Heroes

Jared Leto

Since an irresistible hero is the most important ingredient in a Choc Lit novel, you might like to know how we go about creating them. The process is as individual as each author, so here’s a quick paragraph from each of us on how we do it:-

Christina C – My heroes are always based on a real person’s looks (usually an actor or someone I’ve seen on TV or in a magazine), but I make up their personality completely from scratch to suit my story. As one of my friends put it recently – I get to daydream about gorgeous men and make them much more perfect than they probably are in real life. Although I usually go for fairly handsome ones, I like them to stand out in some way. Good looks alone don’t work – they have to have something else that catches my attention, perhaps unusual eyes twinkling with mischief, a killer smile or just an aura of “bad boy that needs taming”. To help kick-start my imagination, I have a whole notice board full of pictures of possible heroes next to my desk. Well, that’s my excuse for putting eye-candy on the wall anyway!

Sue M - Sometimes my heroes have the looks of a single person, sometimes they’re a pastiche of people. Ratty, from Starting Over, began to grow in my mind after watching Kevin Kline as the fabulous Pirate King in a film version of the Pirates of Penzance. I gave him blue eyes to go with his dark hair just because I fancied the combination. (For information, I have been in love with Ratty for quite a while!)

Bryan Brown

Justin, All That Mullarkey, is a combination of actor Bryan Brown (when younger), tennis player Fabrice Santoro and motor cycle racer Carl Fogarty. (I’ve been unfaithful to Ratty with Justin, I’m afraid.)

Like Christina, my heroes’ personalities just kind of come together as I get to know them. But all my heroes tend to have a naughty side. I don’t think I could make a convincing hero out of a vanilla man …

Chris S - It’s a sexy voice that starts it for me! I could hear Turning The Tide hero Matthew murmuring in my ear straight away. Matthew’s voice told me more about his personality. He’s a relaxed kind of guy, wears well-worn jeans, always has a hint of stubble – but if you mess with him, look out!
My heroes are never based on a single person, but they all share a similar trait. They’re strong, but vulnerable enough to need a good woman. Of course, finding the right hero requires meticulous research; all those leading actors to be studied, magazines to be scrutinized and, in my case, lots of lead singers to be listened to. Actually, it is important, because during the course of each novel I spend a lot of time with my hero so I’ve got to enjoy his company. Fortunately, I’m prepared to work really hard to make sure I find the right man!