posted on November 21, 2013 by Laura Wright

The Dark and Dangerous Hero

book_sinIs there anything better, hotter or more intriguing than a sexy, brilliant and tortured hero? A man or a male, if you’re reading paranormal, who’s been deeply and irrevocably hurt by his family, a woman or another in his para clan? Lord, I don’t think so. I love them dangerous and lusty – undecided about kissing me or killing me. Yes, I know I sound crazy, but those interior or exterior scars just make a hero so damn intriguing – so difficult to change. If there’s no pain that affects every area of his life…or he’s not living, just existing, because of it, I’m not as interested in his story. And the same goes for love scenes. I need to have the hero come into those scenarios with a history of meaningless, just-have-to-release sexual experiences. Because if they don’t, the sex with our heroine isn’t as meaningful and life altering as it must be to make me care.

This theme is pretty much Beauty and the Beast, and it’s my absolute favorite. It’s the one I look for when I go to the bookstore and scan the shelves and back cover copy. It’s the ultimate dark and tortured male, who desperately needs the love of a good woman to heal. And for my fantasy, there’s nothing better!

What about you?

What do you think?

Do dark, angsty heroes draw you in? Or do you prefer heroes with a gentler style, and a past that doesn’t kick start every movement he makes?

By Laura Wright

New York Times bestselling author of ETERNAL SIN

laurawright.com

Laura Wright

Laura Wright

Writing is my Obsession

Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago — my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another — then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood — tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.

If you’re interested...

I was born and raised in Minnesota. It’s where my love of all things green, wet and grown in the ground comes from. As you read above, before writing I was an actor, singer and dancer, specifically a BALLROOM dancer — an instructor and competitor as well. That work took me to many places like New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. I live in Los Angeles now, but I’m always thinking about greener pastures — literally.

http://www.laurawright.com

2 thoughts on “The Dark and Dangerous Hero”

  1. Nancy H says:

    I love trouble souls in need of love. They are the best.

  2. Reada says:

    Totally agree. When the hero feels he is not redeemable, when he has been through so much and he has put up walls and then BAM! The heroine ‘gets him’ and connects and the walls start to crumble!

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