Please help me welcome author Kathleen Kole, who wrote the wonderful book Breaking Even and is talking about the type of heroines she likes to write about. Thanks to Chick Lit Blog Tours for putting this together.
The type of heroines I favor to tell stories about in my writing. In previous commentary I have written that when I make the commitment to tell a story, I feel as though it is my character’s - not mine. As well, and of paramount importance, I must feel some sort of connection to the tale; otherwise, I just cannot tell it. I must feel inspired, energized if you will, to bring to life a character and their journey.
With that said, while I adore and celebrate the many facets of the female personality, it seems the heroines I connect to and derive the greatest enjoyment from are those who demonstrate strength.
Strength, I am aware, can be defined in a myriad of ways. In my novels, strength in my female characters always relates to their emotional fiber. It can be demonstrated via compassion, the ability to laugh at life, anger, honesty, the list goes on. The common element every one of those emotions delivers, and that which I desire for my heroines, is the opportunity for the discovery of their inner fortitude. If they can face the circumstances of their lives, regardless of the paths they travel during their journeys, and grow into more confident and self-aware versions of themselves, I will joyously tell their stories. And, on the flip side, if they cannot... well, I’ll probably pass.
It seems simple, I am aware, but what can I say? I try to live up to the ideal I set forth for my heroines. Willing to say who and what inspires me and, all the while, possess the inner fortitude to be at peace within myself so as to accept if someone sees it another way.
Where to find Kathleen:
Website
The blurb for Breaking Even: Meet Penelope Whittaker, an accountant. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married accountant. Penelope is engaged to the wonderful, kind and caring Ben Miller … a man she has known forever.Enter Single Dad. While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it belongs: on a shelf marked “Chance Encounters”.
Life has different plans. Just when Penelope thinks she has blown the whole encounter out of proportion, and made much out of nothing, she is thrown together by chance (or fate?) with Single Dad. Suddenly, he’s a part of her life and, even though Penelope knows it can only cause trouble, she is helpless to stop it. Besides, she doesn’t want to. At least, not until she finds out the unsettling truth about Single Dad.
Penelope is confused. Her family, friends and, most importantly, her fiance, Ben, even more so. Will she be able to find her footing and go back to where she used to be, safe in her carefully structured world? Or, will she take the path of redefining herself, possibly leaving Ben behind?
