~Guest Post~ The Makings of a Strong Heroine

What does it take to make a strong heroine? Guest blogger Rachel Rossano has a list of characteristics she feels are necessary. Take a look and let us know what you think. 

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When writing my latest novel, Duty, I asked the question, what makes a quality heroine? After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a list. Here are a few of the attributes that jumped out at me.

Strength - By strength, I do not refer to her ability to talk tough, kick someone’s teeth in, or do stupid things to prove she is one of the boys. A woman who recognizes her strengths and weaknesses and acts within them is a strong woman. I would prefer following the story of a heroine who faces moral and physical challenges with perseverance and a willingness to work toward a solution. Choosing to make a stand takes more strength than seeking out trouble.

Wisdom - Just because she is the fairer sex does not mean she should be foolish. I have read so many books where the plot depends on the heroine (or another character) making an obvious mistake. A heroine should demonstrate wisdom, the ability to see things objectively and to act on more than just her emotions. Common sense would be a nice addition as well.

Tenacity - She refuses to give up. Circumstances back her into a corner. The villain holds her in his control. The hero is nowhere to be seen. Does she weep and wait for rescue? No, she looks for a solution on her own. No matter how dire the situation, she holds onto hope and continues to fight. A bit of tenacity in a heroine is a must.

Maturity in handling emotions - Hysterics never accomplished anything except, perhaps, annoying the hero. I am not saying she must be a stoic or a robot. She is an emotional being and her reactions to her environment, other characters, and, especially, the hero drives the story. Letting her grow angry, grieve, and love without losing her common sense will make the story all the more real to the reader.

Brielle Solarius, the heroine of Duty, finds herself in trouble. Not just her, but her whole village, face a long winter and few supplies. She tries to make the best of the situation, but knows that her half measures are not going to save them. A band of warriors rides into their midst. She wonders what they hope to gain raiding a starving village. Then one of them claims to be her husband.

What would the heroine I described above do?

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About the book:

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a winter of starvation if they do not find a solution soon.

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king. When that same king demands Tomas marry the impoverished daughter of the late Lord Wisten, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty: a novel of Rhynan follows their journey from strangers to friends as they face complications from their pasts and the shaky politics of a changing regime. Then Brielle is implicated in her cousin’s treasonous activities. Can a marriage of duty survive treason?

Get Duty from Amazon HERE or from Smashwords HERE.


About the author:
Author of a growing stack of novels, novellas, and short stories, Rachel Rossano balances her time between the chaos of raising and homeschooling her three children and the world of drama and high adventure in her head. With her faithful husband and chief consulting editor by her side, she dreams of many more adventures to come in both of her double lives.

Rachel's online presence:
Blog ~ http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/
Website ~ http://anavrea.webs.com/
Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/RachelRossano
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/RachelRossanoRambles
YouTube ~ http://www.youtube.com/anavrea

*Top image taken from Chivalry by Léon Gautier (1891), p. 374. Google eBook HERE.

~Guest Post~ Heroic Attributes

What characteristics do you consider essential for the perfect hero? Please welcome guest blogger Rachel Rossano as she discusses the heroic attributes she feels are the most important. 

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Fictional heroes come in many shapes, sizes, and personalities. Some are easy to love while others we love to hate. While writing Duty, I spent some time mulling over some of the characteristics I find attractive about my favorite heroes in fiction. Here are a few of them. 

Strength - Not the rippling muscle kind of strength, though that is nice in a hero, I am referring to strength of character. A good hero is a man of morals and steadfastness. Before you start protesting that these attributes might make him a bit boring, consider what he would be without them. A character who doesn’t value ethics and a code of right and wrong cannot be relied upon to be faithful. 

Confidence - Decisiveness and a sense of self-reliance are two great characteristics in a hero. Following the story of a man who has confidence in his own abilities usually converts into a fast paced plot. Such men are not typically prone to waiting for someone else to save them. They also tend to actively participate in the course of their own story. They take control. They act. Whether a cerebral professor or a well-trained man of action, the hero needs to be confident in his ability to make decisions. 

Conscience - To balance the decisive nature of our hero, he needs to have a strong conscience. He considers the repercussions of his actions, both to himself and others. He should be willing to admit he made a mistake when something doesn’t go as he expects. When someone gets hurt, he tries to help. 

Selflessness - In this world of self-centered people, those who live for others stand apart. Genuine caring toward someone other than himself can be a good sign that he will be a good husband for the heroine. Without at least some measure of selflessness, the hero will expect the heroine to cater to his every whim without accounting for her needs. Hardly a happily ever after we dream of for her. 

Tomas Dyrease, the hero of Duty, stands at a turning point. His whole life has been devoted to obedience and loyalty to one man, first his liege lord and now his king. This same man now demands something Tomas is not certain he can give. Torn between his marriage vows and his loyalty oath, Tomas must choose which to honor. 

What would you consider the most important attribute of a hero?

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About the book:

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a winter of starvation if they do not find a solution soon.

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king. When that same king demands Tomas marry the impoverished daughter of the late Lord Wisten, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty: a novel of Rhynan follows their journey from strangers to friends as they face complications from their pasts and the shaky politics of a changing regime. Then Brielle is implicated in her cousin’s treasonous activities. Can a marriage of duty survive treason?

Get Duty from Amazon HERE or from Smashwords HERE.


About the author:
Author of a growing stack of novels, novellas, and short stories, Rachel Rossano balances her time between the chaos of raising and homeschooling her three children and the world of drama and high adventure in her head. With her faithful husband and chief consulting editor by her side, she dreams of many more adventures to come in both of her double lives.

Rachel's online presence:
Blog ~ http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/
Website ~ http://anavrea.webs.com/
Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/RachelRossano
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/RachelRossanoRambles
YouTube ~ http://www.youtube.com/anavrea

*Top image "The Knight" clipped from Chivalry by Léon Gautier, 1891. Google eBook HERE. 

~Guest Post~ Author Linda Weaver Clarke: Romance VS Mystery!

Today's post is by historical romance author Linda Weaver Clarke. She is here to talk about her new mystery series, The Adventures of John and Julia Evans and to celebrate the release of her newest mystery, Mayan Intrigue. Take it away, Linda! 

Romance VS Mystery! 

I have written five historical romance novels but have changed to mystery. The writing process between romance and mystery is quite a change with a completely different mind set. It’s so different from telling a love story. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write, you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader feel excited that one day they're going to hit it off and fall in love. You, as the reader, know what the outcome will be. But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one knows about until towards the end of the story and hope they haven’t figured it out. In a mystery, you may or may not allow your reader to know who the bad guys are, according to whether it’s just a mystery or mystery suspense. Do you know the difference between a mystery and a mystery suspense novel? In a mystery, when a knock is heard at the door, the reader doesn't know who's behind it. With mystery suspense, the reader knows who's behind the door and yells to the heroine, "Don't open the door!"

Anasazi Intrigue is the first book in a mystery adventure series called “The Adventures of John and Julia Evans.” It’s about a devastating flood that takes out several homes in a small town, the importance of preserving ancient artifacts, and a few puzzling and mysterious events. Julia is a reporter, and when she finds out about a possible poison spill that kills some fish and neighbor's pets, she has a feeling that something isn’t quite right. Before she realizes what is happening, Julia finds out that this incident is much bigger and more dangerous than she thought. With dead fish, a devastating flood, and miscreants chasing John and Julia, they have their hands full.

Artifact theft is a very intriguing subject. That’s why I call it the Intrigue series. In my research, I found that archaeological thievery is becoming more and more of a problem every year. Did you know that looting is only second to selling illegal drugs? While researching the second book in this series, Mayan Intrigue, my eyes were opened to the problems they have in southern Mexico. When an ancient ruin is discovered, it doesn’t take long for thieves to take it apart. The reason why is because the Mayas used astrological alignments when planning their city. Looters have learned the layout of the Mayan cities so they know where to dig. With this knowledge, they can loot a sacred temple in a few days. I also found that artifact theft in Mexico has been taken over by drug dealers from Columbia. In other words, since organized crime has taken over, there is also an increase of violence.

Mayan Intrigue will be released on August 30th and I’m having a week long celebration with a book give-away at my Blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com. Mayan Intrigue is about the discovery of a priceless artifact that puts Julia’s life in great danger. While on assignment for the newspaper, John and Julia try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins, but when Julia accidentally comes upon a couple suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly turns and leaves but it’s too late. Before John and Julia realize what's going on, they find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan. To read an excerpt from each of my books, you can visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.