TBG:  Silvia Violet will soon be releasing Pressure Points, book 2 of her Pisgah Mountain Wolves series; Denying Yourself is book 1.  Silvia is here today on The Blogger Girls to talk alpha males and what they mean to her.  She is also generously offering up a chance to win one of two ebook copies of Pressure Points or a $25 gift certificate to Dreamspinner Press.

What the Term Alpha Means to Me
by Silvia Violet

I’ve always been drawn to alpha males characters. While the word alpha often conjures up an image of a big, muscular man who could crush his enemies with one hand, to me, what makes a man an alpha is attitude. An alpha character is one who likes to be in charge, thinks the rules don’t apply to him, is truly a good leader even if he has lessons to learn, is strong (be that mentally or physically or emotionally), and has some arrogance issues. Did I just describe Iron Man? He is one of my favorite alpha characters. The snark just adds to the appeal for me.

When I was in my teens, I mostly read historical romance. Again and again, I fell for alpha noblemen (that ones that were always described as having powerful thighs) who had the ability to bring down a highwayman as smoothly as they could swept their partners up in a waltz. As my reading tastes broadened, I grew to love alpha werewolves, dominating vampires, arrogant FBI agents, and sexy space captains who believe they can do no wrong.

Part of what I love about alphas is watching their character development when they come up against obstacles that foil their plans. Alphas expect things to go their way and when a plan fails or someone calls them out for breaking the rules (military regs, civic laws, the rules of physics, etc) they often founder. Not succeeding or being  punished for what they think was the right move wounds them, and they have to rethink, reassess and fight their way back to a place where they are in control once again. I love watching this journey.

Falling in love can is a challenge for an alpha, because for many of them, it’s not in their plans. They believe that needing another person is a weakness, one that they can’t afford even if they crave it. But once they do fall and accept it, they go all in, loving so deeply it rearranges their worldview. This process is one of my favorite things to take my characters through as a writer.

I also love writing in voice of an the alpha male. In part because it is so different from my own. I get to play around with sentiments and scenarios from a very different perspective than I have in my day-to-day life. And I get to go on that journey of realization and growth right there with a man who pushes all my buttons.

Thanks to my reader and/or author Facebook friends who helped me think through this topic!

About Pressure Points

Pressure Points releases here at Dreamspinner press on  March 19, 2014.

About Silvia Violet

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.

Visit Silvia at her Website, Facebook & Twitter 

 A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win one of two ebook copies of Pressure Points or a $25 gift certificate to Dreamspinner Press.

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