If you look around the romance shelves there are a lot of rock stars on the covers
these days. People tell me that wasn't always true, that romance heroes used to be
mostly doctors and lawyers, as if the romance publishers were like your mom, telling
readers the kind of guys they OUGHT to want to marry, instead of indulging in their
fantasies.
Say what? Far as I'm concerned the whole fun of writing romance is indulging my
fantasies. And if we can have werewolf heroes, rock stars hardly seem outside the
realm of possibility, right?
After all, in American culture, rock stars represent the ultimate in masculine sex
symbols. As Ziggy, the lead singer in Daron's Guitar Chronicles, tells Daron flat
out, "It's my job to be the sexiest thing on two legs." His job is, literally, to
make women scream and faint from an overload of desire.
Perhaps some people say that's too "on point" for a romance hero? I think it's
perfect. This isn't just an "everyman" that the main character happens to find
attractive: this is the cream of the crop. In fact it makes more sense to me to make
my sensually experienced, visually stunning hero a rock star than to have a doctor or
lawyer or pizza delivery guy be inexplicably, incongrously beautiful, like someone ON
THE COVER OF A ROMANCE NOVEL. Ahem.
The fun part of putting a character like Ziggy from
Daron's Guitar
Chronicles, or like Axel (also a lead singer) from my forthcoming romance
TAKING THE LEAD
(Hachette/Forever), into a romance is that ultimately it isn't about their looks or
the fact that every moment they're dripping sex appeal. It's that romance is about
discovering the real person under the glitz, the vulnerable heart under the public
persona. It's about digging down to the melty reality center under the shiny fantasy
shell.
In
Daron's
Guitar Chronicles it takes Daron a long time to see past the front Ziggy puts
up. Ziggy uses his public persona like armor and although he's desperate for Daron to
love him, he's ultimately just as afraid as Daron is, even though he seems like the
bold, outgoing one. James in
SLOW SURRENDER hides the fact that he's a famous rock star from
Karina because he's afraid no one will ever love him for who he truly is; everyone
falls in love with his stage persona. Axel in
TAKING THE LEAD
is a fun-loving singer whose manager has carefully crafted a "bad boy" public persona
for him. Axel figures if everyone expects him to be a "bad boy" he may as well take
things all the way and he ends up literally doing just that with the wrong--or maybe
the right--woman.
And that's my final point about writing rock stars. They're all very different, just
like every doctor or lawyer is different. They've got money, they've got fame,
they've got looks, and being sexy is literally their job. So here's to more rock
stars in romance now and in the future.
Cecilia Tan is "simply one of the most important writers, editors, and
innovators in contemporary American erotic literature," according to Susie Bright. RT
Magazine awarded her Career Achievement in Erotic Romance in 2015 and their
prestigious Pioneer Award. Tan's BDSM romance novel Slow Surrender (Hachette/Forever,
2013) also won the RT Reviewers Choice Award in Erotic Romance and the Maggie Award
for Excellence from the Georgia Romance Writers chapter of RWA. She lives in the
Boston area with her lifelong partner Corwin and three cats.
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The latest volume in the award-winning web serial about coming out and coming
of age in the music business of the 1980s and 1990s.
As the calendar moves from 1990 to 1991, Daron Marks is trying to stay true to his
heart.
But life is tough when you're a talented musician whose life is controlled by
gigantic mega-corporations. Daron is trying hard not to think about that, though,
when he invites Ziggy to spend Christmas with Daron's chosen family: his mentor Remo
and the guys from the band Nomad. Ziggy's career is taking off at rocket speed;
meanwhile Daron spends a few months living in New York City working with one of the
music industry's hottest producers and then takes a gig to hit the road with Nomad.
Even with the industry pulling them in different directions, Daron and Ziggy's paths
keep crossing. Can they rebuild a relationship without music tying them together? And
what is that mysterious song Daron keeps hearing on the radio?
Volume 8 cover chapters 585 through 636 of the online web serial.
Read an
Excerpt
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