herself.

When he returned to the house he said, "Take a hot shower and wash the blood off your face." I had washed my face. I have a long scratch from once side of my face to the other that runs under my nose, making me look like I have a bloody nose and smeared it. Not a pretty sight.

We were traveling the rest of the day, but he stopped extra times to let me get out and worked out the sore muscles.

Sometimes in real life and in a romance novel, the littlest of things can make a person a hero in the heroine's eyes.

What little thing has a hero done for you?

www.patyjager.net
Writing into the Sunset Blog

MY ONGOING LOVE AFFAIRS

 By Brenda Chitwood

Okay, I admit it, I have had an ongoing affair with Mr. Darcy. Well, to be honest, Rochester has always had a place in my heart, too. I'm such a slut. J. D. Robb's Roarke is to die for. 

Colin Firth in "Pride and Prejudice"

Who am I kidding, I love them all. One thing they all seem to have in common is being wealthy.  Money never hurts.

These guys don't sit around in their underwear munching cheese doodles and squashing empty beer cans on their foreheads. On the flip side, I doubt any of them would fall into mad lust with my lumpy figure or the chocolate smears on my mouth. 

Swept off her feet by a handsome man

That's the beauty of romantic fiction. The men are perfect and we find the heroines easily ignored. In fact, I become Elizabeth, Jane or Eve.  Although, Eve would probably kick me from New York to Texas.

Hugh Jackman, just because he's dreamy

As a reader, I fall into the arms of the hero and never have to pick up his dirty socks.  As a writer, I scream at the hero in my story to behave and stop being such an ass. 

Heroes don't write themselves--
and sometimes they don't cooperate
with their author

After hours of looking at a blank page and imagining my hero laughing at my frustration, I decide to change into my stretchiest  sweat pants, find my stash of Snickers hidden in the back of my bookshelf and see what chaos Karen Marie Moning's Barrons is creating.  Oh my, is he HOT!

I'll be giving away an Amazon Gift Card to one person who comments on today's post. The winner will still be in the drawing for the Kindle Fire HD Tablet on June 30th. Please leave your email address with your comment in the event you're the winner.