Let’s face it: damsels in distress are soooo last century. Today’s heroines are bold, brave, and perfectly capable of saving the galaxy—and their hearts.
Qualities of unforgettable heroines:
• Courage: She steps up even when afraid.
• Brains & wit: Outsmarts villains and maybe teases the hero while doing it.
• Heart: She fights for love, family, or her crew just as fiercely as she fights the bad guys.
• Partnership: She doesn’t need rescuing, but she welcomes a hero who’s strong enough to stand beside her.
When I “met” Dani from The Last Enemy, she was in a safe house trying to cope with fear and boredom as the clock ticked down to when she was supposed to testify in a murder trial. She was doing the right thing, even though it might get her killed. And she was facing some, shall we day, pushback for being a romance writer.
I will totally confess to using a lot of romance writer misconceptions to create humor in the book. But I also used them to honor the ordinary women in my life who were brave in challenging circumstances. They weren’t hiding in safe houses, but they deal with hardship, sadness, disappointment, and more—and they do it with courage and a sense of humor.
In my mind, Dani was every woman doing the best she can with the life that Fate has dealt her. And she inspired me to go on and write more strong women into more of my books. I did go on to write some characters who can physically kick tush, but most of them do the kicking with their brains and ingenuity.
I’ve shouted out these authors before, but I have to do it again, because they also write strong women who overcome obstacles: S.E. Smith, Veronica Scott, Greta van der Rol, Michele Diener, Carol Van Natta, Alexis Glynn Latner, and Dorothy Grant.
These authors are mostly sci-fi, so let me mention some authors who write contemporary: Candace Colt, Liz Fielding, and Patricia Lee. I know there aren’t as many! I’m working on it!
Let me finish by saying that strong heroines don’t just survive the story—they thrive in it. And that’s the kind of adventure we all want to read.