Writer Wednesday: The Men of Otherworld

The men of Otherworld—I never expected to find women (and some men) head over heels for my heroes. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because usually *my* taste in men is a little out of the ordinary.

But I’ve been thinking, why do I love my my heroes so much, and why do the D’Artigo sisters love them? I mean, we aren’t talking HEA romances here—we’re talking bizarre urban fantasy with a dark, humorous undertone. Lots of action, some explicit sex, relationships galore, subplots everywhere, and mythology from all over the world all mixed into one big cauldron. So the heroes are all a bit off—not your run-of-the-mill good guys, that’s for sure. Camille, Menolly, and Delilah are hard put to keep up with this crew.

When I examine my male characters, I see they all possess aspects of the qualities I tend to find attractive in men—and a few not.

Smoky, a gorgeous white dragon, morphs into a tall, sexy, reserved man. He’s the man in white, with silver hair down to his calves that can do marvelous things by itself. Arrogant, he’s embodies a sense of timeless regality. Smoky’s got his own agenda for everything he does. He’s not magnanimous, although when it comes to family, he’s all about protecting his own. He’s wickedly playful, he enjoys sitting back and pushing buttons to control the show. And yet, right below the surface is a menacing sense that yes, he *is* a dragon and therefore, if you aren’t careful, he might just fry you to a crisp and eat you up. Dragons and other beasties do not play by human rules in my worlds.

Trillian is one of the Svartans—a race of rather menacing beings long ago related to the elves. The Svartan race, also known as the Charming Fae although they’re closer to the elves—are hedonistic by nature. Sensual to the core, he’s the magic man who can charm you with a kiss, the pied piper of the bedroom. He, like Smoky, is a mercenary, and yet he’s there to help when Camille and her sisters any time they need him, even if he complains in the process. Camille and Trillian have an odd relationship—sexually open, and yet, they are completely bound to one another through sex magic. Trillian can be your best ally, or worst enemy.

Morio, a fox demon based on Japanese lore, is the unreadable rogue. He always has a secret smile back there, like he knows something you don’t. He’s loyal to the core, and yet, unpredictable. Brilliant, his passion comes through like a quiet flame that can roar to life when he’s in his full demon form. He’s a little like Coyote at times, with a wild side you don’t quite see unless you know him on an intimate level.

Then we have Shade—the half dragon, half Stradolan (shadow walker). He’s still a mystery man, but he runs the energy of the Autumn Lord. Suave, refined, passionate, Shade has a lot of secrets up his sleeves which I’m not going to reveal just yet, though I will say, he’s been watching Delilah for a lot longer than she knows, and he’s been waiting for her.

Rozurial, the incubus of the group, sadly has accepted that he’ll never again be able to mate into a permanent relationship. When Zeus changed the Fae into an incubus, he changed his essential nature. But Roz loves women, of all shapes, sizes, ages…he truly wants every woman he’s with to enjoy herself. He would never use force on a woman, would never embarrass her in the bedroom, and he tries to be as much of a gentleman as he can outside the bedroom.

Vanzir is a truly tortured antihero. A demon in his own right, he was first a playtoy for the demon general Karvanak, then a willing slave for the D’Artigo sisters. Now, he’s been stripped of his powers and has yet to face up to Smoky for what happened in Blood Wyne. But don’t worry—I have plans for Vanzir. I’m not letting him run off so easily.

Roman is another enigma. The son of Blood Wyne, Queen of the Vampires, he’s been around a long, long time. A warlord, a conqueror, he’s adapted to modern life and managed to control his inner predator until he now runs the North American vampire world for the most part—all from the quiet of his Seattle mansion. Just what he’s got planned, well, that’s in the works, but you know it includes Menolly and therefore, will have to include her sisters.

And then there’s Chase—the human of the group. Chase was just doing his job, trying to get through life, when the Nectar of Life threw a monkey wrench his his plans. Now, he’s changing, and he has no clue what’s going to happen. Going from mortal to close to immortal with the drink of one potion, he’s caught in a maelstrom of uncertainty. He’s discovering powers he never realized he might have, and that he has no clue of what to do with. He has no idea where the next thousand years might take him. And he realized that Delilah wasn’t the right woman for him—he couldn’t handle facing his own changing nature in the mirror, let alone deal with a relationship that was so fraught with issues. He knows he’s in over his head, but he’s always willing to be first into battle and he’ll die for his friends if need be.

So what do my male characters say about me and the way I look at men? I suppose I find power attractive in a man—that reserved brilliance that challenges you to go ahead, try to best him. I like men who find intelligence appealing, men who want a woman who thinks for herself. Men who are loyal to their women, whether it’s within a poly relationship or a one-on-one.

I can’t stand arrogance without substance behind it and I don’t like ‘who’s your daddy’ games. When I look at my own husband, I see that he’s got a number of these qualities (all the better for me!) that I give to my heroes. The sensuality of Trillian, the desire to protect that Smoky embodies. Samwise is smart and quiet, like Morio. And he’s got long hair—another plus in my book. ~grins~

So tell me, what are your favorite qualities in heroes? What appeals to you?

Until next time,
Yasmine