The Physically Scarred Hero

This weekend I read Elizabeth Hoyt’s TO BEGUILE A BEAST and I know exactly why I was hooked. I’m a push-over for a hero who is psychologically or physically scarred due to some violent act in his past. Hoyt definitely went out on a limb with this one and I was with her all the way (till 2:00am to be exact). Actually, her Legend of the Four Soldiers series, the fourth one coming out in November, is based on men changed by war, but the first two books have heroes with internal scars. This book’s hero, Alistair, has some pretty scary physical scars which of course mold his motivation towards being a recluse. I think it is a real challenge for an author to write the physically scarred hero, especially as Hoyt did, where the damage is readily apparent and not beneath his clothes.
I think I love this type of hero because I hope that I would be like the heroine and see beyond the scars and through the defenses he puts up, and like her provide emotional support for the vulnerable man underneath. How do you feel about physically scarred heroes in romance novels? Do you find them more compelling or the same as any hero with a tough past? Have you read any particular romance novels where the physically scarred hero was particularly memorable?

What types of Romance do you like the best?

When I started reading romance novels, which was further back than I care to put in writing, I read only Historical Romances. For decades I did this with one exception, Sylvie Kurtz. She was writing for Harlequin Intrigue at the time and was part of my critique group so I bought her books and devoured them. Finally, in the past few years I have expanded to Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, and (dare I say it) Erotic Romance. Again, it is because I know the authors and it has opened up whole new worlds for me, in some cases literally! If someone were to ask me what my favorite sub-genre of romance is today, I would be hard pressed to give a definitive answer. What types of romance do you like best . . . or can you say?

What to read next

I was looking over my "To be read" shelf yesterday in a serious bid to determine what to read next. I will have a lot of reading time on my hands next month and I want to make the most of it, but besides the books I have already bought, there are at least five others I hope to buy. I think I will start reading Elizabeth Hoyt as I now have two of hers to be read, but there are so many others. I have unread books by Johanna Lindsey, Joy Nash, Allyson James, Judy Fennell, Cassie Ryan, Veronica Wolf and more. Where to start? Have you decided what to read next? How do you choose?

Who's on your Keeper Shelf?

There are some romance novels that I just can't bear to part with after I've finished them. Unfortunately, because I live on a houseboat I have limited space and have to make tough decisions about which romances I can keep on my shelves. Some of my keeper authors are Julia Garwood, Karen Marie Moning, Jennifer Ashley, Jo Beverley, Johanna Lindsey, and Kathryn Kennedy, just to name a few. There's actually about 50. I live on a big boat :-)
Who is on your Keeper Shelf? We all have them. Those amazing authors that we just can't give up. Do you have Oldies but Goodies, Up and Comers, both?

What was the first romance novel you ever read?

As a teenager when I visited my grandmother I would often dig through her many, many paperbacks and find a Victoria Holt or Phyllis Whitney to read while she read her book. I truly enjoyed those wonderful authors, but it was the day I discovered the book SHANNA by Kathleen Woodiwiss on my mother's dresser that I knew I had found what I was looking for. The drama, the adventure, and of course the romance at the heart of that book hooked me for life. I read in between my classes at school, sometimes even during! I read at night until the wee hours of the morning. I was very upset when I found that I couldn't read in the car because my stomach would get upset. So what was your first romance novel? Did you know immediately that it was what you had been looking for?

What was the last romance novel you read?

I think we all read romance novels for different reasons. I know I do. Sometimes I read a particular book because a friend wrote it, sometimes because I hope to learn from it, and sometimes because I just want to escape and enjoy an interesting story. The most recent novel I finished was Cathy McDavid's Waiting for Baby. After reading it in one sitting, I immediately emailed her and let her know how much I enjoyed it. So what was the last romance novel you read? What made you decide to pick it up and get lost in the romance?