Just the Right Badass
(Ok, I was looking for a serious bad ass, but then I came across Gerard Butler and, well, I thought you'd appreciate the gratuitous hottie. You can thank me below....)
First of all, a quick shout out to the gals that are writing along with me in our little JaNaNo experiment. I'm just over 5K for the week and I know some of you are doing much better than that! I'm so proud and happy for all of us!
**********************************
I love a strong alpha male in my romance novels. A guy who doesn’t start fights but finishes them. A man who doesn’t say much and who is allergic to displays of affection. One that growls and grumbles. One that growls, grumbles, and then kisses the socks off the woman of his choice, any woman he chooses. The kind of man whose kiss turns a woman’s knees weak, who knows how to take what he wants and make a woman happy to give him what he wants.
*sigh*
The problem with this alpha guy is that if all he does is grumble and be domineering, he’s too much for me. He’s too hard.
So what about this alpha male makes me swoon? Is it all that I mentioned above? No. Not entirely, though that’s part of it. But for me, the most important part of the alpha male is his softness.
The more badass the alpha is, the more poignant the softness within him feels to me.
But the softness can’t just be any softness. I don’t mean soft around the middle or soft when people try to steam roll him. It has to be the right kind of softness.
And the best kind of weakness in a beat-someone-to-a-pulp, I-don’t-need-your-stinking-affection kind of guy is his love for a woman. A woman who can push him around when no one else can. A woman who’s strength is something he can’t resist.
My new favorite alpha is Rhage from Lover Eternal by JR Ward. He's huge, he's the most feared warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and he's ridiculously beautiful. But when he meets Mary, an average woman who's suffered with cancer, he can't resister her. When it seems as if she is going to push him away to spare him the torment of watching her become sick again, he cries for her.
And I found myself crying along with him.
Who are you favorite alpha men and in what way are they softened by their woman? What else do you love about an alpha?
Books by the Crew
56 comments:
I have menopause memory, so no actual names or plots come to me. But I know what I like to create... How the alpha's woman knows him better than he knows himself. In my pirate epic, the Captain is always so sure, so cocky, so clever and distant...but she knows the truth. She knows how much he really cares and where his passions lie...better than he does. And he realizes this, doesn't fight it. (Though she is wrong sometimes! Of course!)
That's what I love about my alpha male. He also is willing to take the journey with her. You know how alphas (hell, all guys) hate the introspection thing. But the Captain? When Miranda needs to dive deep, to dig at the anchor that holds her back, he goes with her.
Man, this is the one I want to see published, all of them. (And yes, I've written a lot about the Miranda and the Captain.)
Marnee, I think that you are writing exactly the sort of romance that I love to read!
In the historical context, Mary Balogh also does that storyline beautifully. For example I have just finished 'More than a mistress'. The Duke of Tresham, is the most formidable aristocrat in the Ton.He is always fighting duals or involved with outrageous bets and fisticuffs, and used to having his own way.Then he is distracted by a girl screaming 'STOP' during a dual and is shot in the leg. He ends up employing the girl as a nurse and then as his mistress. From the start he is impressed by the way that she refuses to be bullied by him and the perceptive way that she understands the emotion and motives beneath the bluster. That 'soft spot' grows larger and he falls in love, making his mistress a duchess.
Every male has a soft spot for the right woman and every woman has a softer spot for the right man. It is the author's challenge to find those spots and enlarge them until they become surging vortexes, sucking the hero and heroine into the heavenly ethereal abyss (technically the HEA).
I would love to read your book when its available!
Chance - anything that says pirate epic sounds good to me. Your Captain sounds like sweet alpha stuff. :)
Q - I would love you to read the book I'm going to write, but I'm still messing with the plot of it. LOL! And my upcoming alpha isn't a historical, it's going to be a paranormal. But it hopefully will be ready by the end of the year, if you're still interested.
I'm not sure my other guys are quite as alpha.
But I love your example. I haven't read Mary Balogh in a long time but you always speak so highly of her, I should return. THis sounds like just the alpha I like. :)
Oh, Rhage is my favourite. Really really favourite.
I've got to admit, I love the alphas. And you're right, that badass meanness needs a strong counterbalance, his love for the heroine.
And I love Q's description of the HEA "heavenly ethereal abyss".
I'm in the minority as Alphas are not my favorites. But that's not to say I don't enjoy reading a good one from time to time. In fact, it's harder to find a book without an Alpha than one with. So many times the Alpha gets written as totally pig-headed and that just irritates me. Now this Rhage character sounds quite yummy. If only those books did have all that crazy talk that I can't get past. LOL!
My hero started out as complete mush. I had no idea what I was doing and by page 80, they reached their HEA. Needless to say, I had to start over. LOL! Now he's much tougher...on the outside. But he's still just a nice "boy-next-door" type of guy.
That should be "didn't have all the crazy talk". *sigh*
JK - I can see that you're a big alpha fan. :) And I adore Rhage. He's all big tough guy and then he's worried he's going to hurt everyone. My heart melts every read. :)
Ter - There is a little bit of crazy talk in her books. LOL! And I have to admit I didn't like her last one, Lover Enshrined. I was all, where's the romance? And apparently she's going to move even further towards Urban Fantasy and away from romance which makes me sad. Sometimes just watching people kick each other's butts is cool, but I read for relationships. *sigh*
How are things with your WIP?
Terri, actually the hero of my current wip is kind of your boy-next-door type. He's also a super genius who's had to learn to be tough because of the new "job", but inside he's such a sweetheart.
Marn - The WIP is the same way I left it in July. :)
JK - That's the key when the hero isn't an uber-Alpha. He has to have his Alpha moments. That's what works for me. He can be sensitive, but then kick butt. Eloisa James is the queen of this. In fact, her workshop is where I learned it. But you can see it reading her books.
I'm reading When The Duke Returns and though the hero is academic and could clearly be called a nice guy, he's big and all male and even kicks butt. Literally. I love the combination.
I love how Terri says she hates it when alpha men get written as "pigheaded" as if that term could never be applied to her. *ROTFLMAO* Clearly the reason she doesn't like alphas as much is because SHE'S the alpha and there can only be one.
I adore alphas. The right kind, mind you. I mean, I've met lots of alphas; I've even met idiots masquarading as alphas...but the right alpha, I have a big soft spot for. I like a more cheerful alpha--not necessarily the growly grumbly one (I mean, I'm growly grumbly enough for any couple so I need someone who's the opposite of that)--but I love the sort of alpha male who is just so confident of his success that he just goes from failure to failure with complete enthusiasm. I admire that guy. That guy's got passion and grit. And yeah, he can kiss my socks off and takes what he wants and makes me happy to give it to him. The bugger-head.
Favorite alphas. I'm rereading Anne Gracie's The Perfect Rake. He's a cheerful alpha. *LOL* And PLUS he thinks the heroine (who is touted as PLAIN all through the novel) is beautiful and her sisters (who are touted as GORGEOUS) as "Eh, they're all right." And he's serious. *LOL* I love that kind of alpha.
Oh, John Thornton from North & South. Very Alpha--complete with bluster and growling. And at the end when he kisses her--*swoons*--heavenly.
This is by far a kick ass blog for the new year.
Rhage *swoon* He is my favorite Brother. And Z- though he's got his moments with me. Lover Eternal is my favorite book of that series. I bawled my eyes out at the end.
Or when he's holed up at her house when the sun is out. That's a really great part too because you come to realize just how much they care for one another.
So we ALL know I love Alphas. In fact, I had this conversation with her yesterday. I must have an alpha. I only crush everyone else.
I have two alphas of very different qualities in my Fantasy book. That's another thing I love about alphas, they are so easy to write and easy to just use one alpha quality to set their personality. Fallon and Caed are so different from one another, yet both alphas.
I think what I love about alphas is that alphas are that grey area of good and bad. And everyone knows I love the shade. LOL
There is no need to resort to name calling, thankyouverymuch.
Jeez, you're all pigheaded. Now stop giving looks to one another. I called you BOTH pigheaded.
Hm, other alphas I adore.
I adore Mattycakes. We all know he has to be alpha to rein me even a little bit.
I adore Al and Trent from Kim Harrison's Hollows.
I adore Ranger- the most alpha of them all *panting*
It's hot in here.
*swoon*
What was that? What was I talking about?
*rubbing eyes*
Oh yeah, alphas.
Irial from Melissa Marr's faerie books.
Hardy Cates. He is hot and hard. *g* A mixture I love in men.
Cam and Kev in Lisa Kleypas' Romany books. Especially Cam. Lisa wants Kev, so I'll let her win this battle because we all know she's not getting her hands on Ranger.
*swoon*
Damn, I need to stop thinking about him.
Susan Johnson's heroes. Most all of them. I can't remember one that I disliked. Most of them I pant over.
Dylan Hart and Kid Chaos from Tara Janzen's Crazy series. Back away Lisa. I will stab you if you get any closer to my Dylan. And Baby Bang because she comes as a package deal with Dylan. Although, I really love Captain America too because he had a kick ass Camaro and we could make out in the non-existant backseat.
*sing-songy voice* Terri is an ALPHA, Terri is an ALPHA....
*fans self* Lord, did someone mention Ranger? And Hardy Cates?
I love Betas, and I am much more comfortable writing them. It may have something to do with my own experience. :)
I love Gammas too; I think a lot of my favorite romance heroes actually fall into this category. Some Alpha heroes work for me--those that are true alphas, honorable leaders who do what they think is necessary to fulfill their duty to tribe and especially to the woman they love. Sometimes they are wrong-headed, but I love seeing them educated and humbled. My problem is that a lot of the so-called alphas I encounter in romance fiction are more about control than leadership, more about self-satisfaction than self-sacrifice.
And now I'll fold my soapbox and silently steal away.
I never said I wasn't pigheaded. I'm well aware I am. In fact my favorite reason for not doing something--that'd be perfectly rational--is: "You're not the boss of me."
It's a very interesting concept on a philosophical level, Marnee.
As humans, we're constantly trying to find the vulnerability, the fault, the soft-spot as you say, so that we can relate.
I'm reminded of a quote by Barbara Streisand I heard recently:
" ... striving for excellence .. (i)s not perfection because there is no such thing as perfection. I remember writing in my journal when I was 15, observing an acting class, that perfection was imperfection. Because, otherwise, it’s inhuman, you know? It’s almost too perfect."
Superheroes must have some version of Kryptonite otherwise we may as well be talking about a brick wall--an inanimate object to which we have no emotional tie.
That's why alpha heroes in romances HAVE to be softened by their women.
Very interesting.
As for my favorite alpha's ... I'm blank right now. Too little sleep and too many kid squabbles this morning. I'll think about it some more and get back to you.
Ooo. I liked hero in the third book of Christina Dodd's Darkness Chosen series. He was terrific. Very dark, very badass, very faulted and most definitely softened by his woman.
Great blog.
Oh God yes, Sin.
Cam and Kev ... especially Kev!!!
Janga, please tell me what a Gamma is.
hehehe...I guilted J into commenting. LYG!
I was more offended by the pigheaded thing, not the Alpha thing. I know I'm Alpha. But as long as I'm not an obnoxious Alpha, I'm good with it. Now, if you call me obnoxious, I will have to hurt you. *stares hard at Hellie*
Did I hear the name Hardy? *sigh* I love Hardy.
This reminds me of the show Bones. I LOVE that show. Booth (David Boreanaz...*sigh*) is an FBI agent and he has this great sense of humor. Always a smart ass, but a really good guy with a mushy spot. Until someone messes with Bones. Then he jacks them up by their throat and threatens to kill them. I love Booth.
J - I'm not Janga but I can tell you the Gamma is the hybrid of Alpha & Beta. Call him the perfect combination.
Oh. Where have I been? Who's an prime example of a Gamma?
That's right. You pushed me over the guilt hurdle and now you're stuck with me.
Sorry yet, Ter? Because my fingers and filling bra cups with books urges are all lubed up.
Ahh...Booth *sigh*
Ahhhh Booth!!!!!!
How many books did we get in your bra again? LOL! I'm thinking Kleypas' Cam would be a good Gamma. He wears jewelry, is very smooth and suave, and intelligent. But he is also in charge at all times. Very confident and can certainly handle himself in a brawl. Yet if his woman asked him for anything, he'd give it.
JK - I used to blame you for my new obsession with Booth. Now I just thank you. :)
You're only offended by the "pigheaded" comment because you know it's true. But you're too pigheaded to admit I'm right.
That's okay. I already know I'm right.
I'm not pigheaded. I can admit when I'm wrong. And I would...if I was ever wrong.
LOL!
I love love love Alphas, and I like your thought, Marn, about them being soft only in relation to the heroine. That's that same fine line between "serial killer" and "alpha hero" I'm still trying to walk with Alec :)
But I have an equal soft spot for Gammas. I was purposely trying to model my last hero after Booth - sarcastic and witty, but take charge and kick ass when necessary, and with a tortured soul....ahhh.
Anybody else watch CSI New York? I think Mack Taylor would be a great hero for a romance - sensitive, smart, but still take charge.
Oh and Janga - I love your distinction between controlling and leading in alphas - very important, and a good way to look at it!
And JanNaNo - Marn, you're already at 5k for THIS week? Hot damn, girl! I'm at just under 2k, which I'm still proud of. I wrote 800 words yesterday while sitting in an 8-hour meeting (shh!). Good thing no one else was sitting close enough to see my monitor. Someone made a joke about me taking so many meeting notes that my typing sounded like a chipmunk on a wooden floor - uh, yeah, that was me writing on my WIP, not taking notes....
Marnee I have to agree with Sin, what a kick ass blog!
My very fav subject-alpha males. *Big Sigh*
I happen to love Gerard Butler by the way so thank you very much.
I see Sin has mowed me down and mentioned most of my favorite alpha males but I have a few still under my dress:)
My newest fav is Nicholas in Pamela Clare's Ride the Fire. That man can rescue me from indians anytime.
My favorite JR Ward brother is Butch. I love his sarcasism and love for fashion. He's a hard ass, but he loves his woman more than life itself. And it really turns me on that he can inhale a lessor:) He is the Lessor's worst nightmare.
I love Sinjin in Susan Johnson's Sinful. The man is one of the most hard ass rakes I've ever had the pleasure to read, and he remains a rake even after the heroine wins his heart. I love a rake that is not a push over as soon as he meets the heroine, and Sinjin delivers.
Lisa Kleypas has created so many great alpha males. Sin has mentioned most of them, but I want to add Derek Craven and Sebastian St. Vinent.
My favorite historical hero is Adam from Day Taylor's The Black Swan and the sequel Moss Rose. They were written in the 80's and are out of print, but if you ever run across a copy- grab them. Adam is a pirate, need I say more?
Oh and just for the record Sin- you will never have Ranger totally in your clutches. Don't forget it.
Q- I've heard great things about Mary Balogh. I may have to grab one of her books off the shelf the next time I'm at Borders.
JK - your new hero sounds scrumptious. :) Smart and mushy.
Hellion - I love the hero who thinks the plain girl is beautiful because he loves her and doesn't pay attention to any other "gorgeous" girl. Rhage does that too (ok, I know, obsessed.) And I like cheerful alpha's too. Hal's first hero, Cole, is like that. *Cole, sigh*
Sin - I bawled at the end of Lover Eternal too. When he's mourning on the diamonds and bleeding and tries to push her away so she can keep living.... *swipes at tears* That's just perfect.
And you gave me a whole bunch of ideas for reading. Now that I read out the JR Ward books, I need new alpha paras to swoon over.
I must admit I have no idea who Hardy Cates is.
Oh swoon, I love me some Alphas. Especially the bad boy Alphas. The ones who are glitz and glamour, who shine and take over the stage in the book and are incredibly fun to write when he's not being a stubborn, hard-headed male.
I'm definitely echoing the John Thornton love. I just rewatched Pride and Prejudice (the movie) and while I think Matthrew MacFayden doesn't touch Colin Firth's interpretation, I found myself like a few things in the movie. For example, when he helps her into the carriage and as he's walking away, his hand flexes. Sigh.
And, as to Alphas of romance, Julian, Lord Erith, from AC's TEMPT THE DEVIL takes the cake. He's totally Alpha, sexy, and has a romantic streak that makes me swoon.
Marn - You haven't read the Kleypas contemporaries?! What are you waiting for???
Hardy Cates is only the most delectible, scrumptious, do-me-six-ways-from-Sunday hero out there. Seriously, pick up Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil ASAP!!!
Janga - I think the Gamma is that mix of alpha and beta, yes? The one who's beta but when pushed to lead he does? And I agree about the "real" alpha versus the "fake" one. I like the real one better too, but I still have a soft spot for a humbled rowdy boy. :)
JP - That's great. Perfection is imperfection. So true. And I like the whole kryptonite analogy. (You're a good one for the analogy, huh? Crisis lube yesterday, Superman/kryptonite today. I bow to you.) Our heroines are the alpha hero's kryptonite.
I need to watch Bones, I think. I think David Boreanaz is hot.
Hal - I think Alec's going to be fine. He'll shake his serial killer vibe, I'm sure of it. Especially cause Kate is so awesome. :)
And I'm just 5000 since Thurs. Not since MOnday or whatever. I think I'll be able to catch up some tonight. I watched the Notebook last night. I hate me some Nicholas Sparks, but that movie is ahhhhh.....
Lis, I love all your suggestions! :) I love when you guys beef up my must read list. :)
Though I hope I don't have break up any skirmishes....
Ely - Ah.... P&P. Darcy is such an alpha. :) Swoon.....
And I love the name Julian.
Ter - OH..... *feeling small* I haven't read a lot of straight contemporaries lately. I have this on my too buy list. :)
he'll shake his serial killer vibe.....oh whew! I'm so glad you think so! lol
Marn - While Sugar Daddy is more Women's Fiction, you have to read it to really get the full experience of Blue Eyed Devil. These are worth making time for.
I almost watched The Notebook again last night, but I had to resist. I love Ryan Gosling in that movie. Four words. Up. Against. The. Wall.
*sigh*
I've watched the Notebook on ABC Family channel 3 times in the last few weeks. I'm with you Terri, the wall scene is the best. Ryan Gosling is perfect as well as James Garner.
I know I'm the minority...*ducking* but I like Nicholas Sparks.
Hal - LOL! :)
And Ryan Gosling.... Ahhh... Up against the wall Ryan Gosling.... Ahhhh again...
It's ok, Lis. We don't hold it against you. Too much....
I guess it's because I don't always have to have an HEA in my reading. He gets me with all the angst. As you all know I'm an angst slut.
I don't like Nick, but I do like The Notebook, Ryan and James....and the whole up against the wall thing.
I know, Lis. I can understand where you're going. He's just a little bit too predictable with his plot devices for me. And his characters seem like stereotypes so often.
But I love the movies. Cause I don't seem to mind stereotypes in movies, I guess.
This blog made me think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lUjhEHlh7s
Ely - LMAO!!
Oh jeez. LOL!!
Ely - Tight tights! OH, I needed that!
I'm so glad I started at the end of the postings.
Ely - I hadn't seen that in so long. LMAO funny!
So - Alpha males - Lord Dain from Lord of Scoundrels. Derek Craven from Dreaming of You.
I'll have to read back to figure out what a Gamma is. Is that a metrosexual in contemps?
Off to catch up!
Santa - A metrosexual? NOOOOOO! There are no Ryan Seacrests allowed!
I'm in the Gamma camp. I love, love Alphas but they have to have the smarts of the Beta or it doesn't work for me. I love an arrogant hero who is very honorable and conscientious. Arrogance is okay - the heroine can usually put him in his place. The caveman "I'm man and right and you're woman and weak" mentality is off-putting.
Do yourself a favor Marnee and get Lisa Kleypas' Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil. They are very, very good! Come to think of it Lisa writes the best Gammas out there - Marcus Westcliff, Simon Hunt, Alex Raiford, Ross Cannon, Zach Bronson.
I haven't picked up Lisa since I was in HS/College (10 years ago). I should, but I read them out then and moved on to other writers and just never returned.
I know.... Excuses excuses. Maybe I can grab them from the library today.
Hello webmaster
I would like to share with you a link to your site
write me here preonrelt@mail.ru
Post a Comment