Alpha, Beta, or Somewhere Between?

The alpha male has long been the gold standard in romance. His take-charge attitude and leadership skills often set him apart from his beta side-kick. Oddly enough, it’s the beta side-kick who often provides the comedic relief a romance needs. His affable, laid-back nature is the perfect counterpoint to the alpha’s macho tendencies.

Given this, can a beta make a good hero? Some authors have given this starring role to a beta and pulled it off. People in the real world come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities, so why should romance be any different? If using the right tools, an author can convince readers that anything is possible--even a shy hero who stutters in the presence of the heroine.

But are the alpha and beta designations always clear and concrete? What is alpha to one person may not be so to another. The definition is fluid and can change according to person, place, or thing (I'm channeling the definition of a noun here). Can a hero be a mixture of both alpha and beta depending on situation and place? I think so.

Which kind of hero do you prefer--alpha, beta, or somewhere in between?

Part One The Alpha Male

This will be a two-part blog. In part one I will break down the makings of a true alpha male. Part two will focus on the beta male.

The reason behind this blog is the fact that there are so many misconceptions on what an alpha and beta male truly are. Most think the alpha is an arrogant pushy jerk and the beta is a wimpy pathetic doormat. These labels are far from the truth.

So lets try to get to the heart of this matter. We are throwing the stereotypes out the window and taking a close look at what makes these men tick. Starting with the alpha male.

Alpha Male- The most successful and powerful male in a group.

 A strong and successful male that likes to be in charge.

What an alpha is:

Confident

Born Leader

Problem Solver

Protective

Loving

Risk Taker

Likes Attention

Bold

Provider

Respectful

Charming

Driven

Passionate

Out Spoken

Bad Boy

These are just a few traits that give you an idea of how the alpha lives his life. Later we will discuss what the alpha isn’t and you will get a better view of how his mind works.

Being an alpha male is a state of mind. It has nothing to do with physical appearance.

Example:

You walk into a busy nightclub and notice two very different men. One is to dye for gorgeous but is sitting in the back corner very quietly sipping his drink. The other is goofy and has the attention of a crowd of women. You find yourself wondering what he is saying that has all the ladies laughing and hanging all over him. Suddenly you are more intrigued by the shy guys goofy sidekick. Know why? Bingo! The goofy guy you thought was the sexy guys sidekick is the alpha male. Weren’t expecting that one were you? Nope but it is true and goes back to the fact that being an alpha is a state of mind.

Women are naturally drawn to these men and it isn’t a new thing. It goes way back to the beginning of man. It is just what women look for in a partner. Believe it or not ladies every time we look at a man we size him up and ask some very basic questions. Can he provide for me and maybe our children in the future? Can he protect the family? Is he good looking? Women have always looked for the strongest, smartest and most attractive males to join with and the alpha fits this bill.

Let’s talk about what an alpha isn’t.

What an alpha isn’t:

Physically Abusive

Emotionally Abusive

Passive

Shy

Quiet

Loner

Self-Conscious

Boring

Easily Pushed Around

A true alpha isn’t abusive in any way to the fairer sex. (An abusive male is just that an abusive male and they don’t deserve the title of an alpha.)They treat their woman with respect and love them dearly. Gladly putting their own lives on the line to protect them.  Their confidence is what drives them and they lead by example. They may come off as pushy at times but in most cases they are trying to do what they feel is best for everyone in the situation. Now I will say an alpha’s woman needs to be a strong individual and be able to stand on her own two feet. She needs to know when to listen and when to challenge him. A strong alpha male will know when to listen and take a step back to analyze the situation. They are natural born leaders but all great leaders need someone to debate their options with and that’s where the alpha’s lady comes in.

An alpha male sets high goals for himself and pushes to achieve them. He won’t stop until he meets those goals. He has a plan and his life centers around what he expects to achieve in life. This doesn’t mean he squashes people under his feet to get to the top. He is an honorable man and has the confidence that makes people stop and listen. He believes he has control over his own destiny. If he falls short of his goals then he steps back and finds another way to succeed.

I hope this helped to sum up what an alpha really is and what he isn’t. My favorite characters in some of the book I have read are alphas. But I really hate it when a writer takes it to the extreme. All the male characters I write are alphas and they are very strong but caring men. You really have to find a balance when you write the alpha. They need to be strong but also have softer moments as well.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabby

Poll Day

This is something new we are doing on NN. We will have a poll posted on the 18th of every month. The poll will be writing or reading related. This week we will start off with Alpha Male or Beta Male. Which do you prefer? Please leave your vote in the poll box to the right. We would also love for you to comment and let us know why you prefer an Alpha Male or Beta Male. I am crazy about Alpha Males. How about you?

Happy Reading and Writing,
Tabby

Alpha Male = Chauvinistic Pig?

Hi! I'm Adriana Ryan, and I'll be posting monthly on Tabitha Blake's blog.

For this month, let's look at what romance writers have been blamed for since feminism came around: writing strong males and weak females, essentially setting the feminist movement back a century or so.

So, what they're actually saying is, an alpha male is always an ass. But is that really true?

Let's look at the traits that would make a man a chauvinist:

- Belief that a woman is 'below' him, or a second-class citizen

- Making comments or jokes about women being less intelligent

- Unable to be in a healthy, committed relationship with women

Okay, so these are traits that most women (and men) would find undesirable, and even anger-provoking, right? But is there even one modern romance novel that portrays the alpha male in this light? Is there a heroine in any modern romance novel that would put up with and forgive such behavior? After extensive reading of contemporary romance (hey, someone's gotta do it!), I'd have to say no. Which mentally healthy woman living in the 21st century would actually put up with this day after day (and I'm not talking about truly abusive relationships - that's a whole another ball of wax)?

What romance novels do is create a picture-perfect love scene. They show you a man who is not afraid of his masculinity, is so secure in it that he can fall in love and sustain that love through trials and tribulations. Can he protect his love interest? Sure. Will he put her down and make her think of herself as 'weak'? Absolutely not. Romance novels are simply an escape for the reader; a sort of paradise in this stressful, imperfect world of ours. They are easy to read, but hard to write. But most importantly, they come from the writer's utopian ideal.

The Wacky Misadventures of Four Romance Writers Run Amuck

WARNING: This post breaks most of the writing rules. Every rule broken was done on purpose.

Chapter One

Tabby walked into her office determined to get some writing done today. Nothing was going to stop her. Opening the door, her mouth dropped. Sure nothing was going to stop her but that giant brick wall looming before her. Releasing a sigh as tension radiated up her spine.  The computers were on the other side. This was just great. Backing up into the wall she slid to the floor and entangled her fingers in he hair.

“Hey…what the hell is that?” Brenda asked wide-eyed.

Looking up, Tabby, noticed her partners in crime had arrived.

Sarcasm spewed from Tabby’s mouth. “Ahh…looks like a brick wall.”

“What are we going to do?” Brenda questioned as she looked to Tabby.

“I don’t know. My first reaction was to pull out my hair!”

“I don’t think that is going to do anything.”

“Well, too late.” She turned to show the ladies a huge bald spot on the side of her head. The light bounced off her shiny scalp.

Laughter echoed off the walls of the large office.

“Hey fang girl, shut it. This isn’t funny!” Tabby looked down at the clump of hair on the floor.  Tears pooled in her eyes. No, damn it. She was not going to cry!

“Well at least I don’t come to work in angel wings and a halo.” Brenda put her arms out and flapped them like a bird. Her black cape fluttered with her movements.

Tabby pointed a finger at Cindy. “She’s the one wearing the silver jump suit and glittery bouncy balls on her head. She looks like a bad SyFy movie threw up on her.” Three sets of eyes glared at Cindy.

“What? It inspires me. I have to engross myself in the world I write.”

A laugh came from the back of the room. “I’m the only normal one here.” Penny smiled.

All three ladies squinted at Penny. “Shut up!”

“Guess the truth hurts.” Penny shrugged. “How are we going to get over that wall?” She glanced at Tabby.

“Hey, why do I always have to fix everything?” Tabby pushed to her feet and blew out a breath.  “Never mind I will do it.”

Tabby smiled. “Watch and learn. As paranormal and SyFy writers we have other worldly characters with amazing powers. You only have humans in contemporary.” Smug satisfaction tugged at her features. “Craigen can get us through that wall.” A sexy angel appeared. Tabby stared as her breath stuck in her throat. He was gorgeous. Tall dark and handsome didn’t even begin to describe him. “I need you to teleport us through that wall. I’ll go first.”

Craigen nodded his head and wrapped his arms around Tabby. Mmm…he smelled good. She closed her eyes and trusted her strong angel would do as she asked. He could do this she just knew it. Craigen lifted her into the air and they started to levitate towards the wall. Tabby hit the wall with a loud thud and bounced off landing on the floor. She lay sprawled out on the carpet. Her head ached and she looked up to find Craigen gazing down at her.

“Sorry, Tabs, that’s one strong wall. I have never had that happen before.”

“Yeah, whatever. Just go.” It was bad enough everyone was laughing at her.

“My turn! My turn!” Brenda chanted as she jumped up and down. “My vampire can do it. Mel.” A tall sexy dark haired vampire appeared. “I need you to break down that wall.”

Mel smiled. “No problem.” He cracked his knuckles as he stepped up to the wall and proceeded to punch the bricks.

Tabby felt her blood boil. Why did vampires have to be so sexy? It was so easy to fall head over heels in love. She was jerked from her thoughts by Cindy’s cry.

“Oh my God!” Cindy ran to Brenda. A brick had hit her right between the eyes.

“Is she okay?” Penny asked.

Brenda grumbled and sat up. Her hand flew to the large lump forming on her forehead. “What happened?”

Tabby rolled her eyes and glanced up at the ceiling. “Your big bad vampire didn’t break the wall. He only managed to knock you on your ass with a flying brick.” All eyes turned to Mel. He just shrugged his shoulders and disappeared. Tabby reached a hand down to helped Brenda up and tossed her the vampire fangs that had fallen from her mouth.

“Okay, I got this.” Cindy replied.  “My alien and his high tech equipment can take down that wall. Andros.”  A very sexy orange tinted alien appeared. “I need you to demolish that wall.”

Tabby wondered how an orange alien could be so sexy but damn he was hot as hell. She snapped her mouth shut and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Nope they were all starry eyed too. Lost in their own personal fantasies. Penny was the only on that didn’t seem to drool at the sexy Andros.

“No problem.” He withdrew a sliver gun from a holster on his hip and pointed it at the wall. It made a hissing sound as it warmed up. He rolled his shoulders as a cocky grin graced his chiseled features.

“I don’t think this is a good…” Tabby and the others were struck with bolts of electricity that bounced off the wall before she could finish her sentence. She shook the fog from her head and glanced around. “Damn it, Cindy!”

Andros put his metallic gun away. “What the hell is that wall made of?”

“Sorry.” Then Cindy burst into laughter. “Its made of all the stresses that we let get in the way of our writing.”

He raised a brow as his eyes bore into the four women. “You ladies have some serious issues. I’m out of here.”

Tabby then realized their hair was standing on end and smoke was wafting off their heads. Penny’s body spasmed as the electricity dissipated. “Well that’s what you guys get for laughing at my bald spot! Now we all are having a bad hair day.” Tabby burst out laughing as she watched the ladies all get to their feet.

Penny shook her head. “That’s it. Time to call in the human. Evidently none of your guys can get the job done. And I am not letting any more of this insanity continue. I may write with you guys but I’m not dying with you!” She stood and dusted off her clothes. “Raef.” A very handsome dark haired man appeared.  All the women’s mouth’s dropped. A smug smile tugged at the corners of Penny’s mouth. “He’s not too bad for a human, huh?” Everyone just shook their heads. Raef cleared his throat. “Oh, sorry, I need to know the best way to get through that wall.” Penny replied.

“Why do you have to go through it? Can’t you just go around it?” He raised a single dark brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

All the ladies looked at each other. “Hmmm…why didn’t we think of that?” Cindy laughed.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. See, humans use logic, not powers. Lets go!” Penny looked to the right of the looming brick wall to find a long winding road that disappeared into a dark forest.

“You want us to go out there?” Tabby pointed and shook her head. “No way! There might be lions and tigers and bears out there.”

Penny ran her hands trough her crispy hair. “We have an angel, vampire, alien and if need be a human with amazing reasoning skills. We will be fine. Plus it will be a great adventure. We can’t just sit here and hope that wall disappears. We have to be stronger than the wall.”

The ladies all looked at each other.  “I don’t think we have a whole lot of options here. Looks like we go through the forest.” Tabby reached out shaky hands to Brenda and Cindy.

To be continued…

Come back Friday the 17th for part two of our crazy journey written by Brenda Dyer.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabitha Blake

U-Tube and Romance

This week I thought I would give you all a little laugh. We get made fun of a lot as romance writers but sometimes we have to laugh right along with them. Hope you enjoy these clips from U-Tube. I know I did. They had me rolling on the floor laughing. Oh and the Bing commercial is just there because I love a sexy vamp.

Tabby

Plus And Minuses

I was thinking about some of the men I read about in my paranormal romances. They are strong and very sexy. The dilemma I came across was would we really want our men to have some of the supernatural powers some of them possess? So I decided to way the good with the bad. So here is just a few of the powers I see a lot in paranormal romance.

Empathy

Definition-Cognizant of and comprehending the needs, feelings, problems and views of others.

Plus

Ok, this sounds good. It would be nice for our men to understand the feeling we try so hard to get across to them. They never seem to get it. It can be very frustrating at times. Now we don’t even have to voice our problems they just know. They feel everything we do and just get it. WOW!

Minus

Ok, maybe that isn’t so great after all. Now he knows everything you feel. There is no privacy and you are an open book. You no longer have your private feelings and we all deserve to have some feelings kept to our selves. Your feelings can be so intense at times. Who hasn’t felt something we wished we hadn’t and felt regret for it.

I think keeping them guessing is a good thing. It seems to me if you know everything about someone it would become boring real fast. So personally I don’t think I would like my man to have this particular power.

Telepathy

Definition-The transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five senses.

Plus

Ok, doesn’t sound so bad. He could transfer thoughts and feelings to you without even talking. I think this would be really fun if you had it too. You could carry on conversations without anyone even knowing. Now that would be fun. Secret conversations and maybe a little naughty talk thrown in there too. LOL

Minus

Ok, now the down side. Now you would know how he really feels. That can be good or bad. Admit it ladies sometimes we don’t want to know the truth. A little white lie every once in awhile is ok. The biggest question is do you really want to know what runs through you man’s mind every second of the day.

I think I could deal with this one, if we both had it. It would be fun to be able to communicate without others knowing. Knowing his every thought might be a little hard to deal with but hopefully you aren’t together every moment of the day, and he knows how to control his thoughts around you. If not he would learn that lesson fast. LOL

Memory Manipulation

Definition-The ability to erase or enhance the memory of another.

Plus

Ok, this might be a good one. He could erase all the bad things you have gone through in your life. You know all the thing you wish you could forget. Not to mention the things you have done in your life you wish you hadn’t. LOL We all have a few of those. Hey he could erase those mistakes from others that know about them. WOW! Wouldn’t that be wonderful? It would be like a fresh start.

Minus

Ok, now the negative. He would be able to erase anything he wanted to from your memory. And if he did how would you even know? Scary…that’s a lot of power to give to another. You would have to really trust your man to be alright with this little gem of a power.

I don’t think I would be ok with this one. Some things I have been through in my life would be nice to forget but I don’t know that I could trust anyone that much. Maybe I have trust issues or I’m just a realist. LOL I will leave that for you to think about.

Teleportation

Definition-A method of transportation in which matter is dematerialized, usually instantaneously at one point and recreated in another.

Plus

Ok, this one is going to be good. Being able to just pop in and out, wouldn’t that be fun. Let’s go to Paris for the day and poof your there. Amazing! No packing or planes, just a thought and your at the Eiffel tower. Spend the day anywhere in the world you want in a blink of an eye. Talk about romantic…you could see the most romantic places on the planet on a whim. What do you want to do today? Go to Rome…ok, Poof.

Minus

Ok, there is always a down side. Damn, I hate that! Well let’s talk about it. He could pop in and out at any time. The one thing I think I would really hate would be if you had a fight and he just disappeared. Grrr! That would be very aggravating. You’re in a heated fight and then he’s just gone. You’re left talking to yourself and have no clue where he went. And you know alpha males their temper always gets the best of them.

I am on the fence about this one. I would really like the dashing off to anywhere I wanted to go in an instant. I would be amazing but then there is the abandoning me in the heat of an argument, that would be hard for me, When I am upset I want to figure out the problem. How many times does your man not want to talk? And wished he could just avoid the conflict. Now he has a way to do it and theirs nothing you can do about it. Hmmm?

Immortality

Definition-Endless life or existence.

Plus

Ok, here’s the great part. You are with a man that will never die. You will never lose the love of your life. The great thing is in most cases he can also make you immortal. You would never die and would stay young and beautiful forever. WOW! As women we always worry we are getting old and wrinkled, but now we have found the fountain of youth. These worries have been vanquished from our lives. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Minus

Ok, you knew this was coming. Everything good has to have a bad side. Now you have to come to terms with living forever or getting old while he stays stuck in time. You will grow old and he will stay young and vibrant. Well maybe you are ok with the living forever part and accept his proposal. That’s when your family comes into the picture. They will eventually die and you will watch generation after generation pass on. In one story I read the heroine asked if he could change her whole family. He laughed and said no…I’m sorry it doesn’t work that way. This is a really tough one.

I don’t think I would want to be immortal. Having the man you love in your life forever would be amazing. Being young and ageless a dream of many women. But the fact you have to watch your family pass on would be devastating to me. I think I would say no to this one.

Conclusion

Now that I look at them all, I think I like my life just the way it is. Fantasy is great and all, but then when you analyze it, it’s a lot to take in. There are so many things that are affected by these immortal powers, its startling. Now I think I know why these guy’s women are always so frustrated. So next time your reading and the heroine is getting on your nerves, you know the one you want to just get over it and be accepting. Think about the turmoil her emotions are in. Every good thing has a bad side and these decisions are really hard to make.

Question?

What powers do you find appealing?

What powers do you find not so appealing?

Be creative they don’t have to be the ones I talked about. They can be anything you want them to be. Heck make some up. LOL

Happy Reading and Writing,

When night falls passions blaze.

Tabitha Blake

Make The Voices Stop

Lately I haven’t had much time to write and my characters aren’t very happy about it. I continually hear them screaming at me, that is when I can hear them over the kids. LOL! I have only written one chapter in a week’s time and it is gnawing at me. I…

(Craigen) “You need to toughen up woman and get on the ball. You think you have a tough life? Have you looked at mine lately?” He leaned in the doorway, brows raised and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Crap! Craigen, you scared me to death! What do you want? I'm trying to write a blog here.” A sigh escaped my parted lips as I leaned back in my chair.” This was all I needed, more distractions.

(Craigen) “Oh, you have time to blog but no time to write the rest of my story. There is a demon out there that needs to be dealt with. He is murdering women remember?”

“Yes I know that, I wrote the story. But right now I need to get this blog finished. So give me a break and…”

He crossed the room, snatched my laptop, then stared me down with his intense green eyes.

“Give that back.” I reached for the computer but he held it up and out of my reach. A cocky smile curved the edges of his lips.

(Craigen) “Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. What is wrong with your head? To write such an evil and vile being? It is rather disturbing!”

“If it wasn’t for Nyx you wouldn’t have met Lyric, and if I remember correctly, you really seem to have taken a shine to her.” I put my hand out. “Give me the damned laptop! I am too busy for this nonsense.”

He tossed the laptop on the desk and turned his back.

(Craigen) “I am merely protecting her. Nothing more. This is about you helping me kill Nyx!”

“Oh, did I hit a nerve?” A giggle sprang from my mouth.

(Craigen) “Don’t play games with me woman. Just get yourself together and write the damned story already. My hand itches to smite that vile demon.” His fist slammed into the wall.

“Hey, you need to stop acting like a spoiled child. I have enough kids in this house.” I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

(Nyx) “Did someone call me?”

“Oh, great!” Just what I needed Craigen and Nyx in the same room. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. “I don’t need your vile thoughts distracting me right now! I'm busy.”

An evil smile crossed his lips and those eyes. Damn it! Those eyes.

(Craigen) “So help me Nyx, if you so much as touch her I will kill you right here!”

(Nyx) “I was talking to Tabitha. I know my sweet, I have that affect on women. They all want me and I think you do too.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his legs at his ankles.

“I…uh…well…”

(Nyx) That’s what I thought. Say it beautiful. Mind, body and soul.”

His eyes never left mine and the urge to say it pulled at me. My body heated and I wanted to reach out and draw him close. “Mind…”

(Craigen) “Stop this now! Nyx I am so going to kill you and do it slowly. There will be no mercy, you will pay for your crimes. Tabitha snap out of it! I won’t let him have you too. Without you all hope is lost.”

I shook my head to clear the fog. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Thanks Craig.”

(Craigen) “I don’t remember saying you could give me a nick name. So just cut that crap out.”

“You are so touchy. Chill out.” I lowered my head into my hands as a twinge of a headache pulsed at my temples.

(Nyx) “Its okay, your time is coming beautiful.” He pointed at Craigen. “He can’t watch you all the time. I have the perfect place for you.” His palm rested on his chest. “I was thinking right over my heart.”

“You vile bastard, leave!” My anger raged out of control and I reached for the paperweight on my desk. He ducked and it crashed into the wall, shards of glass fell to the floor.

(Nyx) “For now, but I will win in the end. I always do”

“I am writing this story and you will definitely not be wining this one. I have a evil plan of my own for you.”

(Nyx) “Oh, I like a strong and confident woman. It is so much more fun breaking them.” An evil smile curved his features and his eyes turned crimson.

My breath caught in my throat. “Damn it Craigen! No throwing knifes. That flew right past my head.”

(Craigen) “Sorry, but he was getting too close. I had to do something. I don’t want to worry about you having a mental bond with him too. Anyway, I got rid of the demon scum.”

“Yeah, well thanks. Now can I get back to my blog?”

(Lyric) “Did she start writing again?”

I slumped over, crossed my arms on my desk and lowered my head. “Great.”

(Craigen) “No she is writing a blog. Whatever the hell that is. I guess it is more important than catching a killer.”

(Lyric) “There is nothing more important than catching a killer.” Her eyes bore into me. “What is wrong with you Tabitha?”

“Maybe if you guys would go away for the next twenty minutes, I could finish this and write the next chapter. But at this rate I am not going to get anything done. You know your love scene is coming up in about two more chapters.” A grin tugged at my features. I knew that would at least get rid of Craigen.

(Lyric) “Really?” Her eyes glazed over. “I…uh…”

(Craigen) “No way!”

“Why you guys are obviously falling in love?”

(Craigen) “That’s fine Tabitha. I'm out of here. You better hope he doesn’t come back because I am pissed and I may not come to you rescue!”

“I think I can handle Nyx I did create him.”

(Craigen) “That is one of the things that makes me wonder about your mental state.”

“Okay, I have had enough! Craigen I will call you when you are needed.”

(Craigen) “Women! You need to get your head straight and get this story finished before I lose my patients with you!”

“Well, at least he is gone.” Two down one to go.

(Lyric) “Do we really get a love scene?”

“Yes, hun and it is going to be amazing.”

(Lyric)” I don’t think he thinks so.”

“He will, you drive him crazy. He just refuses to see it, but I will make sure he does. You deserve a good man, and Craigen is one of the best. He will give in. I promise.”

(Lyric) I…will..uh…leave you to do that blog thingy you are doing.”

“Hey, Lyric, hun, be careful. You almost ran into the door.”

(Lyric) “Yeah, sorry.” Giggle.

“Okay where was I. Yeah, I haven’t gotten much writing done. Wait what was that noise? “Nyx, what do you want?”

(Nyx) “You.”

“Oh, really, you smell so good. Don’t look at me with those sexy blue eyes. I swear if you don’t leave I will kill you in the next chapter!”

(Nyx) “Fine. But your time is coming.”

“Okay, to hell with the blog, guess I have to go and write the next chapter before they all drive me insane. See the crap I have to deal with? I’m not even alone in my own head. Sorry about the blog guys.”

(Craigen) “See, knew we could get her back in the game. She really needs to stop slacking.”

(Lyric) “I think we need to give her break. She has been so busy lately. You want her to write the story well don’t you?”

(Nyx) “I don’t really care as long as I win in the end.”

(Craigen) “Keep dreaming, Nyx. You lost the first time we battled and it won’t be any different this time.”

(Nyx) “We’ll see.”

“I would say you guys need to learn to get along but that will never happen. So I need you to all shut up!”

(Craigen) “Fine we don’t want to drive the writer of Soul Extraction crazy. She already has a few screws loose to even invent this story. We’re out of here.”

Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabitha Blake

Pictures are left Craigen, middle Nyx and right Lyric.

The Tortured Hero (Picture is Craigen From Soul Extraction my Current WIP)

Today I thought I would talk about how I created the hero in my current wip, Soul Extraction. He is the epitome of the tortured hero. Poor guy is a mess but a very sexy mess. It takes many layers to create a true tortured hero and you have to peel the layers away as the story progresses. Opening one wound at a time and a good character will fight you all the way. If your character has a damaged past they are going to refuse to tear down walls and be open, even with the woman they believe could be the love of their life. Most tortured heroes would rather walk away with their defenses up than give in and open themselves to the possibility of getting hurt again. This is where you find the battle of wills begins. However, remember this creates tension, which is good. It can be helpful when it comes to conflict, sexual tension and internal conflict. It ratchets the story up to a new level.

What makes a good tortured hero? Well he is someone that has had a tragic past and wants to put it behind him and forget it. The problem lies in the fact that it isn’t that simple. Every time he turns around there is something that reminds him about the agony he carries with him. Most of these heroes try to shut themselves off from the outside world and live a solitary life. The problem is they still want the companionship but don’t know how to get over the emotional rollercoaster they ride everyday. That is where the heroine comes in and he is torn and usually fights the feelings the meeting opens up in him.

Craigen from Soul Extraction has many such wounds and is torn between the past and the present. A former angel that is now labeled one of the fallen. In his grief, he turned to drinking to ease his pain, which works until he is summoned by God to take down Nyx a sexual demon steeling women’s souls. Nyx is part of the reason he ended up one of the fallen. Three hundred years ago, he was sent to earth to catch Nyx. Craigen finds himself protecting a beautiful human and looses his heart to her. Following his heart he falls in love and is chased from the heavens by Michael the archangel. She becomes pregnant and dies in childbirth, leaving a gaping wound in his heart. He has lost everything, the love of his life and his angel status, a cruel reminder of his mistakes. Then he is called to take Nyx out for the second time and if he does, he will be welcomed back into heaven with open arms. But in the process, he meets Lyric the heroine and everything spins out of control again. He tries to push his feelings aside but they gnaw at him continually. When Nyx come after Lyric his protective nature takes over. He refuses to allow the past to repeat its self.

I love to write the tortured hero. All my heroes have had past that have left a deep seeded wound. In my opinion, they make the best heroes and bring tension to the story. A sexy hero that fights his feelings makes for some great sexual tension. They also demand the reader to sympathize with them, it makes them real. Flaws bring out the reality of the character. We are all flawed in one-way or another and a perfect hero is not very believable. I like my heroes to be damaged because it makes the tension high and the passions even higher when they go over the edge. They have been denying their feelings for so long that when they finally let loose watch out it is going to be intense.

To write a good tortured hero you have to have a good back-story. The thing is you also have to write it good or it is just an info dump. You have to weave it in little bits at a time and not just one big clump of info or you are going to loose your reader. In my wip S.E. the info about Craigen comes out in small bits all through the story, not in one big lump of info. This is very important. You also have to remember there has to be a reason to tell the back story, not just okay I’m going to give up the back story here just for the heck of it. In Soul Extraction Lyric tells her back story after she is attacked by Nyx and Craigen asks why she became a FBI agent. He is trying to distract her from her racing feelings. The problem is he opens up a whole other situation as he listens to her reasoning. This does not happen until chapter twelve so by this time you know Lyric and like her. This is very important, if the reader does not know the character yet then they won’t care about the back-story. There is a method to the madness of writing back-story.

When I start to write a character I look for things that will inspire me. I look to movies, music, and books. There is so much in this world to inspire you. Sometimes it may just be a walk in the park or sitting alone with your thoughts. I also love to search for pictures of my characters to look at while I write. It makes my characters come to life, for me at least. I find myself looking at them and waiting to hear them speak to me. I also do character charts for each of my characters and this breathes life into them too. It answers questions about them you never thought to ask.

Here are some links:

The song that reminds me of Craigen, poor thing. He lost the only woman he ever loved and she haunts him now. This song is perfect for the emotions he carries with him.

My Immortal/ Evanescence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5anLPw0Efmo

Character Chart, it will be the first one that comes up. It is a great tool, keeps you on track, and helps when you wonder the little things about your characters.

www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html

I would love to hear what you think about reading or writing the tortured hero. Do you think they bring more tension to the story? I personally want a strong alpha with a tortured past.

Till Next Time, Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabitha Blake

The Nature Of The Beast

NATURE OF THE BEAST

Hello, and welcome to Tabby's Nocturnal Nights. My name is Brenda, and today I'm going to talk about why I prefer paranormal romances over most other sub-genres. Now, keep in mind these are strictly just my opinions, and may not reflect how others feel.

Okay, now that we have that covered, let's get started. I have often wondered why it is that I love paranormal romances over all the many sub-genres. One reason I came up with after much mulling over is that I love strong men. Duh. Self assured men. Duh. Take charge kind of guys. Men who know how to make a woman feel like a woman. Duh. Yes, we read about men like these in other sub-genres, but there is just something unexplainable about the raw power of a vampire, or the animal instincts of a werewolf. Or the dark nature of a demon.

Reading romance novels had been a pleasurable pastime of mine for years. I would get all squishy and melty inside when reading about a big, strong man, taking care of the heroine, saving her from danger, keeping her safe at all costs. But the thrill had worn off, and I noticed the feminist in me coming out more, ruining the journey with her little snickers and comments.

When I read my first paranormal—this particular one featured a vampire—I was hooked. The hero had alpha written all over him with attitude to spare, and a body that wouldn't quit. And the heroine was no shrinking violet. She couldn't be. She had to deal with the fact that a mythical creature was not just a myth, but flesh and blood, who incidentally wanted her blood along with her body.

Yes!!!! The thrill of reading romance was back!

I devoured paranormal novel after novel. I couldn't get enough. Yet, what made me so crazy over these characters? Why did I enjoy the thought of a strong, nonhuman male, grabbing me, shoving me against a wall, and kissing the daylights out of me, or drinking my blood? Shouldn't the feminist in me be screaming bloody murder? Hmm, actually, the feminist in me was silent. Not once had she surfaced, wanting to kick the hero in the balls for being all macho.

So, I decided to try and figure out why I was so drawn to these characters, who in human fables, have been portrayed as monsters. No answers came to me, so I took this one step further. I turned to science for a possible solution. LOL, strange I know, but hey, I am strange.

This is what I found. When a woman looks for a mate, there are a few specifics she seeks in a male. First, she checks out his shape. The more triangular he is the better. Wide shoulders, broad chest, tapering down to narrow hips. This shape to a woman, signifies strength. Not only strength to protect and provide for her, but strength to protect their children. Second, if he is physically fit, which this conformation shows, it is then a safe bet that he will pass on strong genes to their off-spring.

Okaaaay. So, according to science, women look for the strongest male—the alpha male—to mate with. Hmmm, interesting.

Was this why I loved paranormal creatures? Because they are the epitome of strength? Maybe, maybe not, but there had to be more to it. I wracked my brain for days, and finally I came up with another piece to the puzzle. What else drew me to these characters is the way they love. Most paranormal creatures not only fall deep in love, but they bond with their mate--bond for life. The love they have for their partner is all consuming, unbreakable . . . forever. Never would he stray, not even if a beautiful woman walked passed him naked. He only has eyes for his soulmate.

Whatever the reasons are, reading romance novels—especially paranormals—fulfills a profound part of me that secretly desires to be swept off my feet by a handsome, virile male—vampire. In my real life I am expected to be so many things: a mother, a wife, a provider, a problem-solver, and the list goes on. I rarely have time to just be me, a woman, with a woman's deep desires. So, sitting back on my comfy chair, with a hot paranormal romance novel in hand, I can lose myself between the pages for awhile.

Do any of you ever wonder what it is about paranormal creatures that turns your crank? What answers have you come up with? I would love to hear from you. LOL, we can compare solutions.

Okay, I would like to start a new topic—still on the paranormal subject of course. Do any of you reading this blog watch the show, Supernatural? It features to smoking hotties, fighting all manner of paranormal creatures. I would love to hear from you.

Until next week, happy reading and writing.

Brenda