 | 12 Mar 10 |
Everyone, please give my good friend and one of the nicest people in the world, Eileen Rendahl, a warm welcome to MSW!
Thank you so much for inviting me to guest blog here at Murder She Writes. If you can judge a person by the company she keeps, then I hope everyone sees me here. It’s an honor to blog with such a talented fabulous group of writers.
I thought I’d continue what seems to be a theme here this week and talk about the heroine of my new book, DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER. Melina had a near-death experience as a three-year-old and started seeing and hearing a lot of things that no one else seemed to see or hear. Since then, she’s been pressed into service delivering messages and packages for supernatural beings. Be it a note from a love-sick Sasquatch or a package to a dwarf, Melina has to suck it up and take it where it’s meant to go or suffer the consequences. And trust me, there will be consequences.
Melina strolled into my life completely unbidden. I wasn’t looking to start a book or for a new idea. In fact, I was on deadline for another book. She just showed up and while I had to figure out how she came to be and what precisely she was, I knew instantly what kind of person she was. Smart, sarcastic and a bit of a slacker. Or, as my mother put it after she read it, “she reminds me of you, but she has bigger problems.” 
After I figured out how she came to be, I needed to start populating her world. Where did she work? What did she drive? What was her family like? And most importantly of all, who were her friends?
I grew up surrounded by sisters and female cousins. I’m very comfortable surrounded by female company and have to admit that I’ve become suspicious of women who don’t have girlfriends. The last few times someone has zinged me with one of those back-handed compliments or nastygrams that we’ve been discussing this week? It’s been a woman who later made some comment about how hard it was to get along with other women.
Go figure, huh?
My characters tend to be surrounded by girlfriends and sisters. As a writer, they give me a great opportunity to show different sides of an issue or different ways of handling similar situations. There’s another side to this coin, though. If you’re writing a romance, having a loner heroine makes it so she might not have anyone else to turn to except the hero. Now that’s good romance.
Sadly, though, as a reader, my suspicion of girls who don’t like girls colors my perception of heroines who don’t have other women in their lives. Melina has a lot of faults. Really, she has a lot of them. Maybe too many. Not being able to get along with other girls is not one of them.
So how about you? Is a loner heroine with no friends a deal-breaker for you? Or do too many friends make it harder to focus on the relationship between the hero and heroine?
© 2010, Karin Tabke. All rights reserved.
A Cop’s Wife Writes the Cop’s Life:
Award winning author, Karin Tabke isn’t just another author with steamy stories to tell, but a cop’s wife who has “seen it all and heard it all.†Some of the hottest stories come from behind the blue wall of law enforcement rather than from in front. Married to a street cop, now retired, Karin is intimate with both and proves it with her sizzling tales and hot cops. Not only are her cops hot, but so are her sexy knights. Karin’s Blood Sword Legacy series is a must read for anyone who loves tales of yore when men were men and women were women, and love did conqueror all!
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Either/or. Have read both, enjoyed both…if the heroine is a longer and so hard, so immersed in her independence that she doesn’t want to let the hero in and it gets in the way of the story-that frustrates me. Or if the friends get in the way the story, that frustrates me, but as long as neither happen, it doesn’t matter either way…
by Shiloh Walker March 12th, 2010 at 8:19 amEileen!!!! I’m so honored to count you as a dear friend, and so thrilled you’re at msw today. I just love the premise of DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER and cannot wait to gobble it up.
I admit I have a hard time introducing girlfriends for my heroines, but that’s probably a function of the kind of books I write. They take place in a very short period of time, danger is everywhere and when it’s not, there’s a hot guy demanding constant attention. But I think you bring up a really valid point – I do love a heroine who has a great BFF/sister/mom/other female in her life. It grounds her.
You are fabulous and I’m so glad you’re here today! xoxo
by Roxanne St. Claire March 12th, 2010 at 8:35 amHey Eileen! Congratulations on the new book! I’ve written heroines both ways, but I agree that there are sides of a heroine better shown in the company of a good female friend. I can’t imagine my life without all my great lady buds!
by Debra webb March 12th, 2010 at 8:37 amHi Eileen,
Welcome to MSW! We’re so glad you could be here! I enjoy books where the heroine has a best friend or a sister to confide in. In my Glass Sisters series the complicated relationship between two sisters plays a role in both stories. Like you, I have sisters. It’s a fun relationship to write about, because for me sisters are people who love you and drive you crazy and also can be fiercely protective.
Looking forward to reading Don’t Kill the Messenger!
by Laura Griffin March 12th, 2010 at 8:58 amI think when a heroine has other female characters to interact with (friends, family, etc), you see a different side to her. When she’s around the hero, she’s thinking and reacting differently to him, especially if they’re just getting to know each other. When the heroine is around female friends, she’s usually more open and herself so the reader gets to see her being herself.
by Debbie D March 12th, 2010 at 9:01 amLove the premise of your new book. I want to read it already.
I like friends, but can go either way if the book I’m reading is well-written. In my WIP, my heroine has a best friend, but she’s in a different city, so isn’t in the book much. My next book will be women’s fiction, which is all about relationships. I’m eager to start it.
by Edie March 12th, 2010 at 9:02 amHey Eileen! It was great to meet you at RWA last year. Congrats on the new release! It sounds very fresh and unique. I love romances that show many different relationships, not just the romantic one. No one falls in love in a vacuum, and I love to see those outside influences on a hero and heroine! Sounds like your book would be right up my alley…
by Louisa Edwards March 12th, 2010 at 9:47 amI’ve done both, and I like to read both. Moira is a loner who has a few close friends she keeps at a distance. It’s learning to trust that friendship, that they care for HER and not just what they do together, that will help her grow. The Kincaid’s, on the other hand, are such a close knit family. They truly depend on each other, and when something affects one, it affects all. As I’m writing Lucy’s story, I’ve learned that she’s grown extremely close to her sister-in-law Kate.
I have my copy of TO KILL A MESSENGER sitting on my desk! I’m so thrilled for you, and can’t wait to sink my teeth in it
Thanks for coming here to visit MSW!!
by Allison Brennan March 12th, 2010 at 10:18 amHi, everyone! Thanks for the warm welcomes. Seems like we can all definitely go both ways on this issue. I think Rocki and Allison have good points. Sometimes the demands of the story (constant danger, hot guy, short time span) make it really difficult to introduce girlfriends or sisters or the very point of the story is the heroine overcoming self-imposed isolation.
In the end, it’s always all about making the story work, isn’t it?
by Eileen March 12th, 2010 at 10:45 amI love to write close friendships, but sometimes my heroines have problems that have made friendship all but impossible, like Tiernan being able to tell when somebody is lying to her. I do know that without your friendship, I’d be locked up in a rubber room somewhere, chewing on my crayons. So thank you! and everybody, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! Melina ROCKS!
by Alyssa Day March 12th, 2010 at 11:05 amUh oh…I’m one of those who doesn’t necessarily trust other “random” women. I have few very close (life-long from college and after) female friends but I’d like to think I’m open to friendships with women, I’ve just been backstabbed by my share of them. I’m all for aiding and abetting, though, especially within the wonderful romance writers community. I also grew up the youngest sister, in a neighborhood of boys. No girls but me.
My heroines tend to be loners and part of what they have to overcome is learning to trust someone other than themselves–male or female. There’s a lot of growth and conflict to be explored. If a heroine has a close friend, he’s usually a he. *blink* Wow…I’m having some revelations here. You’ve given me a lot to ponder, Eileen, not to mention another book to add to my ever-growing Wish List. I love the premise for DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER.
As for reading, I’m not sure I’ve noticed which I prefer. I just like a strong heroine who is living a good story. Sisters, friends, aunts…they’re all good.
by Silver James March 12th, 2010 at 12:25 pmOh, Alyssa, I’d be lost with you, too! Big hugs!
Silver, maybe it’s growing up surrounded by boys. I bet you write great heroes! You understand how that guy brain works.
by Eileen March 12th, 2010 at 1:10 pmEileen I too am suspicious of women who have no girlfriends. I hear the generic, I don’t play well with others, comment all of the time and, huh, go figure, they are the reason others don’t play well with them! I have a few friends, females, who claim to not like women in general. Again, they are the ones who are unlikable. but, that’s their problem, not mine. I love my girlfriends, and would be bereft without them.
I wondered after conference last year how it was i came to be so blessed by being surrounded by such fabulous women. I think it’s my perfume.
by Karin Tabke March 12th, 2010 at 1:12 pmKarin, I think it’s because you are made of much awesomeness, personally.
by Silver James March 12th, 2010 at 1:19 pmEileen – Huge welcome to MSW! Your new book sounds great.
I think a heroine that is well written can work w/ a bunch of friends or without. In real life someone who can’t play w/ others is a little worrisome.
Karin – It isn’t your perfume, it is your personality: kind and generous.
by HollyD March 12th, 2010 at 1:51 pmAllow me to chime in, too, Karin. It’s not the perfume.
by Eileen March 12th, 2010 at 1:58 pmbut i do smell good!
by Karin Tabke March 12th, 2010 at 1:59 pmAbsolutely luscious.
by Eileen March 12th, 2010 at 2:19 pmHi Eileen! Welcome to MSW! It’s an interesting question.
I do have female friends, but they are not intense, high school type friendships. I hope that doesn’t make me suspicious!
In books, it depends how it’s presented! I’m not fond of the “everyone is just jealous of me” heroines (I massively understated my dislike!). But loner types with good motivation can be really interesting. In the book I just finished writing, my heroine didn’t have friends because she was afraid her mother (a bad witch) would hurt or kill them. Gaining friendships during the book was really important to her character growth.
by Jen Lyon March 12th, 2010 at 2:29 pmI was dying for this book to come out ever since you told me about it in DC!!
I do think heroines need girlfriends! I’ve met women who can’t get along with other women and there’s always something wrong there.
by Sylvia Day March 12th, 2010 at 3:33 pmEileen, sounds like an amazing, awesome story. I love heroines who have a true girl friend. The one person they can turn to when the black moment hits and all seems lost. The shoulder to cry on, then the kick in the pants to get back in the game.
by Jill James March 12th, 2010 at 5:17 pmEileen, welcome to MSW and congrats on the new book!
In mystery, I write female loners, and their best buddies are…males. So I guess I”m in the minority here. But they do have female friends, just not a gang of chicks they can — or choose — to pal around with.
It’s a little different when I’ve got my erotic romance writer hat on…
by Lori G. Armstrong March 13th, 2010 at 9:38 am