Tales from the Dark Side...of Love Giveaway: Carmen DeSousa on Dark Male Protagonists

Almost two hundred readers across the US and UK love my first male protagonist, Jordan, giving him four and five stars for an average rating of four stars. And since I see little about my female protagonist, I’m guessing he’s the one stirring up all the commotion—good and bad. Heck, even a couple of the readers who gave She Belongs to Me four or five stars think he’s controlling.

Hmm…not sure if that’s good or bad, but I’m thinking when a written character brings out such powerful emotions in readers, it must be a good thing, right?

Since I care about what my readers think, though—all of them, even the minority—I recently re-read my first novel again, ready and willing to understand what made Jordan so darn dark and controlling. Maybe it’s because I like a strong, powerful man, but I still don’t see it. Simply put, my male protagonist is a police detective, owns a construction company, and he’s accustomed to taking control—that’s the way I wrote him.

Unlike most authors, I’m going to quote the one and two-star reviews, because what some of these readers hate about my main man, you may like.

“As the title implies, Jordan "owns" his wife…”

Well, this is silly in my mind. Never once does Jordan indicate that he ‘owns’ his wife. But…I’ve been married 24 years, and I do call my hubby ‘my man’, and I do own him. I dare a woman to try to take him. Okay…so maybe I’m feistier than the reviewer, and maybe I want my man to want me to belong to him, but hey…I did title the book She Belongs to Me… J

“His take-charge attitude is accepted and appreciated by everybody.”

Again, sue me…I like a man to drive…everything. ;) No, I’m not into whips and chains, and there isn’t one ounce of physical abuse or sexual domineering in my books. But, I also think there are too many men who can’t make simple decisions. I love it when my man arranges a wonderful night for me.

“Jordan treats Jaynee like a possession, making all the decisions.”

I guess I just don’t understand… I don’t want to give away any secrets in case you want to read She Belongs to Me. BUT…Jordan makes one HUGE decision to surprise Jaynee, something that she already told him she’d didn’t need. In real life…really…I’ll have to take a poll, I guess, because I can’t see women being upset if their husband surprised them as he did. In fact, I hear that complaint all the time… ‘My husband’s not spontaneous enough…’

 

Someone else on Goodreads went as far as to say that she thought the characters were similar to Fifty Shades of Grey. Well, I don’t read or write erotica, so I can’t admit or deny that accusation, but I assure you, there is never any physical or sexual manipulation in my books. But, there were also readers who said the writing was G rated and others who called it ‘Mommy Porn’. I think that just proves that we all have different tastes. But, if you’re still here, I’m thinking, like me, you have an interest in a strong, take charge, but gentle country boy.

She Belongs to Me may be a bit on the dark side, but I assure you it is a love story with a mystery threaded through the entire novel. And believe it or not, a lot of the story is based on true events, but I’ll leave that to your imagination. The good news… It’s my very first novel, so I offer it FREE to all readers.

 Oh…here’s one more review… One of my favs. I think she sums up Jordan perfectly.

“I tend to favor over-the-top erotic love scenes in my reading, and much to my genuine surprise, the fact that this book did not include them didn't detour me from the story. The love between the two main characters was so intriguing and real… Jordan is a handsome, down-to-earth, God-fearing, wealthy cowboy! (Don't you just love that combination!) He's taken by Jaynee when he first meets her and makes the decision that will change their lives forever.”

So…if you like a strong, but gentle lead who’d lay down his life for the woman he loves, and a sensual and gripping romantic suspense that will keep you guessing whodunit right up to the last page, give She Belongs to Me a whirl.

 

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Bianca’s Note: I love a strong male protagonist; of course I love strong characters, period.  I may have been known to throw a book or two across the room due to wishy-washy-not-that-smart protagonists.

Thanks to Carmen for giving us her take on her popular protagonist and for offering an eBook copy of Creatus.  Enter below for your chance to win!

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