What Kind of Hero Do You Prefer?

Romance heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Well, okay, chunky heroes are few and far between. The norm, it seems, is the tall, dark (or blonde) and handsome. Successful, self-made (or not), confident to the point of arrogance, and smart. Let's not forget sexy. He has to ooze sex appeal. Otherwise, what's the point?

I love alpha males as much as the next reader. I love men who know what they want and how to get it. No vacillating or indecisiveness. Strength of will and steely determination also are necessary.

I heard a song on the radio the other day. Don't know the title but the tune was catchy. It's about a couple who broke up and the girl saw her ex with his new girlfriend. Part of the lyrics went something like this, "Does she rub your feet when you've had a long day?"

My first thought was, it should be, does he rub your feet when you've had a long day? I know, I know. It's just a song. I should lighten up. As I sat down in front of my computer, it got me thinking. What kind of hero do most women prefer? Or more appropriately, how alpha do you want him to be? Do you want him to be the type who wants to be waited on hand and foot?

In some of the books I've read, the alpha(ness) of the hero just went too far out there for me. Some made me cringe. Some made me groan out loud. And then again, some made me want to slap the heroine and tell her to wake the hell up. For me, there's a fine line between being an alpha male and being an obnoxious ass.

I've delved into mild BDSM elements in a couple of my books. Now my stories in no way represent a real bdsm relationship or the real dynamics between a Dom and a sub. I've always emphasized that fact. One BDSM author told me, there are no set rules. The people involved make them up themselves. I agree. I don't think I can actually write a real, stark, no-holds barred story about a Dom/sub relationship. You see, there's a part of me that struggles with the notion that another human being has total say in what I do. I have no problem writing about it AS LONG as the woman is not a doormat and the relationship is consensual. That means, she agrees/allows whatever happens. And realistically, bdsm adds a very erotic element to romance. This isn't the romance your grandma used to read, honey. *g*

BDSM aside, I have to admit, and I'm being honest, I like an alpha male in the bedroom. I want him to take the initiative, to make the move. In the privacy of the bedroom, I like the Me Tarzan, you Jane kind of thing. *g* But I'm also careful to balance that out with humor, well-placed tenderness or gentleness from the guy. If he insists on being alpha in ALL facets of our life, then see ya!

It's human nature to be drawn to a strong, alpha male. It's survival of the fittest. You know that the alpha male will take care of you in good times and bad. Hey, I'm all for that. But I also want a man who has a sense of humor, who can laugh at himself, who can admit to the mistakes he's made, who can say sorry, who knows when to be gentle and how to communicate. I try to incorporate those qualities in my books. I guess it means I want my cake and eat it, too. Nothing wrong with that!

You want that, too. Don't you?

Daniel Craig is the shiznit!

Okay. I admit. When they announced that a new Bond was chosen, I was hoping it would be Clive Owen. Or Hugh Grant. Even Gerard Butler. When it was revealed that Daniel Craig was the new 007, I was like, blech. He just didn't possess the flair that previous Bonds had. You know, the finesse, the smoothness. For me, he just wasn't as suave as Pierce Brosnan. You see, I had seen Daniel in a movie called Layer Cake. Didn't impress me, although it might have had something to do more with the storyline than with his acting and looks.

When Casino Royale came out, it garnered VERY GOOD reviews. From blogland to tv critics to newspapers. Finding myself with a lot of free time this long holiday weekend, hubby and I trekked to the nearest theater to go see the new Bond movie.

All I can say is: HOLY COW.

Daniel Craig was awesome, HOT!!!, and gosh darnit, totally believable as the new 007. He's not your usual pretty boy actor, but he just lights up that screen like nobody's business. Beautiful, piercing blue eyes. Oh, and did I say he was built? When he came out of the water in those blue trunks, I nearly fell off my chair. The popcorn I was chewing went down the wrong way and almost killed me. LOL. Ladies, he is sexy. Seriously sexy. Kudos to the producers for picking him. Apparently, they knew what they were doing!

The story was great. Bond didn't have the usual high-tech gadgetry that he'd always relied on to get him out of sticky situations. This Bond is rough and tumble, buff (yummy!) and, drumroll please, emotionally available. There was a quality to him that even when he was boffing a woman, you know it meant something to him. Daniel had great chemistry with his co-star Eva Green (Vesper Lynd). They just sizzled from the start. My heart broke for him when she--SPOILER ALERT--died in the end. But I kinda knew she would die. James Bond just doesn't have a history of lasting relationships.

I have to admit, out of all the Bond films, Casino Royale ranks up there. It was well made, with plenty of action scenes (as expected) and a rockin' story. I loved the poker scenes. They were great.

Hey Daniel, we can play poker anytime. Uh...strip poker, too, if you like! LOL.

Things I Am Thankful For

As always, during this time of the year, I think of what I'm grateful for. Here's a list:

1) I'm thankful for waking up every morning. That means I'm still alive!

2) I'm thankful for making breakfast for my husband and my kids. That means I'm surrounded by loved ones.

3) I'm thankful for my children kissing me before they leave for school. That means they love me.

4) I'm thankful for showers in the morning. It's the miracle of indoor plumbing. *g*

5) I'm thankful for going to work everyday. That means I get paid.

6) I'm thankful for extra work given to me. That means my work is trusted and appreciated.

7) I'm thankful for life's little ups and downs. It keeps me grounded in reality.

8) I'm thankful for frozen dinners. They're ready in a few minutes. Who can beat that?

9) I'm thankful for DVR. I get to record my favorite shows and miss none of them!

10) I'm thankful for reader email, good and bad. That means people buy my books. It gives me a reason to keep writing.

11) I'm thankful for reviews, good and bad. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger.

12) And finally, I'm thankful for chocolate. It hits the spot every time!



Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

A Good Writing Day

Today, I wrote an entire chapter. Yay!!! To those of you who churn out chapters without blinking an eye, then this is nothing to cheer about. But for me, who hasn't been in the writing zone lately, a whole chapter is an accomplishment. Yay me! I'm patting myself on the back.

Now to write the other twelve chapters. LOL!

I guess I woke up on the right side of the bed today. I mean, my thoughts were racing, my fingers were flying over the keyboard and my creative juices were flowing. It was like--bam! I'm writing and the muse is talking to me. Oh yeah! I was on a roll.

Then it happened.

I had to stop to run my errands--had to buy the turkey and all the trimmings. Oh and there was dinner to prepare. Dinner? Who cares about that? I've got some serious writing to do! Can't you guys feed yourselves? No, sadly, they can't. No worries. I went into Mommy mode. I popped some chicken in the turbo convection oven (greatest kitchen gadget ever!) and set the timer. An hour later, voila, dinner was served. *g*

Seriously, I'm happy. Without going into too many details, my life has been kinda crazy lately. In fact, this whole year has been a little difficult. I'm looking forward to 2006 ending. A new year, a new beginning. And hopefully, all my planned projects will come into fruition. I've got books to write and a new futuristic series that I'm wayyy excited about.

Though you can't see me, I'm doing the happy dance! LOL.

It's All Good

Emmitt and Cheryl won! Yay! I'm glad. I was rooting for him to win. Sure, in a technical sense, Mario was the better dancer. But Emmitt had the charm and the grace. I mean, come on, he went so far out of his comfort zone and came out such an awesome dancer that I couldn't help but root for him. Did you ever think a three time NFL MVP could move the way he did? And you know what else? He had fun out there. It was obvious. He was enjoying himself. He also brought with him that intensity, that competitive drive to win. Those guns didn't hurt, either. *g*
And Cheryl is not only a great dancer, but a great teacher. Congrats!



Also, my man George was named Sexiest Man of the Year. Again. I'm so NOT surprised. Not only is he good-looking, he does GOOD things. He takes up important causes. So what if he's a serial dater and (allegedly) comittment-phobic? All that aside, he's not a waste of space. He has a purpose. I like that in a man. Yay George!

My Take

Much ado has been made about Lisa Valdez's remarks on Sybil's blog about Patience. If you want to read it, click here. Sybil dropped me a note and asked for my input, but I decided not to join the fray, and for good reason--if you've read the thread at AAR. If you've been living under a rock, Patience is the sequel to Lisa's first book, Passion. I gotta say, I loved Passion. It had lots of hot, heavy sex and it was peppered with graphic words. Shocking? Not to me. I enjoyed it! Passion was unique in the way that it brought out strong reactions from readers. There were those who loved it (like me) and those who hated it. It's par for the course.

As expected, Lisa's response generated a lot of hoopla. Mainly from people who took it to mean that she couldn't handle criticism and let it get it to her. Some questioned why Lisa let it affect her that much. As a professional, she should be used to criticism and hate mail. If you put your work out there, then you better be prepared to hear stuff you won't like, right? My opinion (and I'm entitled to one *g*) is that Lisa merely explained what happened to her and why Patience was delayed.

To some extent, I agree that an author should be used to criticism. What I don't agree with is saying you shouldn't let it affect you. Sort of like brush it off your shoulders and move on. Authors are told early on that it's imperative to develop a thick skin. Easier said than done, I tell ya. When you've sweated endless hours over your book, spending late nights honing and perfecting your story for publication, you're emotionally invested. It will affect you, no matter what you say. You can swear to high heavens that sticks and stones and all that stuff, but in the end, it'll sting. A little or a lot, but it will. Sure, it's easy to say, you should be prepared for criticism from the outset. Put yourself in Lisa's place. Let's say you work for an ad agency. You conceptualize what you think is a brilliant ad campaign for a product, you pitch it and hear someone say, your work is shitty, slutty, trashy and reflects your moral values. How would you feel?

Lisa let hate mail and criticism bog her down, even admitting that she changed Patience's story because of that. Drastic, isn't it? But I totally understand. Really. I'm just glad to hear that she bounced back and went back to her original plan and included (even added on) to the spanking scene she'd originally written. Kudos to her. The triumph is in the recovery. In getting up after you've been down.

When my book Jed's Revenge was reviewed on RT and was given a 1 star rating, I was devastated. The reviewer made reference to a rape scene and had nothing good to say about it. I was flabbergasted. Rape scene? Did she read the same book I wrote? I will admit, I let it get to me. I cried. I didn't--couldn't write anything for some time after that. I received emails from fellow author friends cheering me up, saying they disagreed with the reviewer and to please not to let it get to me. I even got hugs in person. For that, I will be eternally grateful. My husband, that dear, dear man, took me to Rodeo Drive, marched me into the Louis Vuitton store and paid for the (smallish) purse without batting an eyelash. Great retail therapy--works all the time. After that, he took me to the movies, wined and dined me, and told me I was still the most beautiful woman in the world for him and that it would be a mistake to stop writing. Was I weak and unprofessional in letting it get to me? Maybe. Maybe not. Was I too sensitive? Sure. I'm a Cancer, for heaven's sake. The moon rules my moods and let me tell ya, it swings a lot. In general, I believe that creative types are sensitive. Romance authors write with emotions, creating love stories with complicated twists and turns. See the connection?

As for the hate mail Lisa received, there will always be people out there with too much time on their hands and never hesitate to share their opinion. Lisa wrote a romance, people. Get a grip. She didn't write about politics or religion. She didn't drastically change the moral climate in the whole country.

Me? I read for entertainment. For escape. In my reading material, I'm not too concerned with historical accuracies or whatever little details that others pick on. If I read a book and it draws me into the story, whether the sex is hot and graphic words are used, hey, it's no skin off my nose. It's a couple of hours of escape. Fantasy. Daydreams. The scene in Lisa's Passion where Mark and Passion had sex while she was breastfeeding also got some comments. To me, what's the big deal? Once you've had a baby, trust me, you're lucky to find time to have sex. When the opportunity arises, grab it with both hands. Kids have a way of altering your lives, and if it offends other people's sensibilities that the characters had sex while breastfeeding, well, to each his own, right? It certainly didn't offend me. Let me put it this way. If my husband wanted to have sex with me after I've had a baby (with all the accompanying weight gain, loss of sleep and lack of interest in primping) well and good. Let's have it. It would make me feel sexy, wanted, and LOVED. As for assuming an author's morals, values and world views are based on the characters she writes, well, I'd have to disagree. Again, it's creativity at it's best. CREATIVITY. We create characters in our heads, not live their lives. There's a difference. There are some out there who incorporate their lives into their books, but that's the exception, not the rule.

I'm sure there will be those who disagree with me. I've probably ruffled some feathers. Such is the way of life, I'm afraid. We can't agree with everybody all the time, just like we can't please everybody all the time. I just don't think people should come down on Lisa Valdez for being human. I commend her for her honesty in relaying what happened and most of all, congratulations for bouncing back. I'm eagerly awaiting Patience and will no doubt devour it as soon as I get it in my hot little hands.

Off To...

Phoenix for the weekend. I'll be bringing my laptop along, since I have to work. I have a deadline that I totally missed and if I don't want my editor to kill me, I'm going to have to get my ass in gear and work feverishly until I'm done.

On the other hand, I also stashed a couple of books for the short plane ride. I have Kinley MacGregor's latest, Knight of Darkness, and Stephanie Laurens' To Distraction to keep me company.

Be good this weekend. Go shopping or something. Christmas is all over in the malls and department stores. *groan* I'm not ready for Christmas yet!

De-lurking

One thing I love about the internet is the fact that I can surf websites, check out blogs and message boards anonymously. I admit I'm guilty of lurking most of the time. There are very few places where you'll see me post. One place is Karen's blog. I like her. We're pretty much on the same wavelength and she has such a unique way of expressing herself. I think she's rubbing off on me--I find myself cussing a whole lot more nowadays. *g*

I put a little counter here on my blog so that I can find out how many visitors I have. Trust me, that alone was an experience. I had to follow directions, copy the html and yada, yada, yada. After sweating it out for I can't remember how long, I finally made it appear. I was stoked! I did it. All by my lonesome. LOL. There's hope for me after all.

While the counter is nice, it doesn't tell me WHO my visitors are and WHERE they're from. To that end, I'd like to ask all of you who visit my blog to post a comment and tell me where you're from and how you found me. Tell me if you've ready any of my books or are you just a casual passerby? I'm curious. I'd like to know a little bit about you guys.

So, come on. Talk to me, people. I invite you to de-lurk for a few minutes and tell me about yourself. Trust me, after that, you can go back in the wonderful world of anonymity--which I inhabit as well. *g*

I'll be waiting...

Notable Reads

I've often been asked what I like to read. Obviously, I'm a romance reader. When it comes to books, my husband calls me disgustingly one-dimensional. It's hard to convince me to venture into books where romance isn't a big part. I've got to have romance, people! Sure, I like suspense, mystery and even funny elements mixed in the pot, but if there is no love story to tie it all together--bleh. Forget it. Here's three of my notable reads:

Cherry Adair: Edge brothers series








I just finished reading all three. It took me a while because, frankly, any reading time I have is usually very, very late at night or very, very early in the morning. I kinda have to squeeze it in on top of everything else. But this series is worth it. In the Edge brothers, Adair has created heroes that are alpha, strong yet vulnerable to the curse that they were born with.

Without going into too much detail, I will tell you that the Edge brothers all work for TFLAC, an anti-terrorist organization. Gabriel (Edge of Danger), Caleb (Edge of Fear) and Duncan (Edge of Darkness) are all wizards. They each have different powers and they all yield it so DELICIOUSLY. But with the curse hanging over their heads, the brothers are resigned to spending their lives alone and have sworn not to fall in love.

Adair is a great storyteller. The Edge series is the first of her books (connected to the TFLAC org) that I've read. I simply loved it. From the first moment the brothers meet their Lifemates, it's a non-stop roller coaster ride of adventure, danger and of course, sexual tension. My favorite of the three has got to be Gabriel. Of all three, he was the most averse to falling in love, to developing an emotional attachment, to even just physically touching his heroine, Eden. By the time they kissed, man, I was absolutely ready for it to happen. Some of the scientific terms and facts kinda made my eyes glaze over, but it was necessary to the story because Eden was a gifted scientist. Caleb and Duncan's story were just as good, though there was something about Gabriel and Eden's story that resonated with me.

My advice? Read the Edge series. You'll like it.

There's also a Harlequin Blaze book that Adair wrote years ago, Take Me, that I really liked. It has your usual series elements, but this was above par, in my opinion. Okay, just suspend your disbelief at the rather outlandish premise of the story (hero meets waitress heroine at a diner and asks her to marry him--on the spot) and immerse yourself in their journey. It's some years later, and the heroine, Jessie, has grown up, polished herself and made a career as an interior designer, all without Josh at her side since their marriage was a business arrangement. It was a little hard to believe that Josh (the hero) didn't recognize her when he met her at a party, but I guess they never had any extended contact. Josh is your typical hard-hearted magnate who keeps mistresses for a year, complete with contract and all. All that aside, these two positively sizzle in the bedroom. It was also very interesting to watch Josh as he slowly fell further and further in love with Jessie. The baddest, coldest ones always fall the hardest. This was a good one.

Next up: Anne Stuart's Black Ice and Cold As Ice. Karen positively sang Stuart's praises, along with everybody else. Will read it soon.