Picture found at WikipediaEliot Stabler-the alpha hero, as far as I’m concerned. No, I’m not in lust with him and I don’t drool over him. He’s average looking, IMO.
The guy faces off with a child molestor and you can just hear the thoughts going on in his head…he wants that bastard dead, plain and simple. But he wears a badge and he believes in what he does. He loves his kids, he loves his wife, although their marriage goes beyond rocky and he would die for his partner, Benson. In keeping with the show, Stabler’s character is intense, broody and not without a little bit of violence. He’s flawed and that’s one of the things I love the most about his character. He ain’t perfect.
Alphas shouldn’t be perfect. They don’t have to be gorgeous, or rich, or in the ultimate physical condition to be alpha. Alpha has nothing to do with looks.
Nope, the alpha hero is about the guy’s attitude, his personal moral code, how he treats others and how he treats himself. It has nothing to do with being a domineering ass, and sadly, that’s the way a lot of supposedly alpha heroes come off. Most of the heroes I’ve enjoyed the most in romances have a little of alpha, a little of beta in them. Alpha because they are generally confident, they’ll lay down their lives to protect those they love, they aren’t afraid to fight. Beta, because they aren’t perfect and they know that. They know they may not always be right and they accept that. They make mistakes, they have a sense of humor, they aren’t afraid to realize that they have emotions and they aren’t convinced that just because they have a penis, it means they know everything. They aren’t so arrogant that if I ever met their real life double that I’d just as soon strangle them as look at them. They might even have some of those insecurities that make them seem real.
Very few writers can write a domineering alpha male and still reel me in enough that I love the book. Lora Leigh is one of them-her heroes are pure alpha, no doubt about it. If I ever met one of her Breeds, I’d be tempted to dump sugar in his gas tank, Nair in his shampoo, or maybe even just strangle him. Make no mistake, I love to read about them, but put in a room with a guy who just bowls over everybody and expects me to tolerate it…..hmmmmmm…. nooooooo. No, no, no.
Another alpha, although a much smoother alpha, would be Roarke from the JD Robb books. As much as I love the Robb books, I wouldn’t want Roarke in my life for anything. He’s too perfect. Being around that much perfection would only highlight my own flaws and I’m all too aware of them.
Lora Leigh’s Breeds and JD Robb’s Roarke are a couple examples of the ultimate alpha hero, or at least to me, but not too many writers can pull it off like they do. I’ve read books where it seems authors are trying to mimic the intensity of Lora’s Breeds. I’ve read books where a suave, sexy millionaire comes onto the scene and he’s oh so perfect in pretty much every way, and while that is basically Roarke’s profile, they don’t appeal to me in the same way Roarke does.
Alpha heroes are a lot of fun to read, if the author does it right. But don’t try to mimic somebody’s success because it can’t be done. Nobody else can write a hero like one of the Breeds. Nobody else will ever create another Roarke. Instead of shooting for the ult in alphas, I think some writers would be better off creating a more realistic hero-even in the paranormal crazed market we’re in. Give him a little less intensity. Give him flaws. Give him a sense of humor and give him some hang ups. I tend to relate to the heroines when I read and if the heroine is less than perfect and the hero is just so shiny and pretty and wonderful, it’s probably going to lessen my enjoyment.