The ABCs of
Manly Men (Well, just the A & B)
Krystal asked
what kind of man I prefer…the studly Alpha male, or the not-so-studly Beta
male.
Well, Krystal,
as an erotic romance author, of course the alpha male hero reigns supreme in
all of my books. They’re always tall and dark, because I find that look sexy,
tend to be on the still-waters-run-deep side, not chatty Cathy, and treat their
women like hothouse flowers.
Is this
realistic? Not in about 95% of the population, but this is romance fiction. I
only write what my characters tell me, and my heroes are so not telling me to write them as lukewarm saps who wear bifocals
and need high blood pressure meds. So, I guess you could say I prefer a good,
solid, throw-me-over-your-shoulder-and-have-your-way-with-me Alpha Male. In my
books.
In real life,
I married an alpha. Yikes, and I’m an alpha female. We butt heads on a daily
basis, always trying to climb over each other to be boss. It took us a solid
twenty+ years of marriage to figure out when it’s cool to be stubborn and when
it’s best to back off. Huh, we’re
still figuring it out. But we also have an insane amount of respect and
devotion to each other because who else would put up with us…but us? So, I
guess you could say I prefer a good, solid throw-me-over-your-shoulder-and-have-your-way-with-me
Alpha Male. In real life. Not that I’d ever let him throw me over his shoulder,
but I would let him have his way with me.
The beta male.
Oh, you poor, misunderstood, ridiculed man! You’re the guy we all loved as
tweenagers. Justin Bieber is a beta male (but you can bet he’s an
alpha-in-training). When we’re young girls, we want that soft-around-the-edges,
boy band guy who’s non-threatening, likes puppies and talks about his mom. Our
dads are alphas, we don’t want a guy like our dad at that age! When we get a
little older…we trade in the Backstreet Boy and go for hot Biker Boy. We’re too
stupid to understand it’s okay to have both.
Here’s the
deal—the beta guy is the man inside the alpha. He’s the softer side, the one
who really does cry at Nicholas Sparks movies all the while insisting “there’s
a lot of dust in the air” that’s making his eyes water. The beta man is the one
sleeps on the floor next to the dog who’s not going to make it another night.
And a real beta loves his mother and isn’t afraid to show her, or his wife and
daughters, that a woman is not only his equal, but elevates her to higher
status than his own.
An alpha man
who isn’t afraid to be a beta. Having both is the whole, sexy package and I’m
lucky enough to have an Alpha/beta for real.
Buy
links:
Who agrees to an arranged marriage in the 21st
century? Beth Malone can’t believe a date request with the 1Night Stand service
morphed into an arranged marriage offer. But after a heartbreaking divorce and
no knight in shining armor coming to sweep her off her feet, her desire to find
that knight and have a family is looking more like a dream than a reality.
After filling out a 1Night Stand questionnaire
worthy of the CIA, Christian Ramos is stunned when Madame Eve offers to arrange
more than a date for one night: she suggests a wife! What the hell? After his
best friend Jackson Castillo stops laughing, he advises him to consider the
offer. Between the fortieth birthday looming on the horizon and his Latino
upbringing, Chris is forced to take a hard look at his life. Reality check—time
is running out for what he wants—a family and a woman to share his life.
First comes love,
then comes marriage isn’t part of their matrimonial situation, but
neither Beth nor Christian anticipated the immediate attraction and contentment
that comes with saying, “I do.”
Excerpt:
“We
need to get this over with.”
Her
eyes widened in shock. “Get what over
with?” But she knew.
He
dropped his hand and gave her a rueful smile. “We’re married. I want to make
love to my wife.” He waited for her to respond again and when she didn’t, he
added, “Now.”
Beth
blinked. Her heart started beating again. She liked a man who knew what he
wanted. Especially when he wanted her. Stretching up, she gave him a light
kiss. He clasped her waist with both hands and pulled her against him, fusing
his mouth to hers, nothing like he had during their wedding. He invaded her,
tasting and exploring with his tongue, forcing her to open for him.
She
wound her arms around his neck and gave in, letting the invasion happen. Every
fear disappeared and the only trembling happening was from desire. Her breasts
swelled, aching to be touched. She wanted him. How wonderful he was hers.
Chris
eased away but didn’t let go, wearing the same dazed look she must have had
after their wedding kiss. He stepped back a few paces, bringing her with him,
until he reached the bed.
“Turn
around.”
Beth
narrowed her eyes but obeyed. The zipper on the back of her dress descended and
the silky garment puddled at her feet as he turned her back to face him. His
hungry gaze swept over her, and she shivered with anticipation. Leaning in, he
kissed the space between her breasts, his face tight with desire. No man had
ever looked at her body that way…so appreciative.
Reaching
behind her, he unhooked her bra, and tossed it on the floor to join the dress.
Her nipples stood at attention, swollen and needy. She shivered again.
He
tilted his head back. “Am I going too fast?”
She cupped his face
and gave him a hard kiss. “Hurry,” she whispered.
What do you think?
Leave
a comment with what kind of man you prefer. We’ll pick one commenter to receive
a copy of one of my books in digital format and an Amazon gift card!
Valerie Mann
Valerie Mann is the
superwoman every woman tries to be…mother of five attractive, successful
children, vixen in and out of the bedroom, runway model fashionista, extreme
gardener, and just recently crashed on bestseller lists as a romance author.
In real life, Valerie
is the mother of five lovely, but ordinary children. Sure, she’s a vixen in and
out of the bedroom, which explains the herd of kids. The closest she gets to a
runway is an airport, and while she thinks gardens of all sorts are wonderful,
she figures that hobby can wait until retirement, if her knees last that long. And
that crashing you heard was Valerie collapsing on the couch at the end of a
very long day. As for romance, she writes and likes to think she can tell an
amazing tale of love or two. Her husband of nearly thirty years won’t read her
stories because they make him blush but is content in the knowledge he’s the
inspiration for every one of them.
Valerie currently
works as a managing editor for an electronic publisher and is the co-owner of a
company that provides editing services for writers.
Valerie Mann
Author/Editor
