Please give a warm welcome this morning to author Kendall Ryan who is joining us with her novel, Unravel Me!
How do I write sexy fictional males? I study the greats….Christian Grey, Gideon Cross, Travis, and Caleb come to mind. No they don’t all have to be billionaires into kinky fck-ery. A little variety is good every now and then, right ladies? J Let’s explore some qualities that make you want to drop your panties for these fictional hotties.
A Delicious Male Character Should:
Provoke a Strong Reaction (even if it’s one of initial dislike – that’s okay) Make him intriguing on a level that readers MUST READ ON to peel back his layers and discover more
Sound Like a Man – Men don’t talk like women. They tend to be brief, to the point, and not overly emotional in their speech. He shouldn’t “say” everything he’s thinking. Speech should conceal more than it reveals. If a male character is too much of an open book, it takes all the fun and the “work” away from the reader. The reader has a job to do and that’s to put all the pieces together. Don’t rob them of that experience!
Be Emotionally Rich – Don’t dumb them down. While it can be true that men tend think in black and white terms and don’t often have fantastical whims, they are complex creatures. Reveal their layers to the reader slowly. Show their protective side, their tough badass side, show that they’re hardworking yet can be nurturing, and soft and gentle when needed…
Use Physical Characteristics Sparingly – I try not to over-describe my characters. I want the reader to picture them how they want to. I’ve read books where the male’s long hair is tied back in a ponytail and his prickly mustache and goatee are rubbing against her skin and I have to mentally edit those features out of my mind, because they are sooo not attractive to me. Everyone’s idea of attractive is different. But the one thing most women will agree is sexy: Confidence. Show your man’s confidence in himself, in how he touches her body, in what he wants. Ohhh la la, that will get me going every time!
He treats her differently. Whether it’s a sweetly irritating nickname reserved just for her, that she’s the only woman allowed to sleep in his bed, or the fact that she alone can break down his barriers, there’s a special connection that he only shares with her.
Who else would you add to the list and why?
Psychology student Ashlyn Drake’s neat, orderly life takes a turn for the crazy when she finds the perfect subject for her amnesia thesis – a young man without any memory of his previous life, including the murder he’s accused of committing.
Against all common sense, Ashlyn’s drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Perhaps it’s that he’s so incredibly male, and even handcuffed to his hospital bed he could pass for a cologne ad – Scent de Insanity. Or perhaps it’s because she’s spent too many lonely nights studying. Either way, she’s determined to help him solve the mystery of his past. She begins to unravel who he was before, using his cryptic tattoos, and his paintings that scream of a dark past as her only clues. When she finally learns his secret there’s no telling which one is the real him, the gentle lover she’s fallen for or the troubled man with a dark past.
Kendall Ryan is the author of UNRAVEL ME, a steamy contemporary romance. She’s shamelessly addicted to bad boys, kissing and romance reads brimming with dark, angsty tension. She lives in Minneapolis with an adorable husband and naughty puppy. Her next novel, MAKE ME YOURS is a companion to UNRAVEL ME and releases on November 13, 2012.
That was interesting how you said that you don't over describe the characteristics of your hero. No matter what the man on the cover looks like, I tend to visualize the hero the way that i like him to be.That is important,as, if i read face hair, i am completely off the story. Wish other authors had the same insight as you. annpa@gmail.com
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