I’m so pleased to have a good friend of mine on the blog today – debut author Lena Diaz. Lena’s romantic suspense novel, He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not, is one of the launch books for Avon Impulse, the new Harper Collins digital-first imprint. Exciting stuff!
Lena is a truly talented writer, whose manuscripts were winning accolades even before publication. She’s won the Tara, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Romantic Suspense, and finaled in the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious contest for unpublished authors, The Golden Heart. I’m going to turn the blog over to Lena now – she has some thoughts about heroes she’d like to share with us!
What Makes A Romance Hero Romantic?
Vanessa, thank you so much for hosting me on your blog! I’ll jump right into my topic, which is — What makes a romance novel hero romantic?
Recently, two of my friends critiqued a scene I’d just written. Without seeing each other’s comments, they both highlighted the same line of dialogue, and they both said it was so romantic. I was surprised, because that line seemed ordinary, nothing special. What was it about that one line that sounded romantic? Neither of my friends could explain why it felt romantic. They just knew that it did.
I looked back through the scene, which was the first meet between the hero and heroine. I tried to figure out why that line seemed so special. All through the scene the hero was cold, almost to the point of being mean, because he despised the choices the heroine had made in her life. But at the very end of the scene, he couldn’t walk away without offering the heroine some kind of consolation. He had to say that one little line, trying to make her feel better.
That one line of dialogue showed the hero’s true character, his compassion. It gave the reader a glimpse into the hero’s true self. In that one line, we saw that the hero cared for the weak and downtrodden, even if he didn’t want to. The line itself wasn’t romantic. The reasons behind the hero’s words were romantic.
Let’s look at a scene where the hero and heroine dance together. By itself, the scene is nothing special. But let’s change it up a bit. Let’s say the heroine just got dumped by her boyfriend, very publicly, and he walks across the dance floor with another woman. Our heroine is sitting alone, humiliated. Other women she knows are giggling and making fun of her at the next table. They’re also flirting outrageously with our gorgeous hero.
Disgusted at how the women, and the boyfriend, treated the heroine, the hero asks the heroine to dance. He treats her like a princess, lavishing her with attention. By dancing with her, he gives her revenge against everyone who treated her so badly, and he helps her self-esteem.
Suddenly that scene is far more romantic. Or, at least, it is to me! The hero is no longer just a cute guy. He’s sexy, hot, appealing, romantic–not because of his looks–but because of the person he is inside.
So tell me, what do you think makes a romance novel hero romantic? Is it all looks? His voice? The way he gazes into a woman’s eyes, as if she’s the only person in the room? Or is it his character, his moral convictions, his compassion for others? Or something else entirely? I’d love to hear your opinions!
He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not
Four years ago, Amanda Stockton was forced to play a serial killer’s twisted game of chance. Since then, she has retreated from the world, bearing the scar from her ordeal and the burden of a terrible secret. But when another woman is found dead, clutching a long-stemmed red rose, Amanda knows she can hide no longer.
If there were any other way, Chief Logan Richards would never ask the only surviving victim for help. But it’s clear this killer will not be stopped and Amanda is the only link. Torn between catching a madman and winning the trust of the woman he’s come to love, Logan is caught in a dangerous game with Amanda. And there’s no guarantee they’ll come out on top.
Vanessa, here. Lena will be giving away one copy of He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not, to one of my readers today. Just answer her question to win! But that’s not all. Five readers who comment today will also win a set of Lena’s romance trading cards. There are four cards to a set, including this dreamy one of her romantic hero, Logan Richards. Yum!
Never heard about romance trading cards, the latest thing sweeping through romancelandia? You can check them out on the romance trading card website.
hi vanessa and lena,
i think makes a romance novel hero romantic is his eyes and the way he gaze the women he adored and can’t leave his eyes until the woman response him, her voice ofcourse, so sexy and sometime can make a women melted and his gentle treatment and the important is he know what he want and he will do anything to get ^^
The voice and eyes have it for me too, Eli!
Good Morning Vanessa & Lena,
I think it’s his eyes mostly. They say so much about him, his soul, about what he desires and what he thinks about you. His look can make a woman melt or turn her away. And I totally agree it also has to do with what is inside him… : )
Christine S.
chrissy6341@aol.com
Great answer, Chrissy!
Lena, my heart is swooning over romantic men right now. 🙂
One time my husband-then-boyfriend cut out heart from construction paper, wrote things on them like “Abigail is better than chocolate chip cookies,” and “I love Abigail – you should, too!” and arranged them in a heart on his bed. Every so often I’ll find one of them and it still makes my heart melt, and we’ve been married nearly fourteen years!
Don’t enter me in the drawing – I already bought it!
Abigail, what a cool story! You’re hubs is obviously a keeper.
hi abigail, i agreed that this is cool story and i supposed your husband is a romantic ^^
Good morning everyone! Thank you so much Vanessa for hosting me. And thanks all for the great comments so far. Sounds like “the eyes have it” so far! Abigail-I love that your husband made all those cute notes for you!
I’m so happy to have you on, Lena! Great topic, too.
Great post, Lena. And the trading cards are so cool. would love to be in your drawing.
Selena Fulton
That trading cards are fun, aren’t they, Selena?
Oh, at different times in the story I would hope all of the above would happen. I guess the fact that he can’t live without you and would die for you can’t help but being romantic!! Your book sounds very exciting and romantic!
LOL! Yes, catslady, the willingness to die for you is pretty romantic, isn’t it? It’s actually a pretty strong element in romantic suspense – the hero willing to lay down his life to protect the heroine, or vice versa.
Thanks so much! I do hope you will give my book a try. I just LOVE the hero in that story!
The way a man looks and treats a woman is romantic. He makes her feel sexy by the way he acts towards her.
books4me67 at ymail.com
Absolutely, Wendy!
Well another great contest and those trading cards are amazing.
I’m with a lot of ladies here…the eyes…those are the window of the soul, you can hide everything inside, but one look in those gorgeous eyes of a man, tells you exactly what he feels about you.
I have a weakness of the “bad boys” in the books, so when they do something totally out of order to make a woman feel special, then you have me.
Ah, the bad boy hero finally gets a plug. I love bad boy heroes too, but I think they are really difficult to pull off successfully. Alpha heroes in general, which is what I write, walk a fine line between being a jerk and being a heroic figure. I like my heroes to be strong, protective, but maybe too protective at times. The heroine has to be strong enough to counter-balance that aggressive hero and teach him to appreciate her strengths and to not always take over.
Ah, yes. I’m a lover of the bad boys, too!
xixi, me too, i love bad boys that good boys lol
Lena,
I love your picture.
Hi Mierrillee! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much, Merrillee!
Hi Lena!
I’m so excited about your book. As an Avon Impulse sister (and fellow Unsinkable) I can not WAIT to hear how things go for you. I bought my copy of He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not and started it last night. I plan on it keeping me up late tonight!
As for a romantic hero, I’m with you. I think romance is all in the way a hero treats his heroine. A look, a touch at just the right moment, a sudden change of heart or attitude when a truth hits him — those are the things that make me believe he’ll stick with her when the story is over. Of course, gorgeous eyes help and I’m very big into hands — all my heroes have very, very sexy hands and fingers!
I wish you tons of good luck with the book. Keep ’em coming!
Liz, I’m so excited for you! Congrats on your sale and thanks for buying my book! Hope you enjoy it!
A big yowzer on the hands, Liz! Nothing like strong, long-fingered, sexy hands!
I think it’s the things that the hero does for the heroine that makes him romantic. You know… the slaying of the dragon, giving her the moon and stars and all that… 🙂
Congrats on your book! 🙂
Thanks May!
Hi Lena,
I think your right about gestures that let you see into the heroes character. Those little things can be more romantic than any ellaborate candle lit dinner with chocolates and flowers.
Thanks Charlie. Still, we don’t need to let our guys know right? I still want flowers and chocolate!
He has to be kind, have a sense of humor and not be too pretty. An interesting nose helps!
Oh I so agree about not being too pretty. In fact, I love heroes with scars or some kind of flaw that makes them not too perfect. Never thought about the nose too much but I guess that does add a lot of character to a man’s face. Interesting!
Oh, yeah on the sense of humor, Maggie. I love a hero who makes me laugh.
Thanks for the interesting blog post, Lena and Vanessa. It’s always that “something special” that makes the hero romantic, isn’t it? Lena did a good job of explaining why. And a great picture of her!
She looks lovely, doesn’t she? Thanks for stopping by, Sheila!
(blush) Thanks Sheila!
I agree, it’s his character, compassion, his ability to see her and care…
You are a person after my heart. It is who the hero is on the inside that counts the most. That may be the reason The Beauty and The Beast story line is my favorite. The surface self is easy to fake. It is who we are inside that can’t be faked and counts the most. A sense of honor, humor, and justice are most important.
librarypat AT comcast DOT net
Great discussion all! I really enjoyed it. Thanks.
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