I really didn't want to let Shelli Stevens guest blog for me today. Her "Anybody but Justin" kept my Personal Protection from hitting #1 on the My Bookstore and More bestseller's list the week our stories were released. *pout*Ah, who am I kidding? I was thrilled that I was second only to Shelli. Plus Shelli is another of those uber-supportive authors who you can't be upset with. She's the one who gave me the idea for giving credit for those of you who retweet my twitter messages each day about my guest bloggers. (I'll bet she doesn't even realize it.) And she's always been there with an encouraging word for new authors, and jumped right in with both feet when I posted about needing guests for my Birthday Bash.
So welcome Shelli Stevens. (You do realize I was kidding about that first paragraph, right?)
***
Hi, Leah and happy birthday! Thanks for having me on your blog today!
So I’m going for a fun, somewhat random, topic! You know when we read books, the heroes and heroines are all across the board in physical appearance. I’m not just talking eyes, body types and hair.... or wait maybe I am talking hair.
Sure, romance novels like to take you a step away from reality, but I still like a little bit in mine.
For instance...chest hair. I actually LIKE chest hair on my guys. Both in real life and in my heroes in books. It’s that sexy little difference in female and male to me. It gives the hero that manly edge.
(Unfortunately, the original image Shelli provided was taken down by PhotoBucket so I substituted my own cover. )
But you don’t really see that so much anymore in books. I mean, especially on cover models on covers. They’ve got these smooth as a baby’s butt, oiled up, ripped chests. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. But, I like it when I see a smattering of hair, or when an author shows us in the book that the hero has a bit. I mean, sure, we don’t have to go so far as to show the heroine running her hands through the hero’s back hair, but a little more reality can be fun.
(Leah here: ZOMG maybe I should take back those nice things I said about Shelli - that photo is ... akkk, it made me spit out my morning coffee. Please tell me that's photoshopped.)
Here’s the cover of my newest (and first NY release!) Take Me from Kensington Aphrodisia.
Notice the smattering of arm hair on the guy? Can’t say that I’m disappointed :D
So how about you? How do you like your heroes? Smooth and oiled? Or hard with a little man hair? Leave a comment to be entered to win a signed copy of Take Me!
Shelli
http://www.shellistevens.com
59 comments:
Hard with some hair for sure!! No back hair or excessive amounts. Just enough to run your fingers over.
Thanks~
Amy M
Well, I don't mind smooth, and I don't mind a bit of hair either.
One thing though, I adore beards. Nicely cropped, I love to rake my fingers over a beard.
Valerie
valb0302@yahoo.com
Hi :)
What a fun blog post.
Thank you for having Shelli here and thanks Shelli for sharing with us.
I'm a guy but I am sooooo glad I don't have back hair (yuck). Just normal amount of chest hair thank goodness.
So I'll say I like a woman smooth and not oiled, just fresh from the shower is awesome though.
:)
Love and best wishes
RKCharron
Hi! Fun post! I agree with RKCharron, I like my heroes freshly cleaned and I don't mind hair if it's clean :)
But I must confess, the less hear the better for me...
Have a great day!
Need hard with a little or no hair at all. especially no back hair. ;)
good post!
Smooth! I'm going to break out the brain bleach to get that hairy back image out of my mind. Eep.
Congrats on your release Shelli!! Body hair hmm? Well, I don't mind a little, but if they are all Robin Williams, then heck no! I actually think my husband hates body hair more than I do....and he has very little of it as it is! lol
I really can't wait to read this!!
Lightly fuzzy is fine with me, no hairy backs TYVM. Don't mind smooth and sleek either, but I love beards and longish hairon a guy (or the extreme opposite-bald if he has a great head shape)
Wow. Quite the discussion. You take what you get in this world, and I'm grateful for what my husband has, ha ha! As for book material, I guess the smattering of hair would be more of a turn-on for me than no hair or tons of hair.
...*stares at back hair photo*
A bit too much for me, but a man should have hair. Now that is a real man, but no rug on the back.
The one I woke up to his hairy and pudgy so if I had to chose.... definately smooth with just a tickle in the right places and for sure hard and oiled..... Yummmy
Wow--quite the photo!
I tend to agree--I don't mind some hair, but no rugs, please. Reading about the heroine running her fingers through his mat is a little off-putting... ;)
Hi Shelli!
Hum, good question, I would have to say that a little hair is good, but in the right places (not on back!) But I don't think anyone wants a garilla man either!
Hmm, I like smooth as long as it is hard muscle. No slim, little boy looks please.
What I love with or without chest hair is that sweet little happy trail leading down from the naval. Oh and I want hair on his arms and legs...so masculine.
I love hard & with some hair, especially love the south-bound trail of hair below the navel. And I prefer no back hair. OMG that picture is burned into my brain. I think I need to borrow the brain bleach from Chris!
My word verification is raggyr! LOL Seems appropriate!
Smooth is fine, a sparse little chest patch is okay too. I don't even mind a healthy normal amount of chest hair. If you have to comb your back, the answer is NO!
I don't like a lot of hair. However, I do like to have some to run my fingers through. I'm not into the smooth chests either. Have a great day.
Ha ha! I'm loving everyone's responses! I should just clarify, I wouldn't kick a guy with a smooth chest out of my bed or anything ;) But I do like a smattering.
Shelli, congratulations on your new release! It looks AWESOME!
OK, that back picture -- erg!
Smooth and oiled is good, with just. that. little. southward-pointing. fuzz. Yum ...... *daydreaming*.
Thanks for the contest!
~bella
oh heck. Isn't it all just part of the package? Variety being the spice of life and all that?!? ;)
I prefer no hair!
Variety is good!
I married Asian so my man is fairly hairless (he has 6 hairs on his chest that he's extremely proud of) but I find either a bit hairy (the beast, wowsers, the beast) or not hairy very sexy.
But he SHOULD be hairy down there, if you know what I mean.
BTW... if I read a werewolf romance, I EXPECT some hair. He's gotta be wolfie!
I've written heroes with hairy chests, but personally I like smooth and oiled. I love to see a muscular chest that makes me itch to rub my hands over the bumps and ridges :)
arm hair is ok,but no chest or back hair.But not oiled up.oh and no hair on the butt cheeks either.lol. ;)
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
You know, there really are people with as much -or more- hair as that guy on the picture.
I do like some hair on the guy, but maybe not quite that much.
Variety is definitely good. I like a little chest hair but definitely no back hair. Shelli that picture is just...ZOMG! LOL
Don't enter me in the contest. I've already got Take Me headed my way. :) Just had to comment on that horrific photo.
Leah, loved the intro by the way! I knew you were kidding ;) LOL.
I've written smooth chests, too. Just because, well, I know people are different.
YIKES! That picture. YIKES!
I like a little chest hair, but NOT like that picture.
I love men with rock-hard abs and very little hair. The less hair, the better to see those great abs.
I have to say that i like them both. But can't have a lot of hair, then it's bad. I never really thought about it but your right most heros don't have any hair. I kind of like it quite a bit when they do.
lexeetoste at sbcglobal.net
Happy Release Week, Shelli.
I like a lean buff guy with some body hair, just please not enouch to comb, lol.
Long hair to their shoulders works for me too, not really into a smooth shaven head.
Hi Leah and Shelli!
A little hair is okay as long as it's not on the back and not too much at the right places.
Terri W.
Shelli, I like a little hair. Otherwise I might wonder if he was shaving it off, and WHY? Sorry, but that's a girly thing to me. I love men just as they come.
Sandie
Hi Shelli,
Congrats on the new release. I like a bare chest, but a little hair is fine. I don't like the oiled up look.
I like a little hair but not too much and I love stubble :)
Hard with a bit of chest hair.
Congrats on your new release!
Except for Godzilla above, I'd take any amount on a very nice chest. All the better to run your fingertips through. Take me!!
Hard with a little bit of hair. But no back hair. Congrats on the release!
Congrats on your release!
I like a little hair in the right places.
Hi Shelli,
I love hard with a little bit of hair!
Congratulations on the release of Take Me!
I love hard muscled manlymen not too hairy not to smooth my fiance is the right balance of all of the above the long hair the facial hair i have to say i think all scruffy and unshaven is hot now i wouldnt deal with back hair that makes wooly mamoths look smooth but i dont want so smooth it feels like baby skin either
i cant wait to read take me
I love smooth! A little bit on chest and arms, acceptable. But please, no back hair. (shiver)
A bit of chest hair is good, and who doesn't love a happy trail? But no rugs on the chest or back please. And leave the long, flowing hair for the heroine, too.
Hi Shelli and Leah, I definitely scrolled past the photo of that guy's back as quickly as possible! I like my guy to keep it to his chest (in a moderate amount)!
smooth or a tiny bit of hair is okay for me :).
I don't like excessive hair though...
Happy Birthday to you Leah and Happy release day ( a day late) to you Shelli!
Pam S
pams00@aol.com
Happy Birthday Lea.
Happy release day Shelli.
I don't like my man hairy *no way* not for me *g* I do like them strong too *winks*
Hugssss
LindaH
I like a little hair. I like a bit of facial hair too.
Hard with a little man hair!
Shelli, congrats on the release! Hard with a little man hair!
Just smooth, not oiled!
dag888888[at[yahoo[dot]com
I'm with you Shelli! I like a little bit of man hair, especially on the chest, but don't want him to be wearing a hair shirt so to speak.
I do enjoy looking at the smooth chested men on the cover of the books, but in real life I like them to be more natural. Great post!
Smoooooth!! That little trail of hair under the navel that points the way is fine but I prefer swirling my tounge around a smooth nipple and not getting hairs in the mouth. I don't mind looking at some chest hair but prefer smooth for interaction.
Hi Leah and Shelli,
I don't mind a little bit of hair but prefer a hard and smooth body. :) Confrats Selli on your release.
Carol L.
I do not want any facial hair but having some body hair is OK and probably more low maintenance than waxing/shaving regularly.
Hair on men is fine.But not so much that it makes you want to break out you little, pink, throw away razor LOL! :)
I drew a random winner and it's lindseye! Please email me at shelli @ shellistevens.com with your address and I'll send you the book!
Thanks for such an interesting post, Shelley. And I have to agree with the commenter who talked about that trail from the naval and arrowing down. Very sexy.
I was at a spa yesterday where I got to do a little discreet ogling. Not a lot of hairy chests, very few of the men there had hair. The one that I did notice had very little hair on his chest, no back hair except for a thick patch on the small of his spine. It was very weird, and made me wonder if he had hair on his butt cheeks. That would be a definite turn off as someone else said above.
Not a 'back hair' fan either. In fact had to place a comment about this dislike in my latest novel:
"Though Lily had never seen his upper torso unclothed, she suspected that his back-hair was probably thick enough to carve her initials onto it. She made a mental note to herself. Refuse all beaching invitations...."
Tee hee.
bald and smooth or some hair is fine; I love chest hair and moustaches.
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