Welcome to our stop on the Defiance Blog Tour for C. J. Redwine. The tour is hosted by Mundie Moms and the schedule can be followed HERE. Today we find out qualities every Heroine should have.
About the Author: C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, any movie starring Johnny Depp, and books. C.J. holds a degree in English Literature from Pepperdine University and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, four kids, two spastic cats, and one long-suffering dog.
The Qualities Every Heroine Should Have
1. Authentic: I like a girl who's real. I want to her to be open with me, to be believable, and to be unashamedly exactly who she is. I don't have to like all of her choices, I don't have to agree with all of her motives, but I have to feel like I'm seeing the truth of who she really is.
2. Relatable: Forget perfect little heroines! I want mine a little messy. I want to know she has flaws, and that they get her into trouble sometimes. I want to understand why she's attracted to the hero. I want to be able to feel like I "get" her on a level that matters to me. I don't have to see myself in her, but I should be able to see a piece of me. Just enough to forge a bond between us.
3. Learns Her Lessons: I love a heroine who has a long way to grow, but she has to GROW. She doesn't have to have her life tied up in a pretty little bow at the end of the story, but she should learn from her mistakes, and from the events of the story. I need to see that she isn't still treading water at point A when the rest of us are all the way down here at point Q.
4. Stands Up For Herself: She doesn't have to be the kind of instant bada$ that some heroines are. Not if that isn't true for her. But she does need to find the spine to recognize when she needs to stand up for either herself and others and then figure out how to do it.
5. Emotionally Real: This is one of the most important qualities I look for in a heroine. If she's angry, I want to a) perfectly understand what drove her to it and b) really feel it with her. I want to know how it affects her, what it looks like, and how it changes her. The same thing goes for grief or fear or determination. She doesn't have to open herself up to the other characters, but she needs to open herself up to me. Reading about a character who doesn't truly experience her emotions or who sets them aside like they're nothing a few pages later when the cute boy shows up is enough to make me shut a book.
6. Intelligent: She doesn't have to be a genius, but she shouldn't be part of the scenery either. I don't care for heroines who can't figure out problems when the answers are right in front of them, or heroines who rely so much on the surrounding cast of characters for brains and protection that I begin to wonder why they're even on the page. Give me girls who can put two and two together and reach four, and who can make a decision with confidence in their own intelligence.
What about you? What are some of the qualities you look for in a heroine?
Courier's Daughter Trilogy #1
Author: C. J. Redwine
Reading Level: YA
Released: August 28th 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Available: Amazon
• Barnes & Noble • IndieBoundSummary: (from goodreads) Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.
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These are very true. And good advice. :D
ReplyDeleteI like my heroine to be intelligent above all else. I also like her to have a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteI like your list. A smart heroine is a must in my book. Otherwise how the heck is she going to save herself.
ReplyDeleteI love this guest post. Thank you for being on the tour!
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