What makes a strong heroine—one that you can stick with during trying times? This is a question I’ve pondered a lot since the inception of Winter Wyn from Protecting the Prince. It’s not a question of physical prowess, although depending on the character and situation that can be necessary and essential. What makes her a character that people can relate to and enables her to get though the situation she’s faced with and be better off for it? People want leading heros and heroines alike that they can route for, love, and feel connected to. I think all women are strong in their own right. SO what makes a captivating heroine that gets and keeps your attention, one that you see yourself in, wish you were, or aspire to be? Here is the list I’ve compiled of the characteristics I most enjoy in heroines that capture me.
Her ability to be tough—again this isn’t mere physicality. It’s the mental stress she is under and how she deals with it—her mental toughness is impressive and second to none. Even if she is internally freaking out, she can pull herself together and deal outwardly with the task or issue at hand to be a leader or the person you want by your side. Whether she is an extrovert or introvert, she doesn’t cry at every wrong turn in her life, the situation or her love life. She puts her big girl panties on and deals with what is in front of her like a boss. Then, the softer moments between her and her hero become even better and more intimate when true emotions are shared and they are closer for it.
She has pride, but doesn’t let that stop her. Our pride is a powerful motivator, but a strong heroine knows when enough is enough. She can make the decision to listen to others, take their advice, and do it in her own special way. She isn’t going to walk off a cliff because she’s too proud to stop and reassess the situation.
A strong heroine is one who is a nice person. She can be edgy, sarcastic, shy, and she might not even mind killing a bad guy or two, however, at her core, she is a good person. She cares for others, cares about herself, and cares about the hero—whether she wants to admit it or not. Every strong character, or regular character, has flaws, but they are not unnecessarily mean to others for the sake of being mean. They have qualities we as outsiders can root for and we don’t generally root for people who have a complete disregard for humanity.
They are complex people—they make mistakes, they say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and/or they keep the ones they love too close or too far away. They are not perfect—if they were the journey would be far from interesting. The strong heroine is also true to themselves, for better or worse, they follow their internal compass and trust their instincts.
Personally, a reason I am so drawn to romance books, is the ability of all leading ladies to bring her hero to his knees. This happens differently and is unique to the hero and heroine, but there is always something about the heroine that the hero can’t get enough of and he craves it—this plays into the strong heroine, her personality and how it meshes with the hero.
In Protecting the Prince, Winter Wyn is certainly not perfect and has a hard edge, but I know you’ll grow to love her as much as I have. Winter is serious about her security business—including her no dating clients rule. Eliam Prince is solely focused on rebuilding his company, until someone starts coming after him. With secrets and assassination attempts mounting, the two will have to work together to stop a mad man or die trying.
About the author:
Find Dana Volney at www.DanaVolney.com , on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DanaVolney , on Twitter @VolneyVentures, and Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/DanaVolney .
About Protecting the Prince:
Winter Wyn has built a thriving personal security business after surviving a horrific tour in the Middle East. Eliam is just a routine middle-of-the-night call--until she arrives at his penthouse, where it's clear her strict policy of not mixing business and pleasure with her clients is in serious trouble. Keeping this man safe--from sabotage, blackmailers, assassins, and his own stubborn pride--isn't nearly as hard as protecting her own heart.
But as the stakes rise, Eliam and Winter have no choice but to break all the rules if they want to survive. Fans of Castle will love the sparks that fly on this most unlikely couple's journey to their happily ever after.
Sensuality Level: Sensual
Book Links
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Thank you for hosting me today, Jonel. I love to discuss strong heroines! :)
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