There’s no time like Super Bowl day to share my lot in life as the spouse of a sports nut. It’s not surprising really, since I was the first one in line to fall in love with all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ sports heroes and I went on to write a snowboarder, a race car driver and a hockey player into my own books. What can I say? I’ve got a thing for jocks.
Two things really work for me about athletes. On a strictly physical level, there’s something tremendously attractive about a man who uses his body for a competitive edge. A jock not only looks fantastic in boxers, he is also trained for endurance. Enough said.
But the second thing I love about athletes is more esoteric and probably even more of a draw. It’s the attitude, baby. There’s a certain amount of—can I call it conceit?—in men who constantly push the limits of their physical capabilities. The best athletes know their game rides on their mental attitude as much as their skill, and that comes out in a world of confidence that might be off-putting to some, but me? I think it’s incredibly sexy. A jock brings his A game—all day, every day. And he struts through the world with that in mind. It puts a certain gleam in the eye…
All of which puts me in the mood to go watch wet men in tights (it’s raining in Miami– :-)). What about you? Are you with me on jock heroes or do sports guys make you run screaming? What kinds of heroes—or hero professions—are auto-buys for you?
***Chat with Joanne this week for a chance to win a copy of her February Blaze, Don’t Look Back. One poster from this thread will be chosen at random to win a signed book on Thursday morning.
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Yes, love sports heroes - particulary baseball. (Kate Angell had Squeeze Play and soon Curveball). But also am loving Deirdre Martin’s Hockey Series and SEP’s football.
Hey am I still #1??? LOL.
by Pat L
on February 5th, 2007 at 7:23 am
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Actually, I have never thought about the heroes profession. There are advantages for each I think. But now that you mentio that strength, endurance and cockiness…..hmmmm
by Little Lamb Lost
on February 5th, 2007 at 9:10 am
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I’ve always been very athletic and outdoor oriented so I love any ex -jock or still a jock book.
Loved SEP’s Chicago Stars’ guys. Carly Phillips has ex-baseball players. I like Rocki St Clair’s Nascar book. Pamela Britton’s too. Sandra Brown had a female professional tennis player. Elaine Barberi had a race car driver. There are a lot of ex-professional rodeo books. I buy them all.
I’ll also buy ex- military types…SEALS, counter-intelligence agents… mercenaries…
by Laurie G
on February 5th, 2007 at 10:12 am
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I do love good sports heroes. The drive and determination and the commitment are sexy. My husband played hockey in college and I used to love to watch him play! Baseball players, hockey players, soccer players, etc.
I also like my heroes to have physical jobs - I’d much prefer a man in a hard hat than a three piece suit!
by Sandra M.
on February 5th, 2007 at 11:27 am
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Joanne, I totally agree with you on SEP’s football heroes. My other autobuy/reads are Diedere Martin and Rachel Gibson’s hockey players. Janet Evanovich has a new series I love about a female mechanic associated with a NASCAR driver.
I also have an addiction to military heroes…
Thus said, I can’t wait to read Stephanie Tyler’s “Coming Undone. 
by Angie T
on February 5th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
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I love sports heroes such as cowboys, race car drivers, football players. I love
Sandra Brown’s Texas Trilogy(cowboys). Military heroes make a great read also.
by RobynL
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
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I enjoy sports heroes but my auto buys are usually your warrior types, both historically and contemporary. For example, cops, firefighters, Highland warriors, Navy Seals, alien warriors, etc.
by Cherie Japp
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
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I’m probably in the minority but I avoid jocks and sports guys. I’m not a sports fan. I agree that they are buff enough to look at but unless I know them personally I don’t take an interest in what they do. I think they are too into themselves and what they can do. I don’t seek out sport hero books but every once in awhile one will fall into my hands and I usually enjoy them to a certain extent but they are not my favorite books or heroes. Heroes to me are people who give of themselves for others.
by Wanda
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
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I’m not into jocks, I prefer the long and lean type
by Aisling
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
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I love sports men, they’ve got stamina, and we all know how important stamina is, :)
by MD
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
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i do watch sports and do prefer men in tights lol. but i like the tie and suits, like the agents and ball boys lol. anything to do with sports is good. people who save people are always a good read. Hi JOanne
by KIM H
on February 5th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
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I love all kinds of men - ’nuff said…:mrgreen:
by Karen B
on February 5th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
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I like books with sports heroes especially hockey players.
by Crystal B.
on February 5th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
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I like all kinds of heroes in the books I read and sports heroes can be great fun to read.
by Maureen
on February 5th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
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I LOVE sports heroes…but of course I read and love all kinds of heroes. But when it comes to sports heroes I like the baseball and football heroes (the two sports I understand…LOL). I also just read a NASCAR romance, so racecar drivers aren’t that bad either (another sport I understand)…but there you run into the argument of whether or not racing is a sport.
by Jennifer Y.
on February 5th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
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I love a guy who has just enough (meaning he’s not one of those overly muscular guys) muscle on him! So I guess that would include jocks. I don’t have a preference in any particular sport. I love heros in general as long as they are written in a believable way.
by Stephanie S.
on February 5th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
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Basketball guys are hottttt! Mmmmmmm
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I love how confident these sexy sports heroes are. Wrote my first ever in my Boys of Summer Blaze anthology and I really loved writing a pro baseball player hero!
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I hate it when guys are really really bulky, I thing that’s just scary
by Mary J
on February 5th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
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I like an athletic body that can move quickly, I say that to exclude pure body builders who look like the bulk of their muscles would prevent this. A definite turnoff.
by Sue A.
on February 5th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
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I like SEALS, FBI, etc. A man that’s an alpha hero with a tender side.
by Joyce
on February 5th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
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I love sports heroes, and am partial to Rachel Gibson’s hockey players…provided they have all their teeth LOL. Definitely the attitude is there, and it’s rather sexy if a little irritating sometimes. But the hero usually manages to redeem himself.
by Stacy ~
on February 5th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
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I enjoy a good story with a sports hero or theme. Most of my favorites have been mentioned already. Pat White writes a series featuring Wrestling and Kasey Michaels had a duo of books around baseball playing brothers.
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Since I mostly read historical romances my favorite heroes are warrior heroes. In contemporary heroes I like protective heroes, such as bodyguards, undercover agents, etc.
by Cat S
on February 6th, 2007 at 1:56 am
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Well, Wanda you are not alone. I don’t really care for jocks and sports guys, either. I prefer cops, spies, geeks, fire fighters…
by Minna
on February 6th, 2007 at 6:55 am
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i do love a man in uniform and construction workers, like the commercial for diet coke with lucky the model. teachers are hot too and docters.
by KIM H
on February 6th, 2007 at 11:52 am
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I do like sports related heroes. Especially ones that show off their assets. (If you know what I mean)!
by Teresa W.
on February 6th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
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I prefer real men. Not jocks or athletes. But men with brains and not bulges who are stimulating company, sensitive and intelligent.
by diane
on February 6th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
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Joanne, I am with you. I will buy any book with a sports hero. I am a HUGE football fan. Yeah Colts. Athletes are sexy in the most basis element, they have the body that we all wish are husbands had. I am currently working on a manuscript with a football hero, because you write what you know. Ha-Ha. And I can only hope that they will be a publisher out there who will love a sports hero as much as I do. Athletes have to have brains, braun, and a sense of themselves to be the best that they can be. Conceit only hurts the person who feels outcast. I would take a sports hero over a regular guy anyday. Go figure my husband does not play sports and only watches the Superbowl because I have to have a party and I still love him to pieces. He is the greatest guy, my true hero.
by Patty L.
on February 6th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
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I am not athletic in anny sense of the word and do not follow sports but I love guys wil a nice physique and a lot of athletes do have that, so I like to look. I do like to read books with them as heros though and I think they get over looked sometimes as hero material. I love the new Nascar series.
by Kris
on February 6th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
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My favorite kind of hero is a Navy Seal. Love those Navy Seals by Sandra Hill!
by Janet
on February 6th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
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My favorite kind of hero ? Just about everything, as long as he has values. Moral values. I love a hero who knows what he wants, knows the difference between right and wrong. A hero who can say yes, and no (no mostly to his mother). I like them tall with broad shoulders :)
by anne
on February 7th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
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Anne, yes to broad shoulders. My husband doesn’t know it, but his shoulders were what clinched the deal for me. 
Of course, I only have my husband to blame now if I drool just a little as we watch baseball games. I hadn’t understood the appeal until he took me to a game two hours early to take in batting practice long ago before we were married. I thought– how am I going to survive five hours of baseball??– but then the players sauntered over to the wall to sign autographs and we had them practically to ourselves before the game. I nearly swooned my way right down the field. :idea: Suddenly, the joys of baseball all hit home with me.
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Hit Home, huh? no pun intended? LOL. My daughter and I went to game one of the Mets-Dodgers Playoff last Oct. It was fun even tho the Dodgers lost. My daughter is a Met fan and she told me I had to be good.
by Pat L
on February 8th, 2007 at 7:32 am
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Thank you for visiting this week! Janet is the thread’s winner… congratulations!
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wtg janet
by kim h
on February 8th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
