Elizabeth Heiter | Creating a Swoon-Worthy Hero

Recently, Harlequin created a calendar for 2018 full of heroes, and one of the men featured was Kyle “Mac” McKenzie, a secondary character in my Profiler series. Needless to say, I was thrilled. I’ve always thought of Mac as a great hero, but it got me thinking. What makes a character a standout hero?

Mac isn’t the center of the series. That honor goes to FBI profiler Evelyn Baine, who began the series as a newbie in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. Back then, she was quiet, always observing everything and everyone. She was a naturally talented profiler, but pretty lacking when it came to using those observation skills in her personal life – like noticing Hostage Rescue Team agent Kyle McKenzie was interested in her from day one.

When Mac is first introduced, he’s full of charm, but Evelyn has a hard time taking him seriously. When he stops by the BAU office, he’s always joking around and she assumes his flirting is more of the same. But on the job, he’s one hundred percent serious, and Evelyn learns early on (in HUNTED, the first book in the series), that Mac will be there for her even if she doesn’t ask. (In fact, he’ll be there when she needs him even if she specifically tells him she doesn’t want his help!)

As the series progresses, I think it’s that combination of fun charm on the outside and steadfast loyalty underneath that begins to win Evelyn over. It may be what’s winning readers over, too (who nominated Mac for Harlequin’s Hero of the Year contest, winning him a spot in that calendar!).

By the time of the most recent book in The Profiler series, STALKED, Evelyn and Kyle’s relationship has progressed, and although I imagine there will be bumps in the road for them, I also picture their love affair as never- ending. I hope readers feel the same way!

You can learn more about The Profiler series at www.elizabethheiter.com. For a chance to win a copy of your choice of a signed book in the series, leave a comment below letting me know what you look for in a hero (or heroine)!