UFI welcomes Theresa Meyers Author of The Legend Chronicles Series. Thanks for Joining us!!
Thanks
for inviting me! Today I’d thought I’d share my top five reasons why I think
kick-ass women make the best heroines.
Number
one: She’s Got a Reason to Kick Ass.
For
me, the first and most obvious reason is that I write paranormal stories where
the heroines are succubi, vampires, shifters. You can’t really be a paranormal
creature and be worried about if you’re going to crack a nail. In general my
heroine’s have bigger things to deal with, especially since they are every bit
as essentially to making sure the world doesn’t fall into chaos or explode in a
ball of fiery death as my heroes. They’ve got to be every bit as resourceful and
capable as a hero when the bad guys start showing up.
Number
two: She’s Not Just Pretty.
If
you’re a hero and you have to decide between Miss USA and Miss I Can Kick That
Demon’s Ass Because I Am One in a bar fight involving hell hounds, snake demons
and other assorted nasties, who would you pick to have at your back? Yeah. My
guys are that way too. They’d rather have someone who’s a little rougher around
the edges and worldly wise who knows how to wield a weapon or who has
extraordinary powers, than something that’s just pretty to look at. That’s the
reason all my heroines are tougher on the inside than they are on the outside –
like silk over steel.
Number
three: She’s His Equal.
No
matter where my stories are set, in the current time (like my Sons of Midnight
vampires and weres for Harlequin’s Nocturne), in the steampunk wild west (like
The Chosen in my Legend Chronicles for Kensington), or in another world (like my
dark fae Shadow Sisters series for Entangled Publishing), my stories are
paranormal romances. And for the relationship to make any sense, she has to be
his equal. In many cases my heroes and heroines are the flip sides of the same
coin. If one doesn’t fit into their world, neither of them really does. It’s
what allows them to understand one another, and be drawn to one another. But if
I’m writing kick ass dark heroes, that means my heroines must be kick ass as
well. It simply makes the romance chemistry better if you know she’s able to
stand her ground any time, anywhere and he’ll have to respect her for
it.
Number
four: She’s Got to Be Someone We Admire.
I
don’t know about you, but as a reader I can’t envision myself being whiny,
petty, or bored and be happy about it. If I’m going to put myself in someone
else’s shoes for a few precious hours while I read, I want it to be a thrill
ride, where my character is large and in charge, kicking butt and taking names.
I want to be stronger through my character, more determined, more focused. I
assume my readers want that too. That is why I love reading and writing kick-ass
heroines.
Number
five: She’s More Fun to Write.
And,
of course, the last reason is if I’m going to spend my time pounding away on a
keyboard, it’s got to be worth it to me as a writer to be in this woman’s head
for months of my life. Kick-ass heroines are simply more fun to write. It gives
me freedom in a fight scene where I can have her launch the attack, rather than
waiting for the hero. It allows me to have her save his bacon on occasion. And
it gives me a reason as a writer to dig more deeply into the character. Kick-ass
heroines aren’t born that way. They’re forged into their kick-ass status by hard
times, difficult pasts and gut-wrenching choices and all those things make for
fantastic backstory to a character. For instance, China McGee, my blond
shape-shifting thief in The Chosen, has a whole host of issues to deal with, the
first and foremost being that she’s got some severe Stockholm Syndrome issues
with her own father, the arch demon Rathe. She hates him one hand for abandoning
her and then showing up later to kill her mother and torture her, but at the
same time she can’t stop herself from trying to please him. He literally holds
her life in his hands. She’s made bad choices in the past (like falling for a
Hunter, which pissed her father off eve more), who happens to be the brother of
the Hunter she’s now working with (and those of you who watch The Vampire
Diaries know how tricky and difficult relationships involving two brothers can
be). She can change form but doesn’t really know who she’s supposed to be when
she grows up. See? All great stuff to make a really conflicted and flawed
character who can justify stealing as a means of survival.
And
there you have it. Kick-ass heroines are just more fun.
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The progeny of a slightly mad (NASA) scientist and a tea-drinking
bibliophile who turned the family dining room into a library, Theresa
Meyers learned early the value of a questioning mind, books and a good
china teapot.
A former journalist and public relations officer,
she found far more enjoyment using her writing skills to pen paranormal
novels in the turret office of her Victorian home.
She’s spent
nearly a quarter of a century with the boy who took her to the Prom,
drinks tea with milk and sugar, is an adamant fan of the television show
Supernatural, and has an indecent love of hats.
Find Theresa and her books
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The Chosen
The Legend Chronicles #3
The Chosen: a prophecy
older than dirt and more dangerous than death. Even as they perfected
steam-powered gadgetry and rounded up varmints from Hell, the Jackson
brothers didn’t believe in it. But when the chips are down, three
brothers named for weapons aren’t going out without a fight…
A Walk On The Wild Side
Attorney
by day, demon-hunter by night, Remington Jackson is used to being on
the sunny side of the law, even in the Wild West. But it’s showdown
time, and Remy and his brothers are getting desperate. They don’t have
the relic they need to slam the door shut on evil—so Remy is going to
have to find and steal part of it.
Enter China McGee,
shapeshifter, thief, beauty, and current prisoner. When Remy offers her
freedom in exchange for a little light-fingered help, she’s pretty sure
she’s going to end the association with a good old-fashioned seductive
double cross. But there’s something about fighting through a jungle full
of Mayan ruins that makes you want to settle down together. China could
change. Remy might be special. But none of that matters if the devil
takes them all…
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