Victoria James | The Top-Ten Hero Must-Haves!

Hi! I’m so happy to be back here, blogging at Fresh Fiction!

This is release week for my book, THE DOCTOR'S FAKE FIANCEE. I probably had the most fun with the hero in this book, Evan. He was also the most different of all my heroes. He’s a guy who’s always had to excel, skipped ahead in school, and had it instilled in him that he needed to be the best. He’s a guy who’s SO intelligent. But he’s actually the most emotionally unaware hero I’ve ever written, so I had a blast torturing him into self-awareness. I brought the poor guy to his knees by the end of the book, as it FINALLY dawned on him what was most important in his life.

So while I enjoy reading and writing about all different kind of heroes, there are certain traits they must all have-or acquire-by the end of the book. Here’s my list (in no particular order).

10. Honor. Even if a guy is a grump at the beginning of the book, he needs a code of honor. If he doesn’t have one, he just doesn’t interest me and I’ve lost respect for him.

9. Ambition. He doesn’t have to be rich or a CEO, but he needs to have ambition and motivation. It’s an attractive quality in fiction and real life!

8. Friends/Family. So he may be obsessed with work or a bit of a loner, but I need to see the hero interact with nosy family members or a trusted friend. I need to see the ‘real’ guy behind the front he puts on at the beginning of the book.

7. Faithfulness. This is a must, no excuses!

6. Dependability. I can’t have a guy that can’t get it together and keep promises and have someone’s back. This is essential.

5. Wit. Humor is so important-I need a guy who can laugh at a situation, engage in funny banter and know how to have fun.

4. Sensitivity. A guy needs to have a softer side, something must be able to bring out that softer side in him, whether it’s a child, an animal, something that shows him able to let his guard down.

3. Confidence-doesn’t have to be arrogant, but confident. He’s a guy that trusts in his abilities and can go after what he wants.

2. Intelligence. He didn’t have to go to school for decades or anything like that, but he needs to be able to make wise decisions, hold his own in a difficult situation, not get taken advantage of. Oh and he needs to be able to be smart enough to win the heroine in the end ;-).

1. Love. He needs to be loving in bed, out of bed, and in every-day life. And he needs to say he’s in love, he needs to say, “I love you,” by the end of the book. ☺

I had fun with this list-what about you? Did I forget something to add? What other traits are MUST-HAVES for the heroes in your fiction or real-life?

Comment below to be entered to win your own copy of A RISK WORTH TAKING, book one in the Red River series! Two winners will be selected--one paperback winner (US only) and one ebook winner (international). And don't forget to download your copy of THE DOCTOR'S FAKE FIANCEE today!