I originally posted this on the Romance Chicks blog a couple of years ago but it’s still relevant so here it is again!

I’m constantly asking readers what kind of heroes they love. The options recognized by most authors and readers are Alphas, Betas or Gammas. Each personality type has something to offer… although their special talents probably vary. 

Alphas are your confident leaders. They’re larger than life, ooze sex appeal from every pore and have no problem taking charge. Betas are the guys who aren’t afraid to put their feelings out there. They like to snuggle, will bring you soup when you’re sick and make you snort laugh soda out of your nose. Finally there’s the gamma. He’s a man’s man alpha on the outside with an ooey, gooey beta center. Best of both worlds? Well, that all depends on who you’re talking to.

Some women adore the absolute alpha. Some bend over backwards for a beefy beta. Some go goo-goo-eyed for a gorgeous gamma.
As for me, I can’t decide. So in the spirit of Halloween, I’ve decided to create my very own FrankenHero from some of my favorite fictional characters. Here’s how I’m going to stitch him together…

I’m going to need a lot of alpha so I’ll take the scorching intensity of billionaire Gideon Cross from Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series. He’s passionate, doesn’t stray in his pursuit of his goals and knows how to get what he wants.

Adding to the alpha dynamic, I’d sprinkle in a little bit of Four from Veronica Roth’s Divergent series. He plays things a little cooler, keeps his emotions under wraps, but demonstrates a level of sexy badassery that I find pretty irresistible, especially when it comes in the form of Theo James.

To tone down the threat of alpha-hole syndrome, I’d layer in some of William Goldman’s unforgettable hero, the Dread Pirate Roberts aka the farm boy Westley. His devotion and pursuit of true love is unparalleled. I can almost hear him responding to my every request with a honeyed “As you wish.”

A dash of fierce protectiveness and bravery would add more dimension… who better to borrow from than one of my all-time favorite heroes, Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series. He’s courageous, never backs down from a challenge and is eager to please. Bonus: He has a lovely bum. (Sorry, Sam Heughan abs are all you’ll get here. My hubby reads my posts. ;))

And finally, because I like to laugh I’d have to have some Simon Parker, the noisy neighbor from Alice Clayton’s much beloved Wallbanger. He can volley the one-liners with the best of them and I love me some humor, especially if it comes in the form of a super stud who can level me with a slip of the tongue. 

So when I stitch them all together, I’ve got my perfect hero. He’s courageous, passionate, funny, eager, devoted and persistent. But does a man like that exist outside the realm of fiction?

Ah, indeed he does. Kind of sounds a lot like my real-life hero, the incomparable Mr. Crush. Sorry, ladies. This particular Frankenhero is taken. You’ll have to stitch together your own.