Fiona McGier, EroticRomance Author

New Year, new topics. Today: Round Robin: Characteristics of heroines.

1/24/2014

Click cover for book page.

See this symbol? When I was a teenager, I embroidered it on the back of my jeans jacket. I wore it all through high school and took it with me to college. I lost it in a bar one night, and guys I knew joked that some man probably took it so he could burn it in the alley out back. I wanted people to know I was a force to be reckoned with! Not some good little girl.

As a reader, I want to read about characters similar to myself...or at least the way I see myself. I want to be able to imagine myself as the star of the story. I want the action to draw me in, and the hero to be irresistible to me. I want to fall in love with him and imagine that all of the naughty things he does with the heroine are happening to me. Or is it just me that reads this way?

So what kind of heroine do I like? I want her to be strong and independent. I want her to be busy earning her own living, having a career in a field she enjoys working in. I want her to be good at what she does and respected by her co-workers and her bosses. I want her to be self-sufficient and surrounded by friends and family who love her. Or at least she has to know where to find them.

She's not moping around because she's not involved with a man when the story begins...she's too busy leading her life. But I want her to be open to the invitation implicit in the sexy smile that hot stranger gave her, or the look that passed between them when his eyes were filled with admiration for her sexy self. I want her to be confident enough to be able to respond with interest to any man who catches her eye. I want her to be comfortable enough with herself and her needs to articulate what makes her happy with any man, and to be able to please him in return.

And yes, I want that HEA for the heroine and her man. I want them both to fall totally in love with each other. Monogamy rules!

I want to read those stories, and I write them. The only thing that has changed over time is that I want to read and write about heroines who are older...no inexperienced ingenues for me. I like women of a certain age. I'm now writing a book about a heroine and hero who are both in their 50s. Well-seasoned.

Note: if you want to read stories with these kinds of heroines, you've come to the right place! Look at the woman on this cover: beautiful, confident, and looking like if she wants that sexy man playing the guitar, she'll go after what she wants and get him. This is book one in a 2-for-1 that has 2 complete novels starring female spies. Because while I like reading spy adventures, I don't enjoy having to identify with the damsel-in-distress. If there's ass-kicking to be done, I want to be the one doing it!

Who is the next author in this Round Robin? Get her opinion on the best traits for a heroine here:

Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com

Sally Odgers link

1/24/2014 02:56:13 pm

The attribute I want most in heroines is common sense. So, she doesn't believe known liars. She doesn't suspect the worst. She doesn't jump to conclusions. She doesn't make stupid impulsive decisions. Lack of this attribute has spoiled many an otherwise good story for me.

Fiona McGier link

1/25/2014 01:37:46 am

Ah, but Sally, if you have heroines who don't jump to false conclusions, or who don't make dumb decisions, you'd have lots of boring books with no conflict at all to fill in the time between sex scenes! *Grin.* Like you, I like to read about women who talk openly to someone they're involved with if they have a suspicion. But just like horror films where you're yelling at the screen, "Don't open that door! Just leave NOW!", if the heroine isn't dumb you have no plot.

Sally Odgers link

1/25/2014 08:10:21 am

I understand your reasoning, but I still don't want to read about heroines with no sense. It doesn't mean at all that a story would be boring. Put it this way; say Jules (a heroine) is a teacher. She arrives at her school to find it in flames.
Common sense dictates she will either go home, or help marshal her class to the designated meeting point. However, the demands of drama say she should enter the building. How can Jules be (a) sensible and (b) do the dramatic thing? The author stacks the deck. Jules doesn't go in to rescue a legitimate pupil because that's the brigade's job. However, Jules is the only one who knows the hero's only memento of his mother (her school prizes now on display for School Week) are so important. They are in the foyer. She thus takes precautions (wets her coat down) and enters the foyer. From there anything can happen. Maybe that's not a good example, but the point is, authors stack the deck so the consequences of NOT doing something are worse than the consequences of doing them. Is your heroine up on a cliff? It's not sensible to leap off - but if the villain has her at gunpoint then staying is probably the worse option. That's what I like about romsus and sf/fantasy-set romances. There can be plenty of action and excitement with the H&H as allies and equals. Pet hate after stupidity? "Feisty" heroines who lose their tempers and snipe for insufficient reason. Want a heroine to lose her temper? Give her a GOOD reason that is legitimate. Pet "other" hate? People who withhold information they have no good reason to withhold. Want to keep something a secret? Give him/her a good reason, or else have him/her impart the info by message/mail/email or some other occasionally-fallible means so it never arrives. That way /he can legitimately believe the info has been given, while the recipient can be legitimately in ignorance.
Mind you, I freely admit I might be in a minority.

Marci Baun link

1/25/2014 05:16:09 am

I am attracted to heroines more like me, too, Fiona. Intelligent, witty, can do attitude, and attractive to the right person. :D

I don't know. Perhaps if the heroine has good reasons for what she's doing, it may not be a dumb decision. There is information she doesn't necessarily have.

Beverley Bateman link

1/25/2014 08:10:59 am

I love how you thought of yourself growing up and the insignia you wore. It's too bad more women can't think like that. I love strong, gutsy heroines who get what they want.

Ginger Simpson link

1/25/2014 12:00:22 pm

I too, love strong gutsy heroines, but there has to be a point where realism creeps in an displays her humanity. There as a time when I thought I was tough and could handle everything, but life has a way of slapping that silliness out of your head. At least it did, mine. The lyrics of Barbra Striesand's song, "People who need people are the lukiest people in the world," rings very true for me

Rhobin Courtright link

1/25/2014 11:54:26 pm

Left a post yesterday, but must have done something stupid, like not submit it. Anyhow, love that we all love empowered heroines and that age is not longer a limitation to writing a love story.

Laurel Cremant link

1/27/2014 06:51:16 am

I don't know how I missed this in my feed last week. Great post! I love a good, common sense using heroine with an actual back bone and reasoning skills above the sixth grade level. Especially with the popularity of alpha heroes. Even a Beta man expects to be paired with a woman who can tie her own shoe and know not to open the door to strangers.

Fiona McGier link

1/27/2014 09:20:03 am

Laurel, don't get me started on alphas. In fact, wait until next month, when the Round Robin topic will be heroes! If you want to join the group, watch for the invite on various romance groups, or ask me to forward it to you.

Laurel Cremant link

1/28/2014 01:49:43 am

Yes please forward to me! Thanks :)

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