Alpha Male Blog Hop -- Gamma Heroes

Welcome to stop #29 of the Alpha Male Blog Hop!

I love alpha male heroes, those men who are decisive, confident, and don't take crap from anyone. Heroes who could snap you like a twig, but who never would because it would go against everything they believe in to harm someone who isn't their equal in size and strength. 

I also love their beta brethren, those men who are sensitive, kind, caring, and able to solve problems with their wits instead of their fists. Men who could and would happily be your best friend and your shoulder to cry on in hard times. Men who may be physically strong, but who rely on a different kind of strength to win their battles. But don't get me wrong--I'm not into wimps! 

My favorite kind of hero is what I've heard referred to as a "gamma" hero--a blend of alpha and beta, the best of both worlds. A man who's protective, brave, and willing to fight to safeguard the people he loves, but who's never an arrogant jerk who pushes others around to suit him and who won't listen to anyone's input (including the heroine's) because he thinks he knows best. A man who's willing to admit when he's wrong and willing to apologize when it's called for. Now that's a true hero in my book! 

Some of my favorite heroes: Zsadist, in J.R. Ward's Lover Awakened; Jonathan, in Delilah Marvelle's Once Upon a Scandal; Mac in Joey W. Hill's Natural Law; Rehvenge in J.R. Ward's Lover Avenged (I love nearly all of Ward's heroes!); Eidolon in Larissa Ione's Pleasure Unbound; Ares in Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider (come to think of it, I love nearly all of Larissa Ione's heroes too!); Jonathan Lloyd, the Earl of Ruel, in Natasha Blackthorne's A Measured Risk (this book is WAY hotter than Fifty Shades of Grey!)

What kind of heroes do you love? Who are some of your favorites?

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Now that you've heard what kind of heroes I like, are you wondering what kind of books I write? Of course you are! :)

My current romantic suspense series is called Blood and Honor and is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. The series chronicles the battles--both bloody and romantic--between two warring Mafia clans. Books 1 and 2 are available now. Here's a taste of Book 2: 

An Interpol agent playing a dangerous game. A Mafia princess desperate to escape. A man determined to exact retribution...

Nick Clarkston, a young Interpol agent, threatens to undo the fragile peace between the Lucchesi and Andretti families when he tries to take down the Mafia don father who abandoned him. He allies with his father's sworn enemy, a mobster both devious and ruthless. The mobster's alluring daughter helps Nick negotiate the murky criminal underworld, but he soon learns she's using him. Trapped, and with nowhere to turn, Nick makes a tragic mistake that plunges him further into danger.

Delfina Andretti appears to be the typical Mafia princess--but this princess wants out. Delfina dreams of being a fashion designer, and hooking up with Nick is her ticket out of an arranged marriage. Her feelings for Nick are genuine, but he's leery of her. Even worse, his heedless drive for justice threatens to get them both killed and to put everyone Delfina loves behind bars--unless she and Nick can forge a new future for their warring families.

Excerpt:

Nick turned the music up and caught Delfina’s eye. Was it just his imagination, or had she been admiring his bare arse? “Watching me, were you?” he asked, keeping his voice pitched low.

She blushed, roses staining her cheeks. His chest felt lighter than it had in weeks. “I’m not answering that.”

He strode over to her and leaned in, forcing her to sprawl back on the bed, caged within his arms. He placed his lips near her ear. “Your blush told me everything. Every single naughty thought you were having.”

“Madonna,” she muttered and braced her hands against his chest. “You’re getting a swollen head.”

He darted his tongue out and ran it along the edge of her ear. “Most certainly.” He put a knee up on the bed and rubbed his hard aching length along her thigh.

She laughed and pushed against him, but he didn’t budge. “Time to get undressed,” he whispered. Her hands went to the buttons that ran down the front of the silk blouse tucked into her skirt. She played with the top one. 

“Now?” she asked, her voice lilting and playful.

“Now.” He rumbled the word in her ear and she shivered. “Take it off. I want to see you. All of you.”

***

Want to know what happens next? You can find out in Retribution (Blood and Honor #2), available at these retailers: Amazon (Kindle), Amazon UK (Kindle), Apple, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo, OmniLit, Smashwords, and Sony. If you prefer print, Retribution is also on Amazon (paperback) and Amazon UK (paperback).

Prize Giveaway!

To thank you for visiting my blog and participating in Romancing the Hop, I'm giving away a $15 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice)! To win, you must post a comment with your name and email address. Comments without an email address will be discarded. For additional chances to win, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize Giveaway!

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. (Comments without an email address will be discarded.) Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (international)

2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N gift card (international)

3rd Grand Prize: The following swag pack! (U.S. only)