My latest Blaze, THE PERSONAL TOUCH, hits the shelves soon. It’s a story about a wealthy playboy who hires a matchmaker to find a man for his widowed mother.
People always ask how we come upon our story ideas, and in this case, the starting point was most definitely my hero. You see, I’d just come off writing two Blazes in a row featuring dark and serious heroes and this time, I was looking for a fun, easy-going guy who had everything going on.
Thus, Clint Hilton was born.
The pitch to my editor started out like this:
It’s good to be Clint Hilton. The savvy real estate mogul has a ton of money, a million dollar smile, a big house in the Los Angeles hills and the phone number of every available fashion model and wannabe starlet looking for a good time. Unfortunately, he’s also got his fifty-five-year-old mother, Julia, living with him, perpetually putting a wrench in those good times and forever crimping his slick and single lifestyle.
To my thrill they liked the idea and for the next four months, I got to live life in my imaginary Southern California haven where an ordinary working girl gets swept off her feet by a rich and wonderful prince charming.
While writing the book, I had pictures of Matthew McConaughey tacked on my board because he epitomized the fun-and-easy type of guy I was looking for. Also because I could find plenty of yummy Malibu beach pictures of him like this:
It was a ton of fun, and one I hope you enjoy reading as much as I’d enjoyed writing.
So tell me, what kind of heroes are your favorites? Do you like the rich playboys, motorcycle riding bad boys, dark and brooding cops or are you like me where variety is truly the spice of life? I’ve got a free advance copy of THE PERSONAL TOUCH to give away to one of the commenters, so speak up! I’ll post the winner here in the comments tomorrow.
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I prefer alpha heroes but I agree with you … I enjoy VARIETY for their roles/occupations!!
It really depends on my mood when I pick a book out of my TBR pile…Royalty? Desert sheihk?, Ex military? CEO? Bad Boy? Ahtelete? Cop? Firefighter? Widower?
I read a lot so I really don’t have one favorite.
There are just so many to choose from. I have been reading Lori Foster’s SBC series and I have to say that athlete thing has it’s merits as well! LOL
I’m a big fan of the alpha heroes too – but I love variety. The hero’s career isn’t what is important to me so much as what his character is.
But like Laurie, my mood dictates what I want to read. Sometimes it’s historicals, or a paranormal, contemporaries, maybe a tycoon… or just the guy next door. And I’m happy to say there’s always a book out there with one of those characteristics.
Congratulations on the new book, Lori!
I like them all!! But the ex military or firefighters really get me going!! It just depends on what mood im in at the time! But can’t wait to read the new book. Congrats!!!
Cheryl
Let’s go with variety! Why get stuck in a rut with the same ol’ same ol’ when there are so many choices?!
I like them all. I think it would be boring to read about the same type of person in each story.
That’s not the way it’s supposed to look! I was trying to quote: an ordinary working girl gets swept off her feet by a rich and wonderful prince charming. THAT’s the fantasy.
Well, it’s no wonder you’re all here on the Blaze site. It most definitely is the line where you get to sample all kinds of different heroes. And I’m with you, I would have a hard time writing the same hero type over and over. I think the older I get, the more I suffer from ADD and need to keep things switched up. LOL!
And LOL Heather. I do love the Cinderella fantasy, especially every morning when I wake up to go to my day job. Sigh…I married Prince Charming. He just didn’t have all that cash. LOL
My favorites are the bad boys, I also enjoy men in uniforms!
I like variety that’s what makes the stories so enjoyable. My favorite is cowboys though, nothing better then a rugged cowboy.
I definitely love a variety. Some of my favorites have to be a mix of the strong, slightly brooding musician/artist/actor/motorcycle riding bad boys with some hidden sensitivity and an endless amount of passion. Then, of course, you have the sweet, slightly shy heroes or heroes who have been deeply hurt in the past and are afraid to get involved, but we find out later that the hero has a deeply passionate soul and really knows how to please the heroine..
It is far too hard to just pick one type of hero since they all have their good points and bad.. okay.. not bad bad… but… bad in a sinfully good way.
Definitely the Alphas have their appeal in their take-charge attitude.. the dark paranormal heroes with that edge of darkness around them, but inside you know you’ll find a heart worth loving. The quiet betas who are always there, first a best friend or coworker, a shoulder to cry on, but then steps up to become the gorgeous hero when our ladies need them.
Ahh… the heroes of life.. So many to choose from. So hard to decide on just one.
I’m a variety is the spice of life type person altho I do have problems with some of the very dark, very domineering type hero.
Hi Lori,
I really don’t have a preference when it comes to heroes although I do like alpha males. I do like to see that they can grow emotionally.
Have a great day!
Julz =)
I figure, variety is the spice of life, so give me alpha, give me beta; give me CEOs, acientists, uniforms or writers. For ever mood, there is a hero!
Lois
Oh man, everyone here brings up extremely valid points on each type of dream man. It’s soooo hard to choose! I have a thing for the alpha men too, and if he is/was wearing a military uniform, so much the better. There is just something so undeniably sexy about a man willing to risk his life for God and Country. It’s a man like that who deserves to get the woman of his dreams. It’a absolutely the best of all worlds if there is a rule breaking heart beating underneath all that grease paint and camo just waiting claim her! …SIGH…
Lately I’ve been into cowboys – tall, lean, don’t take no crap kind of men, who are finding themselves in the strangest places …. and going along for the adventure ….gotta be a rich cowboy tho — one who wants to take me away to a place my heart lusts for… Londolozi in Africa…. http://www.Londolozi.com ….
hmmmm — sounds like a story here
I think I like it best when the heros appear to be just sweet normal guys, but it is later revealed through small clues that they are really savvy businessmen, beyond reproach.
I had that happen to me in real life, and it was incredibly charged. I started working at the Heathman Hotel in Portland right before it’s grand $55 million re-opening in the mid 80’s. During training I befriended this darling, devilish guy whom I thought was there to install the expresso machine. Having a little bit of experience with them (most people didn’t know what a latte was back then) I offered to help him. We spent hours discussing the owners possible reasons for adding Andy Warhol original art to a decidedly old fashioned themed property (we agreed it must be contrast), and what tantalizing foods we hoped would appear on the menu, giving boisterous kudos to the dishes we thought were appropriate (we all got to try them). He knew I had travelled a bit and asked me questions about the amenities *I* would like to see in a five star hotel. No one else seemed to join our discussion, in fact people were downright rude and standoff-ish to my coffee friend. I didn’t understand why, and vowed even harder to remain a faithful friend to him. Much to my surprise, it was revealed at the dedication ceremony that my little coffee guy was in fact Mark Stevenson, the millionaire bachelor owner and conceptualist, who spent his own $55 million to bring this piece of Portland’s glamorous past back to life! I WAS MORTIFIED and ran from the room! He spent the next hour or two keeping an eye on me, I guess to gauge my reaction….we ended up on the roof of the exquisite old building, toasting the hotel with Dom Perignon at the stroke of twelve. Needless to say, it was the most fun I ever had at a job!!
Wow, Sherri, that’s definitely the type of story books are made from! (Except, in a Blaze, they’d need to be sharing more than Dom Perignon. LOL!) How fun that must have been, though–after the terror wore off.
Wow Sherri! Lucky You!!!!! I hope you kept him around for a while…
I tend to like all the heroes, as long as they’re not elitist.
I like motorcycle riding bad boys. Because underneath that tough exterior, there’s a soft-hearted center that would be a lot of fun to find.
It’s funny… I don’t think I could ever stand the dominate side of an Alpha hero for too long. I’m too much a freedom junkie for that. But I like a guy who’s confident, strong, independent, and who can take care of himself (mentally, physically and is really stable emotionally). I’m not a wimpy guy kind of girl. I like ‘em made of stronger stuff. If I feel like I’ve got more testosterone than he does? No go. LOL.
Loyalty, honor, integrity. Has to value the strength of his word. Respect. Duty. Good grief. That sounds rather knightly, doesn’t it. Hm. But there you have it.
Julie
Oh boy, give me variety… I love how each one can be so yummy!
Do you like the rich playboys, motorcycle riding bad boys, dark and brooding cops or are you like me where variety is truly the spice of life?
All of the above get my vote.
Bad boys. Especially when they’re really dark and tortured.
I love the friend to lover type, the fun loving guy who she never suspects, until one day WHAMO, the sparks fly.
Congrats on the upcoming release, Lori. I like all the types of heroes you mentioned, but my favorites are cops and soldiers. I do love a man in uniform. They’re serious, but also have a sense of humor.
I’m all for variety in my heroes. However, I do love to read about bad boys who have turned their lives around…as long as they still have a bit of bad boy in them.
One of each, please
I’m all about variety–I do love the bad boys and the men in uniform and the occasional playboy. I do also love the unexpected heroes–the quiet, geeky, guy-next-door type, who might be too “nice” to initially get the girl! Congrats on your latest hero, Lori! Yum!
I like all of them, so I guess my answer is a variety of men! Besides, don’t they say that variety is the spice of life? Works for me!
I’m definitely all about variety. I like all kinds of heroes. There’s just something about each different type of hero that can draw me into their story.
Lordy, so many responses! I love hearing what people like. Sounds like lots of variety, but also lots of bad boys, cowboys and men in uniform. Perfect feedback as I start working on plotting new stuff.
And I might seriously have to pick more than one winner. Only one winner out of 30 responses just doesn’t seem fair! Keep em coming!
Gimme a motorcycle riding bad boy any day of the week or a brooding undercop!!
I meant under cover cop!!
Bads boys, defeniltey. And cowboys too. Hey just make em sexy and it wont matter as long as the story is steamy and wonderful like all blazes are!!!!
Clint sounds like a fun guy to write, and what inspiration matthew made. wow!
jody
Ooh, variety is truly the spice of life! There is just no way to pick a favorite. Picking a favorite type of hero would be like wearing the same outfit everyday. And that would be boring and no fun at all! Each one has their own special quality that comes to life with every turn of the page, just for me to enjoy!
Good Morning! Thanks to everyone for this great feedback. The blog had such a wonderful turn-out, I really couldn’t only pick one winner. So I’ve got three!
The random number generator over on random.org selected:
#24 Marie
#34 Sherry Werth
#12 Nicole B
Congratulations ladies! If you send your snail mail address to lori@loriborrill.com, I’ll send you a free advance copy of THE PERSONAL TOUCH, along with some complimentary bookmarks.
And if anyone is looking for another chance to win a free copy, I’ll be running another contest over at http://authorsoundrelations.blogspot.com/ next Saturday.
Congrats Marie, Sherry Wert, & Nicole B!!!
Congrats to the winners!