Give me an alpha...

I was rather interested in today's RTB post, a topic that I always enjoy--The Alpha Male debate. That was until I reached Kimber An's comment that included the following...

Big, Bad Alpha Heroes annoy me because in Real Life I’ve never seen one settle down to being a good husband and father. More often than not, they knock up the woman and leave her to raise the kids in a trailer park by herself while he chases a perkier set of boobs.

This isn't a description of an alpha hero, it's the description of an immature moron. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Is this a stereotype I've somehow missed over the years? Being a controlling blowhard doesn't make a man an alpha--being strong, independent, take-charge, protective that will make one.

Obviously readers have preferences whether it's alpha or beta or a combination. I may lean toward alphas, but I like the character type to fit the storyline. I wouldn't be able to belive the HEA if I thought "Big, Bad Alpha Heroes annoy me because in Real Life I’ve never seen one settle down to being a good husband and father." Not that all hero's must pass the good father test, not all men and women want children, but I have to believe that the HEA works.

Frustration

As avid readers we know authors appreciate that we support them by buying, reading and then spreading the word that a book is good, wonderful, stupendous. I'm sure they don't really appreciate when we don't like a book, but most are gracious enough not to comment, with a few exception who choose to point out that obviously we didn't get it. But those authors are actually a rarity.

But there are days when reader frustration starts to bubble. We're told we love you... but...

• Please don't shop at UBSs as they cut into my royalties, and keep me from realizing my full potential, and take food from my starving children's mouths. Never mind that buying everything I read new would keep food out of my starving child's mouth.
• Libraries are wonderful, but once again they cut into my royalties...
• I don't care if you're my biggest fan ever, don't buy ARC on Ebay and never buy a book before it's official release date. Not that I actually think buying an ARC on Ebay before it's release is okay, but if someone is such a rabid fangirl that they can't wait for a book, it's likely they'll be spreading the word far and wide that the book is the bestest and I'm sure plenty of other readers will buy it new.
• Readers should adopt an author. What the heck do they think an autobuy list is? I've already adopted far more authors than I can actually support.
• If you don't have anything nice to say about a book, just don't say anything. If I think a book's a wallbanger I'm supposed to keep it to myself. Literally, I can't talk about it, I can't take it back, I can't exchange it at the UBS (UBSs are evil), I can't burn it (burning books is bad).
• Read outside you're comfort zone. Why? If I know I'm not going to like something, why should I torture myself? actually I agree with this one, but can understand why someone reading for pleasure chooses to stay within their comfort zone.
• Blah, Blah, Blah...

Are you wondering where this came from? Have you ever noticed how often authors tell us to we need to buy more books? It's frustrating.

Now having had my little rant, I can fully understand that we are probably just as frustrating to authors. I can't imagine what type of fans drove Stephen King to write Misery. And I have to wonder how many times Nora Roberts has been asked when Eve and Rourke are going to have a baby.