Let’s Talk About Bad Boys
My
latest release, Once in a Blue Moon, is a light-hearted romp about the ultimate
“bad boy” and the woman who's determined not
to succumb to his charms.
If you ask me, every woman loves a
bad boy. Even if we don’t like to admit it, there’s just something attractive
and infinitely intriguing about men who live life close to the edge. The guy
with the chip on his shoulder, a thirst for danger and excitement, one
determined to live outside what society calls “the box”. Independent thinkers,
daredevils, rogues.
When James Dean roared onto the scene in the 1950’s, with his smoldering good looks and his I don’t give a damn attitude, females of all
ages
were immediately hooked. His tortured persona, packaged in a plain white
T-shirt and blue jeans, made women everywhere long to heal him, wrap him in
their arms and love away the hurt, destroy the demons inside. Isn’t that why
romance readers are so drawn to vampires and werewolves, pirates and cops,
firemen and Navy Seals? Ooh, and cowboys! Give us a big strong cowboy any time,
right ladies? We love, love, love a rebel, yet who can resist the ultimate
protector, a man who will stand between us and the world and come out
victorious regardless of the odds?Characters like Rhett Butler, James Bond, the Count of Monte Cristo, Mr. Rochester, Edward Cullen and even Jacob Black capture a woman’s imagination, fuel her romantic fantasies, and make her yearn to be part of the grand adventure. Whether you like your heroes wounded and vulnerable or the in-your-face tough guy, I think most of us would agree there’s nothing quite as sexy as the alpha male.
I have my own favorite alpha heroes, of course. I’ll admit to having quite the crush on Edward Cullen a few years back, and Linda Howard seldom created an alpha hero in her romantic suspense novels that I didn’t swoon over. Amanda Ashley turns out tall, dark vampire alphas that are awfully hard
to resist. My current favorite alpha is Finbar Burke, of Nora Roberts’ Cousins O’Dwyer Series. After learning that he is descended from an especially evil demon, Fin is torn between trying to outrun his despised heritage and facing down the demon who sired him in order to protect the powerful witch who holds his heart.
In Once in a Blue Moon, Jake Benedict is a Harley-riding, leather-jacketed werewolf hunk who finally finds the woman he wants to spend his life with, only to be rebuffed precisely because of his bad boy image. Casey’s sworn off Jake’s type forever, and nothing’s going to convince her to give him a whirl. But Jake knows a secret about Casey that’s about to flip her entire world upside down.
Who
are some of your favorite literary or cinematic heroes?
Vicki Crum
Once in a Blue Moon is available in ebook and print.
Amazon
Smashwords
Learn more about Vicki's works at:
Publisher Website
Vicki's Website
Once in a Blue Moon is available in ebook and print.
Amazon
Smashwords
Learn more about Vicki's works at:
Publisher Website
Vicki's Website
Well, well, well..you have brought up the romance reader's favorite topic--the cool, rough around the edges, hero. Me? I like a hero with a bit of a sense of humor thrown in, too. My first crush was on James Dean, so you had me hooked there. I first saw Rebel Without a Cause, and who else but JD could play that part? No one, of course. My 16-year-old heart fell in love. East of Eden...wonderful movie which, once again, could only be played by Jimmy Dean. Did you know that movie had a Biblical base to it?
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the post, Vicki..and I wish you many sales.
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DeleteThanks, Celia! I agree with you about a man with a sense of humor, and I could have included Hugh Grant, with his quirky sense of humor and cute smile! I could have included so many other great romantic leads, but there just wasn't space! Glad you liked the post.
DeleteGreat blog, Vicki. I agree that the bad boy image is tempting and every woman believes she can change him with her love. But when it comes time to choose a husband, I'll take the good guy over the swaggering carefree macho who doesn't need to be remade! But I do love to read about the romance between a bad boy and the girl who reforms him. I wish you success with this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Most often in life the bad boys aren't the best choice of husband material--that's what makes romance novels so much fun. We can indulge our fantasies without risking it all. And when it comes right down to it, my Jake isn't such a bad guy at all!
DeleteHi Vicki, You did it - a great post! My favorite bad boy on TV has always been 'Magnum PI' -- Tom Selleck -- and I still love his "bad boy" persona in the Jesse Stone movies. Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars was delectable, James Stacy as Johnny Madrid in 'Lancer' was tough but sooo handsome, and Sam Elliott in anything was drool worthy. LOL Love the bad boys and congrats on your book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rebecca, for all your help in putting this post up! Tom Selleck has always been one of my favorites, too, completely swoon worthy! I have met and talked with Sam Elliot, and was even an extra in one of his early movies. Not only is he a hottie, but a very nice man, as well.
DeleteVicki,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your post. I love reading about bad boys and watching them on TV and on the big screen, but in real life I would stay as far as possible away from them. lol Loved Han Solo in Star Wars, Jack Sparrow in all the Pirate Movies, and Loki in the Thor movies--could be I just like Tom Hiddleston. lol TV- Alias Smith and Jones boys. Though Pete Duel's character was my favorite. Spike from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and Sawyer from Lost-- Just to name a few.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Karen. Bad boys are so much fun to write about, and the list of hot hunks is endless. Each of us sees something a little bit different in a man, a trait or a characteristic that appeals directly to us. And every bad boy has a vulnerability--or two. One half of us wants to mother him, and the other half wants to...well, you know!
DeleteMany of us in our crazy youth may have been drawn to the appeal of bad boys. By the time we got out of college and began looking for a lasting love to settle down with, bad boys became less attractive. They were like the irresponsible Peter Pans in the view of most women. But still, every once in a while a bad boy meets with that special woman who has the ability to bring him peace and love so he can step into the roll of a grownup. I can't help but think of Annette Benning and Warren Beatty as an example of such a love.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I was more drawn to the quiet, intellectual types like Gregory Peck. He was handsome and hunky in his own way.
I did enjoy reading your post and I wish you every success with your new release, Vicki.
Thanks, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI'll always love Rhett Butler! My teen bad boys were the boys of the 80s--the stars in The Outsiders, the stars in the Brat Pack movies, and Blackie from General Hospital, played by John Stamos! And, who can forget the 80s' Tom Cruise, especially in Top Gun?
ReplyDeleteOh yum--Tom Cruise in Top Gun! I'm going to throw out a plug for Iceman, too! You've mentioned some swoon-worthy alphas. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. Those bad boys with their tortured souls--and we want to save them. lol.
ReplyDeleteI loved Han Solo, and Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly.
Best wishes for great success with Once in a Blue Moon. :-)
Thanks, Teresa!
ReplyDelete