Malls. Gotta love 'em. I live in the land of the kingpin of them all--Mall of America...full of the usual Victoria's Secrets, not one but two Bath & Body Works, and of course the requisite Build-a-Bear Workshop.

Most cities have a Build-a-Bear, but if you're not lucky enough to be familiar with the stuffed animal retail business, let me fill you in. Think mall store full of cute little outfits on hangers, surrounded by deflated, fuzzy animal pelts. In the middle of the store is a big, fluffy cotton machine.

Enter a small child who, once over the horror of the lifeless stares from plastic eyeballs, picks out a limp piece of fur. Said child gives this to an adult who then jams it onto the machine and shoots stuffing into the fabric carcass. Voila. Instant lovable plush toy. And as a bonus, the kid gets to put a felt heart into their bundle of love before it's sewn up.

Mildly entertaining, but what's this got to do with fiction? Hmm?

Plenty. Creating a hero is a lot like going to one of these mall stores. First, the outside pelt must be chosen. Biceps, pecs, a six-pack, longish hair, and don't forget the chiseled facial features and all-consuming eyes.

Add to this mix a resonant voice, some talent, and the smell. Every leading man has a smell, whether it's spice, musk, possibly sawdust or leather. Take a sniff. Yep. Smells manly--and a good one at that.

There. Now we have the lifeless pelt waiting to pump in some guts.

My male characters tend to be deeply spiritual whether they've met their Savior or not yet. They also have dealt with or continue to overcome some kind of deep tragedy of the spirit.

And don't forget the bonus of a heart. My heroes must have sensitive hearts and questions that beg for answers lurking beneath their waistcoats.

It's these qualities, coupled with integrity, that bring my leading man into direct conflict with their heroine--who inevitably does not understand him--and into a fair amount of conflict within themselves.

Finally, before my hunk-of-man is complete, he must have some kind of flaw. A physical imperfection works, but a spiritual or emotional blemish is even better. As the relationship between hero and heroine deepens, those flaws become either a battle wound to wear with pride or a final issue that is laid to rest with humility.

The possibilities are endless and the combinations make for a lovable hero every time.

Whew...I'm sure glad this doesn't have to go on my credit card.