Choosing the Right Hero for Your Heroine (and vice versa)

 

by Mindy Obenhaus

Take two stubborn people from completely different backgrounds, add one orphaned little girl and you just might have the makings of a happily ever after.

When I began writing my upcoming release, A Brother’s Promise, I knew my heroine because she’d appeared in the first book in my Bliss, Texas series, A Father’s Promise. Christa Slocum was a no nonsense, take-charge kind of gal who’d given up a high-power tech industry job to purchase a small-town hardware store. At forty-three, she was comfortably single with no desire to have a man in her life. So coming up with a hero who wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with her was a challenge.

Enter Mick Ashford, a rancher who’s lived his entire life in the same small town and happens to be Christa’s neighbor. He was raised in the farmhouse she’s spent the last few years renovating, preferring to live in the rustic camp house he and his father built when Mick was a boy. Still single at age forty-five, he has no need for a woman in his life because, in his experience, women only wanted to change him into someone he wasn’t.

Though Christa and Mick cross paths frequently, often butting heads, they’re more acquaintances than friends, never taking the time to get to know one another. So how did I bring this confirmed bachelor and bachelorette together?

Common goal – Every h/h needs a common goal. Something that, inevitably, forces them to spend time together. In Mick and Christa’s case, it’s Mick’s recently orphaned, five-year-old niece, Sadie.

As Sadie’s legal guardian, Mick is determined to do right by her, even though he knows nothing about little girls or being a father. So when Christa offers to help him redecorate Sadie’s bedroom, he’s more than willing to accept.

However, Christa wants to help with more than just Sadie’s bedroom. Having lost her mother when she was five, Christa understands what Sadie is going through emotionally and vows to help both Sadie and Mick navigate the turbulent waters that lie ahead.

Overcoming misconceptions - The more the hero and heroine are together, the better they come to know one another, shifting their perception of each other.

While Christa is a well-educated, big-city girl, Mick is a country boy who makes his own sausage and lives a simple life. Yet as they become more familiar with each other, Christa realizes that Mick is anything but self-absorbed, not to mention more complex than she imagined. He learns that she’s down to earth and shares his appreciation for life’s simpler things. And they soon discover…

They complement each other – Where one is weak, the other is strong. Learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses is the beginning of a lasting relationship. In the face of adversity, they learn they can lean on one another. However, there is always one thing that stands in their way.

Fear keeps them apart – We’re all afraid of something. Things that might seem silly to others, can be very real to you and are usually based on past experience.

Every woman Mick ever dated has tried to change him. To turn him into something he’s not. Is he enough for Christa? What if she grows bored with him because he doesn’t challenge her the way a more educated man could?

Meanwhile, Christa’s had her own share of heartbreak. Everyone she’s ever loved has left her. What if Mick left her, too?

So will Mick and Christa overcome their fears to discover their happily ever after? Well, I can’t give everything away. 😉

Choosing the right hero and heroine is like building a winning team. You want diversity. Different backgrounds, different strengths and weaknesses. Things that, when put to the test, will challenge them, strengthen them, bring them closer together and, perhaps, give them the happily ever after they didn’t even know they wanted.

Writers, how do you choose your hero and heroine? Readers, what do you think makes a great couple? I’m giving away a copy of A Brother’s Promise, so leave a comment to be entered (US mailing addresses only, please). Oh, and if you’d like a sneak-peak at the first chapter, you can do that here.

He didn’t realize he wanted a family… Until he suddenly became a single dad.

After his sister’s death, rancher Mick Ashford’s determined to ensure his orphaned niece, Sadie, feels at home. And accepting guidance from Christa Slocum is his first step. But just as Christa and Sadie begin to settle into Mick’s heart, Sadie’s paternal grandparents sue for custody. Now Mick must fight to keep them together…or risk losing the makeshift family he’s come to love. 

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

A Back to Basics Post: Focus on Heroes: How to develop characters with character.

 We all have our favorite characters in fact and fiction.

My real-life heroes tend to be actual heroes. The sacrificial type who really stand their ground for the sake of others. Jesus. John Adams. Ben Franklin. Mary, the mother of God. Joseph, who stood in place and cared for a son not his own. Mary Magdalene, Susanna and any woman who followed that cross and stood with Christ in His hour of need. Martyrs. Harriet Tubman. Rosa Parks. Mother Teresa. Every soldier and sailor who stormed those beaches at Normandy, knowing what would happen. And so many others...

Fiction is a different venue.

When we look at fictional heroes we use a different metric.

They don't have to be superheroes, changing the world for us to love them. But they need to be better versions of themselves and probably better than most any real person we know.

They put others first.

They take care of the heroine, even if she's pretty sure she doesn't need it.

They think ahead. (Come on, ladies, it's fiction. Of course they think ahead!)

They generally don't over-react unless there's a gun involved and it's a Western. In which case, we get it.

They're rarely grumpy even if they don't say too much.

They think a lot. (Again, fiction. Work with me here) :) 

They're quite teachable. (I'm thinking of Mary Connealy heroes here. They don't talk much, and they're often surprised by the feminine mystique, but they do think. #HERO!!!!)

They're kind to dogs and children, even if lacking experience with both or either.

They have a sense of humor. (Jason Bourne is an exception. I'm sure there are others.... Wait, so is Mr. Rochester but gosh, that was a TRAGIC LIFE!!!!!!!! Oh my stars)

They are often ruggedly handsome which means they wouldn't be seen on the Euro fashion runways wearing girl clothes. 

They're adorable when befuddled because they come through in the end.

They never let the bad guy win.

They get there in time, even if it's the nick of time. (Wait, Bourne is the exception again. Jason, really???????)

They may save lives. (doctors, sheriffs, officers, military, firemen)

They may build things. (Construction, builders, architects, Amish)

They might be farmers or ranchers.

High school football coaches are great, too! :) Rugged, teaching/coaching, competitive and good to kids. That's one that checks a lot of boxes!

Heroes pull us into stories whether they're male or female. We either identify with them or admire them or want to meet them. Live in their towns, their homes, eat at their table.

What draws you into characters? Is it what they've experienced? What they've overcome? What they're doing? Leave a comment below, darlings and I've got a copy of "Finding Her Christmas Family" for one lucky person who loves, loves, loves beautiful Christmas stories! 

Bestselling, multi-published author Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of writing great stories on her pumpkin farm in Western New York where the leaves have fallen, winter's approaching, but at least it's tiptoeing in this year... not barreling full-force, so that's good! She's also wishing all of you a blessed and wonderful holiday season. She thinks we're blessed to have the lot o' youse (Yankee way of sayin' "all y'all") here and she loves to hear from you at loganherne@gmail.com or friend her on Facebook or stop by Ruthy's website ruthloganherne.com 

Who is the Hero of Your Story?

Who is the hero of your favorite story?

Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series? John McClain from Die Hard? Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty?

*Just for this blog post, I’m only mentioning heroes, even though everything I will say pertains to heroines, too!


Here’s my definition of a hero:

A hero is someone who is willing to give up the most precious thing in his or her life for the good of someone else.

Let’s look at the heroic examples I listed above –

1. Gilbert Blythe: We all love Gilbert, don’t we? He’s the perfect match for Anne, even when they were youngsters in school. But what makes him a hero? When his father died and he was orphaned, Gilbert was willing to make the sacrifices he needed to in order to continue his schooling to become a doctor – to help others live rather than die the way his father had.

2. John McClain: What makes John McClain a hero is not his ability to walk across broken glass barefoot (I hate that scene!) but that he is willing to sacrifice his own safety (and potentially his life) to pursue the bad guy to the end for the sake of his wife and the other hostages in the Nakatomi Tower, and in the process restore his marriage.

3. Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty (the Disney version): Okay, Philip has the advantage of living in a fairy tale and so he has no flaws. But he did risk life and limb to fight Evil (in the form of Maleficent, Disney's greatest villain) in order to save Aurora and restore the kingdom to life.


My favorite fictional story is The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the hero is Samwise Gamgee.

I can hear you now: “Sam? I thought the hero was Aragorn, or Frodo!”

Nope. Sam. Bear with me while I make my case.


Sam is the character that the story revolves around. He’s an unwilling participant in the vast story-world of Middle-Earth that is in danger of being consumed by evil. Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Elrond, and all the other characters have their parts to play, and all are heroic. All make sacrifices for the good of others. All are willing to give up what is most precious to them for the greater good.

But Sam – the gardener from the Shire – gives up the most precious things of all:

His home – leaving the Shire when he hadn’t traveled more than a dozen miles from his house in his lifetime.
His family – leaving his elderly father behind, as well as Rosie Cotton.
His goals – in the Shire he was a gardener and friend of Frodo. All he wanted was a home, children to raise, and a bit of garden to raise his vegetables. When he set off on the quest, he didn’t have any other goal than to help Frodo take the Ring as far as he needed to take it.

And when it came to the most daring sacrifice of all - - -

Sam was the only ring-bearer who gave up the ring without reservation.

Without Sam, Frodo wouldn’t have been able to finish the journey to Mount Doom.
Without Sam, Frodo wouldn’t have had the strength to walk to the precipice of the fire.
Without Sam, the quest would never have been accomplished.
Without Sam, the story would never have come to its necessary conclusion of restoration.
All would have been lost.

Samwise Gamgee is definitely my favorite hero in literature. I even named my border collie puppy after him, even though at eight months old, he's more of a Tigger than a Samwise!

We’ve discussed some fictional heroes, but are there any real-life heroes?
Of course. We see them every day.
I hope some of the people closest to you fit in that category - my favorite real-life hero has always been my dear husband.

And, of course, the epitome of the hero is our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true example for all other heroes to follow. Think of his life and sacrifice for us!

How does this relate to our writing?

Every story has a hero. If you’re wondering who it is in your book, look for the pivotal character (in a romance, there is both a hero and a heroine.)

As you develop your hero character, identifying his flaws, his strengths, and his motivations, add one more thing: make him willing to sacrifice what is most precious to him for the good of others.


In the comments, tell us about your hero. What will he or she sacrifice for someone else?


One commenter will be in the drawing for a copy of my October 20 release, "Softly Blows the Bugle."

What is the book about?

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later.

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind.

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves.
Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.

Available for pre-order! Links are on my website: www.JanDrexler.com