Guest Post with Author Jillian Stone and Giveaway

Today I am happy to welcome back to RFTC author Jillian Stone. Jillian is celebrating the release of her newest book A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis and has stopped by to chat about Alpha and Beta heroes. Before I give the floor over to Jillian, let's get to know a bit about her.

Jillian Stone’s Victorian Romantic Suspense novel AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY won the 2010 RWA Golden Heart and is the first novel in The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series for Pocket Books. Her sexy, supernatural Steampunk novel, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK, won the 2010 Romance Through The Ages Erotica category and sold to Kensington Brava. Jillian lives in California and is currently working on the next adventure for both series.

Places to find Jillian:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | 

In Praise of Beta Heroes with Alpha Traits and Alpha Heroes with Beta Traits

I would describe Rafe Lewis, hero in A DANGEROUS LIAISON WITH DETECTIVE LEWIS, as a beta male with strong alpha traits in the risk taker, bravery and courage personality sector. In all other ways Rafe is a pretty solid beta male––the type of man most woman want to settle down with in real life.

I must admit I gravitate toward the alpha hero in romance fiction. According to new research in the journal of Nature Communication, women rate guys with high levels of testosterone and stronger immune responses as more attractive, which must be some sort of genetic hangover to our cave women days. That, along with the way our bodies like to store body fat! Alpha males make for hot romance heroes, but in reality alpha males are almost never the settle down types. Example: George Clooney

To continue on the negative side, P.Kirby, urban fantasy and paranormal romance author, has characterized the alpha male as all muscle/brute force and emotionally constipated. Could it be those muscular naked torsos suck up oxygen that would have otherwise gone to their brain? Alpha’s are born leaders all right, but are they known for their loyalty? Oh, I think we get it––alpha men may marry, but they’re still not the settle-down types. When I write an alpha male like Mr. Kennedy in AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY, I always infuse him with a few solid beta qualities, like: brains and emotional maturity to make him an extra delicious hero!

P. Kirby’s take on the beta hero (which I happen to agree with) is that he is “more of a thinking man/woman’s hero. He won’t or can’t rely on muscle and instead uses his brain to save the day. But the beta hero is still a hero. And better yet, freed of all the stupid conventions of macho-hero-dom, he is allowed a healthy range of human emotions.”

As I see the beta man he is just as brave and full of daring-do as the alpha, and just as worthy. In fact, he’s the kind of man who can team up with a female and not feel the need to dominate or control. In that respect, he comes off as self-assured and confident about himself. A beta readily accepts a woman as his equal. Having proven his mettle in AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY, Detective Rafe Lewis has earned himself his own love story and crime to solve in the just released, A DANGEROUS LIAISON WITH DETECTIVE LEWIS.

If you think about it, most great alpha heroes incorporate solid beta traits and beta heroes can be just as brave and daring-do as any alpha male...it just comes down to how they’re written. ;)

Here’s a question for commenters: Name your favorite alpha or beta hero trait: Bravery, muscle, compassion, intelligence, muscle, courage, leadership, cleverness, loyalty...?

Thanks to Ramblings from this Chick, for inviting me to blog today!

When Fanny Greyville-Nugent's father suffers a gruesome death in the clutches of his own machine, mourning his loss is not the beautiful heiress's only heartbreak. Scotland Yard is convinced he was targeted in a plot to halt the rise of industry, and Fanny's former fiancé, dashing and dubious detective Raphael "Rafe" Lewis, has been assigned to the case.

For the estranged ex-lovers, bringing the notorious assassins to justice proves as tumultuous as quelling pent-up desires. Fighting peril and passion at every turn of a dangerous journey from Edinburgh to London, they are pursued by an anarchist group hell-bent on destroying her father's mysterious entry into the London Industrial Exposition.

When an astonishing discovery about the couple's failed engagement surfaces, the sleuthing duo realize they can trust no one. Rafe confesses new details about his infidelity and Fanny risks all to avenge her father's murder. But will Rafe and Fanny triumph over the pain of their past?

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Check out my review here.

Check out the other books in The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series:

 Click on cover for more info.

1 lucky commenter (International Shipping Available) will win a copy of A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis

To Enter:

• Please leave a comment answering Jillian's question: Name your favorite alpha or beta hero trait: Bravery, muscle, compassion, intelligence, muscle, courage, leadership, cleverness, loyalty...?
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

Good Luck =)

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