Friday, June 12, 2009

Ordinary Janes and Joes

I was up pretty late last night with one of my critique partners and we were talking about the lack of ordinary Janes and Joes in books. You know what I mean. So often our heroes are rich CEO or financiers or they are swashbuckling soldiers, SEALS or Rangers. Heck, I even have a firefighter book coming soon.

But what's the deal with this? Where have the waitresses and school teachers gone? Why don't we have a few heroines here and there who flip burgers at Mickey D's. I mean, we would connect with these people struggling to make a living, wouldn't we?

They are ordinary women looking for love just like the rest of us and unfortunately they are scarce these days in women's fiction. I don't know about you guys but I would love to read a book about the waitress who finds love with the rough, tough carpenter or auto mechanic. I've seen a few of them lately but not enough, let me tell ya.

I've actually been toying with the idea of doing a series of stories about modern day oil field hands. Roughnecks, Drillers and Roustabouts. I mean, why not?

Also getting a bit tired of reading heroines who are supermodels, actresses or just outrageously beautiful. Isn't ordinary good enough for us anymore?

Okay. Nuff of my rant. Just sayin', ya know. Why don't we keep things more real? Most women aren't a size two with perfectly formed features. Most guys don't have thick swatches of silky hair, perfect abs and pecs, and drive Jags. What's wrong with a little reality? Our readers might just enjoy that for a change.

Kudos to Kelley on the release of Caliente, a multi author anthology available at Parker Publishing. WOOHOO, Kell!!!

When a girl wants Hot and Spicy she finds herself a Latin Lover.

In J.M. Jeffries’s Partners in Crime Vincent Mendoza is a CIA agent in charge of his first mission. He must liberate some top secret documents and he turns to jailed cat burglar Cleo Harris to help him. To gain her freedom, she must help the sexy agent. Little does Vincent know that the beautiful thief will steal his heart in the process?

In Monique Lamont’s Instructing Layla Marcelo Alcindor can’t believe after six years his old dance partner Layla Washington is back in his life needing his help. To win a dance contest, reteams with her ex lover promising herself she will not let the passion they feel for dance lead to the bedroom again. But Marcelo teaches Layla that love is the greatest dance of all.

In Kelley Nyrae’s Wanting Mia Two months ago Mia Hamilton spotted a handsome man she wanted for a weekend fling, but he turned her down. Antonio Rojas has wanted Mia from the first moment he saw her, but he was other wised engaged until recently. He finds the object of his desire determined to make her his and he not taking no for an answer.

In Simone Harlow’s Julia’s Second Act Once hot Hollywood agent, Julia Wade’s career is on a downward spiral. Not so A-list actor Matt Valdez is trying to recharge his career, but all he seems to be interested is his sexy new agent. She trying to get him noticed and he wants to get her into his bed. Who will win in this battle of the hearts?

http://www.parker-publishing-shopping.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=181

20 comments:

Kenzie Michaels said...

How about a cafe owner? I've got some submissions in the works where the heroines are jewelry desdigners; manager of a riding stable; chef-in-training; and seamstress/handicrafts maker. And my alter ego has some pretty interesting choices of careers in her Arbor U series, hehehe...

Kelley Nyrae said...

I love those everyday people. A lot of my heroes are calloused hand, hard working men. My erotic series they are three brothers who works construction. I love those kinds of heroes. I love everyday heroines too.

Unknown said...

My hero in Splashing Good Time is just a pool boy! Well, he owns a pool company. He works hard. Nothing glamorous. Kelley's new release looks awesome!

Regina Carlysle said...

Yeah, Kenzie, that's what I'm talking about. My latest heroine is an accountant. HA

Regina Carlysle said...

Hey Kelley! I was thinking about some of your heroes when I wrote this. And since you are a CALLOUSED HAND LOVER...lol, I knew you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. Love carpenters and men who work with their hands.

Happy Release day Again!

Regina Carlysle said...

I remember that, Tina. A pool guy, perfect!

Teri Thackston said...

My erotic paranormals have everyday people--okay a few of them are ghosts, but ordinary ghosts, ya know?

But it does seem that many books have "extraordinary" characters. I'm going to give that some thought for my next romantic suspense. Thanks, Rita!

Regina Carlysle said...

Thanks for the comment, Teri. These days I'm trying to make a concious effort to make my h/h a bit more ordinary in looks and profession and putting more emphasis on emotion/struggles/integrity/character. I mean, what's wrong with that? That doesn't mean I'm purposely making them unattractive but just REAL and more identifiable.

Anonymous said...

I love reading and writing about regular people.
Tessie Bradford

Unknown said...

I know what you mean. The heroine of one my stories is an accounting manager and in another, a nurse. I think that the glamorous careers spouted from decades of earlier romances where the heroine was always a teacher, secretary, etc., a career that was deemed socially acceptable for women. Since I do know more secretaries and auto mechanics than I ever will SEALS, I'd like to see more of them in romance.

Julia Barrett said...

Love this post. My heroines are usually nurses. Two are artists. One is rich because she tragically came into an inheritance, one is just scraping by as a teaching assistant. In my WIP - which so far nobody wants - my heroine cleans and cooks for a living. My hero in this WIP came out of the projects in Chicago and pulled himself up by his own tough bootstraps. Guess everyone wants a vamp/were/shifter/fae king/queen/multi-millionaire/playboy/Barbie....
There's nothing as fun as reading a great paranormal, but I do so love characters I can identify with.

Regina Carlysle said...

I think you can get away with a LOT more with paranormals because, hey, these are otherworldly characters anyway. In contemps though,I love the idea of of ordinary people. I think it's good to show that everyday people can dream big too.

anny cook said...

Heh. My current wips... have a peddler (fantasy), adult ed teacher (vampire), auto mechanic (contemp) with heroines that are herbalist (fantasy), waitress (vampire), and medical billing supervisor (contemp). The other wip have a h/h that are just trying to survive an apocalyptic plague by doing whatever's necessary.

I find ordinary people overcoming or surviving or dealing with ordinary problems are more interesting. Even in my other books, I believe the only one that had a "CEO" personality was Kama Sutra Lovers. And that fellow had some problems, didn't he?

Mia Watts said...

My current work has a hero who is average and yet extraordinary to the love interest. He's the common man most overlook, whom you see and may not remember his name. It's been interesting to draw out the individual traits that make him unique to the love interest.

Word Actress said...

In a way we are all ordinary people at our core just trying to get by the best way we know how. The trappings and accomplishments of our lives may indicate otherwise but we all want the same things -love, joy and someone to 'get' us. It is in the pursuit of those things that things can get messy. But I'll bet our readers wouldn't have it any other way! Fun topic... Mary Kennedy Eastham, Author,'The Shadow of a Dog I Can't Forget' and the upcoming novel, 'Night Surfing'

JacquƩline Roth said...

I think even in paranormal and fantasy you can still pay tribute to the "average guy". I've done one about a male nurse, a carpenter...okay, two carpenters, etc. Even my paranormal guys are just guys with normal everyday jobs for the most part. I think there is something to say for a hero who could easily be the guy sitting next to you a the cafe or on the bus.

Fran Lee said...

Hey...my heroines are pretty ordinary...except in the minds and eyes of the hero! When a man gets the idea in mind that a woman is gorgeous even if she has cellulite and uneven teeth, it's love.

Regina Carlysle said...

...a guy on the bus. I love it! Fun to imagine.

You know, I remember a guy from high school that I just LOVED. He was soooo ordinary looking, almost homely but there was just something soooo different about him. YOu got the idea he really listened to every word and found each one fascinating. Wonder what happened to him?

Anne Rainey said...

I love the ordinary people. And I agree we can connect with them much better!

Anonymous said...

OH BTW. ANY OF JT SCHULTZ'S IN HYSTERICAL. I AM READING NERDS LIKE IT HOT BY VICKIE LEWIS THOMPSON THAT I LOVE AND DEE S. KNIGHT IS GOOD PLUS ANY OF CATHERINE CHERNOW AND CATHERINE STANG AS WELL AS SALLY PAINTER!

HOTCHA