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Please Note: "The House on Black Lake" trailer, filmed by award winning cinematographer Frazer Bradshaw, may be viewed on home page.

A producer recently asked me for my shortlist of actors to play the alpha male characters in my novel. As I pondered this "difficult" task I began to look over the males in film that made an impact with their masculinity and were also able to be vulnerable in expressing romance and passion. I came up with a very short list, then wrote down my choices of the top contemporary and classic actors that have filled this daunting task.

Ramey Sandeley is the hero of [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]. He enters the book/film smelling of burnt flesh, fresh from branding animals with his own custom tools. He can ride a horse like a native, has been taught to hunt wild game in the Serengetti, is the heir to a fortune in land and real estate in Montreal, is highly educated, and a successful entrepreneur in his own right. To add to this cache are extraordinary good looks,  a strong, athletic frame, straight white teeth, and lustrous gold flecked dark hair. He is married to stunning red head, Ruth Sandeley, and the father of five children. I did not entirely make up this man, he does exist, although I did combine a few men I've met to make him just right. Ramey is in his forties, and like Dorian Gray has not yet begun to show his age.

I believe the right actor to play Ramey has likely not yet been discovered, but if I had to choose then these men could likely fill his custom shoes:

1.  Clive Owen

2. Eric Bana

3. Dylan McDermott

Rock god Georgie La Pointe is Ramey's cousin and has also inherited wealth, power, and influence. However, he is a a supreme narcissist who never dates a woman more than once, and grooms his hair by peering into the eyes of his admirers. Most notably he makes love to recordings of his own bellowing baritone. My first choice of actors are:

1. Johnny Depp

2. Chris Hemsworth

3. Daniel Craig

4. Tom Hardy

Many alpha male roles are filled by males who are only playing a part. They are poseurs, pretty boys, muscle bound oafs, or Peter Pan types. A true alpha spirit cannot be recreated, the drive lies in the soul of the actor. The top 25 sexiest, most romantic (true) alpha male film actors (in random order):

Contemporary Film:

1. Mel Gibson - If you look back at his body of work (especially early in his career) he is a master of sexy maculinity mixed with aching vulnerability

2. Laim Neeson  - same with Mel, but bigger than life

3.  Russell Crowe - hit or miss, but he does deliver when required, i.e. "Gladiator"

4. Heath Ledger - his best was yet to come

5. Clive Owen - "Camelot" brought it all together

6.  Gerard Butler - "The Phantom of the Opera" and "300" were enough for a lifetime

7. Eric Bana - "Troy" was the beginning, but his potential has only been touched

8. Daniel Craig - A dark and brooding blonde is beautiful to behold. He can nail a seductive look like no other

9. Richard Gere - Sexiest kisser of all time

10. Ian McShane - Now nearly into his seventies and still killer sexy and romantic in a cruel sort of way

11. Tatum Channing - the most alpha/romantic of younger actors

12. Robert Redford - "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Three Days of the Condor", and "The Way We Were" make him an icon of the sexy alpha romantic and he still delivers, now into his 70's.

13. Dominic West - "The Wire" established him as the quntissential "bad boy", "300" placed him on throne of sexiest villain in film.

14. Brad Pitt - More pretty boy than true alpha, but he is cast in the role more than any other actor

15. Denzel Washington - The perfect combination of vulnerability and tough male sex appeal.

Top Ten Classic Film Actors:

1. Cary Grant - Smooth, sexy, romantic, but still strong and alpha in a classy way

2. Steve Mcqueen - Daniel Craig takes on the  legacy of this golden man

3. Clint Eastwood - Gorgeous in his younger days and that steel gling melted to raw passion with the right woman

4. John Wayne - "The Duke" is an iconic legend of powerful masculinity mixed with integrity

5. Gary Cooper - Both laconic and boldly masculine

6. Robert Mitchum - They don't make men like him anymore

7. Clark Gable - He was the original "man's man and ladie's man"

8. Spencer Tracy - Both romantic and domineering

9. Gregory Peck - He owned his masculity completely, with no need to give more than he desired or was required

10. Marlon Brando - a beautiful specimen, boldy sexual and animalistic with a dark river of vulnerability and a sadness about him that made him riveting as an actor

Passion trumps deformity or any other afflication. Beauty is an empty shell without it. The obsessive, possessive, desperate love The Phantom feels would not exist without the weight of his tremendous burden.  Erik in The Phantom of the Opera  by Gaston Leroux is the Beauty and the Beast contained in one gorgeous human being. His longing is both extruciatingly painful and glorious. He has never been kissed even by his own mother, so his longing is true physical torture. To taste his rugged kiss and be carried off into the gothic mist would be a dream come true for most women, although few would seek out such a scarred soul.

In The House on Black Lake it is said that Hero Ramey Sandeley has been cursed with perfection and so he has a price to pay. As his ultimate price becomes more eminent a dark river of cruel conflict begins to run through his veins and to show beneath his visage. And, as heroine Alexandra Brighton notes, "if beauty is nothing without a dark river running through it, now Ramey Sandeley claims more than God gave him, he now claims the greatest gift of all."

Alexandra also shares a common trait with The Phantom. Nine months to the day after her first meeting with Ramey she gives birth to a son and suffers Bells' Palsy. Her face is fully paralyzed on one side and there is little hope for her recovery.

She visits St. Joseph's Shrine where the faithful are said to be healed and makes a deal at the alter: Truth for Beauty - a vow to seek her rightful destiny in return for an unmarked face. As she steps outside the oratory she sees her reflection in the stained glass. Her face has begun to thaw, and now she has a price to pay.

Her vow leads to the dismantling of her "ideal life" and eventually to her uniting with Ramey at Black Lake, where her journey to self discovery truly begins. Her young French artist lover, Andre Labat, urges her to accept "the beautiful freak" - the soul, in all its dark glory, that seeks freedom at any cost. But coming face to face with her passionate soul is a terrifying prospect for Alexandra, as the social institutions that have instructed her development as a woman do not allow such freedom.

And then there is dear Seth, the Butler to Ramey's uncle Roger. Nearly seven feet tall and raised in an orphanage he has never felt the touch of a woman - until Alexandra touches his arm and awakens his lonely soul. Most of us have felt the raging battle of the ugly and the beautiful at war within us, and often it only takes a tender caress to calm the dark waters and give a measure of peace. But it is also sometimes therapeutic to stoke the water to the boiling point.

A video composite from the movie of  The Phantom of the Opera features Gerard Butler. He is dark, dangerous, utterly sexy and glorious. Both horribly ugly and breathtakingly beautiful. Passion is what gives beauty and meaning to life.  Take a look and decide for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsTkh0Q4b3g&feature=related

Note: "[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]" has been adapted to screenplay. To view provocative cinematic trailer filmed by Sundance winning cinematographer Frazer Bradshaw, go to Home Page.

I recently attended a horsemanship clinic led by Buck Brannaman. Buck is well known as the figure the novel  [amazon_link id="0440222656" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Horsewhisper[/amazon_link] was based on. He also worked as stunt double for Robert Redford  in the movie of the same name. In addition he is the star of indie movie audience favorite "Buck", a documentary about his extraordinary life.

When I attended the Sundance Film Festival this year I met a woman on a shuttle bus who informed me that scenes in "Buck" had been filmed on her ranch. She advised me I must see the film, then take one of his clinics. Years ago, after a dangerous ride nearly took me over a cliff I developed panic attacks whenever I rode. I considered myself a fairly expert rider but the attacks led me away from riding, although it had always been a passion of mine. So, I took her advice and viewed the film (which I loved), then signed up for a clinic when I returned home. I believed that if there was anyone who could cure my affliction it was Buck.

The clinic was help on gorgeous Stonybrook Ranch, in Stonybrook, North of Sacramento, California. The owners and other partipants were wonderful, and I found Buck to be very kind, charismatic, strong, focused, and clearly a master of horsemanship. I felt completely confident and competent under his tutelege, and look forward to riding some wild horses. And if I should fall off, then I'll just get back on a wilder one!

The following are pictures with me in clinic with Buck. To learn more about Buck Brannaman, or to schedule a clinic, go to his website at http://www.brannaman.com/.

There is something very intriguing about a horrible alpha hero. No matter how distusting and depraved, if they have an ounce of good looks and charisma there is a desire for redemption. When I was watching the HBO [amazon_link id="B001FA1OTU" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Deadwood[/amazon_link] series on DVD recently  I became entranced with the brothel owning anti hero played by (Ian McShane) who was utterly disgusting and deplorable, and a most beautiful foil for the good looking sheriff (played by Timothy Olyphant), who, dispite his upstanding integrity, falls for the seduction of infidelity. I desired to know what terrible childhood had created such a tough shell.  The show is filled with such cruel alpha males seeking to survive and find their fortunes in a brutal environment. None of the women featured were saved a measure of heartbreak, if they made the mistake of opening their hearts to these men.

When I began writing "[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]" I had no idea how my hero would take shape. His background was clear to me - wealthy descendant of old Montreal family, blessed with preternatural good looks, raised with the finest education and social experiences, taught to be a man by shooting big game in the wilds of Africa and learning to tame animals from native descendants on Black Lake. Hero Ramey Sandeley was not strictly of my imagination, as I have known similar men. But once he came alive in my novel he had a mind of his own.

There are many scenes in my book where I believe he is cruel and selfish with heroine, Alexandra Brighton. But it is also clear to me that his intense connection with Alexandra terrifies him, as well his her role in his unfolding fate. The fact that his mother abandoned him by taking her own life and his wife, Ruth, is an alcoholic who tricked him into marriage, makes him terrified of being emotionally close to a woman. So, the cruelties he exhibits appear to me more as boyish ways to fend off his own feelings of vulnerability and abandonment, as well as a fierce desire to help Alexandra grow out of her cocoon into a worthy counterpart -rather than the desire to hurt or destroy her.

Ramey has inherited a position within the power elite. He knows the ways of international commerce and government. His perceptions are skewed do to the nature of his position in society. Although Alexandra, world weary and reeling from a cruel divorce, is literally his captive during her stay on Black Lake and he is involved in her transformation inside the French Canadian underground, his goal is to release her from the psychological imprisonment of  society. In a dramatic scene in a shed behind the old Victorian on the island on Black Lake Ramey picks up a length of rope and asks Alexandra to tie his hands and do whatever she likes with him, so she can feel the power that drives her suppressors. When she declines and tells him he's acting crazy he responds: "How do you decide what's crazy? How do you determine what's good or bad unless you've tried it? Whose rules do you live by, anyway?  Who tells you how you should live your life or feel about anything. Is it you, Baby? Or is it your parents, your husband, your priest, or some fucking magistrate. Don't judge me until you can ask those questions of yourself and be completely honest with the answer." Ramey believes that by breaking Alexandra's shell her soul will be set free - but she does not share his insights. There is a tremendous power struggle between the two, and this struggle marks the beginning of Alexandra's growth as a woman.

On the other hand, the character of Georgie La Point, Ramey's cousin, a prominent French Canadian rock star, is another matter altogether. Also emotionally broken in childhood (his mother left his father for the stained glass craftsman hired to inlay the family crest in their front door), he is cruel and evil to the bone, with no hope of redemption. The man is a supreme narcissist who grooms his hair in the reflection in the eyes of his admirers, makes love to his own singing, and has never been with a woman more than once. No woman can tame this man and those who try will become damaged goods. So, Georgie is the villain in my story, and I had great fun having Alexandra challenge him in very provocative settings.

I have made a list of the top ten cruelest, meanest, most horrible heroes in romance novels (thanks to the Amazon Romance Community for their input).

1. Domenico, [amazon_link id="0345289927" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Silver Devil[/amazon_link], by Teresa Denys

2. Felipe, [amazon_link id="0312295839" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Flesh and the Devil[/amazon_link], by Teresa Denys

3.  Sean, [amazon_link id="038087668X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Stormfire[/amazon_link], by Christine Monsoon

4. Dillan,  [amazon_link id="1551666944" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Into the Fire[/amazon_link], by Anne Stuart

5. Bastian, [amazon_link id="0778303330" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Black Ice[/amazon_link], by Anne Stuart

6. Gray, [amazon_link id="0671019708" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]After the Night[/amazon_link], by Linda Howard

7. Steve, [amazon_link id="0739440128" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sweet Savage Love[/amazon_link], by Rosemary Rogers

8. Rodrigo, [amazon_link id="0373773005" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Fearless[/amazon_link], Diane Palmer

9. Rolf, [amazon_link id="0821778838" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Risk Everything[/amazon_link], Sophia Johnson

10 Dominic, [amazon_link id="1551669277" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Wicked Loving Lies[/amazon_link], by Rosemary Johnson

Please Note: The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. To view provocative trailer by award winning cinematographer in gothic setting, go to Home Page.

In the last year since my novel was published I have spoken with many readers who crave gothic novels and movies, but are tired of the paranormal variety - particularly those with a vampire slant, since it is so overdone. It is hard to find good gothic literature these days, but the classics are still just as powerful as they were when written by the best gothic writers.

When I set out to write "[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class= ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]" I had no intention of writing a contemporary gothic romance/suspense. In fact, I was shocked when my editor told me that is exactly what I had written. Only when I went to the specific description of the genre did I realize that my novel was clearly contemporary gothic in all aspects.  It contains the dark, brooding hero, remote location, heroine in distress, deserted Victorian, hints of the supernatural, dark secrets, transgression, heredity curses, mystics, gypsies, and supersticious rituals. To inhabit this world is to leave leave behind modern cultural mores and venture to a place where lessons about life are learned on a much deeper level. It has been asserted that early gothic literature gave a voice to women's deep rooted fear about their own powerlessness and imprisonment within patriarchy. I can also assert that my story reflects this concern, centuries later. It has also been asserted that too much of the rational can leave one blind to supernatural truths. A tale is also a  source of empowerment,  a safe place to fight the villains, face fear, and potentially win. Gothic romance has been described "a pleasurable terror". In my case I perceive it as "enticing danger".

I have listed the best authors from this genre, some also write in different genres, but all are excellent in their craft. So, whichever book you read, you will be satisfied with the journey.

1. [amazon_link id="090571251X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Victoria Holt[/amazon_link]

2. [amazon_link id="1556526180" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Mary Stewart[/amazon_link]

3. [amazon_link id="0743486269" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Jennifer St. Giles[/amazon_link]

4. [amazon_link id="B000GH2YPG" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Daphne Du Maurier[/amazon_link]

5. [amazon_link id="1456534831" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Charlotte Bronte[/amazon_link]

6. [amazon_link id="1936594285" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Emily Bronte[/amazon_link]

7.[amazon_link id="0821781294" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Eve Silver[/amazon_link]

8. [amazon_link id="0312949804" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lisa Kleypas[/amazon_link]

9. [amazon_link id="0060878169" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Barbara Michaels[/amazon_link]

10. [amazon_link id="0140437592" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Anne Radcliffe[/amazon_link] - Her novel, the Mysteries of Udolpho is said to the a classic archetypal gothic romance that was to inspire many others.

I must also single out a male who is said to be the father of the genre. Horace Walpole wrote [amazon_link id="0199537216" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Castle of Otranto[/amazon_link] in 1764, and it is said to be the first gothic romance.

Scene from House on Black Lake Trailer.

Please Note: [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] has been adapted to screenplay. View provocative cinematic trailer, filmed by Sundance/Spirit/Venice/Gotham award winning cinematographer, on Home Page.

Chris Hemsworth offers up the best alpha male in movies with his break-out performance in "Thor". Blessed with a gorgeous physique, resonating baritone, aqua blue eyes rimmed with black lashes, and lush fair hair, he is also a powerful actor, who overshadows one the most venerated actors of all time, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and makes  acadamy award winner Natalie Portman appear a novice.

With screenplay for "The House on Black Lake" in development I have visions of Chris playing the part of Ramey Sandeley's arch rival cousin Georgie La Pointe.  Born to wealth and status, Georgie is a narcissist rock god with charismatic good looks, who has never bedded a woman more than once, stages concerts designed like extra terrestrial launching pads that have him flying through the air and performing satyrical acts with thundrous special effects, grooms his hair in the reflection of his admirers, and uses his own music as background for his seductions. He also has more than one dark secret and is as dangerous as he is alluring.  Georgie La Pointe is an alpha male that few actors could fulfill, and certainly Chris tops the list. This one is rated R.

Check the sexy actor out in trailer for movie, "Thor":

http://youtu.be/JOddp-nlNvQ

r.

Ramey Sandeley and Alexandra Brighton Reunite in Scene from Trailer

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. The epic story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features characters forced to abandon love, but fight to reunite, against all odds.

Reunited romance is popular in fiction, as in real life. Often a highly charged attraction cannot be realized as one or both are in a committed relationship. Or, one spurns, and then returns to woo or be won. Time apart can bring great change in individuals and offer opportunity for grown and maturity. Fate usually has its way, one way or another, so if an attraction is strong enoughh generally there will be a reunion at some point in the future.

In [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] Alexandra Brighton meets Ramey Sandeley months after they have each married another. When he first takes her eyes she experiences a powerful connection.That night she makes love to her husband and pretends she is making love to Ramey. Nine months to the day she gives birth to a son.

Nearly 12 years later, now in the throes of a vicious divorce battle, she is invited to vacation at the Sandeley’s summer home on Black Lake. Alexandra does not make the journey to seduce Ramey Sandeley, as he is married with 5 children.  Rather, she makes the journey to release herself from him. However, she does not bargain on the fact that he is just as obsessed and tormented by the fateful evening, and their attempts to find resolution draw them into a dangerous web of betrayal and deceit.

Other popular novels featuring second hand love (thanks to Amazon romance form for input) are listed below.  None of the heroines are easily won back.

1. [amazon_link id="0373775059" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Libertine’s Kiss[/amazon_link] by Judith James – the couple were childhood playmates/sweethearts and got separated, she went on to get married and widowed and finds the H again when she goes to petition for her lands, H helps her

2. [amazon_link id="0804119759" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Devil Takes a Bride[/amazon_link] by Gaelen Foley  -H spurns h, then has to woo her back

3. [amazon_link id="1416567038" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Duke of Shadows [/amazon_link]by Meredith Moran - h thinks the H abandoned her, H thinks the h is dead, when they meet the h doesn't want to rekindle because it brings up bad memories, so the H pursues

4. [amazon_link id="0061136093" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tempt Me Tonight [/amazon_link]by Toni Blake - H and h were high school sweethearts, H cheated on h and they broke up. Years later she returns to town and they rekindle, lots of groveling by H.

5. [amazon_link id="0446566586" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Edge of Sight [/amazon_link](The Guardian Angelinos) by Roxanne St. Clare - H and h hook up and then split up due to H. Three years later h needs help in a situation and H becomes bodyguard.

6. [amazon_link id="0446614823" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Forget Me Not[/amazon_link] (Navy Seals, Book 1) by Marliss Melton - H is solider captured for a year, presumed dead, then returns with amnesia. h has moved on with life.

7. [amazon_link id="0425235459" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage [/amazon_link]by Jennifer Ashley - H and h separated for years, after H treated her badly. H wants to reunite.

8. [amazon_link id="0440243963" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Sins of Lord Easterbrook[/amazon_link] by Madeline Hunter - H and h intrigued by one another, but circumstances prevent them getting together. They meet up again and he pursues.

9. [amazon_link id="0060561661" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Three Nights [/amazon_link]by Debra Mullins - H and h have arrangement for three nights of sex to forgive father’s dept.  h gets pregnant and thinks H abandons her, but actually he is captured away for years. When he gets back and finds out about the child he wants a real relationship.

10. [amazon_link id="0312945795" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Wild Card[/amazon_link] by Lora Leigh - H is a Navy Seal who is forced to assume new identity. h believes he is dead, but when he returns to protect her from trouble, they must pretend to not know each other.

11. [amazon_link id="1419953249" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Sweet Gum Tree[/amazon_link] by Catherine Allred – Couple meet as children and friendship turns to love. H suddenly departs after death of father. H has fifteen years of struggles and family heartbreak, then one day H shows up in town.
12. [amazon_link id="0373605285" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Addicted[/amazon_link] by Charlotte Featherstone - historical – Young friends and lover find their relationship ruined by H’s opium addiction, h later tries to help him get over his addiction.

14. [amazon_link id="0553578138" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Place to Call Home[/amazon_link] by Deborah Smith – Star crossed lovers meet as children on opposite side of tracks. H is son of abusive father, h is his champion. Twenty years pass until they meet again.

15. [amazon_link id="B0020MMBP8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Missing[/amazon_link] by Shiloh Ward - psychic, paranormal about troubled young woman with psychic powers and young man who helps her define her gifts by befriending, then leaving her, and returning when he needs help

15. [amazon_link id="0345476255" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Die For: a Novel[/amazon_link] by Linda Howard  - H breaks off with her because he thinks she's "high maintenance". He's a cop and when he thinks she's been killed at her place of business, he realizes he loves her. Light hearted.

More to come . . .

To view trailer with Tosh Yanez filmed by esteem cinematographer Frazer Bradshaw go HOME PAGE.

International model and actor Tosh Yanez is featured in "The House on Black Lake" trailer for novel/screenplay. The handsome star can be seen in magazines, billboards, and on commercials throughout the world.

Trapezepro was host at Sky Ranch in Sonoma for "Dangerous Games" music video. Aerial artists Tanya Henkle-Hoover and Marek Kaszuba are featured in video.

Normally, it is the alpha man that is associated with romance novels. However, there are plenty of alpha females, and their presence in a novel generally takes it to the next level. In the wild, with all social animals, there are alpha males that rule alone, with other males, or with a female. The alphas are the first to eat and mate and the others in the group will usually follow them anywhere,  so they determine fate of community. A king and queen would be the most obvious examples of male/female in the human community.

When I began to write "[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] I desired to plot the evolution of a woman worn down by society who had no idea she possessed an alpha spirit. Rather than forging a story of a weak woman who became strong, I chose to illuminate the struggle of a strong woman who had been weakened by society.  In the case of heroine Alexandra Brighton, it was her alpha power that had caused her to be subjigated and left bereft of her rightful place in society. In her case the empowered alpha males of society did not wish female empowerment to intrude - and the entire societal infrastructure, the church, educational system, judicial system, and other women reinforced keeping her down rather than supporting Alexandra. I realized as the book evolved that Alexandra's only possibility of freedom from psychological and emotional imprisonment was an alpha male that had gone renegade from the pack.

Alexandra's relationship with Ramey Sandeley and her transformative journey through the French Canadian underground recounts the process of reclamation of spirt and ultimate empowerment. She goes from outcast at story's beginning to alpha at story's end. And the two sequels to [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black [/amazon_link] lead her to fulfill her ultimate potential. But, she is not the kick-ass kind, although she can be ruthless if pushed to the edge. Her strength lies, as with all true alphas, in intelligence, wisdom, integrity, inner and outer beauty, spirituality, comfort with sexuality, and an an unwavering belief that she is following her manifest destiny. If challenged she will fight to the death to defend her god give rights.  True strength, as with true beauty, lies in belief in oneself and a greater spiritual purpose. The fact that she is confronted and challenged to grow by a male of her own breed gives her the added thrust that only a soulmate connection can offer.

Following are the top ten alpha females in romance novels. List was culled from romance forums. Thanks to readers for your insights.

1. Eve Dallas, [amazon_link id="0425148297" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]In Death Series[/amazon_link],  by J.R. Robb

2. Sabine, [amazon_link id="1416580948" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Kiss of a Demon,[/amazon_link] Immortals After Dark Series by Kresly Cole

3. Sam Jellicoe, [amazon_link id="0060593636" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Flirting with Danger [/amazon_link]by Suzanne Enoch

4. Thalia, [amazon_link id="1420106791" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Warrior[/amazon_link], Zoe Archer

5. Gillian, [amazon_link id="0440242797" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Crazy Sweet[/amazon_link], by Tara Jantzen

6. Xher, [amazon_link id="0451231554" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lover Mine[/amazon_link], from Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, by JR. Ward

7. Elena, [amazon_link id="0425226921" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Angel's Blood[/amazon_link], Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

8. Claire Day, [amazon_link id="0425235998" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shadows at Midnight [/amazon_link]by Elizabeth Jennings

9. Catherine (Cat) Crawford, [amazon_link id="0061245089" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Halfway to the Grave[/amazon_link]10. Renata, Veil of Midnight, Night Huntress Series by  Lara Adrian

10. Angarad of Meriel [amazon_link id="B001XUQX66" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Tide of Destiny[/amazon_link],  paranormal, Druids of Destiny Series by Shanna Murchison