Tag: alpha males

Please Note: [amazon_link id="09825002The House on Black Lake Trailer may be viewed on Home Page.

A love scene in a novel (as in real life) reveals the innermost characteristics of the individuals involved. Physical strength or weakness, depth of passion, creativity, hidden fears and sorrows, need to control or degrade, to surrender or dominate, shame and pride, fetishes, tenderness, empathy, repressed memories, boldness, cautiousness, secrets, flaws and scars, deformity, and exquisite physical perfection can be revealed when the cloak of civilization is thrown off and humans revert to their animal nature.

The circumstances of a mating can be highly romantic or base and ugly. No matter the social status of the individuals, age, nationality, relationship, or gender it is always a primal act, unscripted, and powerful in emotional resonance. Whether cruel and disgusting or highly gentle and romantisized love scenes are unscripted dramas that tear away the monotony of daily life.

The act may result in the creation or transformation of life, that is its overriding power. There is an aura of spirituality to love scenes, and for those who seek a higher level of excistence making love to another is the key to another realm.

In The House on black Lake Alexandra is a world weary mother struggling through a devastating divorce. She has not had a lover since her husband, and has never experienced a deep and satisfying physical connection with a man. In her journey on Black Lake she encounters three men with whom she experiences powerful emotional reactions.

Charismatic Ramey Sandeley awakened something deep and unknown years ago when she first took his eyes on a snowy night in the desert. Her life dramatically changed in that moment, but she has not been able to consummate her feelings as he is a married father of five.

However, the intense attraction leads Ramey to lure Alexandra into increasingly dangerous scenarios. Andre Labat is a young French artist who seduces Alexandra into an afternoon of love in his bungalow where he teaches her about the nature of love and the power of trust. Georgie LaPointe is narcissistic rock God and Cousin to Ramey who grooms his hair in the eyes of his lovers and makes love to recordings of his singing. Georgie introduces Alexandra to the dark side of sensuality.

As a repressed woman Alexandra's experiences with these powerful men are clothed in an atmosphere that may appear forced, but she is not necessarily an unwilling victim and reacts in a manner true to her desires. Through her journey on Black Lake Alexandra is transformed and empowered as she learns to accept "the beautiful freak" inside her, the lonely soul that seeks  love without boundaries and the pursuit of passion at all costs.

Most people rarely see acts of love, so novels offer opportunities to find inspiration in respectable forms of art.

There are some ground-breaking love scenes in my new Medieval Romance Novel: The Chamber of Curiosities, set in an ancient carnival.

The best love scenes in romance, according to my surveys, are featured in the following novels.

1. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kindsdale

2. Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

3. When He Was Wicked Bridgerton Family Saga by Julia Quinn

4. One Dance With The Duke by Tessa Dare

5. Pleasure for Pleasure Ellis Sisters, Book 6 by Eloise James

6. Dangerous to Love by Elizabeth Thornton

7. The Diamond Slipper, by Jane Feather

8. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

9. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

10. Outlander by Diana Galbadon

11. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

12 Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

13. Tempt me Tonight by Toni Blake

14. Match Me if you Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

15. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

16. Ride the Fire by Pamela Chase

17. Heart of Fire by Linda Howard

18. Devil in Winter The Wallflowers, Book 3

19. Midsummer Moon by Laura Kinsdale

20. Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

21. Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas

22. Princess of Fire by Shannon Drake

23. Mad, Bad Duke by Jennifer Ashley

24. Madness of Lord Ian Mackensie by Jennifer Ashley

25. Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

26. Love Storm by Susan Johnson

27. Wicked by Susan Johnson

28. Absolute Pleasure by Cheryl Holt

29. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julie Quinn

30. The Valley of the Horse by Jean M. Auel

31. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

32. Surrender A MacKinnon Ranger's novel by Pamela Chare

33. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

34. Green Darkness by Anya Seton

35. Passion by Lisa Valdes

36 The Proposition by Judith Ivory

37. Years by Lavyrle Spencer

38. His Second Hand Wife by Cheryl St. John

39. Wild Oats by Pamela Moisi

40. Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath

41. Married by Morning

42. If you Dare by Kresly Cole

43, If you Desire The MacKarrack Brothers Part 4 by Kresly Cole

44. Thunder and Rose by Mary Jo Putny

45. Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

46. Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

47. Thornbirds by Collen McCullugh

48. Night Magic by Karen Robards

49. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

50. Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsdale

Please Note:  The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to see trailer (with acts of betrayal) and haunting new music video "Dangerous Shadows" inspired by novel.

An act of betrayal by a lover or mate is generally accompanied by severe emotional distress by the betrayee. Cheating is the most common form, but the act can take many forms, including emotional betrayal. Few women (or men) can forgive and forget such a transgression, as trust is severed with the act. However, when one is deeply in love the decision to walk away can may extremely difficult. Generally, there must be a long period of groveling and the belief that the transgressor has truly learned a valued lesson and can be trusted to maintain integrity in the future. This process is a torturous one for both individuals.

Although living through such an experience is pure hell, it can be therapeudic to vicariously live through the experience of a character in a novel. In fact, much can be learned of human behavior through this process. In the House on Black Lake Alexandra is betrayed at every twist and turn on her journey. Both men and women betray her throughout the story. However, each character is forced to confront the ramifications of their selfishness, while Alexandra's character is strengthened as she learns to become more self reliant, intuitive, and emotionally grounded. Ultimately, when it appears she has been betrayed by them all and most cruelly by Ramey Sandeley, the object of her obsession, her dormant strengths are awakened. Metamorphosis is possible following an act of betrayal. And that is its greatest gift.

My new novel, The Chamber of Curiosities features a host of betrayers in an ancient carnival.

The top romance novels featuring acts of betayal are listed below. The list is in no particular order.

1. Dream Man by Linda Howard

2. Perfect Sin by Kat Martin

3. Lady Gallant by Suzanne robinson

4. Risk Everything by Sophia Johnson

5. Coyote's Mate by Lora Leigh

6. Almost Forever by Linda Howard

7. The Missing by Shiloh Walker

8. Cry No More by Linda Howard

9. Pulled by Danielle Bannister

10. Angel Creek by Linda Howard

11. Loving Evangeline by Linda Howard

12. My True and Tender Love by Jill Gregory

12. Seducing Simon by Maya Banks

13. That Scandalous Night by Christina Dodd

14. Total Surrender by Cheryl Holt

15. Paradise by Judith McNaught

16. Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

17. Belong to Me Shayla black

18. Heart of the Outback by Lynn Wilding

19. Take this Regret by Amy Lichthench

20. Gold Ring of Betrayal by Michelle Reid

21. Blue Moon by MacKenzie McKade

22. Bitten  by Kelly Armstrong

23. His Bonnie Bride  by Hannah Howell

24. Last Chance  by Christy Reece

25. Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake

Please Note: The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view provocative trailer filmed by award winning cinematographer.

Crazy, jealous, obsessive scene from The House on Black Lake.

The House on Black Lake teems with jealousy and obsession.  World-weary Alexandra Brighton travels with son Samuel to visit the man who has haunted her heart for years. She seeks resolution to an obsession that has brought her former life to ruin. But the fire is only stoked by charismatic Ramey Sandeley. Ramey is a man who has never heard the word "no" and expects life to give him everything he desires.

But he has never tasted the drug of love or any desire beyond the physical. The feelings awakened in him by Alexandra are twisted to jealous rage when he learns she has given herself to seductive young French artist Andre Labat.  When she returns to the house he confronts her and threatens to administer a whipping for her discretion. This is only the beginning of a battle of wills that will lead the couple to the edge of destruction and threaten the safety of those caught in their orbit.

Yet, they are not the only ones driven by obsessive feelings. The lake's inhabitants are caught in tormented web of frustrated desire and and the drive to create unity at any cost.

Fifty Shades of Grey joins a long line of dark lovers.  Crazy in love, jealous, obsessive, possessive males make intense romance heroes.  The top alpha picks (taken from personal surveys and popular romance forums) can be found in the following novels, in no particular order.

And, I've added my new Historic Romance, The Chamber of Curiosities to the list, set in an ancient carnival teaming powerful, dangerous alpha males

1. A Rose to the Fallen  by April Bostic

2.The Smoke Thief  by Shana Abe

3. Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe

4. Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

5. Dark Desire from the Carpathian's Series by Christine Feehan

6. Halfway to the Grave Night Huntress Series, Book One by Jeaniene Frost

7. The Game Series Complete Collection by Christine Feehan

8.  Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

9.  Dangerous Games Tempting Seals Serices by Lora Leigh

10. Killer Secrets by Lora Leigh

11. Darkyn Series by Lynn Viehn

12. KGI Serices by Maya Banks

13. Dangerous Secrets by Lisa Marie Rice

14. Bitten, Women of the Otherworld Book 1 by Kelley Armstrong

15. Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

16, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

17.  A Hunger Like No Other by Kresly Cole

18. Forever Mine The Moreno Brothers 1 by Elizabeth Reyes

18. Always Been Mine The Moreno Brothers 11 by Elizabeth Reyes

19. Under the Cowboy's Control by Lynda Chance

20. Blackmailed into Bed by Lynda Chance

21. The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

22. Tempt the Devil by Anna Campbell

23. Playing Easy To Get Immortals After Dark 1 by Kresly cole

24. Pleasure of a Dark Prince Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole

25. Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices, book 1 by Cassandra Clare

26. One Bite With A Stranger The Others Book 6, by Christine Warren

27. Submissive Desiresby Carolyn Faukner -  SD chronicles a woman's journey of complete submission under control of dominant ex navy seal. The book is erotic and too extreme for most, but well written  for those who enjoy or desire insights into world of BDSM.

I was recently interviewed about obsessive, possessive love.  Here are my thoughts.

Please Note: "The House on Black Lake" has been adapted to screenplay. To view provocative trailer filmed by acclaimed cinematographer go to Home Page.

Tender, vulnerable words, and the expression of  "I love you" are powerful when spoken by a man for the first time. This is especially true of a powerful alpha male.

In [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] Ramey Sandeley breaks down at one point and tells Alexandra: "The first time I saw you was the first time I felt myself come alive. Your eyes pierced through mine like razor blades and I saw in you all the wonders of the universe. I felt I had found my mate, someone I could share all the crazy fantasies, ideas and dreams. And in the darkness, every night, I wished you close to me to stave off the montrous evils that dogged me. It was you, only you . . ."

Later, Alexandra asks Ramey to tell her he loves her, even if he doesn't mean it. He expresses his love and tells her he means it. Later Ramey recants his statement and exclaims that he doesn't believes loves exists, it's only nature's way of assuring reproduction. Yet, Alexandra will not accept this definition. She believes we feel love because we wish to create, not replicate. Their struggle to resolve  feelings will lead both to the brink of destruction, and to experience a powerful new emotion, neither has ever  felt.

I have researched romance novel forums to determine the most popular novels with great "I love you" scenes. The top novels are as follows:

1. [amazon_link id="0060531231" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]When He Was Wicked [/amazon_link]by Julia Quinn

2.[amazon_link id="0671776800" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Paradise[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught

3. [amazon_link id="0671737619" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Kingdom of Dreams[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught

 4. [amazon_link id="067168972X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Duchess[/amazon_link] by Jude Devereaux

5. [amazon_link id="0380761327" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Flowers From the Storm[/amazon_link] by Laura Kinsale

6. [amazon_link id="1599987430" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Rough Riders Series[/amazon_link] by Lorelie James

7. [amazon_link id="0451947630" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lover Awakened[/amazon_link] (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series) by J.R. Ward

8. [amazon_link id="193659451X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]. Persuasion [/amazon_link]by Jan Austen

9. [amazon_link id="0671742558" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Almost Heaven [/amazon_link]by Judith McNaught

10. [amazon_link id="1568654650" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Texas Destiny[/amazon_link] by Lorraine Heath

11. [amazon_link id="0440423201" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Outlander Series[/amazon_link] by Diana Gabaldon

12. [amazon_link id="1419957694" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]After The Storm[/amazon_link] by Tia Isabella

13. [amazon_link id="0671019716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shades of Twilight [/amazon_link]by Linda Howard

14. [amazon_link id="0345517741" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Last Chance Rescue Series[/amazon_link] by Christy Reece

15. [amazon_link id="B00126A5T2" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Keegan's Lady [/amazon_link]by Catherine Anderson

16. [amazon_link id="0380791021" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Simply Love[/amazon_link] by Catherine Anderson

17. [amazon_link id="0061082139" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Crazy for Lovin' You[/amazon_link] by Lisa G. Brown

19. [amazon_link id="0312605382" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Married by Morning[/amazon_link] by Lisa Kleypas

20. [amazon_link id="0380791021" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Simply Love[/amazon_link] by Catherine Anderson

Khor play by Jason Momea in the HBO hit A Game of Thrones based on the novel of the same name, has awakened many women to the sexiness of giant alphas, particularly the primitive sort. The novel I am currently working is titled "The Chamber of Curiosities" and features a very sexy giant, Darney Vasquez, who is purchased as a young man and displayed in a carnival freak show. He is a very popular feature of the show, and soon both performers and patrons are transformed in very unexpected ways by the preternaturally beautiful  and soulful creature.

Also, the primary male characters in The House on Black Lake are all tall and well built. Though not giants, most women are frail and vulnerable in comparison to their girth and stature. There is something very sexy about an unusally large male specimen, both men and women are intrigued by the breed, which is an element of  the popularity of sports spectacles. They are anomaly and the more exaggerated their physicality, the greater the appeal.

The sexiest giant alphas in romance novels, as voted for by women who are experts in the romance genre, are as follows:

Scene from "The House on Black Lake" trailer

Please Note:  The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view cinematic trailer.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] has three bad boys who push the boundaries of "good girl" Alexandra Brighton. Preternaturally good looking Ramey Sandeley was  born to wealth and power, rides a horse like a native, shoots wild game like a professional, and seduces every creature that crosses his path. He has never heard the word "No". Georgie La Pointe, Ramey's cousin, is a tanned and  muscle bound Canadian rock star who has never dated the same woman more than once and grooms his hair in the eyes of his admirers. Andra Labat is a seductive French Canadian artist who woos conservative Alexandra Brighton to his bed within hours of meeting her, and remains charming and seductive as he lures her into a web of deadly intensions.

Most women have loved a bad boy at least once in their lives. My personal favorite bad boy boyfriend was a 6'7" New Zealander with wavy dark hair to his shoulders. The perfect man to date after a messy divorce.  He was utterly primitive, an outlaw, and untamable. One day I plan to hunt him back down and write a non fiction account of our reunion. But until then... here is my list.

I have chosen the top twenty best bad boys in romance novels based in input from fans and forums (thanks to Amazon community).

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: [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

The world went mad for Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, But he is preceded by a long line of dark lovers in film and literature.

Wade Gotwals and Anastasia Blackwell in Scene HOBL trailer

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities has been published.The epic story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features an obsessive, possessive romance hero and heroine, as well as supporting characters with intense love obsessions.

Nothing is more rewarding than delving into the psyche of an obsessive, possessive, romance hero. A sexy, powerful man possessed with love has undeniable allure.

Ramey Sandeley from The House on Black Lake is an obsessive, possessive male who has never heard the word "no".  Ramey first appears in the novel sweaty and burnt, fresh from branding animals with his custom tools. He believes his preternatural good looks, charm, wealth, and power afford him the right to own whatever and whomever he desires. But he meets his match with Alexandra Brighton, who, after having been possessed by her previous husband, and having made a vow at a shrine to be true to her manifest destiny, will no longer allow herself to be owned or controlled by anyone.

The night Alexandra arrives at Black Lake with her young son she is world weary from a brutal divorce, and in a highly vulnerable state. Soon after she is rowed out by Ramey and his wife to stay in a deserted Victorian in an island, with no way out. That night she dreams she is tied to a four poster, waiting for a burning brand to seal her wedding vows. Their battle of wills will lead them both to the brink of self destruction, and threaten the lives of those caught in their orbit.

To be adored to the point of obsession is truly a rare and beautiful thing.  Possessed film heroes can be found in - Twilight, Legends of the Fall[ The Phantom of the Opera Cruel Intentions, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Meet Joe Black, Possession, King Arthur, The Last of the Mohicans, Ladyhawke, Tristan and Isolde, The Thorn Birds, A Streetcar Named Desire. The Man Who Cried  features Johnny Depp as a gypsy who rides a beautiful white horse, and Original Sin offers some of the sexiest scenes on film as Antonio Banderas outplays Angelina Jolie at her own dangerous game, with her possessive brother played to perfection by Thomas Jane (of Hung).  There are also notable darkly seductive tortured souls in literature, and many of the aforementioned tales began as novels.

Following are a few novels that feature such brooding males:

The Carpathian Series by Christine Freehan

An Independant Wife by Linda Howard

Immortals After Dark Series by Cresley Cole

The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

The Misted Cliffs by Catherine Asaro

The Silver Devil and The Flesh and the Devil[/amazon_link], by Teres Denys - Note: These are cult classics and can be expensive

The Wolf and the Dove by Cathleen Woodiwess

To Love an Earl by Elizabeth Thornton.

The Devil's Embrace. Catherine Coulter's first novel. Some have called it creepy, cruel, and disgusting, but everyone has their own tastes.

The Ground She Walks Upon by Meagan McKinney

The House of RohanRuthless, Breathless, Reckless, by Ann Stuart

Shadow Heart by Laura Kinsdale

Uncommon Vows by Mary Joe Putney

Double Standards by Judith McNaught

Gold Ring of Betrayal by Michelle Reed

Murder Game Ghostwalkers series 7 by Michelle Freehan

Into the Dark Lands by Michelle Sagora

The Dark Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop

Prince of Dreams  by Lisa Kleypas

The Chamber of Curiosities by Anastasia Blackwell

The Twilight Saga Stehanie Meyers.

Julie Garwood, J.R. Ward, Fallen Angel and Black Dagger Brotherhood Series  Gena Showalter are other notable  authors who specialize in the genre.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 Wuthering Heights offers the supremely perfect, dark, brooding hero, Heathcliff,  Emily Bronte's masterpiece.

Gone with the Wind gives us  Rhett Butler, who is in a class of his own.

For those who desire a darker, more erotic experience the following are well written in this genre:

The Man in the Black Leather Mask  follows a female attorney's transformation from powerful woman to submissive beneath the hands of a ten years younger dominant colleague

Kidnapped for Christmas by Evangeline Anderson - Average, overweight woman's skinny sister plans her own kidnapping as a sexual lark, but man takes wrong woman and the more conservative sister finds herself a submissive to a very sexy man

Surrender To Me by Shayla Black - a woman's secret desire is met by her boyfriend in a Las Vegas trick where he consents to menage with friend, who also happens to be Navy Seal. An obsession is sparked between the woman and her new friend and nothing is the same for the two.

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair - an less than figure perfect ad agency artist complies with boyfriend's request to visit remote swinger's cabin. During her stay she sees boyfriend with other woman and realizes her relationship is over. However, she meets a man that is emotionally scarred and afraid of commitment who takes her on a journey into the underworld of dominence and submission.

Submissive Desires by Carolyn Faulker. Very severe story of a woman's five year journey to complete submission in the hands of a fiercely powerful and possessive ex Navy Seal.

What will it take to relieve him of his torture?

Obsessive, possessive, brooding romance hero

I was recently interviewed about obsessive possessive love and the character of Ramey Sandeley.  Here are my thoughts:

Thanks to Amazon Romance Community

The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view provocative trailer featuring scenes from novel.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]  has three powerful, dominant alpha men. Ramey Sandeley has never tasted failure and expects he will always win, whether in business or pleasure.  His uncle, Roger Sandeley, is a member of a group of international businessmen in Montreal that make up a nearly invincible power elite. Georgie La Pointe is the cousin to Ramey Sandeley, a spoiled rock god, born to great privilege. A supreme narcissist, Georgie has never slept with the same woman more than once,  grooms his hair in the eyes of his lovers, and makes love to himself while listening to his songs.

 Alphas are great fun to play with and when a woman wins in the game of love with an A - it is a triumphant battle indeed. Alexandra is lured by all three of powerful dominant alphas. A broken and world weary divorced mother when she journeys to Black Lake, she seems ill equipped for such a task. But as Alexandra is drawn into the underground and mentored by the mystics and gypsies dormant powers are unleashed, and she begins a dramatic transformation. Will the romantic beauty beat the dominant alphas at their games and tame each and every one? Perhaps not tame, but their lives will never be the same.

 I have taken a poll from the romance community, and the following have been voted the top ten most dominent Alpha men in romantic novels. Thanks to Amazon Romance Forum.

In no particular order, the winners are:

1. Domenico, [amazon_link id="0345289927" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Silver Devil[/amazon_link] by Teresa Denys - cult favorite  - dark historical romance set in renaissance Italy about Duke who sees peasant girl in window and buys her from her brother and forces her to be his mistress

2. Jamie, [amazon_link id="0440423201" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Outlander Series[/amazon_link], by Diana Gabledon - historical romance time travel 

3. Wrath [amazon_link id="0451947630" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series[/amazon_link] by J.R. Ward -leader of vampire warriors set in New York

4. Lucan, [amazon_link id="0553589377" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Midnight Breed Series[/amazon_link] by Laura Adraian - eight books in vampire series

5. Bones [amazon_link id="0061245089" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Huntress Series[/amazon_link] by Jeannine Frost - an urban vampire fantasy

6. Jericho [amazon_link id="0440240999" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Fever Series[/amazon_link] by Karen Marie Moning - fantasy/paranormal set in Ireland

7. Zadist, [amazon_link id="0451947630" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Black Dagger Brotherhood[/amazon_link] by J.R. Ward - six vampire warriors gravitate between turf battles and sensuous delights

8. Raphael, [amazon_link id="0425233367" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Guild Hunter Series[/amazon_link] by Nalili Singh -  female vampire hunter and powerful archangel

9. Rolfe the Relentless, [amazon_link id="044020609X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Conquerer[/amazon_link] by Brenda Joyce - romance set in England in 1069

10. Gregori, [amazon_link id="0312949596" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dark Magic Series[/amazon_link] by Christine Ferham - heavy on romance and intimacy with vampire, magic, paranormal twist

Pamela Palmer's [amazon_link id="0061794716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hunger Untamed[/amazon_link] series follows feral warriors in all their glory. Looks like this alpha might must make it to the top ten very soon!! The model on the cover, international model/actor Tos Yanez  plays Andre Labat in the Trailer for 'The House on Black Lake' which can be viewed on Home Page.

[amazon_link id="B00486UF4S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hunger Untamed[/amazon_link]