Thursday, July 18, 2019

My Kind of Hero @karilemor #RomanceGems



So many people talk about book boyfriends and I have to admit I don’t really have any. Not that I don’t like the heroes I read about. I do! But typically, I read romance. In these stories I am looking for a connection between the two main characters.  If I end up with the hero, that means the other character does not. Then it wouldn’t be a romance. Or it would be my romance, and since I’m already married, that would be a problem. I’m not into cheating.  In my life or in my books.

When I do choose my heroes, I have to say I like certain things. And some things I’m not a huge fan of. Jerky alpha billionaire, Pass. Any guy who’s ever cheated on a woman, Pass. Royalty, sheik, hit man. Pass. I’m more into those who serve, like military, police, firefighter, or government agent.  Or I like the manly type who work with their hands. Cowboy, carpenter, or farmer.




One of my good friends checked out my ‘Hero’ Pinterest board and said I definitely have a type. Yup, I do. Physically, I like them trim, clean cut, lean muscles, and swoon worthy. I do appreciate a bit of chest hair as well. But that’s all superficial.

What I really want in a hero is vulnerability. Sure, I want them to be macho and strong, physically and emotionally. But I also want them to be real. To have problems they need to work on. I want them to love their woman with every fiber of their being and fight until the death for them. Since many of my books are romantic suspense, they do exactly that. Well, not quite to the death, but often times close.

It’s great that most books now have the hero’s point of view as well. I love the inner thoughts and the struggles they go through in the story. One favorite is Nikko from Peggy Jaeger’s Cant Stand the Heat. He’s a definite alpha male who takes no guff from anyone. But he’s got this teenage daughter who is going through quite an ordeal. Instead of being the absent father, or the one who rules with an iron fist, he is caring and loving and his daughter is more important to him than anything else in his life. And he constantly tells her so. This man, this father, dug so deeply into my heart, I thought I might bleed.

Another great hero with a vulnerability is Ty from Marianne Rice’s What Makes Us Stronger. Ty is a man who works with his hands and very masculine. But he suffers from depression and struggles to get through life with this around his neck. This is a real issue that so many people suffer from.  I love watching him as he finds a way to make things work with the heroine. Swoonworthy.

I’ve got my own vulnerable hero coming out soon. The book, Elusive Dreams, is the first in my new series, Storms of New England. The series is a small-town family contemporary set in…you guessed it… New England.




Erik Storm is the oldest in his family, with three younger Storm siblings. He has always been popular, handsome, well-liked, and successful. But his time as a Marine over seas left him scarred, barely able to walk, and hiding other medical secrets he never wants his family or friends to find out about. But he promised a dying mother he’d take care of her children. How to do that in the physical shape he’s in?

Tessa Porter has bounced around through a variety of foster homes her whole life. In her teens, she finally came to live next door to Erik’s grandparents in coastal Maine, where Erik spent many summers working at a local restaurant. Due to abuse in her past, Tessa hates to be around people and cringes at any form of touch. But she’s willing to help Erik take care of the children. They are younger and weaker and therefore can’t possibly hurt her.

Unfortunately, a social service worker doesn’t think Erik is in any shape to care for these children, so Erik and Tessa embark on a marriage of convenience to ensure the children will have a stable home and loving family. Both Erik and Tessa face challenges, so creating a family might be the only thing to heal these two scarred souls.



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As soon as I have a cover and release date, I will share. To get up to date news, you can subscribe to my mailing list (I only send out a newsletter when I have a sale or new release or other exciting news). Or you can follow me on BookBub.

Now tell me, what is your favorite kind of hero?


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July Giveaway

Starts at 12:01am CDT, July 5, Friday.

Ends at 12:01am CDT, July 25, Thursday.

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July Prizes

Grand Prize: a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card

Second Prize: a $15.00 Amazon Gift Card

Third Prize: a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card

Fourth Prize: 2 print books, each autographed and mailed by the author

5th, 6th, and 7th Prizes: Eboook bundles of 3 Ebooks each

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24 comments:

  1. OH MY GOD I CAN NOT WAIT to read this book!!!!!!! The premise, the hero, the heroine, the backstory are all jumping at me, screaming READ ME READ ME READ ME!!!!!!! I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Brava!!! OH, I love your type of hero, too!! Alphaholes need not apply. HEE HEE ( and thanks for gifting me that word.)

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    1. You'll be first to know when I get a cover and release date. I will say I have a soft spot for Erik and Tessa out of all my characters. And the best part is they show up in the other books as well.

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  2. I'm not a big fan of obnoxious alphas. I do like scarred souls stories. Good luck with the New England series. I have a soft spot for them.

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    1. Yes, New England is dear to my heart as well. After being on the road for 6 months, it was wonderful to come back to the beauty here! And if all works out, the Storms will have ten stories!!

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  3. Omg, Erik Storm sounds swoon-worthy. Definitely my type. My husband is a Marine and in law enforcement...and is the perfect mix of manly and sensitive. He's the 'secret' basis for most of my heroes.💕 Kari, This post made me smile, loved it!!!

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    1. I do love a military hero. So strong but they always do what is right and good for others!

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  4. YES, yes, and yes!!! I cannot wait to read this book! :)

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    1. I'll let everyone know as soon as I get a release date. This waiting is difficult!

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  5. Your heroes are much like mine I think, Kari. Down-to-earth, solid...the kind of man to spend your life with. Gotta love ‘em!

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  6. Love a strong, tough hero with a vulnerable side. This book sounds like a 'must read'.

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  7. Thanks for mentioning those other two books. They definitely seem like something to look into. And your book sounds wonderful!

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    1. Thanks! Yes, the heroes in those books really made an impression on me!

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  8. Your favorite hero is a lot like mine. Certain jobs -- like being a lawman, firefighter, cowboy, etc. are great. But what I like most is a calm, strong, steady and intelligent hero. For me, if they are confident -- not arrogant -- and love like their life depends on it, then I'm going to like them. A lot! Your book sounds wonderful! Can't wait to read it!

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    1. That's absolutely a swoonworthy hero for me. My Critique Partner labeled my kind of heroes, 'alpha-lite'.

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  9. I do love the walking wounded. The story sounds wonderful!

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    1. Thanks! I do love torturing my heroes physically and emotionally to get that hurt/comfort feeling!

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  10. I can hardly wait to read your new book. This was a great post!

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    1. Thanks so much! I can't wait until I finally get a cover and release date!

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  11. You and I share the same admiration for a certain type of hero. I don't care much for the arrogant hero, an archetype from the birth of the romance era.

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    1. Yes, many of the heroes of the early romances I read all were so arrogant. But I wonder if we had seen their inner thoughts and turmoil if we would have liked them better?

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  12. I do prefer the beta hero, the handy man type. :-) The new book sounds awesome!

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    1. Thanks, hon! I love your handy men especially!

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