I have a confession to make. Despite what you may have heard, I am not secretly a man.

Honest.

Now this might come as a surprise to some readers - readers I don’t actually know but who write me occasionally INSISTING that I must really be a man writing under a pen name. (Which I happen to know isn’t true, because I had it straight from the source…aka me.) Because (they say) a female author would NOT write men like that. A female author would not write about men who are sometimes crude. Men who occasionally make tasteless wisecracks (they’re funny wisecracks, I swear!). Men who (brace yourselves) admire my heroine’s legs or tushie TO THEMSELVES out LOUD in their own machismo-packed brains (this is called POV, or viewpoint). Men who (and this is my favorite part) think about SEX. A lot. When they’re not busy, that is, trying to save the family business, protect their kids/loved ones/friends, buy a hot dog, kick butt at Halo, or be the master of their own personal corner of the universe.

I think my heroes are pretty awesome guys. I think they’re REAL guys. Guys who are a lot like the men I meet/know/live with every day. And okay, so they’re not perfect. Sometimes they don’t understand how important it is to find new throw pillows that are seasonally appropriate. (I mean, come on. It’s autumn now!) Just for instance. But who IS perfect? Not me, that’s for sure. If I were, how BORING would that be?

In romances, we’re used to flawed heroines. Heroines with problems and quirks ranging from cellulite fixations to bad-boy joneses to abusive husbands, smarmy bosses, and vengeful vampire foes who need to be conquered. We accept that heroines (like us) are less than perfect, and that’s a good thing. But what about our heroes? It seems to me that our poor, tough-as-nails heroes are only allowed to have “acceptable” flaws. Flaws such as being racked with guilt that they didn’t save their first wife/clansman/partner on the force from disaster years ago. Or being too ruthless and aggressive in their business dealings and not wanting to browse Modern Bride over a Caesar salad at lunchtime. Or being misunderstood because they just want to spend their bachelorhood indulging in gambling/wicked women/dueling at ungodly hours, instead of taking the reins of the dukedom and dutifully moving to the country (ugh).

The trouble is, these aren’t flaws. They’re virtues in disguise. Call them Men Who Brood Too Much (if you dare), but these guys can’t help being heroic…even when they’re trying to be “flawed.” They’re strong, brave, smart, sexy, and loyal. They meet a woman and notice “the sweet fragrance of lilies” in her hair (NOT her tushie!) first thing. They rescue children and kittens (however gruffly). They protect the feisty medieval heroine they’ve captured and/or mysteriously understand that the cute fellow vampire hunter they’re partnered with is only being bitchy because she-an emotionally vulnerable person-truly likes him. (In real life, any given man falls neatly into two camps, either (a) believing ALL women secretly lust after him and are simply waiting for an A-OK to jump him; or (b) having no idea if the woman he’s eying actually likes him back or merely has dust in her contacts and can’t quit winking.)

Of course I realize that romances are (at least partly) fantasy. They’re entertainment. On some level, nit-picking our beloved heroes is a lot like staring down the stack of cookies beside your latte and saying to yourself, “If only these Oreos weren’t quite SO delicious.” (Which I really do say, whenever I’m trying to fit into my favorite pair of jeans.) I don’t want to take away the yummy from our heroes! But how about a little more dimension in those fellas we love to read about?

What do you say? What kinds of heroes do you like? What kinds of heroes do you loathe? What kinds of heroes make you want to join a nunnery so you won’t run into a jerk like them in real life?

Please dish! One commenter whose name is drawn at random will receive an autographed copy of one of my backlist books - your choice of Once Upon A Christmas, Perfect Switch, or I Shaved My Legs For This?! (contemporary) or The Matchmaker, The Scoundrel, or The Rascal (historical). You can read excerpts from any/all of them at www.lisaplumley.com. And please be on the lookout for my latest book, Let’s Misbehave! It’s about an heiress who (as part of her shopaholic rehab) is assigned to work as a nanny/housekeeper for a hunky pro-quarterback single dad and his three kids. It’s a lot of fun, I swear. And although this book was definitely NOT written by a man, it IS packed with lusty thoughts and/or actions on the part of my hero. Buyer beware.

Thanks a million to Fatin for inviting me to be here! RR@H is the best.

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