Yes the Alpha Male Blog Hop starts today! Over 200 authors will be blogging with prizes to win at every stop. I hope you have your blogging stamina in fettle because some of the prizes are fantastic. More on that below, though. First my thoughts on the alpha male.
In real life the alpha male is a pain. We all know them – they are the guys who cut you up at the traffic lights, the ones who talk over you during meetings, the ones who refuse to explain things because they are too busy to waste their valuable time. Yes, IRL alpha males are often yahoos. Even more dangerous are the aspirant alphas, young men so touchy about their status, about their honour, and so demanding of ‘respect’ that they are prepared to shoot you in the face to get it.
But in fiction, either written or visual, a well written alpha can be great fun. They are the guys who sweep willing heroines off their feet – probably, it’s 30 years since I read het romances – and who butt heads deliciously in gay fiction as each tries to prove that he’s just that little bit more than the other. Alphas drive plot, whether they are protagonists or the bad guys.
I’m going to list some of my favourite alphas in books and movies. See if you agree with them.
Maximus Decimus Meridius.
There’s nothing to say that an alpha always has to be in ascendancy. Maximus faces all kinds of challenges with gallantry and valour. Stripped of everything he values he still makes a new place for himself, gaains followers and is concerned for their welfare. the very best kind of alpha male.
Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon in These Old Shades by Georgette heyer, on the other hand, is never in any danger. His control of himself and of all around him is absolute. This makes him a rather cold and unpleasant character, but still dynamite on the page.
Alphas make fabulous antagonists. Where’s the fun if your hero is top dog. He has to have something to fight against and if that’s another, stronger man, all the better. Count Ademar in A Knights Tale lifted it from romantic comedy to something far more edgy. It wouldn’t have been nearly as good a story without him to represent the social pressures that the hero was bucking against. Also he looks fabulous, which never hurts.
Gabriel in the Lymond Chronicles is another favourite alpha antagonist. Gabriel is clever, talented, obviously the man on top and seems so good, so plausible, that Lymond’s distrust of him seems petty and jealous. People tend not to notice that Lymond is an alpha until it’s too late, and that suits him fine. Over the course of the novels, Lymond encounters and deals with world shakers like Ivan the Terrible, Suleiman the Magnificent and Henri de Valois and not only comes out on top but makes them think it was their idea. That’s real alphadom!
History abounds with alpha heroes and villains, although part of being an alpha male is that he would be unable to imagine that he could be the villain. Alexander the Great, Horatio Nelson, Arthur Wellesley, Attila the Hun, Timujin, Julius Caesar – the list is endless.
Finally one of my very favourites:
Titus Pullo – depicted here by Ray Stevenson in the HBO series Rome – was a real person, descibed by Julius Caesar in his account of the Gallic Wars. I don’t think i can do better than copy the section from Wikipedia:
Titus Pullo was one of the two Roman centurions of the 13th Legion (Legio XIII Claudia) mentioned in the writings of Julius Caesar. The other soldier mentioned was Lucius Vorenus; they appear in Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Book 5, Chapter 44.
Pullo and Vorenus were fierce rivals for promotion to primus pilus, the most senior centurion in a legion. Both distinguished themselves in 54 BC when the Nervii attacked the legion under Quintus Cicero in their winter quarters in Nervian territory. In an effort to outdo Vorenus, Pullo charged out of the fortified camp and attacked the enemy, but was soon wounded and surrounded. Vorenus followed and engaged his attackers in hand-to-hand combat, killing one and driving the rest back, but lost his footing and was himself soon surrounded. Pullo in turn rescued Vorenus, and after killing several of the enemy, the pair returned to camp amid applause from their comrades.
HBO turned Pullo into a bit of a buffoon but he was still an alpha. In a fight I would so want him on my side!
So what do you think? Comment below with your favourite alphas from fiction or history, good or bad, and add your email address for a chance to win a $10 gift card and a copy of my novella “Alike As Two Bees”. There is an alpha male in it – a very relaxed one with nothing to prove – but it’s neither of the protagonists.
And that’s not all….
The blog hop is offering THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Or you can click on the picture of the IMMENSE swag pack below.
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack! [US only because it weighs too much too ship abroad]
Elin Gregory 
I’ve always had a soft spot for Erwin Rommel. Even though he was the ‘enemy’ he was respected even by our fellows and Churchill, who payed tribute to him after his death. By all accounts he was a decent and honourable man who at least saw Hitler for the crazed megalomaniac he was at the end.
Great post, Elin and I love your choice of ‘Alphas’. 😃
Thanks Jessie! I agree with Rommel. He was a star. another little feisty guy out of the same mould as Alexander, Nelson and Napoleon.
Have you seen Donna Barr’s comic series “The Desert Peach” about Rommel’s effete younger brother Pfirisch? It’s just FABulous Dahling! Superb art and engaging characters.
No, I haven’t but that’ll be remedied forthwith. Will search it out NOW. 😉
Cheers Hun.
I love it. Pfirisch Rommel commands the 469th Halftrack, Gravedigging and Support Unit of the Afrika Korps, “a unit composed etirely of stray puppies”, with the help of his orderly Udo Schmidt and the hindrance of his boyfriend, Luftwaffe ace, Rosen Kavalier. And there’s lots of it, though sadly the first 7 episodes have been taken down.
I like Vere in The Last Hellion by Loretta Chase
I love Titus Pullo and miss Rome. Loved the show and agree with you that he is definitely alpha.
kesummer69(at)gmail(dot)com
sometimes these things don’t let me comment. I am going to be a fan of Desert Peach– I can tell.
I’ve never thought of Lymond as an alpha male before because he is so subtle. Trying to think of another suitable addition to the list and failing miserably – I’ll just go and check out Desert Peach instead.
*I already have Two Bees and enjoyed it.
Great choices, must go and check out Desert Peach, sounds interesting.
skpetal at hotmail dot com
I love Alpha men, because I need someone as confident and dominant as me to have an equal relationship – I hate the feeling that my partner is less powerful than me and cannot make it without me.
My favourite Alpha male is Gabriel from Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate, because he’s strong, confident and willing to fight for what he wants.
Rachel oceanrebel333 @ gmail.com
Well, one of my ultimate fave alphas in fiction is Adam Hauptmann from the Mercy Thompson novels, as well as Samuel, Charles, Bran, and Darryl. Oh, and Warren and Kyle, who are one of my fave couples as well. Also, Genghis Khan is a definite alpha. He’s the only man to ever conquer Russia, something Alexander the Great and others failed to do. It is also believed that 0.5% of the world’s population, roughly 16 million descendants living today, are related to him as well. Now that’s one macho alpha.
Forgot my e-mail, it’s tiger-chick-1(at)hotmail(dot)com
I think a lot of books use too heavy a hand in depicting an alpha–most het romances make ’em look like insane control freaks. My favorites are from m/m books: Lucky in Eden Winters’ DIVERSION and Jason in Lynn Lorenz’s BEST VACATION THAT NEVER WAS. Great post!
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I think the best thing about Alpha Males is that they aren’t threatened by strong females.
If I went with favorite Alphas, not including the ones I write about, I’d have to pick all the Mackenzie men (and Mac) from Linda Howard’s series, then there’s the Doms in Cherise Sinclair’s Shadowland series (especially Master Sam).
Qwillia
qwilliarain AT gmail DOT com
I really like Jamie from the Outlander series.
by.evie at yahoo dot com dot br
I love Roarke in Nora Roberts Books 🙂
Thanks for the hoppin fun !
~Kym
flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com
I’m with you – in real life I think I would prefer a Alpha/Beta mix or a Beta, but I love reading about Alphas. My favorite alpha hero is Adam from Patricia Briggs’ Mercedes Thompson series. Thank you for being in the hop!
jochibi AT yahoo DOT com
I like my alphas in fiction and the one I love the most is Curran from the Kate Daniels series. He’s not your normal alpha because he’s on the psychotic side. I like ’em a little crazy…
Michelle Bledsoe
koonie2888 at yahoo dot com
These Old Shades! That’s one of the ones I have in a Kindle version on my iPod. I’m partial to Sir Richard Wyndham in The Corinthian, myself.
juliangriffith1801@gmail.com
Simon Westfield,A Certain Wolfish Charm, by Lydia Dare.
r.d1@myfairpoint.net
Nice choice of Count Ademar in A Knights Tale specially because it’s portrayed by Rufus Sewell. He’s also in the TV mini-series Zen where he portrays a detective looking stylish in a suit. I also like Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings movies.
bituin76 AT hotmail DOT com
Right now my favorite is Adam from the Mercy Thompson series, but that can change depending on my mood or what I am currently reading 🙂
Thanks for participating in the hop!
dmr8888 at yahoo dot com
I forgot about Maximus he is a perfect alpha, another for me is Theseus in the Immortals.
as for in books Acheron from the Dark Hunter series.
vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com
I love Clayton Westmoreland from the book Whitney My Love.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
I happen to love Chaucer. Haha but the guy that plays Count Ademar is so smoking as a bad guy or as a good guy. Either way he plays a role he always has an Alpha appeal. xstitchdiva at att dot net
I love Roarke in JD Robb’s In Death series!
sqwalker2@gmail.com
Well, I agree about the Gladiator! Master Adam from Master At Arms series is currently on my list!
rfg dot wwe at gmail dot com
Why I love Alpha Males is no real surprise! The perfect Alpha Male for me could be a Vampire, a Scottish Laird, an English Rogue/Gentleman, a Werewolf or Shape-shifter, or a Knight. He’s the rogue who thinks he can’t be reformed into a gentleman. He’s the rough and scarred Scottish laird that has a heart of gold. He’s the werewolf or shape-shifter that needs to heal an aching heart because it took him years to find his true mate. He’s the vampire who has waited decades for that special someone’s blood to sing to him and wake him up. And he’s the knight who can defeat the enemy with a quick swing of his sword, but can’t see the love in front of his face. My Alpha Male has eyes that can see into your soul and are as blue as the sea, or as black as a storm. He’s tall and brooding. His heart can enfold you into its grasp and make you fall in love when he gives it to you freely and completely. He is protective and passionate. In the end he is the one that makes your heart jump and butterflies fly in your stomach, and still kiss you until your legs melt!
Angelheart618@gmail.com
I just added your novella to my wishlist, I absolutely love the time period it’s set in and the whole idea of two men that are so different finding love together.
My favorite alpha male at the moment is Roarke from the In Death series. He’s got all the good alpha qualities without being over-the-top.
Jyl22075 at gmail.com
Just stopped in to say hi! My favorite Alpha of the moment is Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. So very vulnerable when it comes to the woman he loves.
Some of my favorite would have to be Dare, Trace, Jackson, & Spencer from Lori Foster’s Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor series & Ash, Sin, Dev, & Fang from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series 🙂
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
cassandrahicks1989@yahoo.com
[…] « Alpha Male Blog Hop […]
I do love Titus from Rome.
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
My favorite alpha is definitely Barrons from the Fever series! I also love Curran and Bones and all the boys from the BDB series!
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com
One of my very first alpha male book character crushes? Richard from the Anita Blake series. blackman.jm(at)gmail(dot)com.
My favorite alpha is Eric Northman from Sookie Stackhouse series.
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
my favorite alpha male i have two eric from sookie stackhouse and angel from the cancelled tv show angel angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
you seem to like those romans. I prefer more modern Alphas
sugerlady@aol.com
My favorite is Braden from On Dublin Street by Samantha Young.
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
my favorite is bones from the night huntress series by jeaniene frost
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
My favorite alpha male is Samuel from Patricia Briggs’s books. I love that he has a compassionate side and loves taking care of people and animals. He is strong, loyal, loving…He also has a past that I am longing to get resolved.
phaedracamille@gmail.com
Broderick from Ransom by Julie Garwood.
I love Alpha males who are strong and protecitve!
What a great blog hop Alpha males are my favorite!
One of my favorite Alpha males is Decebal from The Grey Wolves Series by Quinn Loftis!
Thank you for the great giveaway!
Latisha D
tishajean@ charter.net
Alpha males are awesome! Betas are too so got to love them ALL!
They have be dark, mysterious, protective, humorous, loving, strong, and just be themselves.
At them moment it’ll have to be Neville Rosco from Stephanie Laurens’ The Lady Risks All. He is a great soft hearted man who is making money for his family by portraying himself as a bad boy owner of a gambling house. He is also in a club called The Philanthropy Guild.
Thanks for the giveaway and being apart of the Blog Hop!
kp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great Example! I love Titus Pullo!! He is the epiphany of an alpha male. I also like Bruce Willis as John McClane. He is a great alpha. Thanks for the giveaway.
kaylyndavis1986@yahoo.com
One of my favorite Alphas is Bones from the Night Huntress series. He’s totally confident, dominant, and a little rough around the edges.
molly dot frenzel at gmail dot com
Great post! Thanks for joining the hop!!
Ashley A
ash_app@hotmail.com
I prefer my fictional alphas.. but here are a few of the real or movie types for you. Douglas MacArthur, John Wayne, Benjamin Franklin, John D. Rockefeller, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Julius Caesar, Robert E. Lee and U. S. Grant.
Thanks for being part of the blog hop and for your giveaway
Best wishes
cms72023[at]gmail[dot]com
I love Charles from Patricia Briggs’ series and the Breed from Lora Leigh’s series.
mythic021@gmail.com
I love alphas! My favorite is Master Adam from Kallypso Masters series!
awesome blog hop!
susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com
Great hop!
Thanks for the chance!
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Jack Gordon from Liz Crowe’s REALTOR series rocks!
Alpha males are the best….strong, independent, fiercely protective, but on the inside they are nothing but a big ol’ teddy bear! I love the way their mouths talk filthy, but their eyes portray their sensitive sweet. They can be rough and tough in the bedroom, but still have the gentle caress of an attentive and protective lover. It’s all in the heart…..alpha males are the best!
Thanks for participating in the hop!
molly at reviewsbymolly dot com
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Thanks for being a part of the blog hop. i love how powerful, fierce and passionate alpha males can be. Sparhawk from The Diamond Throne.
i totally want to read your books
raynekitten@gmail.com
Love Alphas! Thanks for being part of this fun hop!
Barbara
bbsbooknook@aol.com
Some of my favorite alphas are the Masters from the Rescue Me series by Kallypso Masters & the crew from the Powertools series by Jayne Rylon
wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
My current favorite fictional alpha is Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. I don’t think anything can get better than his snarky humor as well as his other alpha traits!
Thanks for being a part of the blog hop!
Best wishes,
Marlena
charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com
Maximus- great Alpha example!
My favorite Alpha Male is Xavier (from my Existence series). I am also quite partial to Dr. Gregory House (of the tv show House M.D.), Sheriff Carter (of the tv show Eureka), and Chief (from “The Laughing Man” in JD Salinger’s Nine Stories).
j.lennidorner AT facebook DOT com
Thanks for sharing the post.. There is so many alphas that I could name but I would probably be here all day naming them and …
Here are the traits that I most enjoy in an alpha Caring, considerate, strong, determined (willingness to go the distance in getting what he desire) affectionate with a mix of compassion and bit of creativity…
Tweeted the post (https://twitter.com/BeckeyWhite/status/260472917089992704)
BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom
One of my favorite alpha males is Rhett Butler. I remember having a huge crush on him as a teen. He just had that commanding, devil may care attitude
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Oh~ I loved Count Ademar, he had some of the best lines in that movie! I also love Sherlock from the BBC tv series as a fabulous alpha and Kaname from Vampire Knight (manga) and soooo many others I could go on all day. Alphas are just the best!
MostlyMisha[at]gmail[dot]com
I love alpha heros. So hot! 🙂 I love how dominant, possessive, loyal and protective they are. Thank you for the awesome hop and giveaway! This is so much fun!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
I love alpha males who are strong, sexy, and protective of those they love. Bones from the Night Huntress is one of my favorites.
Thanks for the giveaway!
snhoveln (at) gmail (dot) com
I like alphas and their protectiveness. I like Zsadist.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com