What Men Want

Today I welcome sister rose, author Lynne Marshall who's going to tell us women what men really want.  I've been married 30+ years, and I still can't figure it out. lol! And since today is also the day after my birthday, I'm going to draw a name from those who leave a comment today and give that person a free PDF copy of my historical romance, Slightly Tarnished.

So, Lynne, what do men want?

WHAT MEN WANT by Lynne Marshall

I recently noticed an article on Yahoo about what men notice first about women.  Surprisingly, it isn’t a super figure. Nope.  Seventy-four percent of the men questioned said it’s the hair that makes them first notice a woman.  The article said gorgeous hair trumps a curvy figure every time.  Surprise, surprise.  Here’s the link:

http://yahoo.match.com/y/article.aspx?articleid=12717&TrackingID=526103&BannerID=1099738  

Is it any wonder authors write the characters that most attract men? The point of the story in romance is to find two people, often complete opposites, and make them fall in love, so first they have to notice each other. As a woman who has had short hair for many, many years, it is difficult to accept that men only want long, lustrous hair.  Especially since my husband likes my short hair! However, looking back, I did have long hair when we met.  Maybe he’s just humoring me now? Something to think about anyway.

I think the key to this immediate attraction is being well groomed.  If you read the article, you’ll notice that grooming is a big part of the equation when it comes to attraction. Continuing on with the theme of attraction, one thing, both men and women have in common in many surveys is that a physically fit person is very appealing.  As romance writers and readers, I think we all know that.  All anyone has to do is look at the latest batch of romance novels and it is very apparent the fitter the model, the sexier the book cover. 

Good thing Paul Valverde, the hero in An Indiscretion, my latest book from The Wild Rose Press, is a slim hipped Spanish-American who knows how to dance the rumba and Paso Doblé. Who also takes total control of his partner in many inventive ways, and is a top notch doctor at St. Stephen’s Hospital in Los Angeles, despite his setbacks earlier in life.

In An Indiscretion, my current offering in the Champagne line, one of the first things the hero remembers about the heroine (they’d known each other as young teenagers) is her gorgeous red hair.  See, there was a method to my ponderings. The book cover doesn’t feature this trait because Carrington Hanover, who is an RN, is wearing surgical garb – a mask and OR cap – but her beautiful blue eyes tell a story all of their own.  By the way, I was given a special dispensation from WRP editor - Kinan Werdski - allowing me to write a red-headed, blue-eyed heroine JUST THIS ONCE!  According to her, in submitted manuscripts, 99% of the women on the planet have “auburn tresses and emerald (or blue) eyes.” See Rachel Brimble’s blog - March 15, 2012. http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-wild-rose-press-editor.html

I’ve also seen reader boards at Amazon chastising romance authors for writing too many red-headed heroines. According to some of them, it is an ongoing joke amongst readers.

Yes, maybe redheads have been overdone in romance novels, but I think it all goes back to what the guys find most attractive about women in that article – beautiful hair!  How often have we noticed a woman with natural red hair and thought, wow, that’s the most gorgeous color I’ve ever seen?  And what do we suppose is the most popular hair dye color requested by women in salons?  Just look around.

Here’s a picture of the lady with great hair that I envisioned when I wrote Carrington Hanover.

An Indiscretion by Lynne Marshall:

A doctor…a nurse…an indiscretion. RN Carrington Hanover leaves her money-hungry fiancé at the altar insisting the next man in her life must love her, not her rich father’s money.                                                                                                                             

All work and no play has made Dr. Paul Valverde an unfulfilled man, and the resurrected redheaded crush from his youth is driving him to distraction, but can their complicated past become untangled by their newfound attraction–or will their love be doomed by mistrust and long-held resentment?

What is your favorite color of hair on guys or ladies? 

I’ll give one of my backlist books away to one commenter.

Thanks so much for having me, Lilly!

Great post, Lynne. So, there's a chance today to win one of TWO prizes if you leave a comment.

Now, as to a man's hair color, I love a bit of contrast. I love to see a handsome man with blond hair and brown eyes or dark hair and brown eyes. And although my husband once had very dark hair and blue eyes, his hair is now silver leaning toward white with a few dark strands remaining. Oh, and of my two daughters, the oldest has the most beautiful long red hair and blue eyes. So, I don't find the abundance of red haired heroines odd at all. Now, if every woman in the same book had red hair...

Thank you so much for joining me today, Lynne.

Lynne Marshall is a multi-published author of contemporary romance for Harlequin Special Edition and The Wild Rose Press, and Medical Romance for Mills & Boon. Her latest book for Special Edition is, Courting His Favorite Nurse, March 2012. Lynne hopes you’ll give her redheaded heroine of An Indiscretion a chance at her happily ever after. You can find out more about Lynne at her website: www.lynnemarshall.com