Do you have superheroitis? Nina Crespo helps with the diagnosis
Nina Crespo, author of Thane's Redemption, tests fellow authors Elle Kennedy, Monica Murphy, Samanthe Beck and Katee Robert to see if they have a condition all romance readers and authors should be concerned about — superheroitis.
Nina: Superheroitis. The heart-pounding, can't-help-it malady of having to read (or write) about superhot alphas formerly or currently in uniform. Firefighters, law enforcement, military personnel, I'm helpless to resist. Am I crazy? As the new kid, I went to my pub sisters for a dose of Yoda-like wisdom. Of course, I couldn't ask questions without stretching their imaginations.
Nina: Let's say we woke up in a parallel universe where we had to make a choice between chocolate and reading about our favorite "protect and serve" heroes. Which one do we choose?
Elle Kennedy, author of The Deal: Even a chocoholic like me doesn't stand a chance. If it came down to giving up sweets or giving up my alpha sweetheart, I'd be in chocolate rehab before you could say, "Why, thank you, alpha military man, I would love to marry you."
Monica Murphy, author of Stealing Rose: Chocolate is amazing. It tastes good, it smells good, and it's proven scientifically to make you feel good. But if you consume too much, chocolate can make you fat. And that's not cool. BUT. Hot, sexy, protective heroes in romance books make you feel good. You can only imagine that they taste and smell good, too.
Samanthe Beck, author of Falling for the Enemy: OK, I have to assume wine and sex are still available to readers of filthy, alpha-hero-dominated smut, and really, that's all we need. Granted, I'm fresh off seeing Fifty Shades of Grey, but if that movie taught me anything, it's that one should drink a lot wine before, during and after sex with filthy, dominant alphas.
Katee Robert, author of Betting on Fate: Because chocolate can't give you orgasms. Er, I mean, well, ahem. What I mean to say is that these heroes fill a very specific need. They are, by the nature of their jobs, dudes who are totally in control of any given situation. That alone is hot as hell, 'cause, let's be honest, they take that control into the bedroom and who isn't into that? Did I mention the orgasms?
Nina: That's why I love you! Ride or die to the end with your alphas, but we can't leave our readers in need. How do we get around this unfortunate situation?
Elle: Are you not paying attention? Chocolate Rehab.
Monica: A secret underground chocolate speakeasy. And I'll fill my books with clues about how readers can find my chocolate lair. Buy my books featuring hot heroes and you get illegal chocolate — who could resist that?
Samanthe: As an author dedicated to smut, I'd do a lot of smut-themed giveaways. To my loyal readers in this alternate and highly perverse universe, I would gift chocolate body paint and chocolate edible underwear. Craving a chocolate ball-gag? Say no more.
Katee: By hosting a traveling party with all-you-can eat chocolate, and man candy. Except please don't eat the man candy because that's cannibalism and that sort of thing is frowned upon.
Nina: Why do you think it's important to feature these types of heroes in our stories?
Elle: The protector hero is the ultimate fantasy. A man who'll not only rock your world, but keep you safe and take a bullet for you? Sign me up, dude.
Monica: What woman doesn't love to imagine a protective man always willing to come to her rescue? Who's strong enough and capable enough to get her out of any tough situation? That type of hero always seems to push women's buttons. I know it pushes my buttons.
Samanthe: Sometimes a girl needs an easy escape from the everyday stuff and devouring a sexy/funny/dramatic/hot story featuring a larger-than-life (pun intended) hero satisfies that need. As do wine, sex and chocolate!
Katee: As great as the anti-hero is (and, seriously, I love me some anti-hero), nothing can ever replace or substitute the heroic brand of hero. Selfless, caring and maybe a little bit tortured, that's an unbeatable combination. Plus, they tend to be so busy taking care of other people they need a heroine who's going to toe the line and take care of them, and that is a story that readers will never get tired of.
Nina: Whew! I'm normal (at least on this), and we all can breathe easier. Chocolate is allowed. Superheroitis is something we all should catch. Even better, our next super-sexy, hot alpha is waiting for us, in and out of uniform, between the pages of our next favorite romance book.
Here's the blurb about Nina's new release, Thane's Redemption (courtesy of Kensington):
The one night she'll want to remember, she'll be forced to forget.
It's been almost a year since Celine's fiancé's death and she's still struggling to move on. But when she meets Thane, the super hot lead singer of Thane's Redemption, she finds her desire reawakening, and her heart opening. Soon one kiss leads them straight into a night of heated passion…
Thane's unexpected connection with Celine only leaves him wanting more of her—but his life makes it impossible. For Thane's Redemption is just a cover for a deeper secret: A former Army Ranger presumed dead, Thane is really a time-traveling, covert operative charged with saving the world from disaster. Each jump through time forces those around him to forget he ever existed—and Celine would be no exception. But can time work in their favor to give them a second chance at love? Or will a choice Thane makes in the future put Celine in mortal danger?
Find out more about Nina and her books at www.ninacrespo.com.