One of the things that draws me to a book, romance or not, is a feisty, kickass heroine. I grew up reading mysteries because that’s what my mother and sister read, so while some people may not think Miss Marple is kickass, just read Agatha Christie’s books and you’ll see steel in that corset!Then I got into romantic suspense and I found that authors like Karen Rose, Lisa Jackson, Carla Neggers and others like them seemed to feel the way I do. Their heroines, while humanly flawed, were gritty yet soft, heroic yet vulnerable, and the kind of women I related to – or wished I was.
When I set out to write my Phoenix Agency Series for The Lotus Circle, while the series is based around the partners in the agency, the heroine in each book is psychically gifted, determined and strong enough to battle fear when the situation calls for it. In Always On My Mind, Faith Wilder communicated telepathically with Mark Halloran and took on everyone including the government to rescue him. In Visions of Darkness, Mia Fleming’s visions are the key to Dan Romeo solving a series of murders and a possible theft, and she wades right in there with him. In Book Three, Scent of Danger, which was just completed, Kelly Monroe and her Caucasian Ovchartka are psychically linked. When the dog also links with Rick Latrobe, Kelly puts herself on the line to help find the men trying to kill him.I carry the theme over in my erotic romances, too, that I write as Desiree Holt. Here you’ll find women not afraid to meet a challenge, not intimidated by alpha males but not offensively aggressive, either. Whether they come together in public places or in the privacy of their bedrooms, even in the roles of submissives, the women are all self-possessed and know their own minds. When they submit it’s their choice, and because of that they are able to give back pleasure to the men.
Do you like your heroines feisty and kickass? Soft and gentle? Young? Old? Let me hear what you like.And visit me at all my favorite places:
www.judithrochelle.com
www.desireeholt.com
www.myspace.com/judithdesiree
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esBaUhoX4dA&feature=related
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12 comments:
Hey Judith! Great post. I love a feisty heroine when the situation calls for it, especially if the hero is exceptionally alpha. ;) But I like sweet heroine too. Different stories call for different types and I find myself writing them accordingly.
I really don't have a fave type of heroine. I like variety, just like in the books I read.
I think I like a heroine who's a combination of sweet, strong and feisty. I love it when the feisty erupts at the proper moment.
Teri
Great interview, Judith!
I like my heroines to be feisty but also sweet. And I don't like their legs to go on forever. How in the world can a petite female character have very long legs? I still read this in romances. LOL
I'm a feisty fan! Can't stand the leather-wearing biker chick sort of heroine though who doesnt seem to have a tender emotion that even remotely identifies her as a female. THat's too over the top for me. I like spunk with a layer of wit and sensitivity. Great post, darlin'.
Love a heroine who can take care of herself and yet still be vulnerable. And you write them so very well!
Diane, I am soo with you on the klong legs bit. I'm short and "fluffy" and I don't see why m,y heroines can't be, too! I can kickass with the best of the kong stemmed beauties! LOL!
Terrific interview!
I like a heroine who is capable of taking care of her self but isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Really it all comes down to the chemistry between the characters.
I like a feisty heroine who is also a bit sweet, to balance it out. However, I read just about everything with all kinds of heroines. *G*
I liked the post. My heroines are not exactly kick-ass but they are strong women. Except for my heroine in, Isabelle's Story. She tried to be brave but she was pregnant and the man seemed to have abandoned her.
I like women who can take of themselves and if necessary, those around them.
Great post, Judith. I never really stopped to think about it. I like a heroine that will stand up to the hero and make him question his actions. So, I guess a feisty heroine would fit in that category. I do enjoy a heroine that isn't afraid to show her softer side, though. I think there's a lot of strength in a feminine yet confident heroine.
Judith...I like an older (although hard to come by), feisty, kick-ass heroine. Doesn't mean she can't have her soft spots as can the hero. I want her confident and to know what she's about. Give me any heroine except one TSTL.
Women have always been strong...why would any author want to hide or gloss that over? I can't bear a heroine who can't stand on her own two feet. Doesn't mean that we all don't need help occasionally...even heros;)
Romance is the fantasy world I love but the majority of women in reality live their whole lives looking after themselves with nary a male in sight and I like that reflected in what I read. In other words, I don't want the hero looking at her too hard and she simply falls apart...I want her to look straight back into his eyes with mutual appreciation....Nancy:)
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