Attack of the Man Nipple: This Spring’s Paranormal Romance Covers Full of Rippling, Tattooed Pecs

[#1]

Someone's written a romance novel about Kokopelli. Well, can't say that any supernatural being is no loner fair game for this genre.

[#2]

I am sitting here with tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard.

I believe the draw is hot hunky men adorned with darkly sensual tattoos.  Rubs right over the naughty naughty bits all women have whether they will admit it or not.

If you look back to the covers of the 80s there were half naked ladies galore - but if you remember the stories from then it was all about the ladies, the soft heroines who needed rescuing, who we mere mortal women were supposed to wish we could be like these soft creatures that some upstanding man would come wisk away.  

Now, however, the women are hardcore, bada$$ ladies who can take care of themselves, so what is the draw now.... richly dark sensual men whose voice is sin itself while their bodies are the perfect place to spend a day, week or month grazing over.... our attention has shifted, our reading focus is not the weak submissive women of the 80s but now the hot hard demanding men of the teens (2010-2019).

~Double H

[#3]

I don't know what to say. This blog is sorta, eh..yep, tattoos have become frequent occurrences on the chests of man hunks on paranormal romance novels , so what? I was never particularly mesmerized by the bare chested male cover models to begin with, so the addition of tattoos is not really noteworthy event for me. Now, if the covers start featuring the full monty, well, then I'll notice!:smileyvery-happy

[#4]

Ok let's get serious for a minute tattooed man nipple has a very nice ring in it, oh I mean to it.

I LOVE paranormal romance, why, because I love the idea of an ageless hero, otherwise this woman of a certain age could get a particular feline label of her own.

And one more point, I have in my possession more than half of these novels.

As usual Paul, you've made me smile while making my day!!!

Thanks

Deb

[#5]

Thanks for the photo gallery - I'm thinking of printing it up and framing it! Yep, I'm a fan of the male chest on book covers, and I've stopped apologizing for it!

[#6]

P.S. I'm good with the tattoos, too. The only thing that bugs me is when the cover shows a guy with major tattoos, and they aren't mentioned once in the story. It bothers me because I come away from the book feeling like I've missed something, and it's not the authors fault at all. It's like false advertising - not that I have to have tattoos in these stories, but when you feature a cover with a unique tattoo, I think the reader will expect to find it mentioned once or twice in the book.

[#7]

Becke I have that peeve too about the covers not "covering" the story of the novel

[#8]

The tattooed female protagonist on the cover of the first few books in Adrian Phoenix's The Maker's Song saga wasn't even a character in the story! I repeat: wasn't even a character in the story! The publisher's marketing department evidently thought that tattooed sexpots had "pick-up" appeal... I was absolutely stunned when I found that out – and it speaks volumes about why these images are on covers.

[#9]

Good grief, Paul - that must have driven the author insane! From what I've been told, a lot of authors aren't given much (if any) say in the cover details. I can't understand that!

[#10]

You know I honestly have to say tattooed man nipple neither raises my eyebrow nor my blood pressure. Little to any character correlation within said books. Zero connection to reality.

If I saw a guy with a shaved chest and a tatted man boob area in everyday , the very next thing in my head would be " I wonder what his boyfriend looks like?". It may be only the area I live in. But only professional body builders, pro swimmers, and gay fellows around here shave their chests.

(shrug) I find chest fur sexy personally anyway. But to each their own. Let's just say it's not a selling point for me.

All that being said. Pectoral tattoos are the rising tat hot spot for guys. For decades it was the bicep, but not anymore. So why shouldn't life imitate art.

Number 2 spot for average joes the calf, for soldiers the lower rib cage. Somehow I don't think cover designers find calves a visual selling point. (smirk)

[#11]

Is it just me, or do a couple of the covers have men who look like they need training bras--or would that be "Man-bra" s??? (Double Smirk).

[#12]

Love this post. Maybe tattoos somehow say "paranormal" to readers, or to cover artists? Hilarious. I'll have to interview some of these authors for Cover Stories and see if they have an explanation.

[#13]

Funny blog Paul!  Decorative man nipple seems to be right along the lines of all those female urban fantasy chicks with the midriffs, cleavage, and tribal tramp stamps.  The more interesting question is: Am I more likely to buy the book with the tattooed eye candy or the plain eye candy?  Ahh who am I kidding...give me the tattooed one!  It will give me that much more to fantasize about.  A chick could totally trace the tat with her tongue when they were.....ummm, anyway, I think this tattooed trend is awesome.