Friday 19 October 2012

The Alpha Male Blog Hop

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So what is it that draws us to the alpha male? Did we all read too many fairytales as children or watch Indiana Jones once too often in our impressionable youth? Or is it left over ancient response which is embedded in our psyche? The response that told us long ago to find and stand next to the biggest, strongest warrior to elevate our survival chances?

We all know that the guy next door who works in IT with the cute nerdy glasses is clever, sweet and compassionate. He is the logical... even the intelligent choice for a mate. So why do our eyes follow the badass on the motor bike or the trades man with the developed chest and arms?
 

What makes these guys... these alpha males so enticing? And why has womankind found them so compelling from the beginning of time? Let us put physical attributes aside, an alpha male must have more to his repertoire than merely strength and good looks. Perhaps it’s his ability to take charge of the situations and be seen as a ‘man of action’.  He is seen as a leader, a man that will figure out the solution to whatever problem arises. He takes risks, he is an adventurer and has a solid code of ethics. Or maybe we are attracted to him because he is willing to fight for what he believes in. 

In my books my heroes are all alpha males, but they are driven by very different things. In The Trinket Seller’s Daughter, Lord Allard de Gerril is motivated with revenge and bringing a murderous band of outlaws to justice.


Lord William Reynard from Capturing Bliss is hounded by his desire to prove his worth. As a reward for an act of bravery, the once landless knight finds himself the lord of Foxwoods Hall and married to an heiress. Yet he is compelled to show the world and himself that he is worthy of the honour.
 

In Until the Stars Burn Cold, Jinn Ladarius does everything for love. He is willing to sacrifice himself for the woman he loves, time and time again.
 


I am giving away a pdf copy of Until The Stars Burn Cold. So please leave a comment and your email address to be in the running.

Added to that, Carrie Ann has organized three overall prizes for the Alpha Male Hop. To enter you have to leave a comment & your email address on each leg of the hop. The more places you comment, the more chances you have.

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!

 

Now, the prize booty is open to international hoppers but if you are a non US resident and win, the first prize will come in the form of an Amazon or B&N Gift Card. Also, unfortunately the 3rd prize of swag is only eligible to those within the US. The reason – sorry, the postage is just way too expensive.


Thanks so much for hopping by and joining in the fun. I hope you discover new stories, new authors and why we all love an Alpha Male!


 
Here is a snippet from Until The Stars Burn Cold.

 An antiques dealer gets far more than she bargained for, when she discovers an ancient ring. This is Jinn & Mia’s first meeting – I hope you like it.

Best Wishes,

Nicole  x


Mia stirred as a loud rumble of thunder echoed over her house. She cracked open one eye ever so slightly. A flash of lightning illuminated her bedroom wall. She relaxed back into her soft mattress and closed her eyes. She was warm, comfortable and content, and as sleep threatened to reclaim her once more she wondered if it would be possible to reconnect with the delicious and vivid dream she had been having. Parts of it were beginning to disappear and she tried to hold onto the details.

There had been a man, a beautiful man with wide shoulders and lovely brown eyes and he had been kissing her. Mia let herself begin to drift, she was floating, barely conscious of her surroundings as she snuggled deeper beneath her quilt. Yet there was a nagging in the back of her brain that something was amiss. The edgy feeling told her to wake up but her body rebelled and her breath began to deepen. She reasoned that it was nothing to be concerned about; the dream coupled with the oncoming storm had disturbed her and nothing more. That was until she felt a large hand hook around her waist and pull her closer to a warm mass that engulfed her back. Biting back a scream she pushed the hand away and flung herself off the bed. She turned, faced the bed and fear, shock and amazement blended together in a tight ball in her stomach as she saw that there was a man in her bed.

A weak shaft of light pierced the darkness and she could see he was lying on his side stretched out on top of the quilt, with his arm flung across the bed. He was reaching for where Mia had been dreaming only a moment or two ago. It was then that she realized with a little relief that he was fully clothed. He wore long dark green trousers tucked into soft leather boots that ran halfway up his calf and a deep cream shirt under a leather jerkin. 

Mia stumbled across the corner of the room, grabbing the tall, metal floor lamp. She yanked at the cord and pulled the plug out of the socket. The cream silk shade fell off and rolled towards the door. Flicking on the bedroom light gave her a little comfort; at least now she could see exactly what she was up against. She edged towards the bed and looked down at her intruder.

She saw the way the man’s chest softly rose and fell. His eyes were closed and his features were relaxed. Feeling a little braver, Mia took one tentative step back towards the bed and studied the stranger’s face. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and a square jaw. His golden brown complexion was offset by his long dark hair.

Mia held the lamp in front of her like a staff. Taking a deep breath, she wished her heart would stop racing. She pushed the lamp forward and jabbed at the stranger’s shoulder.

 “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my bed?”

 

Available from Amazon, Pink Petal Books, Barnes & Noble, BookStrand, All Romance, Smashwords & Coffee Time Romance & More.


Links –





 

TO RETURN TO CARRIE ANN’S BLOGSPOT – please click link below.


 The comment button for this blog is located at the very bottom of the post. Thanks!

Images
BIGSTOCK
The Trinket Seller’s Daughter – Pink Petal Books/Winterheart Design
Capturing Bliss & Until the Stars Burn Cold – Pink Petal Books/ Tibbs Design

Disclaimer Comment by 11:59:59 PM Eastern time on 22nd October, 2012 for your chance to win. Winners will be selected randomly using a Random.org. Winners will be contacted by the blog owner. Only one entry per ISP address. The contest is open to international readers. No purchase necessary to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Void where prohibited.

59 comments:

  1. My favorite alpha male is more like a family of them...The Mackenzie's created by Linda Howard are my favorite ones...but I also love the Doms in Cherise Sinclair's Shadowlands series.
    my email is: qwilliarain AT gmail DOT com

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  2. Hi Qwillia, the more the merrier! I always liked The Mackades (Nora Roberts), The Mallorys (Johanna Lindsey)& Anne Gracie's Devil Riders - just to name a few. :)

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  3. my favorite alpha is hart mackenzie by jennier ashley

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  4. Thanks so much for dropping by, Laurie. :)

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  5. Great excerpt, Nicole!
    Congrats :)

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  6. thanks for being part of the alpha party! sstogner1 at gmail dot com

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  7. Hi Sharon, thanks for hopping by. :)

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  8. Alpha males are pretty wonderful :)
    cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  9. Thanks for doing this. xstitchdiva at att dot net

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  10. It looks really interesting! Can't wait to read it.
    phaedracamille@gmail.com

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  11. Great post! Love reading about alpha males!
    Thanks for being part of this fun blog hop!
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

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  12. I love Alphas, because I need someone as confident and dominant as me to be an equal in our relationship - I hate the feeling as if partner is less powerful than me and cannot make it without me.

    My favourite Alpha male is Gabriel from Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate, because he's strong, confident and willing to fight for what he wants.

    Thanks for doing this!

    Rachel (oceanrebel333 [at] gmail [dot] com)

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  13. Theoretically, I'd love to find a hot guy in my bed one day - realistically, I'm glad I'm just reading about it :)

    Thanks for sharing the excerpt and for participating in the hop!

    dmr8888 at yahoo dot com

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  14. The alpha male is strong ,sexy and cares for his loved ones.
    r.d1@myfairpoint.net

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  15. Why I love Alpha Males is no real surprise! The perfect Alpha Male for me could be a Vampire, a Scottish Laird, an English Rogue/Gentleman, a Werewolf or Shape-shifter, or a Knight. He’s the rogue who thinks he can’t be reformed into a gentleman. He’s the rough and scarred Scottish laird that has a heart of gold. He’s the werewolf or shape-shifter that needs to heal an aching heart because it took him years to find his true mate. He’s the vampire who has waited decades for that special someone’s blood to sing to him and wake him up. And he’s the knight who can defeat the enemy with a quick swing of his sword, but can’t see the love in front of his face. My Alpha Male has eyes that can see into your soul and are as blue as the sea, or as black as a storm. He’s tall and brooding. His heart can enfold you into its grasp and make you fall in love when he gives it to you freely and completely. He is protective and passionate. In the end he is the one that makes your heart jump and butterflies fly in your stomach, and still kiss you until your legs melt!

    Angelheart618@gmail.com

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  16. Thanks for the great post and the chance to win!
    sqwalker2@gmail.com

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  17. Thank you for the wonderful post and the giveaway! Alpha Males are my absolute favorites! They're strong, confident, protective, sometimes a bit bossy, and of cource sexy!

    verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Yes they are... and we wouldn't have them any other way. Thanks for commenting :)

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  18. Thanks for joining the alpha hop.
    sunshinetoy2004@yahoo.com

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  19. Thanks for hopping! And your excerpts were quite fun to read.

    rfg dot wwe at gmail dot com

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  20. Hi & thanks for taking the time to comment :)

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  21. I love the excerpt you posted! I think my reaction would probably be similar. :) Thanks for the giveaway.

    Jyl22075 at gmail.com

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  22. Love the alpha males
    sugerlady@aol.com

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  23. I love my alpha man to be Dominant yet have a sense of humor. He is loyal, protective, and isn’t afraid to enjoy the small things in life.
    mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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  24. Hi Nicole,

    Doing the Alpha Male blog hop! I‘m excited to be a part of this hop! A perfect opportunity to meet new authors! It’s always fun trying to visit as many sites as possible!

    I love alpha heroes who are take charge men! I'm not talking about obnoxious bullies! They are loyal, loving, caring and protective. They have sexy looks, brains, money and a commanding presence that draws people. When they find their mates and fall in love they will move heaven and earth to stake their claim. This is exciting to watch even when they are not sure why they have to have or be with this particular person. An awesome love dance! It’s definitely addicting to read.



    Thanks for the opportunity to meet you, explore your site and win some great prizes.

    Belinda G

    belgre@comcast.net

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    Replies
    1. Hi Belinda, I'm so happy that you could drop by. :)

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  25. Great hop!

    Thanks for the chance!

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  26. I love that Alpha Males are as fun to read about as they are to write about! My favorite quality in an Alpha Male is confidence.
    j.lennidorner AT facebook DOT com

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  27. Hi Cassandra, thanks for stopping by.:)

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  28. Thanks for being a part of the blog hop. i love how powerful, fierce and passionate alpha males can be.

    raynekitten@gmail.com

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  29. Thanks for taking the time to comment. :)

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  30. Alpha males are the best….strong, independent, fiercely protective, but on the inside they are nothing but a big ol’ teddy bear! I love the way their mouths talk filthy, but their eyes portray their sensitive sweet. They can be rough and tough in the bedroom, but still have the gentle caress of an attentive and protective lover. It's all in the heart.....alpha males are the best!

    Jack Gordon from Liz Crowe's REALTOR series rocks!

    Thanks for participating in the hop!

    molly at reviewsbymolly dot com

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  31. OMG love the excerpt...
    Alpha males are the cat's meow.

    koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

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    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks so much Michelle. I'm so glad you liked it. :)

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  32. I love alphas! Strong, Sexy and Smart!
    awesome blog hop!
    susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

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  33. I love Alpha Males with a hidden soft side, that are strong, fiercely protective, take-charge, and sexy with a little dark n' dangerous thrown in! I have so many favs, it is hard to pick just one! mygirls01@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. :)

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  34. My favourite Alpha is Adam from Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson novels. Thanks for being in the hop!

    jochibi AT yahoo DOT com

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  35. Thanks so much for hopping by, Jo. :)

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  36. Hi Shadow, thanks for stopping by. :)

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