I Need a Hero #MFRWauthor

Welcome to week 19 of the challenge. The first thought that came to mind for the topic, the ideal romance hero, was the chorus from "Holding Out For A Hero" by the welsh singer, Bonnie Tyler. I first heard the song when it was used as the theme for the television program, Cover Up, and have found myself humming it as I created a character. Even though my two series, the Dragshi Chronicles and The Windmaster Novels, are fantasy, they also cross the fence into romance.

So what marks an ideal romantic hero? If you're holding out for a hero, what do you want?

I write fantasies filled with strong women. Ellspeth was a ship captain, respected by her men. The women of the Dragshi Chronicles were of equal strength. Anastasia held her own in a marksmanship competition against three men. Glyn was a strong enough fighter to protect her mate's back in battle. So a man worth walking alongside my heroine. He has to balance his urge to protect her with the understanding that sometimes she has to fight alone. In Windmaster, Lord Dal proved that when he allowed the woman he cared for to exact her own revenge for the murder of her cabin boy. So the first attribute of the heroes I create are that they have to be worthy of the women they love--or to paraphrase Lois L'Amour, "a man to walk beside a woman, not in front of her."

Often a hero is described as tall, dark, and handsome. I'm short, so tall isn't a requirement, as long as he can tuck my head beneath his chin when he holds me. Dark? Well, I've known some hero blonds. Which leaves handsome. My heroes don't need to be drop dead gorgeous. But easy on the eyes doesn't hurt.

An accent can melt a hardened heart, especially the deep, melodic burr of a Scottish highlander. Or a tanned hunk from Australia. Especially if he's in jeans, a bush hat, and slicker. Oh, did I forget to say "shirt?"


Not all heros are alpha males bearing the scars of battle. Some are just ordinary men with a sense of duty and honor doing what needs to be done to survive day-to-day. I will also confess that I've always had a thing for men who can fix things. Back in the day, the original MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) would have been on my short list. Of course since I always wanted to fly amongst the stars, so Anderson gets an additional point for the Star Gate SG-1 series.

Whether proud or fearless, rugged or sophisticated, there is a special something that makes a man. And our task as a writer is to create such a character for our readers--and ourselves. And my apologies, I took the prompt literally, "romantic hero." Heroines are a topic for another day, and an attitude shift.

~till next time, meet the men of the Dragshi Chronicles. And be sure to visit the other authors in the challenge. Helen