*Alpha Male, Amateur Sleuth, Assassin, Billionaire, Cowboy, Damsel in Distress, Detective, (Doctor), Firefighter, (Nurse) Police/Law Enforcement, Lawyer, Military, Nice Guy, Pastor/Minister/Church Elder, Protector, Retired, Shy Heroine, Sports, Stepbrother, Strong/Sassy Heroine, Student, Tortured Hero, Widow/Widower, . . .
Have you ever walked into a candy store—or a clothing store, or fabric or yarn store—and been overwhelmed by the number of choices before you? All the colors, the flavors, the fun! I don’t have that problem, myself, because I can only eat sugar-free candy, and I don’t quilt, sew, or knit. I know my knitting, sewing, quilting friends love fabric stores, because I’ve gone with them and often heard them complain about all the supplies they have amassed that they’ve never used. My most difficult choices are always the characters in my next novel.
Do I make my hero tall and dark with brooding glances and muscle upon muscle? Or do I make him more intellectual, with kindness and gentleness that proves he has more than simple physical strength? I’ve done both. My favorite is the kinder, gentler male lead who is secure enough in his maleness that he has nothing to prove. Of course, he still has muscles.
When I was starting my latest project, One Strong Man, I asked some readers what they preferred most in their heroes. Most answers included honesty, kindness, gentleness, and I agree. What makes them strong is their authenticity and lack of arrogance. This latest hero is a sheriff in a small town. He is tall and strong and muscular. He’s also in his fifties recovering from the death of his wife. Now I must make him gentler and kinder. His loss helps open the door to that gentler side of him.
My heroine, however, is still all over the place. I’m not sure I have a handle on her yet. She’s a widow, also recovering from the death of her husband as she dips her toe back into the dating scene with two different types of men. But what are some of the characteristics you like in a heroine? I want her to be so appealing that the reader doesn’t want to stop reading, but I also want her to be inspirational to the point that readers might be drawn to those traits and maybe even mimic her in their lives. Kindness, for instance, is something we all need to practice these days, but she also needs to be shrewd to the dangers around her, especially the antagonist.
As I work through this story, I’d love some input from readers. What would you like in the heroine of One Strong Man?
*Excerpted from Booksweeps’ Characters’ dropdown list; Doctor and Nurse added for obvious reasons