I’ve been a fan of Lauren Dane’s since I read her Witches Knot series. Very soon after that, I discovered her Chase Brother Series. Each time I read a book by Lauren I know I will get a compelling character driven romance. Whether she’s writing a paranormal or a contemporary she brings the characters to life with feeling and vibrancy. I’m right in the middle of reading Lauren’s newest release UNDERCOVER and Sera, Brandt and Ash are keeping me up at night. Today Lauren is giving away a signed copy to a random poster.
My most recent release, UNDERCOVER, is a ménage romance with two heroes. The challenge with any romance is to create a hero the reader can not only fall for, but through him, she can also see the heroine as worthy of love as well. It’s a delicate line to walk as a writer. You don’t want to make him too perfect, but you don’t want to write the alpha hero who edges past alpha and into jerk who can’t be redeemed. Or worse – who no one cares about one way or the other.
So the challenge with a ménage is to not only create a hero the reader cares about and falls in love with, but two heroes the reader cares about and falls in love with.
In ménages, most often my chief complaint is either that the heroes are carbon copies of each other or one is well drawn while the other is a shadow you don’t know much about. There are two men you see your heroine through, two men who can draw her out, can unlock her secrets, interpret her for the reader. For me, that particular challenge is both why I love to write ménage stories but also why I don’t write them all the time. It takes a very specific kind of story, and heroine, to support two heroes.
In UNDERCOVER, both heroes are very dominant, very alpha men. Men who are influential and who wear their power as their caste and rank both in the military and in the way the structure of rule is governed in the world I built.
It started, for me anyway, with the outside. I saw a picture of actor Dominic Purcell and it just clicked for me. He was the embodiment of Ash Walker. He’s hard edged, fiercely masculine. Bald, muscular with inked markings on the back of his skull. He wears his dominance and his power on the outside. And he’s also a jerk for the first part of the book because he doesn’t quite know how to pull back, to let his heart decide more than his gut. He wants Sera, his first and only real love, back and each time he pushes, simply to take her back, she shoves him away.
It’s Brandt then, who needs to be that bridge but also a hero in his own right. He’s the counterpoint to Ash physically and personality wise. Where Ash is bold and aggressive, Brandt is smooth and his power radiates from the inside. He’s no less strong, no less in control, he just deals with problems, with Sera, differently.
He’s used to getting his own way but he’s more in tune with who Sera has become after her ten years without Ash than Ash is, because Ash has the old Sera in his memory. Brandt is bold but he is able to connect with Sera on an emotional level in a way no one has before. She can’t help but respond to that.
So then it falls to Sera, the heroine to also draw out what is loveable about her heroes. As a writer, it’s my job to draw them through her eyes and to be sure the reader sees them as not only two separate men, but also two worthy men.
There’s a balance on the page, not necessarily a fifty/fifty split between the men, but the goal is to give the reader a feeling of completeness of character, of a three dimensional person with wants and needs and flaws, just like any real person. But a hero. A man who is both the ideal and yet, not completely fantasy.
I can only hope to breathe life into my characters and through their eyes, I hope to draw them and their interconnectedness for my readers so they can fall in love with them too. For me, both as a writer and a reader, it all comes down to connection. It doesn’t matter the age, nationality, number of heroes, what have you. It’s about whether or not the characters connect with each other. When I’m reading a romance and I see the people connecting not just physically but emotionally, on an intimate level in ways they find special and worthy, I’m going to respond. I’m going to understand why they are drawn to each other. That’s what I hope to do as an author as well.
Thanks so much for having me today!
Lauren
So what sorts of things do you like to see in a hero? Any favorite heroes you always think of as great examples?
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Natalie Acres
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 7:50 am:
I’m looking forward to Undercover. Like Maria, I’m a Lauren Dane fan as well.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas Shopping!
Natalie Acres
Kati
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 8:41 am:
Hi Lauren – Amazon just delivered Undercover to me yesterday (Yay!) I’m looking forward to reading it, as it’s getting a ton of buzz around the internet. Congrats!
I’m all about the two A’s with my heroes. Alpha + Angst. I love them all tortured and cranky.
Marisa
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 9:34 am:
Hey Laruen, I’m so glad you could be with us today I’m right in the middle of reading Undercover – and I’m falling in love with all three characters. There is a definite balance among these three and you can feel how much they care for each other. I love the way Sera is strong and vulnerable all at the same time.
Kati- love your double A’s for heroes. I love an alpha but I’m not so sure about the angst. I think I’d switch it for a V (and not V from the Brotherhood, although he is one of my favorite heroes). No it would be A for alpha and V for vulnerable. Love that combination.
Buffie
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 9:36 am:
Hey Lauren! Welcome to RNTV! We are so delighted that you are joining us today.
I have to say that I have heard quite a bit of buzz about UNDERCOVER and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Personally, I love a tortured hero. There’s just something about healing him
I also love a hero that has a sense of humor.
azteclady
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 10:05 am:
*waving to Lauren* Hi, there!
Buffie, it’s gooooood. Really. You wanna read it, trust me.
Lauren Dane
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 10:47 am:
Maria – thank you so much for that wonderful introduction and your very kind words!
Natalie – thanks and I hope you enjoy Undercover! (I’m totally done with my shopping, and I’m shocked!)
Kati – I hope you like it! And I’m with you on your two As!!
Marissa – Thanks so much for having me! And wow, thank you, I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying Undercover. Vulnerable is good too – in historicals this works well I think (Derek Craven for instance walks that line between vulnerable and angst)
Buffie – thank you, I’m happy to be here!
Azteclady – waves back, hey!
bungluna
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 11:38 am:
Hey Lauren!
I don’t always connect with the two heroes-one heroine situation, but your “Triad” just blew me away. I’lm looking forward to “Undercover”. It’s suppesedly on its way.
As for the most important qualities in a hero for me: a + b + h – j = perfection! He must be alpha and believable, but have a sense of humor. No jerks need apply.
Lauren Dane
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 12:11 pm:
Bungluna – hi there! Thankyou, I’m glad you liked Triad and I hope you enjoy Undercover as well. The line between alpha and jerk is hard sometimes. THere are places when Ash is totally a jerk! But I think he redeems himself over the course of the story, or I hope he does!
Heather
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 12:18 pm:
Hey Lauren, I’m a big fan of your books. I have all of your Witches Knot and a few of your others. I love heros that are strong and are a bit standoffish, but have a hidden deep side that the heroine touches. I also love heros with a sense of humor and strong morals, I’m very big on Alpha males. That’s probably why I’m such a big fan of your wolves too!
Dana
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 12:33 pm:
What do I look for in a hero?
Self Sacrifice! The hero that’s willing to lay his life down for the sake of others…coupled with of COURSE fab looks and he MUST be a big guy!! At least 6 ft,.
Can I add ripped abs and huge biceps?
I mean…I’m not picky or anything.
LOL
Dana
Happy Holidays to All~
Gannon
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 1:15 pm:
Hey, Lauren! I’m looking forward to reading UNDERCOVER. I’ve been hearing great things about it.
I have a soft spot for a tortured hero. Watching his journey and seeing him healed by the heroines love…..*sigh*
Joy Roach
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 1:27 pm:
You nailed it in Undercover as you do with all the heroes in all your books.
You said who you pictured Ash looked like, who did you have in mind for Brandt?
I like my heroes strong and tough and totally alpha on the outside but with a soft spot on the inside for their girl/guy (lol). It’s a bonus when the toughness is because they are really tortured on the inside.
Some examples are:
JR Ward’s BDB, specifically, Zsadist and Rehv.
Sherrilyn’s Kenyon’s Zarek from the Dark Hunters.
Christine Feehan’s Ghost Hunters.
Lara Adrian’s Teegan from her Midnight Breed.
Linda Winfree’ Tick from her Hearts of the South.
I’ll stop now. lol
Lauren Dane
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 1:55 pm:
Heather – thank you very much! I too, love a hero with a strong moral center, truly it’s what makes any man rise above the rest, I think.
Dana – LOL, absolutely!
Gannon – thanks! And yes, the strong man healed by the heroine, love it!
Joy – thank you so much! In Brandt I often see Eric Bana only with very long hair! Great examples, by the way, I loved Tegan as a hero, in fact I love all Lara Adrian’s Breed heroes.
orannia
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 2:26 pm:
HI Lauren *waves*
For me, both as a writer and a reader, it all comes down to connection. It doesn’t matter the age, nationality, number of heroes, what have you. It’s about whether or not the characters connect with each other.
Your post was….WOW! For me, I need to not just see but ‘feel’ the connection between the characters. If it just feels like the characters are ‘going through the motions’ then the book has lost its impact (for me anyway). I haven’t read any of your books yet but your post definitely has me intrigued! *SIGH* I love it here – I get introduced to so many new authors and lovely people
As for heroes, I like them alpha, but yet have that vunerability that Marisa spoke of…oh, and tortured
I feel really evil saying that…and slightly worried, like I’m about to be stalked by all these heroes demanding that I stop telling authors that I want them tortured 
Hehehehe
Christina T.
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 4:27 pm:
Lauren,
I love all your books. especially the Chase series. I have not gotton this one yet, but it is on my list
Susan
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 4:29 pm:
Hey Lauren,
Congratulations on the release of “Undercover”. Every review I have read about it has been wonderful! I would love to get my hands on a copy.
What I like in a hero are his flaws. The flaws make the hero more interesting.
Lauren Dane
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 4:42 pm:
Orannia – Why thank you very much! And tortured heroes are so yummy, I’m with you on that!
Christina – thank you! I’m happy to hear you’ve enjoyed my books.
Susan – Flaws are good, it’s what helps me, as a reader, get to know the character, what makes me care about them! And thank you!
Brandy W
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 6:09 pm:
I’m really hoping Santa brings me Undercover and a few more books for Christmas or I’m heading to the bookstore at the beginning of the year!!!
I like a hero that has flaws, can sort them out and be humble. Sexy as hell always helps too. Oh and Alpha and just great.
Fedora
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 7:03 pm:
Hi, Lauren! I’ve read only a couple of your titles so far, but just splurged on your set from Jo’s auction so I can’t wait to dig in!
As for heroes, I do love those tough, capable, take charge types–especially if they’re faced with a woman or choice that has them wrestling with their personal code. I like for them to have a strong sense of justice and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right, whether or not that always jives with convention. And a sense of humor would be icing on the cake!
Karin
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 7:14 pm:
Hi Lauren! I have to totally agree that it’s the connection between the characters that really matters in the story. If that connection is not there or it’s not believable, the rest of the story doesn’t work for me.
As for the type of heroes I like, I’d have to say I like the caring alphas. The fact that they care for someone other than themselves usually prevents them from becoming too jerky, and it usually makes them vulnerable in the best of ways.
Lauren Dane
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 9:46 pm:
Brandy – I hope so too! Humility is a good character trait, I totally agree
Fedora – you’ve reminded me to send an email about that! Sense of humor is very good!
Karin – Vulnerable! Yes, good one!
Amy S.
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 10:14 pm:
Undercover sounds great and I have it on my wishlist!
Pamk
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 11:05 pm:
Loved alpha heros but don’t like the ahole type. My hero has to be loving, smart, funny, sexy, and caring.
a sense of humour and a heart goes a long way in my book. Looking forward to undercover. I ‘ve read all your books and you’ve never disappointed me yet .
Eshani
on Dec 17th, 2008
@ 11:16 pm:
Hi Lauren,
I enjoyed your post, and I completly agree with you that a hero should not only be yummy, but should also help bring the heroine to life by bringing out different dimentions of her character. I love a hero who is a tough alpha without being an insensitive jerk.
Some of my favorite heros are in Nalini Singh’s psy/changeling series (esp. Judd from Caressed by Ice).
I can’t wait to read Undercover..
Heather
on Dec 18th, 2008
@ 12:35 am:
Hey Lauren, I agree that the hero should show the heroine things about herself that she never expected and vise versa, that makes for really great reading to me. I have so many favorite heros that I can’t pick, but Alpha males with hidden secrets are one of my favorites.
Nikki
on Dec 22nd, 2008
@ 7:53 pm:
I think what I like best about a hero, is when they don’t act like it. Meaning….take Acheron from the Dark Hunters and Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood (who just happen to be my favorites) for example. They are the angsty types who don’t feel they are worthy of anything, especially heroic worship. They’re the dominant and strong type. But yet there’s hurt and torment so deep inside them, that give them a softer and more vulnerable side. And yet by just being themselves, and doing what they always does, that in itself makes them heros. In my eyes anyway.
Sue A.
on Dec 24th, 2008
@ 7:47 am:
I enjoyed this post which really exposed the heart of how menages can be written too reveal the multi-faceted sides of each character by the way they interact with one another. While I don’t believe people complete each other, I do believe they complement one another. To complete someone suggests they have a gapping hole in them without the other. I think such a hole can only be mended by one’s self. Whereas people can have the power to either bring out the best or the worst from someone. When we love someone each experience of love is unique and loving one person does not mean you can’t love another person at the same time. Adding another person to a love story makes the telling of the story so much more complex and interesting. And while it is not a true triangle I like to see that there is an emotional connection between the male leads, a true friendship with a mutual love for the heroine that accepts she needs and loves them both equally but differently.
I hate it when the male is shown as perfect and yet he’s attracted to a flawed and weak female who needs to be rescued by him. Make him real. Make him human. I enjoy seeing the vulnerability under the alpha exterior. None of us makes it through life unscarred. (And I personally could never accept a perfect male, I’d always feel inadequate, and I’d be waiting for him to meet the perfect female.)
Sheridan Drake in Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale, is a tortured hero with an imperfect past that prevents him from looking for happiness for himself. In this story the hero rescues the heroine and she turns around and rescues him.