Monday, January 14, 2013

The HEART of a Heroine Guest blog and Giveaway with Jean Murray


The HEART of a Heroine

We always hear or talk about heroes in this line of work.  Large strapping men with tattoos doing battle on the streets against some untold enemy in a nice pair of black leather pants. Oh, and don’t forget the nice hair J  I’m not complaining, just ask my Gods of the Underworld.  Or my abundant love for the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  It is not hard for us to come up with words to describe a heart of a hero.  Strong, loyal, brave.

But what is at the heart of a HEROINE?  Do we simply take those same values and plant them into her heart or are heroines build differently?

No one has to tell us that men and women are different.  We are built differently.  We certainly think differently.  We process circumstances differently.  Hell, there are books that tell us Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.  Now, I’m not going to get into male bashing or any of that (although, it might be a fun with girlfriends and a margarita in my hand), but I want to give heroines a fair appraisal. 

So let’s look at this closer.  When we think of a heroine what qualities do we think about? 

When someone says heroine, I immediately think about an Alpha female.  God, I love them.  Kicking ass and taking names females.  I have so much fun writing these heroines.

In Soul Reborn, Lilly is the leader of the Nehebkau huntresses.  She is strong, graceful and dedicated.  She’s an alpha in the female sense hands down, risking her life day in and day out to save her sisters.  She has all the qualities of our leather clad lovers.  Strength, loyalty, bravery and man can she wield a mean katana sword.  Hey, when you kill the undead you have to be unstoppable, right?

What happens when you take away the strength?  How important is that quality to a heroine?  We are talking physical strength here.  Do you think it is necessary for a heroine to have physical strength?
Kendra, my heroine in book 2, is petite and has none of the physical qualities of her sisters.  Grace is certainly not one of her talents.  Where bravery comes natural to Lilly, Kendra has overwhelming fear of the dark. 

Is Kendra any less of a heroine? 

Okay, dumb question because we all know the answer is – NO.  Okay, some may say – YES, but my point is damn if these heroines aren’t harder to write.  They aren’t out slicing heads off or running down the enemy in some dark alleyway.  They are behind the scenes tapping into talents beyond strength and bruit force.  So what Kendra lacked in strength she filled the void with other heroic qualities.  Intelligence – Fortitude - Empathy – Caring.  Although Kendra was more difficult to write, I love her all the more for it.  She is me and most of the women I know.  I still dream of becoming Lilly, but heart of hearts I’m a Kendra.
So, what is really at the heart of a HEROINE?  Is she different than a hero?  The answers are not as clear as we think and will be molded by our preferences, experiences, up bring, etc...  So, just for fun let’s build our own heroine’s heart.   
What qualities would be at the heart of your heroine?

Below are examples of core values that will help you design your heroine’s heart.  Pick three.  If you think of a word that is not on the list, use it.  Create your own heroines’ heart.  Tell us why you picked these qualities.
Peace
Wisdom
Status
Family
Fame
Wealthy
Power
Authenticity
Joyful
Success
Integrity
Love
Friendship
Justice
Influence
Happiness
Truthful
Kind
Spirituality (God)
Loyal
Passionate
Trusting
Knowledgeable
Reliable
Team Player
Competitive
Commitment
Creative
Honesty
Fair
Humor
Honor
Caring
Playful
Innovation
Security
Fun
Honest
Adventurous
Resourceful
Faithful
Cooperative
Dependable
Order/discipline
Responsible
Respectful
Intelligent
Devoted

GIVEAWAY
One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Soul Reborn (US/CANADA) or ecopy (US/INT) and a $10 gift certificate to Amazon (US/INT-where available). 
But, that’s not all…. enter the Rafflecopter for a Kindle Fire HD giveaway + kindle version of Soul Reborn and Soul Awakened.  Follow the Soul Awakened’s Bewitching Blog Tour and increase your chances at winning the ultimate prize.  See Rafflecopter for details.          
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Soul Awakened
Key to the Cursed Series Book Two

Genre:  Dark Paranormal

Publisher:  Crescent Moon Press
Date of Publication:  January 15, 2013

ISBN:  978-1-937254-97-1                     
ASIN: 978-1-937254-98-8                    

Number of pages:  292
Word Count:  92,000

Cover Artist:  Taria A. Reed

Book Description:

LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR

Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.

HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST

Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.

About the Author:

In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.




                      

Goodreads: 

Book Trailer Soul Reborn: http://youtu.be/smSJsJp5o74

31 comments:

Anne said...

It's hard to pick three since they all have value. My top three are probably intelligence, adventurous and honor. While I enjoy klutzy, dippy characters, I prefer my heroines to be smart and adventurous. Honor is important so she and we know where they stand on issues. A heroine that flip flops seems out of character to me.

Love the cover. Anytime I see a sarcophagus on a cover I have to stop and learn more.

Unknown said...

My top three would be passionate, loyal, and honest. I would also add in a sense of humor.

amysmith98@gmail.com

bn100 said...

fun, knowledgeable, resourceful

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Hi Anne.

Intelligence is one of my requirements no matter the hero type.

Love your heroine's heart.

Jean

Anonymous said...

Awesome - humor!

Amy, you bring up a wonderful point. Humor adds dimension to a character. I love when authors sprinkle it in.

Great heart!

Jean

Anonymous said...

Awesome - humor!

Amy, you bring up a wonderful point. Humor adds dimension to a character. I love when authors sprinkle it in.

Great heart!

Jean

Anonymous said...

Hi bn100.

I really like resourcefullness, because I think our heroines need to think on their feet, adapt, and overcome obstacles.

Awesome! Thanks for coming.

Jean

books4me said...

The heart of my heroine would be inner strength, compassion and intelligence. To be a heroine, one MUST have confidence or inner strength to be successful. Compassion to know how to react to others and intelligence to know what to do in situations.

Booksie

Michelle said...

I would pick wisdom, humor & family.
I love for my heroines to be smart, but still be able to laugh at life. Family (be it biological or your family of friends)is important because I believe your loved ones keep you honest & grounded & help to provide you with everything else in life you may need.

harlan_michelle AT yahoo DOT com

Anonymous said...

"To be a heroine, one MUST have confidence or inner strength to be successful. Compassion to know how to react to others and intelligence to know what to do in situations.

Awesome - that is a nice balance of all the elements.

There are so many great combinations depending on the character you want to develop - heroine or villainess.

Jean

Anonymous said...

Hi Michelle.

Wisdom, Humor and Family.

Wisdom is a wonderful quality - lessons learned to carry an individual through rough times. Family is one of my favorites.

Thanks for your insight :-)

Jean

Unknown said...

Passionate, Humor, and Wisdom, know when to laugh, love, and think... LOL at least that my take.

Great seeing you here Jean!

Dottie :)

wyndwhisper said...

i think my top 3 would be compassion,loyalty and honor.
of course with those traits it wouldn't hurt to have a sense of humor. :)


tammy ramey
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com

wyndwhisper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hi Dottie.

Awesome to have you stop by. I like passion - it give you the sense that they are engaged and have the fortitude to stand or fight for something.

Jean

Anonymous said...

Hi Tammy.

Compassion and loyalty. First, I think loyalty is essential in any heroine. It binds two people and creates a circle of trust.

Compassion is essential in a hero. Think of all the Superheroes - Superman, Spiderman etc... This is a human strength.

Jean

Sindy Borg said...

My top 3 qualities would be loyal, honest and humorous

Anonymous said...

Hi Sindy.

* loyal, honest and humorous *

Loyalty is one of the strongest qualities in a heroine. It blends nicely with honesty. And, who doesn't like a heroine that lightens a serious situation.

Thank you for joining us.

Jean

Dorothy Reading said...

Passionate, courageous, innocent.

She would be pure and naive, but powerful in her convictions.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dorothy.

Passionate, courageous, innocent.

Wow, just described Kendra's profile (Heroine of Soul Awakened).

I love a good heroine :-)

Jean

Unknown said...

Passionate, Loyal, and Funny. I love the cover and can't wait to read it.

Lyre said...

I have to tell you, picking just 3 was hard!!! I finally went with Intelligence, Humor, and Loyal.

Lyre
gaia(dot)athena(at)gmail(dot)com

BookLady said...

My three core values for a heroine are passionate, reliable, and intelligent.

bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

These are all great combinations. I love how our experiences influence our choices - what we value the most.

Great work, all.

Jean

Unknown said...

My heroines heart would be made up of these three qualities:
Wisdom, Passionate, and Love.
This was not an easy task picking just three, but I choose these because if you have wisdom you can work your way through any situation. With Passion and Love they kind of go hand in hand. I think love is one of the most powerful things that we can use to our advantage or it can be used against us, but that is where the wisdom comes in. Not letting love and passion be a negative, but a strength.

Anonymous said...

Hi Shannon.

Love your heroines heart. Wisdom is a very important quality. It's more than just intelligence, wisdom suggests worldliness and knowledge. A nice balance for love and passion.

Jean

Leslie Miner said...

Compassion, determination and humor.

Anonymous said...

Hi Leslie.

Compassion, determination and humor.

Excellent combination. I bet you have a little bit of each in you :-)

Thanks for sharing your heroine's heart.

Jean Murray
www.jean-murray.com

Anonymous said...

I want to thank everyone who participated and shared their heroine's heart. I know we each are our own heroine.

Special thanks to Roxanne for having me over at Fangtastic Books!

Jean Murray
www.jean-murray.com

Unknown said...

Protective, intelligence and fun
botezatu_paula at yahoo dot com

Anonymous said...

Kristall,

I love the protective quality of your heroine. It is so fundamental. Thank you for sharing.

Jean

 
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