Welcome Guest Author J.A. Saare

Hello and Greetings! Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I appreciate the opportunity to share with everyone and say hello. My name is Jaime, but I go by the moniker J.A. Saare.

Now, onto the alpha vs beta hero thing…

Back in the eighties, I read my first romance novel. The hero–Mr. Brandon Birmingham from the timeless classic The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss–was relentless, intimidating, and bit of a butthead. At that time, I was a confused braced-faced thirteen-year old that huffed, “I’d never let you treat me like that, Bran”. Of course, even as I said this, I continued reading along, eager for the moment when Brandon got hip to how awesome Heather was and stopped being such a goober. When the moment finally arrived, I confess, I fell in love with Bran. After all, no man is perfect. Those problems with sharing, temperament, and possessiveness were just made to be overlooked. We all have our flaws, and besides, Bran was one incredible hunk of man flesh!

Hubba-freaking-bubba, you gotta love the alpha male.

I must have read romance for a solid six to seven years after that, noting the same thing time and again. The woman had to be beautiful and in some kind of distress (sure there are rocks in every batch of diamonds, but the general rule applies), and the hero had to be hot, muscular, totally hocking male, and always in control. Writers would deviate with the story and plot, but never those two elements. Not that I was complaining. Who doesn’t want to snare the “unattainable” hero? Or in the very least, read about it?

Then one day, as if God heard the feminist prayer of my rebellious heart, a genre called urban fantasy lured me away from romance and directed my attention to a newer, more bad-ass, heroine. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake didn’t need an alpha male. She had her own problems executing vampires and raising the dead. Even when she dated Richard–the Ulfric of the werewolf pack and one sexy mo-fo–she wouldn’t back down. She was her own army of one. You wanted a piece of her action, you got in line, buddy. Ultimately, she got her Johnson courtesy of Mr. Ma Petite himself, a vampire that had no qualms about taking the back seat and waiting his turn for a chance to get inside Anita’s knickers–the vampire Jean Claude. And thus, the beta male made my introduction and acquaintance.

Fast forward some years later.

I decided it was time to return to what I endearingly refer to as ‘smut-dom’. Anita was all well and good, but I missed the love, the angst, and the drama (and there is only so much romance you can get out of a series when your heroine is getting around like a bad cold). A cover snagged my attention–a big white full moon and a hot guy cradling a girl to his chest–and the title wasn’t too bad either, A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. Why not? I thought, snatching up the book and carrying it to the register at the local B&N. Much like Bran, Lachlain wasn’t very nice. In fact, he was kind of an asshole. Still…he was devilishly hot, ruthless, and absolutely possessive when it came to his female. What more could a hot-blooded woman ask for?

I hadn’t missed much in the romance drought, I decided, but was intrigued enough to purchase the next in the series, No Rest for the Wicked. My-oh-my, to my utter shock and delight, I met Sebastian Wroth. A strong, gorgeous, and totally sexy…beta male. He wasn’t better than Lachlain, but he was different, and when I finished the story, I’d found one of my favorite romance heroes ever.

Most readers will say they are all about alpha men, and I don’t blame them. There is something irresistible about a man that will not be deterred and will only react to situations in his own way, on his own terms. But I do think people are beginning to sway from the A to the B side of the fence, yours truly included. After all, a beta by definition is someone that can step up to the plate at anytime and prove his worth. Isn’t there something equally seductive about a man that has the self-control necessary to watch, observe, and care for others versus thinking primarily of number uno?

Times have changed, women have changed, and with that shift in the dynamic comes a whole need breed of hero. Nowadays, women want a partner, an equal.

Just think about this...

Once upon a time, men wouldn’t be caught dead waxing their pits and chest. Now? It’s just another day at the salon. Out with the old and in with the new! The Magnum P.I. chest hair and a thick impressive stache’ is no longer attractive (sorry Tom). Nor are the heroes that club the heroine over the head and drag her away to the hut. That Neanderthal thing went out of style a long time ago.

Just as the Geico caveman.

Now it’s your turn. Share your thoughts about alpha v/s beta. Do you prefer an alpha hero? Or do beta men get your motor running?

Happy Reading!

Jaime AKA J.A. Saare

A Kiss Before Dying Blurb:

Katja Morgan has committed the ultimate taboo in the life of a blood slave; she has fallen in love with her master. Vampire Lord Sebastian Arsov is everything she has ever wanted - gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, kind. As their time together nears an end, she carefully constructs the ruse that will allow her to belong to her shellar in both body and soul.

But sharing an evening with her beloved comes at a high price - the cost of her life.

Disguised as a bed slave, Katja enters Sebastian's chambers to experience the pleasures she's been long denied. Including the bite that will ultimately kill her - what slaves refer to as a kiss before dying. As the night fades into the day, will Sebastian discover Katja's true identity before it's too late? Or will he lose the slave he's come to love above all others?

A Kiss Before Dying Excerpt:

The large oak door opened with a protest of squeaking hinges, interrupting my thoughts and memories, and Sebastian entered the bedchamber. His massive frame took up a large portion of the bedroom, as did his tremendous presence. He pulled the door closed behind him, walked to the center of the room, and stood before me.

I knew what to expect. I had seen him come to those fortunate enough to grace his bed in those early days of my tenure, exiting just before the females doomed to die glorified in the last dizzying moments of pure bliss. For though they partook in the pleasures of his body, it was I who shared a portion of his mind, and the only reprieve I was allotted from his chamber was when he entertained.

As required, I donned a black mask embossed with blood red jewels that revealed only my cherry-stained lips and darkly kohled chocolate brown eyes, which worked in my favor to keep my identity hidden. Many of the lords preferred to think of their bed partners as little more than disposable pleasures. None of them enjoyed killing, even when it was necessary. The mask also held an enchantment, obscuring my unique scent. Otherwise, Sebastian would easily recognize the aroma of my blood and, by association, my identity.

To continue with the illusion, I chose a long, pale blonde wig to disguise the brunette waves collected underneath. Sebastian loved my hair. He claimed it was a prize of its own. Masking those heavy strands was as important as obscuring my face.

He continued standing there, observing me with a trained and critical eye. He was covered by only the most expensive materials, each piece custom fit to conform to his frame perfectly. The black jacket molded to his wide shoulders was left open along the center to reveal the crisp white shirt beneath with pearly white buttons opened at the collar.

"Rise," he murmured in his thick, rich voice, slightly accented and entirely erotic.

The mere word caused my thin panties to become drenched with hot liquid arousal. I began to shiver, goose bumps gathering along the surface of my skin. Wantonly, I envisioned the lips that uttered the word against my breasts, sucking and nipping playfully. My nipples, aching and sensitive, hardened at the prospect, and I shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

Scenting my desire, Sebastian chuckled at my reaction. "Rise, little beauty, and come to me."

This time, I did.