By Jeanmarie Hamilton

In romance, the tortured hero, or probably more accurately, the tormented hero, provides a main character with a dark, and possibly mysterious past. He may also have a physical problem, or in the case of werewolves and other shape shifters, an other-worldly characteristic, as in MOONLIGHT DESPERADO.

We want to know how in the world he deals with his challenges, how the heroine responds to him and his actions, and how the story problem is resolved at the end with a happily ever after ending. 

At the start of the story, he has shown us at least one good quality, and his dark moods and sometimes harsh words for the heroine don’t fool us. Deep down, he’s a good guy with big problems to overcome.

What drives him? His problems usually stem from something that happened to him in the past. Most of the torment for the hero is mental and emotional. His past keeps him from enjoying the life and love others around him seem to have.

What happened to him? We readers, and writers, want to know. How will he overcome his past that’s still tormenting him? How will the heroine save him, or prove to him that he’s worthy of love and can love her?

What conflict keeps the hero and heroine apart? Usually a tortured/tormented hero doesn’t feel anywhere near worthy of the heroine. The hero’s torment will influence his life on many levels including decisions he makes regarding his behavior toward the heroine, and what he mistakenly believes is “best” for her.

He wants to protect her. He pushes her away for that very reason, to protect her. She deserves the best, which he isn’t in his eyes. He doesn’t believe he deserves her.

The hero fights his demons but doesn‘t believe he can conquer them. The reader hopes he will be successful and the heroine will win her man. Why? When the characters reach success, it makes us feel good and maybe even gives us a sense of everything is possible if we try.

The tortured hero provides the writer and reader escape from daily routines of life, like washing the laundry. (Mine is in the dryer now.) Characters sparring with each other may have you gripping your book, asking the question, “Will they find happiness together?”

The escape for many readers takes the emotional form of angst which is eventually eased with that sense of  success and emotional relief.

When the tortured hero makes the decision to leave the heroine in order to protect her, the heroine will fight against all odds, no matter what they face, to bring the hero back to her side where he belongs.   

The tortured hero drives the journey toward success, for both the hero and heroine, and makes for an edge of your seat emotional experience with an awesome conclusion.

What is your take on tortured heroes? Or heroines? Have you written one recently? Are they your favorite read?

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Please leave a comment to enter to win MOONLIGHT DESPERADO. If you’re reading this blog through a feed at Facebook, Goodreads or another social network, please note you need to leave your comment at www.museinterrupted.com to enter.

To read the back cover blurb for MOONLIGHT DESPERADO or to read Jeanmarie’s bio, see yesterday’s post. Visit www.jeanmariehamilton.com to learn more about Jeanmarie and her books.

About MOONLIGHT DESPERADO:

In post Civil War Texas, Mary Ann Beauclere is trapped by raiders demanding bedding and food. Though she’s outraged when Captain Craig Wolfe steals a kiss, and more, in front of the men, she follows orders, desperate to protect her little sisters asleep upstairs. But when Captain Wolfe helps her, she softens toward the desperado, accepting his kisses as she’s drawn to him like no other.

Admiring Mary Ann’s courage, Confederate spy Captain Craig Wolfe recognizes her as his life mate. But when he claims her as his mate, secret identities and a vicious pack member threaten their lives and their future. Will Captain Wolfe have to spend his life without his mate?

About Jeanmarie:

Jeanmarie Hamilton is an award winning author of western historical and shape-shifter romance. She was a finalist in the RWA Southern Heat Chapter Contest (2nd place Historical), and the 2005 American Title Contest for historical romance for her western, Seduction. With a contemporary shape-shifter story, Moonlight Guard, she was also a finalist in the RWA 2006 Gothic Chapter Contest, (2nd place contemporary paranormal), and the 2007 RWA Dixie First Chapter Contest (3rd place, paranormal). “A couple of my historicals were inspired by my Texas ancestors’ history, their daily lives and the life threatening incidents they faced in the late 1800s.”

Also writing erotic romance as Jenette DuPris, Jeanmarie’s stories have received top ratings in reviews. When not writing, she enjoys oil painting, walks in the desert foothills, gardening, her family and pets, romantic movies, and reading a gripping story.

To learn more about Jeanmarie and her books, please visit her website.

The thing that can’t be undone. Ringing the bell that can’t be unrung. It means you’re committed. In for the long haul. The act, however unconsidered it was at the start, is now binding.

I believe this is one of the things we seek in our stories. Oh, it’s among other things, of course. But one of the reasons great fiction moves us is because we see characters doing things that we ourselves often back away from: being irrevocable. Doing the thing that can’t be undone.

For good or ill, that’s one of the most exciting parts of reading—and writing—fiction.

It’s part of the reason why the characters in novels don’t do the mundane tasks of their lives on stage. Things like cleaning the house don’t matter, in terms of Story. (Did you hear that? Just tell your family cleaning the toilet doesn’t have a fundamental turning point within, so you’re giving it up.) Most of the mundane tasks of daily life are revocable. Nothing ‘turns’ on them. You could take them back, and no one would know or care. Nothing is fundamentally different as a result. They’re forgettable.

They never make a difference.

(In fact, cleaning is the the antithesis of irrevocable. At least in my house.)

You can walk away from a clean OR a dirty toilet. That is…unless you found a diamond ring resting there, after you’d pushed back the hair from your sweaty forehead with a forearm and knelt to scrub your 20th toilet of the week. And then you saw it. Sparkling. A diamond ring. Diamond rings don’t grow in toilet bowls, so that means someone lost it. Or tossed it. And you found it. And your rent is a month overdue.

NOW you have a story. Now you have a protagonist. Someone with a choice to make.

Make the right ones and you have a hero. Or a heroine.

In all our ‘keeper’ books, one of the things we generally find is characters actively getting themselves deeper and deeper into worse and worse trouble, particularly with the hero/heroine, and there’s simply no backing out. Nothing they do can be reversed.

Sometimes this is hard for us as authors. We like our heroes and heroines. We know their histories, their full potential and their pathetic pitfalls. We love them. Or at least really like them.

In any event, we want them to have a happy life. We don’t want them to be thrown to the wolves. To feel despair. To have Dark Nights of the Soul. To say ‘no’ when it’d be safer to say ‘okay, fine.’ To walk the plank. To face the witch in her very own castle, surrounded by guards, with nothing but a scarecrow to protect them.

But we’ll do it.

For you, the reader.

Because in the end, we’re storytellers. We know heroes and heroines have to walk through the fire. Happy, easy things happening to nice, good people, all of which can be taken back at the first sign of discomfort, is not drama.

Drama means conflict. And that means being committed. Doing, at least once, something that cannot be undone, ever.

Check out the books on your ‘keeper’ shelves. I’ll bet you can find at places the characters made irrevocable, un-take-back-able choices. Decisions that, even if done in the spur of the moment—especially if done in the spur of the moment—pushed them closer to the dark edge of What They Known, then straight off the cliff, into peril and danger and their own worst fears. Right in the other person’s arms.

Come share a moment of irrevocable choice in a book you’re reading or have read. A classic or an unknown. And to the writers out there, how about from a story you’re writing? Why does that moment feel powerful to you, as the reader? What is irrevocably different after that choice, and why do you think it makes the story better?

Or, if you could re-write a scene from a story you’ve read, to include an irrevocable choice, what would it be? Something they can’t take back, and will change everything to come after.

I’m giving away a copy of my latest release, THE IRISH WARRIOR, to someone who gives a great example of irrevocability in romance fiction!!

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Please leave a comment to enter to win THE IRISH WARRIOR. If you’re reading this blog through a feed at Facebook, Goodreads or another social network, please note you need to leave your comment at www.museinterrupted.com to enter.

About THE IRISH WARRIOR:

Ireland, 1295

Inhibited, accountant-minded Senna de Valery comes to Ireland to finalize a deal that will save her faltering wool business. What she gets instead is a cunning English lord with dangerous ulterior motives.

Forced to rely on her wits, not her ledgers, Senna frees an Irish warrior chained in the prisons, and together they flee across the war-torn land of medieval Ireland. But Finian O’Melaghlin is much more than a charming, roguish warrior. He is councilor to his king, on a grave mission to recover military secrets, and has a dangerous agenda of his own.

Neither is prepared for the powerful forces arrayed against them…

Neither can resist the fiery passion igniting between them…

Neither can imagine the sacrifices they will face, nor the choices they will be forced to make…

King and outlaws, weapons and war: Can love indeed triumph over all?

About Kris:

Wife, mom and psychotherapist Kris Kennedy left behind the office for the wilds of medieval England and Ireland. She still spends time trying to tame the wilds of her kitchen and laundry room, but whenever she can drag herself away from that excitement, she writes sexy, adventure-filled historical romances. Her most recent release, THE IRISH WARRIOR, won RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical Romance in 2008 and released June, 2010 from Kensington. Her next book, DEFIANT, comes out May 2011 from Pocket Books.

To learn more about Kris and her books, please visit her website.

By Marin Thomas

Ask the Senior Editor of Harlequin American Romance, Kathleen Scheibling, and she’ll say, “Two things that each and every American Romance has are a sense of family and community, and a sense of place. In American Romance we’re painting a picture of American life as it could be. Full of family, friends and happiness.”  

Ask any reader of the Harlequin American Romance line and they’ll say things like…fast-paced with heroines and heroes the reader can relate to. Fans of the line will tell you that no two books are the same so expect the unexpected when you pick up an American Romance.

American Romance strives to reflect the everyday life of men and women who are working, raising families and searching for the American dream. Americans can vary in tone but, whether the book is light-hearted, humorous or thought-provoking you’ll always get a fast-paced read and an uplifting reading experience.   

The heroes in American Romance come from all walks of life. Bad boys, businessmen, firefighters, policemen, military men, ranchers and a reader favorite—cowboys. Our readers just love a hero who wears Wranglers, boots, a Stetson and says, “yes, ma’am”.    

Secondary characters play a distinct role in American Romance. We use these characters to help advance the relationship between our hero and heroine. After reading an American Romance don’t be surprised if you not only remember the hero and heroine but also one of the quirky secondary characters.    

American Romance is unique in that our authors explore a variety of settings across the United States. Whether it’s a small town out West, a borough of New York City, or downtown Detroit—the details of the setting and the characters which live there will draw the reader more deeply into the story. The setting helps define our characters and usually plays a major role in their lives.  

Family plays an important part in American Romance. You’ll find babies, teenagers, small children and even extended family members in our books. Whether the hero is the boy-next-door, a hot-shot business executive or a down-on-his-luck rodeo cowboy, they’ll have a soft spot for babies, children and teens.

For those of you who love Cowboys—you’ll find plenty to pick from the line each month. This past June Harlequin American Romance launched its first-ever six-book miniseries. The Codys: First Family of Rodeo debuted with Rebecca Winters’ book, Walker: The Rodeo Legend. Book 2, DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY is out this month. The series runs from June through November. 

If you’re still craving more cowboys…the authors of The Codys: First Family of Rodeo post a new “cowboy blog” every Wednesday at  http://firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/ 

Are you a fan of cowboys—if so what do you find so addicting about cowboy heroes in romance novels?

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Please leave a comment or question for Marin to enter to win DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY. If you’re reading this blog through a feed at Facebook, Goodreads or another social network, please note that you need to leave your comment at www.museinterrupted.com to enter.

Marin’s latest book for Harlequin American Romance is out in stores this month. DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY (July 2010) received a 4.5 Star  Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine. You can learn more about Marin and her books at www.marinthomas.com. To read Marin’s bio and the back cover copy for DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY, please see yesterday’s post.

Every person who leaves a comment at Marin’s blog tomorrow will enter to win a copy of her latest American Romance, DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY. Please leave your comment on tomorrow’s post to enter. If you’re reading this post through a feed at Goodreads, Facebook or another social network, please note that you need to visit www.museinterrupted.com to enter.

Without further ado…!

About DEXTER: HONORABLE COWBOY

The Codys: First Family of Rodeo Mini-Series

For This Cowboy, Family Comes First

Josie Charles was back in town, and Dexter Cody desired her as much as ever. She was his twin brother’s girl, but it was hard to act honorable when all he wanted was to stake his claim on the woman and her boy. Sooner or later, his brother was going to step up and do the right thing. And when that time came, would Dexter be able to step aside and lose Josie all over again?

No way was Josie losing her heart to the sexy-as-all-get-out rancher. The last thing the single mother needed was another Cody messing with her life. But her high school pal had sure grown into one fine-looking cowboy. Caring. Hardworking. Responsible. Exactly the kind of man she’d want to be a father to her son.

Which one is the right brother? Looks as if there’s going to be a showdown…

About Marin:

Marin grew up in the Midwest town of Janesville, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Arizona in Tucson on a Division l basketball scholarship. In 1986 she graduated with a B.A. in radio-television and married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony in Las Vegas.  Marin was inducted in May 2005 into the Janesville Sports Hall of Fame for her basketball accomplishments.

Even though she now calls Chicago home, she’s a living testament to the old adage “You can take the girl out of the small town but you can’t take the small town out of the girl.” Marin’s heart still lies in small-town life, which she loves to write about in her books.

To learn more about Marin and her books, please visit her website.

See you tomorrow!

Anyone who posts to the Comment trail tomorrow, Tuesday, June 29th, will enter to win the drawing for Susan’s book. Please note if you’re reading this on Facebook or another social network, only comments entered at www.museinterrupted.com are eligible for the draw.

About THE FAMILY PLAN:

Dr. Amelia Young has meticulously organized her family plan. Wonderful daughter? Done. Man? Unnecessary. All Amelia has ever needed is carefully selected DNA. So what if the donor turns out to be a ridiculously hot chef with a distracting butt and wicked smile? That only proves she had good taste in genes.

Anonymously donating his DNA at a clinic when he was a student is one thing. A strange woman at his door requesting a second deposit is quite another. But when Finn Hawkins realizes Amelia needs another child to save her first—his first—he relents. And when that first kid turns up on his doorstep a few months later, he’s in this family deep!

About Susan:

Susan Gable has sold seven books to Harlequin’s Superromance line. Her books have been Rita and Golden Heart Finalists, she’s been a Waldenbooks Bestseller, been three times nominated for Romantic Time’s Best Superromance of the Year, and she’s won numerous other awards, including the National Readers’ Choice Award. Her new book, THE FAMILY PLAN, got 4.5 Stars from RT. It hits shelves on July 13th, and is a savior sibling story – the story of a mom who will do just about to save her child’s life. In the process she learns that depending on others makes you stronger, not weaker. To read the first chapter, visit Susan’s website: www.SusanGable.com

About THE WISH LIST:

Kristin Montgomery is more than a little shocked when her aunts inform her they’re fairy godmothers. Worse, after dropping that bombshell they hand her a wand and head off on a world cruise. Now Kristin’s uncomplicated life as a CPA in San Diego has disappeared like magic and she not only has to deal with her burgeoning magical powers, but also a reluctant—and distractingly sexy—magical arbiter.

Tennyson Ritter is a historian. A scholar by choice, he is yanked from his studies to act as arbiter for the newly chosen fairy godmother. He doesn’t want to waste his time with a woman who doesn’t know anything about magic or the magical world, but soon the beguiling Kristin draws him away from his books and into her life.

But before Kristin can hone her skills and pass the tests necessary to fully claim her powers, she and Tennyson must work together to defend the world—both magical and human—against those that would claim her powers for their own.

About Gabi:

Gabi Stevens was born in SoCal to Hungarian parents. After spending time in boarding school, college, and studying abroad, she’s still in the classroom trying to teach eighth graders the joys of literature. An award winning author, Gabi now writes in New Mexico where she lives with her robotics engineer husband, three daughters, and a neurotic dog. She loves to play games, has a wicked addiction to reading, avoids housework and cooking, and doesn’t travel nearly as much as she would like to.

Her latest book is THE WISH LIST, from Tor Books, May 2010. It is the first book in a three book trilogy. You can reach her at PO Box 20958, Albuquerque, NM 87154-0958 or through her web site at www.GabiStevens.com.