Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Alpha Men and/or Bad Boys in Romance by Juliana Stone

It’s my last day and I haz a sad! It’s been fun, the sun has been warm, the skies blue and well, the beer is still cold! LOL, but all good things must come to an end.

But before I leave I thought I’d talk about alpha men and/or bad boys. Why do we love them so?

I know I do. Who the hell wants to read about a “yes man”? I want a man who will challenge me, fight with me, give me as good as I give and then, well, take me to bed and make my toes curl.

Now, I’m not saying a more refined version won’t do…I have a huge crush on Mathew McFadden. He played Mr. Darcy in my favourite version of Pride and Prejudice. However if I’m being honest, sweet, gentle loving is nice, but hot, nasty loving is exciting!

It’s probably why I love Christine Feehan’s Dark series so much. Her Carpathian men are total alphas. They love their women and protect them to the death. And well, they’re very, very skilled at the whole lovin’ part.

I wanted to bring that out in my books. I wanted my men to love their women with an intensity that hopefully leaves the reader invested and wanting them to have their HEA, even if they’re not always nice and easy on their mates.

I hope I’ve done that. Jaxon and Libby certainly have a lot to work out, but in the end, you know they belong together. And that’s what it’s all about. Romance, passion and a couple who will rip your heart out and have you cheering from the sidelines!

For my Samhain release, Black Legacy, I based the character of Dekker on Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue. He’s dark, twisty and terribly sexy in that bad boy rocker kind of way!

I’m curious, what are your favourite types of Heroes in romance? Do we like dark, twisty alphas? Or strong, solid types with a hint of Beta?





Juliana Stone has always believed in the power of a good story. When her first narrative, a futuristic story about Santa Claus set in a world that resembled her friend's hamster cage, was a hit with her fourth-grade teacher, she discovered her calling was writing: novels, short stories, songs. As long as she was writing, she was happy. During a stint on the music end of things, she toured Canada fronting an all-female rock band, and after meeting her husband, she fell into married life. Kids, dog, and the requisite white picket fence followed, and her writing took a bit of a backseat.

But in the fall of 2007, she decided to resurrect her love of writing and,inspired by the paranormal works of Christine Feehan, Keri Arthur,and Lynsay Sands, she set out to write something great. Luckily, a unique world of jaguar-shifters was born, and the rest is history!

Her first release for Avon, His Darkest Hunger, is available now.



*Contest Is Now Closed*

Good Luck to Everyone who enters. :-)

A special thank you to Juliana for taking time to visit with us on the island!

39 comments:

Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

'Morning! I like my alphas strong all the way through. No hint of beta please!

*motions to a cabana boy* I'll take a Mimosa please, sweetness.

Unknown said...

Haha, great post Juliana! :-) I love my heroes tall, dark, strong and handsome! They have to be alphas, stubborn and confident, responsible and of course warmhearted. I can't stand undecisive men who need to be supported. I want heroes who challenge the heroines and both of them has to have strong will and character. No sissies please!

Jackie said...

Good morning! Hero must be dark, brooding, strong in his sense of self, alpha bad boy who falls like a ton of bricks when his one true love comes along.
The arrogant, full of himself prick type need not apply!!!

jackie b central texas

Jessica said...

jacabur1 you hit the nail on the head. Ego check at the door, please. I love 'em tall, broad shouldered, nice dangley pieces and a well developed sense of self worth, but not in love/lust with himself. Yuk! I don't care if the hair is dark or light, eyes must have charisma and shine, oh yeah, a butt you could bounce a quarter off of! lol

He would have to take me as I'm am though. I know I'm hard to live with, just ask my cats! LOL

Blodeuedd said...

I kept comparing poor Mathew to Colin Firth, he never even had a chance .(

My heroes are all over the place...though not to keen on the blonde ones.

Scorpio M. said...

Beta for me. And Beta does NOT imply weakness.

I think most romantic heroes are a blend of Alpha/Beta anyway. A true Alpha would behave like a caveman.

Bookie said...

I love all types of heroes in my story. I do like the strong alpha ones but the ones in Feehan's series are sometimes a bit too alpha for me sometimes.

Kara said...

I love Christine Feehan's Carpathians!! They are what introduced me to the paranormal romance genre and they are definitely alpha!!

I like my heroes to be dark and twisty...and yes, hot nasty loving is exciting!!

Lea said...

Hi Juliana!

Wonderful post to celebrate your last day on the island. :-)

I like strong Alpha heroes, especially the tortured ones and a little "twisted" in the persona sure makes them even more interesting.

And, Jaxon? He fit all of the above IMHO.

Thanks again for visiting the island Juliana!

In the real world Juliana is busy at her day job again today but I'm sure she will stop by when she can this evening. Thanks again everyone for making her so welcome!

Sullivan McPig said...

Dark and twisty sounds like the kind of heroes I want to read about, but it doesn't have to be an alpha perse

Anonymous said...

I do like the strong, tortured, almost obsessive alphas, but at the same time, I just read a couple of stories by an Indie author named Ellen Fisher where the heros were strong and attractive, but also shy, mentally a bit geeky, and vulnerable and I loved them.

There are so few of those types of heros in romances so every time I find one where the hero is actually willing to show his vulnerabilities and not appear perfect I just eat it up.
JenM

Ina said...

Hi Juliana :)
oh I totally understand your feelings about Christine Feehans protagonists *dreaming* sometimes they are a little bit too alpha, but in the end they are perfect :) only an itsi-bitsi beta in the relationship with their heroine, but otherwise dark and alpha *gg*
greetings, Ina

CrystalGB said...

Great post. like strong, dark, brooding alphas who are tormented souls.

Anne said...

I have got to get a copy of that book..Sounds Divine!! Okay the real question is who is that second hottie -the one right after Mr.Darcy..sigh..Alpha all the way but a gentlemanly one..did that make sense..kind of like walk softly but carry a really big stick..

cait045 said...

I love the guy from Sky High he is a great bad boy. Also Matthew as Mr. Darcy wasn't too shabby.

Danny said...

Alpha with a touch of Beta. That's perfect because otherwise he would be just too much and I would constantly want to wring is neck. LOL

Sarah said...

I love a good alpha hero - he's got to be dark & brooding & a little twisted always goes down well too.

ElaineG said...

There is something so appealing about an Alpha....I can't figure out why I like 'em I just do! My hubs is not quite an Alpha....maybe that's why they appeal to me so much lol! This was a great post....and I have to say the pic of Nikki Sixx??? Divine! I have had it going for that man for over 20 years, and my hubs teases me all the dang time lol!

throuthehaze said...

definitely dark and twisty for me :)

Tracy said...

I definitely like my men tall dark and angsty but I there is something to be said for a handsome witty beta as well. (I'm thinking Carter from Nora Roberts' first bride book.)

Mary G said...

Hi Juliana.
Great post! To read about I definitely prefer Alpha. My fave heroes though have always been alphas with a touch of vulnerability.In real life I guess I like the same. I want a partner, not a boss & I don't want to be the boss either.

Chelsea B. said...

Oh, I'm all for alpha men who love their women! Though I do love Mr.Darcy also :-) Just watched the movie the other night! There are so many swoon-worthy scenes! But, you know, there are also a lot of smack-Mr.Darcy-upside-the-head scenes too....LOL :-)

Cherry said...

I like my hero an alpha, definitely!

Juliana Stone said...

All this talk about alpha's is getting me hot and bothered! Someone asked about the young man, he's Steven Strait and I based the character of Jaxon on an older version. I have a picture of him somewhere in a towel....oh my!

And Nikki, oh my lovely, dirty, sexy Nikki bad boy all the way and i love him!

s7anna said...

Hey Juliana,
I'z sad to see your stay come to an end...be sure to come visit again soon.

I'm all about uber Alpha heroes...I prefer my men kinda misunderstood, gruff, tough, loyal, sexy, and a total marshmallow at heart.

hugs,
Anna
s7anna@yahoo.ca

Sue A. said...

I like my alphas confident and self aware without being arrogant, I like them to have charisma, but I'm leery of practised charm, I prefer rugged good looks over pretty boy looks, and he should be capable of deep emotions making him a great protector and ultimate lover.

donnas said...

Great post. I definitely prefer them strong but with a sense of compassion. They can handle anything but do have feelings.

Juliana Stone said...

I love them alpha, but should also say I watched Pride and Prejudice with Mathew MacFadden, like 5 times. dont know what it is about that dude, but he's smokin hot!

Spav said...

I love alpha heros, especially if they have a "dark" side.

Anonymous said...

YES! Finally a comparison between bad and good boys. I can honestly say I hope to find an alpha. Strong, possessive, but yet he knows his limits and doesn't crowd me. You know the kind, great at what he does, strong but sweet and please give him some mental power. I'm gonna quote from something I read once, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

SiNn said...

I like them to be a lot of all really the bossy strong silent always know what will happen or how to get us outa a sticky situation dont want someone i could walk all over whats fun in that

Unknown said...

Hi Juliana!

Strong alphas are always a plus, the Carpathian series is an excellent example. My hero type changes with the days, but all are strong and confident.

Dottie :)

limecello said...

I love dark heroes because they're so interesting, and they fall so very hard when it comes to love. (Yes, guess I'm a mean reader.)
I don't think everything about the book has to be dark for the hero to be- example, Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Still, say the paranormal etc or Shannon McKenna types are a lot of fun too.

Julie said...

I love reading alpha heroes! The darker, the better...it makes the HEA all the more worthwhile and satisfying. :)

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

I like my alphas strong and protective.

cindyc725 at gmail dot com

Eva S said...

I like my heroes to be tall, dark, brooding and very alpha! Feehan's Carpathians are some of my favorites!

mariska said...

i love my alphas smart, strong, good looking, and a bit dark :)

Fedora said...

Hmm... I kind of like them all, Juliana :) Sometimes a fiercely protective alpha is the way to go, while other times a quieter but no less competent hero does the trick. And Limecello had a good point--sometimes the story is dark but not the characters; other times the characters are but the story isn't. Or you can have them both...

Lea said...

Good Morning Everyone:

The contest is closed, thanks to everyone who entered!

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