Close your eyes. Think of the hottest Dom you’ve ever read about …or experienced. It wasn’t his looks or his body that held your interest. Oh. A hot romance hero (and Dom) will whet the appetite of even the most jaded reader or submissive, but that isn’t what keeps them hooked. No, it takes a man with personality. A man who can command a room without doing more than shifting his weight. Raising his eyebrows. Smiling slightly. Sometimes less IS more.

I’ve been active in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) for about fourteen years. During that time I’ve made a lot of friends. There is one gentleman I’ve met who has left a strong impression on me. He’s sweet. Kind to others. The epitome of chivalry, really. But he has that innate ability to command respect just by standing there. He doesn’t have to swagger to get attention. He just draws it by his very demeanor. I don’t know that he has any personal kinks or that he lives a BDSM lifestyle—we aren’t friends in that way—but if it is a part of his life I’d wager that he’s a damn good Dom.

A man who is truly confident in himself doesn’t need to swagger in order to convey his gift of command. He radiates charisma and strength. That man is the kind of hero I try to write in my erotic romances. Not all of my romance heroes live a BDSM lifestyle, but all of them are Dominants. They all have the ability to command others with only a gaze or a nod, and in case you haven’t figured me out yet—my favorite hero archetype is “The Warrior.”