Strong Heroines Call for Strong Heroes!

Good morning, everyone, Allison Chase here! Thank you to the amazing Coffee Time ladies ““ Karen, Karenne, Bonnie, et al ““ for having me here today. Through your collective energy, Coffee Time has grown into an awesome site, in my humble opinion one of the best for lovers of the romance genre. I love all the coffee imagery here, and the whole idea of grabbing a steamy cup of coffee, curling up in a comfy chair and enjoying one of my favorite things ““ romance books!

I’m especially excited to be here because this month marks the debut of my new Victorian series, Her Majesty’s Secret Servants, about the four Sutherland sisters who were once the childhood friends of Princess Victoria. Laurel, Ivy, Holly and Willow Sutherland, are fairly typical, country-bred gentlewomen ““ on the surface. But when the young queen needs their help in dilemmas requiring discretion, the foursome swings into action. These ladies are strong ““ not in a physical “kick butt” sense, but with an inner strength that sees them through until the job is done. They’re smart, resourceful, confident, and fiercely loyal to their queen and friend.

So what kind of hero does it take to win the heart of such a girl?

Rupert Friend as Aidan? Yes!

The answer, of course, it not a simple one! In the first book, MOST EAGERLY YOURS, Aidan Phillips, Earl of Barensforth is suave and drop-dead gorgeous, but also a known carouser, gambler and ladies’ man. The queen sends Laurel to Bath to investigate her illegitimate cousin who might be plotting treason, and her parting words to Laurel are to avoid the man’s best friend ““ Aidan Phillips ““ at all costs, especially if Laurel values her virtue. In the recently completed second book, OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS (Dec. 2010), Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow, is whispered to be something of a mad scientist who regularly shoots sparks from the skylight in his tower laboratory, and who, with a mere look, can strike fear into the hearts of Cambridge University’s most intrepid science students.

Bad boys? Yup”¦at least on the surface. Alpha men? You bet. Just by virtue of their rank and wealth, both are used to getting exactly what they want when they want it. Arrogant? Hmmm”¦. You’d think, but maybe we need a second look.

When crafting an alpha hero, what we authors are really doing is creating the proverbial “friendly lion.” He’s strong, dangerous, lightning quick on his toes ““ but at the same time, we eventually want our heroines to be able to curl up with him and know she’s safe. So how do you get from growling and dangerous to sweet and cuddly? (Don’t you think Gerard Butler looks kind of like a fierce but potentially friendly lion in this picture from Atilla?)

By starting from the inside out. I take the most honorable, generous, compassionate man I can think of (lots of warm fuzzies), and I wrap him in layers of misfortune, tragedy, hurt, anger, guilt”¦even a little fear (harsh pricklies!). Then I motivate him with compelling and completely understandable reasons why he desperately tries to protect what’s left of his heart and soul. Love? God, no ““ too risky! And his reaction to the heroine? Utter panic, because the qualities he sees in her threaten to unravel all the protective bulwarks he has built around himself over time. In his mind, she represents the complete loss of his well-honed control. So what must he do? Resist her charms, of course.

Unfortunately for him, from the first moment he experiences those stirrings of attraction, it’s too late to escape ““ he’s already lost. Because despite the persona he has built up, he remains at his core that wonderful guy every woman dreams about. The one who would throw himself in front of stampeding horses for the woman he loves; who would also risk his life to save a complete stranger ““ because his honor demands nothing less. I like to say ““ and Jane Austen fans will understand what I mean ““ a hero should be Mr. Darcy on the outside, with Mr. Knightly deep down inside.

In MOST EAGERLY YOURS, Aidan secretly works for the Home Office exposing fraudulent financial schemes similar to the one that destroyed his father several years earlier. He tells himself it would never be safe for him to take a wife, that his undercover work might endanger her life, but what he’s really avoiding is love itself in order not to repeat his father’s mistakes ““ because his father’s downfall was triggered by his devotion to and subsequent loss of his wife.

But no matter how much Aidan wants to stay away from Laurel, he can’t. As danger threatens, his honor won’t let him leave her side, and soon they’re tumbling down a rabbit hole of mutual need and desire. Because as much as Laurel needs a hero to help her safely complete her mission for the queen, Aidan needs a heroine to heal his heart. In Laurel he meets his match in strength, wits and honor. The only question is, will it be enough to save him?

Sorry, but I’m not going to give you the answer to that! You’ll just have to read the book! Here’s a little more about it”¦

Raised on their uncle’s country estate, the four orphaned Sutherland sisters formed a close friendship with the young Princess Victoria.  Shortly before her coronation as queen, Victoria asks the sisters to serve her in matters requiring the utmost discretion.    

                       They are to become her secret servants…

Laurel, the eldest, is the first to be called. The Queen is threatened by her jealous cousin, George Fitzclarence, who is known for speaking treason. She asks Laurel to pose as a wealthy widow and use her charms to win George’s trust, then find out what he is really plotting.   Laurel is prepared for the risks of acting a part, but she encounters an unexpected and formidable obstacle in the Earl of Barenforth–George’s friend and a notorious rake, whom Victoria has warned her to avoid…

An undercover agent for the Home Office, Aidan Phillips, Earl of Barensforth, is on the trail of a financial hoax involving alchemy, murder…and George Fitzclarence.  When a lovely young widow wanders into his path and turns his well-laid plans on end, he senses she is hiding something.  Aidan is no stranger to seduction, or to the wiles of beautiful women.  And he intends employing wiles of his own to uncover the lady’s secrets…

You can read an excerpt and reviews, and learn how to enter to win a Victorian-inspired necklace, on my website: www.allisonchase.com. And you’ll find my blog at www.allisonchase.wordpress.com. Grab another cup of coffee, and come visit”¦

 But here’s a question for everyone: Most of us love to read about alpha heroes, but in real life are you an alpha guy kind of girl? Or do you prefer a man who’s a little more laid back? Or a combination of the two? Personally, I married a Mr. Knightly, but one who can channel his inner Darcy when circumstances call for it. I call him my modern day warrior!

 So leave your answer in the comments section and be entered in my drawing for a copy of MOST EAGERLY YOURS!

 Happy Reading!