Today romantic suspense author Joyce Lamb is here talking about one of my favorite things – Fearless Heroines. Joyce’s latest novel, True Colors
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Hi, Book Binge! Thanks so much for letting me hang out with you today!
A lot of romance writers talk about their favorite heroes, and I definitely have mine. Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy. Kevin Costner in Bull Durham. Jason Statham in The Transporter. Eddie Cibrian in Invasion. Timothy Olyphant in Justified. Gilles Marini just standing there. Ashton Kutcher in anything. I could go on, but I want to mix things up a bit. Seeing as how you’re all fearless women, I’d like to talk about my favorite fearless heroines, as well as the ones who’ve inspired my own characters.
— Molly Millions: Back in the late ’80s, I read my very first sci-fi novel: Neuromancer by William Gibson. The novel was pretty cool to begin with, what with the dawning Internet playing a huge role, but what has stuck with me most over the years is the character of Molly Millions. See, Molly was hero Case’s bodyguard, and seeing as how this was the future, she had jacked-up reflexes and razor blades imbedded under her fingernails — which retracted and everything — that were her weapons of choice. What I liked best about Molly was that she was a no-nonsense woman in a strong role. Which was a little unusual back in the ’80s, with the possible exception of Sarah Connor in The Terminator. (I’m sure there were others – they just weren’t on my radar.) When The Matrix came out many years later, I was certain that the leather-clad Trinity had been inspired by Molly Millions. (Side note: I named one of my cats after the cat-like Molly.)
— Sarah Connor: Speaking of The Terminator … What I loved about this character was the fact that Sarah spent very little time crying and whining about how her life just got blown apart. She steps up to the plate and fights for all she’s worth. She’s tough and resourceful yet feminine enough to have a quick fling with the very hot Kyle Reese, played by the very hot Michael Biehn. The Sarah Connor of Terminator 2 was very different — tough to the core, ripped and not a feminine bone left in her body. That made perfect sense to me, though. I mean, who wouldn’t lose it a little if she knew what Sarah knew about the future of the world? I drew on this character for my own heroine in one of my earlier titles, Found Wanting. Alaina, like Sarah, is laser-focused on protecting her son. No one and nothing can keep her down. She’s like the Energizer Bunny, popping back up every time you think she’s reached her limit.
— Aeryn Sun: I found the sci-fi TV show Farscape after it had concluded, and I know lots of people have never even heard of it. A friend kept telling me I should check it out, especially because I’m a romance writer. I finally did, and once I got past some of the silliness in the first season, I was riveted. The character of Aeryn was brilliant: tough, competent and, at first, emotionless. She was bred to be a soldier and, therefore, never fall in love. Sex was recreation, period. John Crichton changed her world. Funny, tender and naïve about the brutality of the universe, he taught her about love and hope. I drew on this character for the heroine in my upcoming True Shot (formerly True Calling), the third in the True trilogy (coming December 2011). Sam is also tough and competent, more inclined to settle things with a gun rather than waste time with words. Her hero, Mac Hunter, is her perfect foil: funny, warm and convinced he can talk his way out of any situation, no matter how dire. Mac’s relative innocence frustrates the hell out of Sam, just as Crichton’s frustrated Aeryn in Farscape. At one point in the series, Aeryn tells John, “I don’t have time for your emotions.” But she ends up making time for them big-time, just like Sam does with Mac.
— Samantha Carter: It took me awhile to get into Stargate SG-1. (Yes, it’s another sci-fi show — sorry!) I’d watched a few episodes and wasn’t impressed, even though Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks were both worth tuning in if only to get in a little drooling. But a fellow writer friend insisted I keep watching, so I did. Turns out, the subtle romance between Jack O’Neill and Sam Carter is actually very well done. What I like about Sam: As an Air Force officer, she does her job and does it well — often the only one with the smarts to save the world time and again (hey, it’s fiction!). Surprisingly, her role isn’t to be the eye candy or the damsel in distress. Maybe she has to be rescued a few times, but the show aired for 10 seasons, so that seems acceptable. Sam also was ethical to the core. She had strong feelings for her commanding officer but never acted on those feelings because of military regulations — unless there were extenuating circumstances, such as being taken over by an alien entity (yes, it sounds stupid, but it worked). So even while the romance was never overt, the signs were subtle. This character, in part, inspired the heroine in my first True book, True Vision. Charlie is ethical to the core, too, and the one time she breaks the rules, the consequences are huge.
So I guess it looks as though I’m a real sci-fi nerd. Kinda, a little, especially when it comes to strong heroines. But I’m also a romance nerd, and the second of my True trilogy, TRUE COLORS, came out in January (it follows TRUE VISION). I hope Alex Trudeau, the heroine in TRUE COLORS, inspires someone somewhere. See, Alex picked up an intense, but sometimes awesome, psychic ability when she was shot after being mistaken for her sister in TRUE VISION. If Alex touches someone, her psychic ability sends her careening into a traumatic event from that person’s past, where she feels and sees everything the person felt and saw at the time of the event as if it actually happened to her. Not fun. Her ability has a major impact on her budding relationship with police detective John Logan, who’s haunted by a tragedy from his past. That tragedy is related to a serial killer who wants revenge. Unfortunately, said serial killer focuses on Alex as a way to make Logan pay, and when the killer kidnaps her, her psychic ability shows her the things in his past that made him a madman. So not only are Logan and Alex racing against time to stop a killer, but they’re also faced with the challenge of preserving Alex’s sanity. Luckily, there’s some sizzling romance along the way – with an added psychic touch to their lovemaking that’s pretty hot.
If you want to read an excerpt from TRUE COLORS, you can visit JoyceWrites.com.
Thanks for letting me hang out with you today! And, hey, I hope you’ll share who your favorite heroines are (or heroes!). If you leave a comment, you could win copies of TRUE VISION and TRUE COLORS. Be sure to leave your e-mail address.
I started writing as a teenager, plunking my dad’s electric typewriter on my bedroom floor and pounding away at it in my jams. I’d just finished reading Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon and found the unhappy ending inspiring. So, naturally, I decided to write romance novels, where the ending is guaranteed to be happy. You can’t imagine how relieved I am that you will never, ever read that first novel, which was edited using scissors and rubber cement. At least the fumes were good.
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Hello Joyce!
True Vision and True Colors sound so exciting! One of my all-time favorite heroines would be Ellen Ripley from the Alien movies. She allows herself to feel fear and yet she still fights the monsters. I also love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She sacrificed so much for her day job.
StacieDM
user1123 AT comcast DOT net
I don’t watch movies or tv, so my heroines are from books.
Skye O’Malley from Bertrice Small’s Skye O’Malley series.
Eve Dallas fron JD Robb’s In Death series.
Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine Harris’s series.
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Hey Joyce.
You are my hero. Those love scenes in your True books – outstanding idea. Wish I was an empath LOL.
I love:
Sean from Release by Beth Kery
Aislinn from Straight Up by Deirdre Martin
Connor from Unbridled by Beth Williamson.
Hi Joyce!
These book sound awesome!! I can’t believe I haven’t heard of them before!!
My favorite hero and heroine are Sam Starrett and Alyssa Locke from “Gone to Far” by Suzanne Brockmann.
ash_lake07@hotmail.com
One of my favorites from TV is Dr. Temperence Brennen from Bones. She started out so wooden and clueless and has learned over the years what being a friend is, what it means. She is still clueless about a lot of things but she tries, like on the Valentine episode she got offers for several dates, she tried to keep Booth from really knowing about it because he had just had his heart broken… and in the end, she brought guns to the gun range and spent the evening with him. She just has her own drum and walks to only that beat, ya know?
These books sound awesome, but I’ve not read anything by you before. lisagk at yahoo dot com
Hi Joyce,
Your books are ones I would love to read!
Some of my favorite heroines are:
1. Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb’s In Death series
2. Riley from Keri Arthur’s Riley Jensen series.
Thank you for sharing the interview. Both books sound really good. T.V. I like Nikita, The sisters from charmed… book heroine I like Gin Blanco Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assasin Series.
Pam S
pams00 @ aol.com
I love strong heroines, and like you, a lot of mine are in sci-fi.
Honor Harrington from the Honorverse series by David Weber is one of my favourites as was Samantha Carter from Star Gate (wish they had made more).
I think it’s because that was the genre that could accept them first 😀
your books sounds really great and I will def keep them in mind!
my favorite heroine is Jaz Parks – she is strong and is always looking forward…
wish you all the best, Ina
inale87 at gmx dot at
A couple of my favorite heroines are:
Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer– She was pretty much a super hero, but the writers did such an amazing job it was easy to forget she wasn’t just a normal teenager like you.
Sookie from True Blood– Faithful to her firends, easy to relate to, and, come on, she wears the cutest dresses 😉
Kate Beckett from Castle– Is she amazing or what? Probably my all time favorite woman to watch on TV right now.
And a lot more– but I’ll leave it at three 🙂
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Hi, everyone!
I’m so sorry it’s taken me a few days to respond to your comments. I managed to be out of town when my post landed!
StacieDM: I love Ripley from the Alien movies, too! I’ve always thought Aeryn in Farscape was inspired by Ripley. They’re both tough, no-nonsense women but with soft hearts. And Buffy! I’m scratching my head right now wondering why I didn’t include Buffy on my list. She’s a great one!
Estella: Oooohhh, good ones. I thought about having novel heroines on my list instead of TV heroines, but there were just too many to choose from! I would definitely have included Eve Dallas.
Mary G: Hi, Mary! Thanks for stopping in. I always love hearing from you! I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read any of the books you mentioned. I’m adding them to my TBR pile, though. Man, that pile just keeps getting higher.
Ashley: Oh my gosh, I love that book!!! Alyssa and Sam kept me reading WAY too late into the night. If I remember correctly, that book features one of my favorite scenes, where they’re handcuffed together in the back seat of a car. Sexy and amusing. Who could ask for more?
Lisagk: Oh, yes, Bones is great, too. Her whole “I don’t know what that means” schtick cracks me up. And who couldn’t be a great heroine opposite the hunky David Boreanz?
Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews: I’m thinking my TBR pile just got a lot taller. Awesome!
Pam S: Are you talking about the new Nikita? I love the re-imagined show. Maggie Q plays an excellent Nikita, and the new idea of having a younger “Nikita” on the inside is brilliant. And, of course, Shane West does the best dark and brooding look ever.
Ilona: I agree! I was never really interested in sci-fi, other than the occasional blockbuster, like Aliens and Terminator. Those two movies woke me up to how fun sci-fi can be – and how women can hold their own. I wish there were more Stargates, too. But Sanctuary is fun! It’s cool to see Amanda Tapping playing a completely different character from Carter.
Ina: I love that name – Jaz Parks. I’ll have to look those books up. Thanks for the tip!
Chelsea B: I know! Buffy is one of the most amazing heroines ever. Strong and capable yet heart-stoppingly vulnerable. The perfect combination, especially when there’s an alpha hero hanging around. I also enjoy Beckett in Castle. Her first kiss with Castle was AWESOME! I rewound and watched it a couple more times. Very inspiring for a romance writer. : )
Great interview! I LOVE the True series and can’t wait for True Shot to come out!
I would want to be ANY of the girls in Shelly Laurenston’s books because they are all strong and I love their sarcasm!
Hi, Connie T!
Ohhhhh, I LOVE sarcasm — and I’m not being sarcastic. : ) And snark. I love that, too. “Snarkasm” is the best! That’s one of the many things that made Buffy so much fun.
Adding Shelly to my TBR pile right now.
Heya, Joyce … always a treat to read one of your thoughtful posts. I like my heroines with physical strength and emotional issues. These days, I’m digging Mary McCormack’s character (Mary Shannon) in the TV series, In Plain Sight. (She’s a U.S. Marshall, handling witness protection, and usually has as many problems as her witnesses do!)
Hi, Deborah!
I like In Plain Sight, too! Wow, it looks like all I do is watch TV, doesn’t it? I swear I’m not slacking as much as it might seem. 🙂
Mary Shannon is a fabulous character. She’s flawed enough to be interesting but not so flawed that you kinda end up hating her — like the Holly Hunter character in Saving Grace. I like that she can take care of herself yet has vulnerable moments.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope Mama is treating you well. : )
Joyce:
Thanks for the reminders of some of those kick-a** heroines. Also, Dennis Quaid – Big Easy – Ellen Barkin. Just don’t know how she resisted as long as she did.
You really do know how to write those strong, sexy women (and those strong, sexy men they just happen to find). Can’t wait for December and the next “True” fix!
Hi, Maggie!
Yeah, how the heck did EB resist Dennis for so long? I think I chastised her a couple of times about that during later viewings.
Thanks for stopping by!
Congratulations, Pam S!!! You’re the winner of TRUE VISION and TRUE COLORS. I’ll contact you by e-mail to get your info.
Thanks, everyone, for making such wonderful comments!
Joyce