(Day 7) Guest Post: Lara Adrian

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Welcome to Day 7 of the Battle of the Sexies!  I hope you've been enjoying the week so far, and I hope everyone still ready for all the other awesome authors stopping by.  Today we've got New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian stopping by to talk about alpha males with us.  Please give her a warm welcome!


"As a child, Lara Adrian used to sleep with the covers up around her neck, afraid she might become the midnight prey of deadly vampires. Later on, under the influence of Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, she had to wonder if her fear wasn't actually something else: a secret desire to walk in a darker world, to live a dangerous and sensual dream with a man of seductive, preternatural power. It is that twining of fear and desire that fuels Lara's own fantasies today, and the idea that she explores in her New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed series of vampire romance novels from Bantam Dell Books.
 
With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, Lara Adrian lives with her husband in coastal New England, surrounded by centuries-old graveyards, hip urban comforts, and the endless inspiration of the broody Atlantic Ocean.
 
Lara's books are available in mass market paperback and e-book through Bantam Dell, and in limited edition hardcover through Doubleday Book Club, Rhapsody Book Club, Book of The Month, and the Science Fiction Book Club.
 

Additionally, translation rights have been picked up by 14 countries: Egmont Lyx (Germany), Ulpius-haz Publishers (Hungary), Fanucci/Zorro Editore (Italy), Oakla Publishing (Japan), Roca Editorial (Spain), Grace Publishing (Thailand), Constable & Robinson (United Kingdom), Vina Book (Vietnam), King-in Publishing (China), Wydawnictwo Amber (Poland), Epsilon Yayinlan (Turkey), Deus (Czech), Azbooka (Russia) and Bragelonne (France).
 
In September 2008, Lara Adrian became an international bestseller when the German translation of Midnight Rising (Gebieterin der Dunkelheit) spent two weeks on Europe's prestigious Der Spiegel Bestseller list in the #20 and #21 spots. Lara's subsequent releases were also Der Spiegel bestsellers, with the German translation of Veil of Midnight (Gefährtin der Schatten) spending three weeks on the list, climbing as high as #8, and the German translation of Ashes of Midnight (Gesandte des Zwielichts) spending three weeks on the list, peaking at #6."

Bio courtesy of Lara Adrian's website.

Connect with Lara:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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Alpha Males
Guestblog by Lara Adrian © 2010

If there’s one thing romance writers and readers love, it’s the alpha male. He’s hard to miss, after all. That man who walks into a room and instantly owns it with an arresting combination of cool confidence, sharp intellect, and raw sex appeal? Oh yeah, ladies, I’m talking about him.

He’s the leader of the pack, the man in charge, the tippety-top of the food chain . . . the male whose presence speaks to both genders on a primal, instinctual level. Alphas, whether in the animal kingdom or our own human one, are the males who command an instant respect—not merely by chest-pounding or by locking horns with every would-be usurper to their throne. Alphas are the chief protectors of their social groups, the ones who call the shots and take control, whether on the battlefield, the boardroom, or the bedroom.

Their decisions and actions hold the power to impact the welfare of many, and the consequences of failure can cost the alpha not only his position and rank within his group, but often—as in the case of the animal kingdom and less civilized (or fictional) worlds than our own—mistakes can cost the alpha his life. They don’t say “with great power comes great responsibility” for nothing. Alpha males understand this, but unlike their beta and omega brothers, alphas rise to the task anyway.

While lesser males instinctively stand down to alphas (I’m sorry, all you non-alphas, I know “lesser” sounds harsh, but you know it’s true), females respond to the alpha’s courage in very visceral way as well. We want him. We see in him a strong, intelligent male who would not only make a reliable and protective mate, but a physically and mentally ideal candidate to father our offspring. Even if we’re liberated, modern women with no plans to raise a brood of our own, alpha male makes us fantasize—if only for a few breathless moments—just how incredible it would be to make beautiful, healthy, genetically gifted babies with him.

As for the romance writer and reader’s love affair with this delectable specimen of masculinity, you needn’t look very far to find the brand of alpha male who rings your bells. He might be an international spy, or a hometown fireman. He might be a cowboy or Navy SEAL. He might even be a vampire—although I sincerely doubt any self-respecting alpha male vampire would submit to sparkling for any reason whatsoever. The point is, we love the alpha male, in romance novels as in real life. He’s eternal and golden and mysterious . . . just like love itself.

Thanks for reading!
Lara Adrian


To learn more about Lara Adrian and the sexy, eternal alpha males who inhabit her New York Times bestselling Midnight Breed vampire series from Bantam Dell, please visit www.LaraAdrian.com

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Books written by Lara:
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One lucky winner will receive a signed book of their choice written by Lara.

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