Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun has two swoon-worthy heroes – if I do say so myself. Poldark- lookalike Lucas, with his brooding moods, his shoulder-length raven curls and dark, dangerous eyes. And then there is Tremain with his strong build and demeanour with eyes that hint at a tragic back story... I adore writing heroes and nothing pleases me more than when a reader falls in love with them as much as I have.
So how do you write a hero that is seriously swoon-worthy? Well... looks come and go and the appearance of all the heroes in my books varies greatly, so I would say, first and foremost, it is personality that counts. And to have your reader really connecting with your character, I’d say you have to write from the heart. What turns you on about a man and makes you want to get to know him better?
For me, firstly, it is crinkly eyes that look as if they are affectionately laughing at you, whilst you talk. I find that unbelievably sexy and it goes hand in hand with a man who can find humour in the world and himself. It shows he is confident. Perhaps a little cocky, which is fine in good measure. It reveals a man who is happy with whom he is and that self-assurance is so appealing. I also like a vulnerable side which takes me by surprise as I get to know him better. The killer combination for me is superman/Clarke Kent - a hero who is strong and determined and forthright – but who also has a sensitivity which makes him a gentle giant.
So once you have established characters traits to woo and ensnare your readers’ heart , think about appearance. I ran a very interesting thread on my Facebook page once, asking friends to tell me what they found attractive in a man. I was amazed that forearms came top! I suppose they hint at strength and capability – and hugs. Large hands were also popular – personally I find that a little scary! And shoulder-length hair. Tattoos. Plus a big nose. It was a long discussion AND NOT ONCE did a six-pack or V-muscle come up. So this moves me onto my next point: flaws.
To be truly swoon-worthy, I honestly believe a hero needs flaws. I mean, in real life I wouldn’t want to date Peter Perfect. And imagine dating a model? I’d be forever obsessing about my bikini line and muffin top! Plus flaws go back to the vulnerability – a bit like Poldark’s scar. Flaws hint at a back story; perhaps something challenging that the strong hero has overcome.
Finally, remember to explore all the senses to turn your reader on. During my Facebook discussion a man’s smell came up quite often. I personally like nothing better than a musky aftershave. Plus sound – deep voices are attractive. Or what about a Cornish accent like Tremain has in Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun? And then touch – how does he make the heroine feel as he just brushes up against her or gives her a hug? Does her pulse race? Her cheeks blush? Showing her reactions, in detail, will add to the hero’s kudos and therefore swoon-worthiness.
Thank you so much Samantha for another wonderful post and for coming back yet again to feature on Rachel's Random Reads! I do love your swoon-worthy heroes!
About Samantha Tonge
Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and a cat that thinks it's a dog. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels is her passion.
Samantha has sold over 80 short stories to mainstream women's magazines. Her debut romantic comedy novel from HarperCollins (CarinaUK), bestselling "Doubting Abbey", was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction Best Romantic Ebook award, 2014. The bestselling summer novel, Game of Scones, won the Love Stories Awards 2015 Best Romantic Ebook category. Her new novel, Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun is out July 2016!
https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter
https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor/
http://samanthatonge.co.uk/
Breakfast Under A Cornish Sun is published in paperback today! Happy publication day!
Dreaming of the perfect man?
Kate Golightly needs to move forward and what better way to do that then with a trip to the Cornish coast with best friend and boss, Izzy.
The sea wind is just what Kate needs to finally relax and begin to let go of her past. Except she’s suddenly got one big reason to panic! She RSVP’d ‘yes’ to the Queen Bee of her high school’s wedding saying she’s bringing her boyfriend (she doesn’t have one) who looks just like Ross Poldark!
With only two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams Kate is under a lot of pressure for the Cornish coast to deliver…
So how do you write a hero that is seriously swoon-worthy? Well... looks come and go and the appearance of all the heroes in my books varies greatly, so I would say, first and foremost, it is personality that counts. And to have your reader really connecting with your character, I’d say you have to write from the heart. What turns you on about a man and makes you want to get to know him better?
For me, firstly, it is crinkly eyes that look as if they are affectionately laughing at you, whilst you talk. I find that unbelievably sexy and it goes hand in hand with a man who can find humour in the world and himself. It shows he is confident. Perhaps a little cocky, which is fine in good measure. It reveals a man who is happy with whom he is and that self-assurance is so appealing. I also like a vulnerable side which takes me by surprise as I get to know him better. The killer combination for me is superman/Clarke Kent - a hero who is strong and determined and forthright – but who also has a sensitivity which makes him a gentle giant.
So once you have established characters traits to woo and ensnare your readers’ heart , think about appearance. I ran a very interesting thread on my Facebook page once, asking friends to tell me what they found attractive in a man. I was amazed that forearms came top! I suppose they hint at strength and capability – and hugs. Large hands were also popular – personally I find that a little scary! And shoulder-length hair. Tattoos. Plus a big nose. It was a long discussion AND NOT ONCE did a six-pack or V-muscle come up. So this moves me onto my next point: flaws.
To be truly swoon-worthy, I honestly believe a hero needs flaws. I mean, in real life I wouldn’t want to date Peter Perfect. And imagine dating a model? I’d be forever obsessing about my bikini line and muffin top! Plus flaws go back to the vulnerability – a bit like Poldark’s scar. Flaws hint at a back story; perhaps something challenging that the strong hero has overcome.
Finally, remember to explore all the senses to turn your reader on. During my Facebook discussion a man’s smell came up quite often. I personally like nothing better than a musky aftershave. Plus sound – deep voices are attractive. Or what about a Cornish accent like Tremain has in Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun? And then touch – how does he make the heroine feel as he just brushes up against her or gives her a hug? Does her pulse race? Her cheeks blush? Showing her reactions, in detail, will add to the hero’s kudos and therefore swoon-worthiness.
Thank you so much Samantha for another wonderful post and for coming back yet again to feature on Rachel's Random Reads! I do love your swoon-worthy heroes!
About Samantha Tonge
Samantha has sold over 80 short stories to mainstream women's magazines. Her debut romantic comedy novel from HarperCollins (CarinaUK), bestselling "Doubting Abbey", was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction Best Romantic Ebook award, 2014. The bestselling summer novel, Game of Scones, won the Love Stories Awards 2015 Best Romantic Ebook category. Her new novel, Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun is out July 2016!
https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter
https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor/
http://samanthatonge.co.uk/
Breakfast Under A Cornish Sun is published in paperback today! Happy publication day!
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Dreaming of the perfect man?
Kate Golightly needs to move forward and what better way to do that then with a trip to the Cornish coast with best friend and boss, Izzy.
The sea wind is just what Kate needs to finally relax and begin to let go of her past. Except she’s suddenly got one big reason to panic! She RSVP’d ‘yes’ to the Queen Bee of her high school’s wedding saying she’s bringing her boyfriend (she doesn’t have one) who looks just like Ross Poldark!
With only two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams Kate is under a lot of pressure for the Cornish coast to deliver…
Yup, you just created one for me, Sam. Love it! Thanks for sharing, Rachel! :) xx
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