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Guest Author

Shannon McKenna

I wanted to ask about your heroines, some of their actions have been described as TSTL (too stupid to live) or that they seem weak. I was wondering how you felt about that and how you saw your heroines?

You know, it’s an interesting question, and a lot of people have given me a hard time about “weak” heroines, but I don’t see it that way At All. I see it from my own personal point of view, as a shy, not athletic, not particularly in shape person who makes a living sitting my ass in front of a computer and who violently hates confrontation of any kind, has no training in fighting, firearms, self-defense, etc. etc. I don’t see myself as weak or stupid. I simply am who I am. If I got put up against an evil bad guy like the kind I write about, I would be flattened.

My effort every time is to figure out a way for my heroine, being a completely normal, non-commando, non-Alias type chick, to somehow not be flattened. To survive and grow and toughen up, maybe even have a chance to strike back. If she’s not as buff and macho and competent as the hero, who the fuck cares? The interesting thing is that she grows. She learns. Raine gets her shot, at the end of BCD, smashing the corrupt cop over the head with a fax machine and tying him up with duct tape. Margot makes her move, in OOC with Tam’s poisoned pin. Erin stabs the evil bad guy in the throat at the end of SHADOWS. Abby pokes the villain in the eye with a key at the end of HOT NIGHT. Liv . . . well, never mind Liv. Most of you haven’t read EOM yet.

Jeez, like, how tough do these chicks have to be?

And if I was in danger of my life and under constant, extreme stress of many kinds, not sleeping, never relaxing, and totally inexperienced in fighting for my life, I think I may well do a few too-stupid-to-live things. Hell, I do stupid things even when I’m not in danger of my life. Real people make mistakes. Only James Bond never makes mistakes.

So that’s how I see it. I’m not interested in writing about Supergirl. She just doesn’t ring my bells. I don’t see myself in her.

Does that answer the question?

Thanks for asking!

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You may have noticed I am holding Shannon McKenna hostage on my blog :). You are welcome to ask her a question but I am not certain if she will be checking in today or not. Silly girl has agreed to come back though, so if she misses something I will send it to her for next time.

So who are your fave McKenna heroines? Do you have any or just suffer them for the yummy heroes? I have to admit I love Standing in the Shadows and where I can see Erin did a few bone headed things I still liked the heroine. And I like the idea of the chick being your average, everyday type of girl vs kickass can do it all without breaking a sweat.

How much is too much? What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you have a favorite heroine of all time in romanceland? I am not picking winners until tonight, so I will include comments in this thread posted up until 8pm CST 7/20/07.