There was a time when I was a sucker for the "bad boy" hero. You know the type: the volatile, wrong-side-of-the tracks rebel who's handsome, charismatic, street-smart, and who has a sexual prowess that thrills the primmest good girl. In the movies, he's James Dean; in romance novels, he's the hero of Teresa Medeiros' Nobody's Darling; in the mystery/action genre, he's got Jack Reacher's vibe. The bad-boy allure for women is more than fantasy, however: Scientific studies have found that men with a "dark triad" of traits -- the self-obsession of the narcissist, the impulsive thrill-seeking of the psychopath, and the deceitful exploitation of Machiavelli -- really do score more sexual conquests than the average. How could such negative traits win hearts? Well, research proves that the dark-triad personalities are better than most at making themselves attractive, charming, exciting and sexually appealing. Female biology also seems to prefer these high-testosterone types; studies show ovulating women are more apt to choose "bad boys" as mates. Of course, selfish, manipulative seducers tend to have short-term relationships, by their own choice and because most women eventually reject the cad behind the sexy mask. Maybe that's why the bad-boy archetype lost his appeal for me in my reading and my writing. He's just got no staying power romantically. But that doesn't mean there aren't other sexy options! Romance Author Tami Cowden offers a fun discussion of various romantic hero archetypes. Besides The Bad Boy, her list still includes The Chief, The Charmer, The Professor, The Swashbuckler, The Best Friend, The Warrior and The Lost Soul (oh, those sexy vampires). For Cowden's article, go to http://www.likesbooks.com/eight.html
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