MASON RIZZA, FLAWED HERO
This blog entry is for the sole purpose of exploring the male protagonist in my BALLS TO THE WALLS Erotica Series, the fictional character Mason Lorenzo Rizza. This character study will give those who have already read the books an in-depth look at the ultimate Antihero and Alpha Male of the series. If you haven't read the books. You may be tempted to buy them and follow along with us in dissecting Mason's troubling and controversial journey.
Is Mason really a hero? Good question, I would say yes, he sure is. He is undoubtedly a flawed hero. Mason's blurs the lines between hero and villain. He is what I would call the modern day hero, neither good nor bad. He is both honest and deceitful. He has the ability to adapt to life situations as they arise. Coach Mason Rizza is what I consider a human hero. He threads in the place between perfect and imperfect. His imperfections are what make him human, relatable and sympathetic. He is that guy you hate yourself for loving him. As true with most complicated heroes, he is a product of his upbringing and environment.
A lot of the book reviewers label Mason as an Alpha Male. This is a term that adequately describes him. Mason is a dominant male (sole bread-winner in his family). He is the leader of his pack (the most successful of his siblings). By definition the Alpha Male is a persona of strength used to conceal ones deep rooted insecurities. An example of this is in LET'S PLAY BALL, Chapter 3.
"By all accounts
Tess was a plain Jane. She didn’t even own any red clothes or bright colors. I
had to admit I liked her like that. I never had to worry that she was going to
attract a man. I’m never worried she would cheat on me. I know that this is my
own insecurities staring me in the face."
Clearly Mason is aware of his insecurities but he buries them and tries to justify them by then stating.
"There were so
many voluptuous, scantily clad, flashy women out there in the world. Tess was
safe from temptation because I knew no guy would approach her. "
Mason fears being cheated on and the irony is he cheats on his wife. He even worries that his mistress Kari will cheat on him. He is enraged when he sees her talking to Jack Unger. A man who he believes is more handsome then him. Mason names his penis his evil twin. He does this to detach himself from the behaviors that he knows are wrong but are too ashamed to admit he has complete control over.
Within the series it is apparent that Mason hasn't been true to himself. Throughout his life he has tried to be more, better than, superior in ways and a good example. Not until he meets Kari Fenderson does he realize that something was missing from his life and that he has been pretending to be something he's not. With Kari he realizes he can say what he feels, be his true self and act on his hidden desires. The desires he has suppressed because of fear he would be labeled psycho, crazy or weird. Although Kari calls Mason "psycho", "crazy" and "weird", she uses these words in a context that is endearing. Kari gives positive connotation to these words and allows Mason to be these things without harsh judgments. Basically she loves him flaws and all.
Infidelity is wrong. Of course Mason knows this. He tries to justify his actions because he feels he is being a good husband and father. His perception is clouded because he is an over-achiever and a good provider. Without a doubt Mason is crude, vulgar, aggressive, arrogant, domineering, jealous and a bully. But is he that different from so many men we know?
The burning question; Is Mason prejudice? The answer is yes but not in a bad way. Let me explain. He prejudges people as we all do but he recognizes that this is a flaw in his character and constantly questions this behavior when it surfaces. His awareness of his inner thoughts and verbal statements indicate that this is something he dislikes about himself and that he is trying to improve. His honestly with his words and thoughts gives him reason to question his beliefs, to reevaluate his prejudices.
I wrote Mason as a real person not a robotic idealized image of a romantic hero. His is not the traditional lovesick man that says and does all the right things. Mason is meant to be a replica of many men that straddle the fence of good guy and bad guy. These men are sometimes overlooked and taken for granted. We all can agree Mason is flawed. He is an adulterer for the purpose of these books but he is likeable because of his many positive attributes. Mason is hard-working, ambitious, good with kids, fearless, loving, humorous, affectionate, generous, brave, adaptable and sympathetic. Some reviewers is this series wonder why Mason would stay with his wife. The answer I have is Mason feels a huge sense of loyalty. How can a cheater be loyal? His loyalty may not have stopped him from cheating but it made him honor his commitment to the marriage. You and I never know what plot twist I will write next so stay tuned. I try to keep it real but avoid predictability. I can't wait to write the next book. Make sure you join me in the evolution of Mason Rizza, flawed hero.
The third book entitled FULL COURT PRESS is due out in October 3013. I pushed another project back to work on the third book in this series. So with so long nights of typing I may be able to get book three out by September. As always I would like to give a special thanks to all the Amazon and Kindle readers for your book reviews. You can friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.
