or, “Why I love to write about non-aristocrats.”
Dear Friends,
When I was twenty-seven, all my friends had gotten married and I was the last one left, and I panicked. My panic took the form of getting engaged to the wrong guy, who was so critical that he complained if my fingernail polish didn’t go all the way to the edge of my nail. So I broke it off before we got married, which was a good thing, and then I got depressed, which was not so good for my writing. I was lonely. I ate entire bags of fritos. I submitted uninspired outlines to my editor, who begged me for something else.
Guess who saved me?
Derek Craven.
I had created the common-born character of Derek Craven in a previous book, titled Then Came You, with absolutely no intention of ever making him into a romance hero. There was just no way. At that point in the historical romance genre, if a hero was presented as a non-aristocrat, it always turned out that he was a long-lost duke, or an earl in disguise. (I love those kinds of plots, actually, but tough luck for Derek.)
The problem was, there was hardly anything going for Derek as a hero. He had a few snaggled teeth, a Cockney accent, a prostitute for a mother and no father at all, a past history that included burglary and grave-robbing, and an unsavory profession as a gambling club owner who mostly kept company with thieves and prostitutes. He was also illiterate.
But something about this offbeat character kept nagging at me. I wondered what would happen to Derek, if he would ever marry, and I kept playing out scenarios in my mind. I got several letters from readers about him, and people mentioned him at book signings (this was back in the days before we all got on the internet).
So I went to my editor with the plot for Dreaming of You, and she let me go ahead, with several reservations. As I wrote the story of this unusual hero, I began to reflect on relationships and redemption and unconditional love, and what kind of man would be worth waiting for. My ex-fiance was turned into the character of Perry. Heh. And by the end of the book, I was completely healed and ready for a new real-life relationship, but this time without the panic.
When Dreaming of You was published, it barely made a splash. No NYT list, no PW list . . . but as the years passed, it kept being read and reprinted. And readers like our wonderful Kristie J have kept him alive, for which I am so grateful!
Derek opened the door for me to be able to create many other non-aristocratic heroes and heroines. To me, they’re almost always more interesting than the bluebloods. They’re outsiders. They’ve often had to fight for their very survival. They’re hungry, and they want things they may never have. And although I’ve never written a hero exactly like Derek again, there are shades of him in many other male characters I’ve created, among them Logan Scott, Grant Morgan, Zachary Bronson, Nick Gentry, Simon Hunt, Cam Rohan, and in my contemporary book, Hardy Cates.
Do you prefer common-born characters or aristocratic ones? Is it more romantic when the hero is a peer? Who are your favorites, and why? (I encourage you to mention other authors’ characters!)
This is one of my main beefs with European historicals. Like I’m supposed to believe that only the rich and/or titled were capable of falling in love? After a while I just get tired of Dukes and Earls. I just want a “regular guy.” And for me, it’s those “regular guys” that make the best heroes, because they aren’t ready-made. Even they don’t know what they’re capable of until the plot forces their hand.
Any of this make sense? My brain is fried from work.
Of my favorites (and keep in mind I’m horrible remembering names) – Lisa’s hero from Suddenly You and Laura Lee Guhrke’s hero from To Dream Again (one of her early and HTF books).
I have a ton of favorite heroes, but the one that always comes to mind first is Roarke from the J.D. Robb series. Wow…he has a little bit of everything. Charm, wealth, looks and more!
Suddenly You: Jack Devlin. *swoon*
I’m quite partial to the every day joe, but seeing aristocrats knocked to their knees by a woman always gives me the warm and fuzzies.
When I first read Dreaming of You lo these many years ago, I was instantly enthralled with Derek. He was the first hero (and in those days it was all historicals for me) who wasn’t a member of the aristocracy. What a breath of fresh air he was! A hero who seemed so sure of himself in his own world, yet so vulnerable inside, he kept a pair of Sarah’s glasses. He became the bar that I judged all heroes on and although some have come pretty darn close, Derek is still The Man for me.
When I first started visiting message boards and blogs, I was astonished that there were some readers hadn’t yet ‘met’ Derek Craven! So obviously he’s Number 1 in my book. But I do love some of your other ‘commoner’ heroes. I loved McKenn (although I could have slapped Aline a few times) And another real favourite is Jack Devlin from Suddenly You. And -well I have to – love Sebastain, Lord St. Vincent. It’s always so refreshing to come across a hero who isn’t titled. That’s honestly how I prefer them. And another favourite hero along the vein of Derek, is Alec Tyron of Karen Robard’s Tiger’s Eye. He is the King of thieves and a very intriguing hero in his own right. And while I’m here and on the subject, another great one is Vashon from Megan McKinney’s Till Dawn Tames the Night. What these heroes have, besides not being of the ‘ton’ is a darkness to their characters, that is only lightened by the love the have for the heroine.
In regencies I love non-artistocratic heroes. I do not see them very often but I love the change of pace. I cannot think of any examples at the moment, my brain is turned off and ready for bed so I will have to get back to you later on that.
Derek was the best ever.
Derek is still at the top of my alltime favorite hero list, Lisa. And I love how you used Perry to exorcise that ex-fiance, lol. Loved Jack in Suddenly You, and Nick Gentry.
More favorites – Loretta Chase’s Dain in Lord of Scoundrels and Rupert Carsington in Mr. Impossible, and Jack Seward in Connie Brockway’s All Through the Night.
I like having a commoner as a hero, someone just like the rest of us average people. Another favorite of mine is Billy Blade in Gaelen Foley’s Lady of Desire – he reminded me a bit of Craven with his background.