Fresh Fiction Blog | Rachel Firasek | A Warm Heart With Ice

Why is it that some of our fave heroines are just a tad bit chilly? They have an edge about them that can come off as cold-hearted or in some cases, just plain mean. I'm thinking Anita Blake, Cat Crawfield, Mercy Thompson, and my own personal heroine, Ice. Oh yes, these women can be classified as strong minded (translation: hard-headed) or even hard, yet we love them.

In some ways I think it's because they are also witty, confident, and almost always fearless. Let's face it, ladies, we enjoy playing in their shoes for the length of a novel. It's a great way to relax and feel the empowerment that we may not get in our everyday lives. At least, that's why I read and write about heroines like this.

Here's my list of things I look for in a good "cold" heroine:

1. Strength—not only to know her own mind and heart, but to be able to stand against everyone else for what she believes.

2. Compassion—even if she doesn't show it, I want to know that she has a deep soul that cares for others. The most talented authors can take a heroine and make us believe that she cares even if they don't tell us she does.

3. Depth—I don't want a heroine that's so artificial I want to barf when she walks in a room. I want to create or read about a woman that understands life and knows how to fight her way out of circumstances that a weaker woman would never overcome. I love knowing the character can take a look at herself and even accept when she's in denial. That takes a depth of character that makes my heart sing.

So, here's three of my fave things to mark a truly magnificent heroine. I think the examples above fit all three of these things on my list—each in their own way. Do you have a heroine that fits all three of these? I'd love to hear about your favorite or even your own creation. Leave the name and title of the book if you can remember. I can't wait to see them all!

One commenter will win an e-copy of THE LAST RISING

About the Author
Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two. Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves. She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at rachelfirasek.com.

Comments

I think that J. D. Robbs' Eve Dallas fits your description very well.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 6:35am November 9, 2011)

Jane Eyre ranks at the top among my heroine list. I enjoy women who have the desire to be treated justly, to be acknowledged, and to find fulfillment. Jane Austen has the power to make you feel that nothing else matters except the happiness of her heroines.
(Diane Brixius 6:42am November 9, 2011)

Marjorie, thanks for stopping in and I haven't read that heroine, yet.

Diane, that is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.Love it!
(Rachel Firasek 7:02am November 9, 2011)

Yep, I vote for Eve too. She is such a great heroine, strong fearl;ess, intelligent and slightly vunerable too.
(Barbara Hanson 8:26am November 9, 2011)

Absolutely Ice is a great heroine that fits this description
perfectly, but one of my other favs is Anne Boleyn, King
Henry VIII, most might not agree with me, but I found her
to have a big and loving side to her at the same time as
making her way to the crown. I really find she fits this
description as well.
Great post today :)
SSS Naughty Nattie
(Natalie Hillier 8:52am November 9, 2011)

Jane Austen is wonderful she is my favorite and Elizabeth Bennett is headstrong
but also has a soft side. Ice is a great heroine and another one of my favorites.

SSS Babs
(Barbara Hightower 9:04am November 9, 2011)

Morning Rachel. I would agree with everyone else about Eve.
She is tough as nails on the outside but her soft side comes out
with Roarke. Now, Roarke is a completely different post all
together.
(Marika Weber 10:18am November 9, 2011)

Hi Rachel, you are a new author for me and have heard great things about your book. I would love to win and read.
I have a couple of favorite heroines: Anita Blake from Laurell K Hamiton's Anita Blake series and also Cat (Catherine)Crawfield by Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Both a strong, sexy, fighters, sassy, and love preternatural characters. A great heroine makes a book. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
(Chris Bails 10:51am November 9, 2011)

I definitely like heroines who are strong and yet have vulnerabilities and compassion as well. Eve Dallas was mentioned earlier and I agree. She's a gutsy strong lady fighting her own inner demons along with the outer.
(Na S 12:03pm November 9, 2011)

Eve Dallas from JD Robb's IN DEATH series definitely comes to mind first...
(Colleen Conklin 12:42pm November 9, 2011)

It sounds very interesting, I would love to read it!Thank you for the opportunity to win the contest!
(Alice Vernescu 2:46pm November 9, 2011)

Thanks for a lovely post. Gotta throw in my vote for Eve also. She's grown tremendously over the 30+ books and she definitely fits all your categories.
(Erin Fender 3:39pm November 9, 2011)

The aunt in Anne of Green Gables was a tough and cold lady who softened over time caring and raising a strong-willed teen girl who amongst other scenes dyed her young hair green and grew up to become the spunk that she loved very much indeed.
(Alyson Widen 3:46pm November 9, 2011)

I think that Rachel from the Hallows also fits this well.
(Lisa McGeen 4:53pm November 9, 2011)

I have to vote for Eve Dallas. Book sounds great. Thanks for giving me a chance to win your book.
(Linda Hall 5:44pm November 9, 2011)

i do the audio book of JD Robb and read all of t hem and love them i would love to read your and then blog on it for you [email protected]
(Desiree Reilly 7:10pm November 9, 2011)

So easy....Phedre from Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey. I had a hard time with the first 50 pages of the book but then I just loved her.
(Jennifer Beyer 8:46pm November 9, 2011)

Oh, wow! You are all so awesome.

I see so many Eve hits, and sadly I haven't read the books! Gah! ;) Christmas is right around the corner, so maybe I'll ask for a new series.

Natalie, I haven't read that one either. I'm afraid I was addicted to HQN for a bit and I've missed out on some goodies.

Chris, we have a lot of the same faves! and Babs, you have some a new one to me too!

Alyson, I love that you're thinking outside the box, lol. Secondary character score there! ;)

Oh, Lisa, another great one! Kim Harrison is chaos magic. I love her stories.

Desi, you so make me smile. I wish you luck, friend.

Jennifer, often it's those hard sells that win your heart the hardest. Thanks for a new heroine!

Again, you are all rocking and I'm sure JD Robb would be excited to see so much love. ;)
(Rachel Firasek 9:15pm November 9, 2011)

I am going to say Ayla from Jean Auel's Earth's Children Series with Clan of the Cave Bear being the first of the series.
(Jeanne Sheats 9:19pm November 9, 2011)

Caitrin from HEART'S BLOOD by Juliet Marillier ticks all the boxes for me.
(Mary Preston 10:08pm November 9, 2011)

Scarlett ... Definitely fits the profile you have
provided. Strong, not conforming to the wishes
of others, caring for those she loved and the
legacy of her family.
(Carla Carlson 2:15am November 10, 2011)

I agree with many of the other choices but have to add Jennifer Estep's
Gin Blanco (after all, she was an assassin), David Weber's Honor
Harrington, and most of Linnea Sinclair's leading ladies as well as Dana
Stabenow's Kate Shugak....and many more. (0:
(E Felder 4:15am November 10, 2011)

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