I’ll admit it. I read a lot of romance and have accumulated several favorite heroes in my book list through the years, but there’s just one that I claim in real life as my very own hero, and that’s my husband. 

Blog Header Titled My Very Own Hero  by Denise M. Colby

We’ve been married for 25 years now, and I have to say that romance novels have shown me new ways to appreciate bits and pieces that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of.

Some of my favorite stories include a hero and heroine who are perfect for each other because of the how they compliment each other in the little parts of every day life.

This is what makes a true love match. This is what I mean when I talk about my own hero in my life. 

And like in our stories, it’s easy to forget about this layer, especially when we get frustrated with the hero, which happens in our novels, too. It’s one of the things we enjoy when we read a story about two people who are finding out about themselves and this person who has grabbed their attention. And they don’t know where they are going in their journey, but we know they will at some point end up together.

As a new writer, I’ve worked through generic personality traits for the heroes of my books. But, as in our stories and real life, it’s important to find specific traits that make a hero unique. So to dig deeper I had to think about things from my own perspective a bit. I thought about my husband as how I would portray him in one of my novels and there are some specific things that came to mind.

Ways my own Hero is a good fit for me

  • He shares my love of Disney, movies, and family time
  • Gets offended for me when I’m wronged
  • He loves me in his own special way
  • Knows when he’s in a no-win situation
  • Uses humor when he’s uncomfortable
  • Doesn’t complain about my incessant talking and my messes

And as I’ve learned from those book heroes, it’s not always about the things he does, it’s also about the things he doesn’t do – like leave the toilet seat up and he lets me turn the toilet paper roll the way I prefer – all the time.

Sure, my own hero and I are still learning and adjusting to each other, but the romances I read help remind me to take a step back and appreciate the blessings that I’ve been given.

photo of Ken and Denise Colby riding the Matterhorn at Disneyland in 1994
Denise Colby and her very own hero on one of their many date nights at Disneyland, back when they were dating in 1994. The old seats on the Matterhorn added to the romance of going on a date in the park.

I hope the stories and the heroes I write about are able to do the same for my readers. That’s our goal as writers, right?

If you’d like to find our more about the stories I’m writing, I’d love to have you visit my website at denisemcolby.com.

Author Bio
Author Bio
Passionate about all types of stories—whether they are from songs, theatre, movies, or novels—Denise M. Colby loves history and constantly finds herself contemplating how it was to live in the 1800’s. Combining her love of learning about history, and reading, Denise writes Historical Romance Sweetened with Faith, Hope, & Love. Her first novel, When Plans Go Awry, is the first novel in her Best-laid Plans series. A mother to three boys and soon to be daughter-in-love, Denise loves to read, watch movies with her family, sing 80’s and musical songs, tap dance, and spend date nights with her husband at Disneyland. Sign up for her newsletter or follow Denise on her social media. Newsletter: https://denisemcolby.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/ Website: www.denisemcolby.com Blog: www.denisemcolby.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisemcolbywrites/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisem.colby/
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Passionate about all types of stories—whether they are from songs, theatre, movies, or novels—Denise M. Colby loves history and constantly finds herself contemplating how it was to live in the 1800’s. Combining her love of learning about history, and reading, Denise writes Historical Romance Sweetened with Faith, Hope, & Love. Her first novel, When Plans Go Awry, is the first novel in her Best-laid Plans series. A mother to three boys and soon to be daughter-in-love, Denise loves to read, watch movies with her family, sing 80’s and musical songs, tap dance, and spend date nights with her husband at Disneyland. Sign up for her newsletter or follow Denise on her social media. Newsletter: https://denisemcolby.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/ Website: www.denisemcolby.com Blog: www.denisemcolby.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisemcolbywrites/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisem.colby/
  • Veronica Jorge says:

    Hi Denise, What a sweet post. Thanks for sharing a part of your life with us.

    • Thank you Veronica! I appreciate you reading and commenting. I find it challenging to find topics to write sometimes, and this was something on my heart and so I wanted to share.

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