#BBF--T.M. Franklin--$25 Giveaway/Guestpost/Review

Find out more about Blogger Book Fair HERE

My Five Fave Fiction Heroes

By T.M. Franklin

They save the day and sweep the girl off her feet. Everybody has a different idea of what makes a fiction hero hot, but we all love the guys who jump off the page and make us swoon. They’re the fiction heroes we love to fall in love with, and they all bring a little something different to the table. Here are my Top Five:

Dark & Broody 

Think Mr. Rochester, Edward Cullen, or Four from Divergent. This guy is mysterious…dangerous. He’s got pain in his past and skeletons in his closet. Back in the day he had dark hair badly in need of a haircut, maybe a little stubble or a scar and a leather jacket or wind-blown cloak. Today add some tattoos and a piercing or two (or three.) But of course, Dark & Broody is also sensitive, deep down inside. Maybe he reads poetry or writes music (not that he wants anyone to know about it.) He’s torn up by his man pain, has trouble talking about his feelings, and perhaps thinks he’s not worthy of love. But in the end, all he really needs is a sweet girl to let him be himself and maybe ride on the back of his motorcycle.

Sweet & Trustworthy

Often, this hero starts off as the girl’s best friend. He’s quiet, but smart. Perhaps a little awkward around the opposite sex. Maybe he pines just a little (or a lot) when the girl doesn’t notice him in that way. He’s sweet and decent – a really good guy, and one you can always depend on. Eventually the girl finally realizes that. Usually after she’s been dumped by the not-so-nice guy she’d spent the whole book pining after herself. Both Gale and Peeta could fall into this category, so Katniss is lucky girl, isn’t she?

Protective & Gritty

He’s brave beyond all reason and puts himself in harm’s way whenever the opportunity comes up. This hero’s mission is to protect the heroine – and pretty much everybody else. Maybe he’s a cop, or a firefighter – or maybe a secret agent. Sure, the heroine might balk against his overprotective nature, but he really can’t help it. He doesn’t give his heart away easily, because he’s always thinking of others before himself, but once he does, this man will fight for the one he loves until his dying breath. Think Superman or James Bond…or that hot detective who fights for justice on the corrupt, mean streets of New York.

Smart & Quirky

He’s the geek, the nerd, the absent-minded professor. The guy who’s so absorbed in his computer or his science lab that he doesn’t even realize the girl’s head over heels, at first. He’s brilliant, but slightly oblivious – he’s got important things on his mind, after all. He doesn’t mind not fitting in – in fact, he relishes it – but he respects a girl who can challenge views of the world and make him take time to smell the roses. TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and Chuck prove what I’ve known all along – nerds are cool! (And cute!)

Hot & Swoony

No list of hot “types” would be complete without the traditional “Alpha Male” hero. He’s the big man on campus, the football hero, the billionaire CEO who falls for the girl at the coffee shop. He’s smart, attractive, confident, and knows how to treat a lady. An innate leader, he’s meets any challenge head-on, and that includes getting the girl. Of course, a lot of girls would be intimidated by this guy – he is pretty much perfect, after all – but he needs one who’s strong and sure of herself. Yeah, that guy over there on the left is who I’ll always picture when I think of this kind of hero. And if you don’t know him, go watch Sixteen Candles.

Right now.

Of course, the best heroes combine bits and pieces from these categories, and others as well. Caleb in MORE, for example, is a bit of a geek – as you can see from the moment Ava first lays eyes on him.

A dark-haired man sat at a table in the center of the room, leaning back in his chair with his legs extended, crossed at the ankles. Since he was the only one in the study area, Ava assumed he was the guy she was looking for. His eyes were closed behind a pair of black-framed glasses, his head tilted back and hands tucked in the pockets of his hoodie. A pair of bright green wires snaked out of the hood, and Ava realized he was listening to music. And possibly asleep. His mouth drifted open on a slight snore.

Okay, definitely asleep.

Unable to resist the opportunity to indulge her curiosity, Ava stepped quietly across the carpet so as not to disturb him. Professor Andrews had said he was a genius—and not a figure of speech kind of genius, but one with an actual I.Q. so high he’d give Einstein a run for his money.

She took a moment to study him, creating a mental checklist cataloging what she saw. Tall. Skinny. Needs a haircut. Too lazy to shave. Kind of cute in a bookish, nerdy way. Still, he didn’t look extraordinarily intelligent—not that she knew what that should look like, anyway.

“You’re late,” he said, not opening his eyes.

-MORE, Chapter 2

But Ava soon realizes there’s a little bit more to Caleb Foster than meets the eye. I have to admit I indulged my own preferences a bit when it came to Caleb – he’s kind of Chuck meets Jake Ryan, with a little touch of Superman thrown in for good measure. For me, the perfect swoony hero!

 So what’s your favorite type of hero? Let me know in the comments!

About T.M. Franklin

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.

Website           |           Facebook         |           Twitter            |           Goodreads     

About MORE

Ava Michaels used to think she was special.

As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.

Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass Physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.

Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.

Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.

She's a little bit more. 

Amazon           |           Barnes & Noble          |           TWCS             |           Kobo               |           iBooks

Rafflecopter Giveaway Widget $25 Amazon Gift Card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Review of More:





More by T.M. Franklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More is just that. The concept of this book was so refreshing! Normally I don't like books that start out inside a dream, but this dream was integral to the plot. It was also heart pounding and an exciting opening for the book.

Ava (the MC) is a down to earth type that is trying to adjust to college. She's had struggles in her life, but she has no idea what is after her.

She's been marked by the Race as a person of interest, and the one person she thinks she can trust might just turn out to be her greatest threat.

I loved the interaction between the characters. The dialogue felt real and added to the charm of the book. The ending had a few logic problems, but that was probably because I expected it to go a different way. It was a great ending, just different than I thought it would be.

I was immersed in the story immediately and had to continue until it was done. I can't wait to see what happens in the story and I will definitely follow this series and this amazing new author.

View all my reviews