How I Created My Anti-Hero
In The Wolf Queen, a twist on Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myth of Lycaon the werewolf, my hero isn’t like the typical one normally found in a romance novel.
Lycaon, having been cursed to live in wolf form, has found a way to change his shape to a human-like body. However, he still has to live in a half-wolf half-man form that frightens away most women. He isn’t what you’d call classically handsome. But that doesn’t make him any less appealing, at least to the heroine of my story. I went back and forth on the decision to make him less than handsome, worried readers might not find him attractive enough. It bugs me though when I see a movie or series where the hero is supposed to be beastly in appearance and it fails to deliver. Example: Beauty and the Beast on CW, a show I like, made the hero too handsome in my opinion. I grew up with the original Beauty and the Beast series in the 1980s. Ron Pearlman played the Beast and he looked the part. It was a very popular show, too, so his appearance didn’t hurt it at all. There is something oddly appealing about a man who is a beast. I like to call it “savagely handsome.” Jason Momoa pulls this off well in Game of Thrones so I used him as a model for Lycaon.
Lycaon in The Wolf Queen is also different from the perfect hero usually found in romance novels because he has a dark past. Zeus cursed him for doing something terrible. Most of the inhabitants of Arcadia hate him. But somewhere inside him is an honorable man, something the heroine awakens.
I hope readers like my anti-hero as much as I do.
Blurb from The Wolf Queen:
A new twist on Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myth of Lycaon the werewolf. A Bronze Age fantasy, adventure, and romance set in Arcadia, the wild forests of the goddess Artemis… Game of Thrones meets The Iliad…
A tormented wolf man… A mysterious girl with a terrible secret…
Alara, a princess from a foreign land, is forced to wed the sorcerer-king Aramon, a power-hungry warlord, who discovers her dark secret and wants to use her to create an invincible army. When she meets Lycaon, she must decide if she should trust the cursed, tormented half-man half-wolf who might be her enemy or her true mate.
Lycaon, once a great king until he was cursed by Zeus to be a werewolf, is drawn to the mysterious princess. He is torn between helping Alara escape and using her to gain power over those who despise him.
Secrets abound and old enemies are reunited to battle Aramon before his terrible plan is unleashed. Time is running out as the dark moon approaches. Soon, Arcadia will be overrun with an unstoppable, vicious army unless Aramon can be defeated. To prevent his victory, the cost is high. As Lycaon’s affection for Alara grows, it becomes more difficult for him to decide which to save: Arcadia or her.
Excerpt from The Wolf Queen:
He dreamed of when he’d been king. His people had respected him. The smiling faces of his wife and sons surrounded him. Lycaon’s pleasant dream turned dark, and screams filled the peaceful scene. Blood darkened the sun. Thunder shook the earth, and lightning sparked fires. Unrelenting rain fell from the skies, causing devastating floods. He tasted human flesh, and he couldn’t get enough.
He awoke with a pounding heart, his body shaking. Disoriented, he forgot where he was until he recalled how he had jumped in the river after Alara. He shifted positions, and a sharp pain shot up his broken leg. Groaning, he remained still, his leg and head throbbing. Burning pain surged through his body. Shivering from the fever brought on by the poisonous arrow, he glanced at his body through blurry vision. A splint was attached to his leg, and he was naked. “Where are my clothes?”
Alara appeared at the opening of the cave. “Drying.” She wore only her tunic, her bare legs and thighs peeking out from the bottom—flawless, shapely. Her ankles bore the same tattoos of interlocking circles. Identical ones decorated her tunic.
The green of her tunic brightened her gray eyes. If she was betrothed to Aramon, then she must be of noble blood. Did the tattoos mark her as such? An impetuous princess who had caused him nothing but trouble so far. Recalling how she foolishly jumped in the river, he grew angry.
He drew his gaze away from her bare legs. “So, you decided to strip me naked while I was passed out?” He gave her a furious look then grimaced as more pain shot through his leg.
“You were in no condition for me to ask your permission.” Her mouth formed a soft smile.
****
Multi-published author Kelley Heckart lives in Arizona with her musician husband, dog and a number of backyard “pets,” including Godzilla the desert iguana. Her stories reflect her passion for ancient and medieval time periods, storytelling and the supernatural. Inspired by the ancient Celts, her tales are filled with fierce warriors, bold women, otherworldly creatures, magic, and romance. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and practices target archery. She can be found online at http://www.kelleyheckart.com/
To sign up for my newsletter and receive special notices like new book releases and giveaways only for my subscribers: http://kelleyheckart.com/Contact_Kelley_Page.html
Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author
Captivating…Sensual…Otherworldly
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604
http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart
Buy links for The Wolf Queen:
Kindle Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HML564?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660
Trade Paperback Buy Link on amazon.com:
Loved this. Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you for stopping by, Kayelle! I agree.
Lycaon sounds really interesting.
Hi Kate,
Thanks for having me as a guest today on your blog.
Thank you for being here, Kelley!