Wednesday, November 11, 2015

What's your favorite thing about romance novels?



I recently asked readers why they love romance novels. What keeps them coming back for more. 

Eris Field said, "I read them to be taken away." I think that's a popular answer. All of us want to go somewhere else when we read. That's the point. For most, reading is an escape. It enables us to leave our troubles behind and lose ourselves in someone else's world...someone else's love story. Whether you have your own love story in real life or not. As Sarah Carol said, "I love romances because I hope to find my happily ever after someday." And I think we like to lose ourselves in someone else's problems, too. Maybe it helps us cope with our own. If they can do it, so can we! 

"I want realism. I want stupid problems. I want humor and sarcasm. I want to not see everything always so back and white. I want flawed heroines and heros." This is what Karen McClive likes in a  romance novel. I agree. I don't want to read about a super model who never gains a pound and never has a pimple, whose life is perfect in every way. Or a hero who always says and does the right things. How boring is that??? I want real characters. I want characters who I would totally hang out with in real life. I want to care about them. I want to root for them. Linda Smolarek likes "quirky characters in interesting settings." Me too. :)

Pat Poreda wants "to fall in love with that hero- with his soul, his mind." She likes the nerds ;) Heros are so so important to a romance novel. He's gotta be the perfect match for our heroine, though definitely not a perfect person. He needs to be sexy, but not always in the obvious way with bulging muscles and washboard abs. Romance has evolved past Fabios. (Not gonna lie though, I like me a nice muscular hero, too!) But it's more about him inside...how he treats her. 

So tell me....what brings you back to romance? Do you agree with my readers??




Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Hero love!



We can't have a romance novel without a hero! (Well, technically, we can....in F/F romance!) But today I'm talking about the guys!

I know many authors don't like to give too much description of their heros and don't often post celebrity inspiration photos because they like the reader to envision him for themselves. Not everyone has the same idea of sexy. And I agree. There have been times I've read a book and the hero wasn't exactly my idea of yumminess. Like a guy with long hair. It's just not my thing. So.....I kinda just nix that part as I read and fill it in with a picture of a guy I find more attractive ;) It works for me :)

But there is no denying that certain jobs or clothes make a hero unbelievably sexy. Can you resist a man in uniform? I don't think many women can! Cowboys are super hot, and right now, I hear the biker heros are way delicious.

And tattoos?? Oh yes!!!! The bad boy with a heart of gold......



And what about personality? I'm not a huge fan of alphas. Again, just not my thing. I don't write alphas, but I don't consider them betas either. Somewhere in the middle?? LOL Sensitive guys.



So, what's your idea hero??? Pictures welcome ;)