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Heroes: Early Inspirations

Some women love military men. Others go for the sports heroes. I've always been partial to poets and musicians. My first crushes were on pop stars. David Cassidy, Simon Le Bon.

Later on, I fell for dead poets. Shelley, Byron. Apparently, I took the idea of unrequited love a little too far.

But when I think of the men who have inspired me most romantically, I think of men who appreciate beauty and sadness, love, and art. Brooders. It's no surprise that I still have trouble creating really strong alpha heroes. Alpha men just aren't my thing. But lots of romance readers love a good Alpha hero, so I keep trying my best.

In Thornbrook Park, I introduced the Thorne brothers, Gabriel and Marcus. Marcus, the younger brother, was a poet in the body of a prizefighter. He took on physical challenges to impress his father and brother, but he always preferred settling down with a good book. I tried to make him into a strong Alpha male, but readers, and Eve Kendal, saw him for the Beta he is.

I never give up. Gabriel, the older brother, has his own book coming soon, and he will try to impress you with his Alpha swagger. He hunts. He fishes. He fights. He's big and strong, and rich enough so that he's never had to answer to anyone. What could possibly go wrong for a man like that? You'll find out in Gabriel's story, The Great Estate, coming in August 2015.

Available for preorder:
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Who are your romantic inspirations? Favorite heroes?

Comments

  1. My first major crush was Paul McCartney. LOL. I've never written a rock star hero, but I think I'm about to!

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  2. We have the same crushes! My first was Shawn Cassidy, though.

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    1. Shawn came after David. I was four when I fell for David, and I think maybe I wanted a big brother. But Shawn came along in the Hardy Boys when I was in 5th grade, old enough to appreciate him. :)

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  3. I've always had a soft spot for artistic and/or musical heroes too. One of my first crushes was Davy Jones of The Monkees. Bear in mind that I was in elementary school at the time, and Davy was actually *taller* than I was! It wasn't just that he was cute (with that endearing Manchester accent), but he actually had a ton of screen presence. I can still see it now, when I look at old video clips of him. He may even have been an alpha, though in rather concentrated, vertically challenged packaging!

    And funnily enough, the alpha heroes I tend to prefer are the ones who don't have it that easy, whether physically or socially. A current favorite is Miles Vorkosigan, who has a brilliant strategic mind, a will of iron, and a deeply romantic soul, but who is also trapped in a 4'9" body and beset by severe birth defects and other health issues. And there's Richard Sharpe, military alpha, who has to cope with the stigmas of illegitimacy and lower class origins.

    I love intellectuals too, like Lord Peter Wimsey and Francis Crawford of Lymond. Peter might be more of a beta, while Francis is an alpha, though a rather screwed-up one with more issues than a newsstand. But both of these men can dazzle with the sheer force of their intellect!

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  4. I love Miles' stories and hear there is a new Vorkosigan story coming out in the fall, although I am under the impression it centers more around Cordelia! I was more into cop shows, so I drooled over Starsky, the Rookies, SWAT, all of those. Good luck on the upcoming release!

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