No Damsel: Turning Gender Stereotyping On its Head – #DystopianRomance #PostApocalyptic @KA_Raines

 

By K.A. Raines (Guest Blogger)

When my daughter was a little girl, she was prone to bursting into rages of temper. As she matured, the rages subsided, but she became almost stoic, often shying away from affection. My son, conversely, was quick to burst into tears at the slightest scolding. He was affectionate and eager to please – and he still is.

Yet, many are still trained to believe that girls are the emotional gender and boys the more passive one. But are the genders inherently different, really? Personally, I’ve seen no evidence of this. I’m from the south. Texas, specifically, where antiquated ideals still reign supreme. And generally speaking, just as young boys are taught that pink is a “girl” color and dolls are “girl” toys (unless raised in a progressive family), they are likewise taught that it’s “unmanly” to cry. Girls are taught to be polite and ladylike (ever hear of a Southern belle?), and that our tears are acts of weaknesses that reinforce our roles as the “weaker” gender, in need protection and guidance. In my own blog post last Friday, I talked a bit about how I enjoy books and films that shatter gender stereotypes. Likewise, I enjoy writing about damaged, emotional men and strong, assertive heroines. Accordingly, I thought I’d take the opportunity to elaborate on the subject.

I love romance novels. I always have. I love the different romance tropes. However, as a feminist, what I don’t necessarily love is some of the gender stereotypes often perpetuated by my beloved genre: AKA the classic damsel in distress (remember the old covers with Fabio protecting his bustier-clad lady?). Don’t misunderstand me – I love the whole damsel-in-distress trope. In fact, my own debut novel was built upon the entire premise. The challenge for myself, though, was how to effectively utilize the trope while reversing it and finding a way for the heroine to rescue herself and the hero. The damsel most certainly can be in distress. Tense situations make for a dramatic first meeting. But she should also be equipped with the means to rescue herself—and she should. At least once.

I want to see heroines that know what they want in and out of the bedroom and aren’t afraid to take control. I want to see heroines who are ballsy and can fight alongside the men. I want to see them smart and challenge the male characters verbally.

Speak up in the comments! Do you know any romance novels that challenge gender stereotypes? Feature strong/assertive women? Inquiring minds want to know! I’m gathering recs for a future blog post!

~ Kari

Blurb

A virus has rendered humanity mostly extinct. Keira Starr is alone, staying alive by staying on the run, sleeping in empty gas stations and the trunks of cars long abandoned on the highway. The world is overrun by “Ghosts,” the mindless, bloodthirsty dead, but they are the least of her problems. She is being hunted by ragtag groups of ruthless men, independent contractors working for a mysterious human trafficking ring. When she is finally captured, she discovers that Derrick Caine, despite his gruff demeanor and appearance, may just have a different agenda altogether.

Excerpt

“What happened to you?” she breathed. “Who did you lose?” She knew she was pushing him, that she should stop before she went too far, but it felt like observing a train wreck, watching from a distance as the engine rushed ahead at full steam, and, even foreseeing the impending disaster on the tracks, being powerless to stop it. “You risk your life tryin’ to save women and children. Who was she? Your wife?” She didn't even know why she cared. She didn't want to care. Derrick Caine was a virtual stranger to her, yet she knew she was already in way too deep.

He growled suddenly, a low, guttural sound that jarred her out of her trance when she rather unexpectedly found her space invaded by him for the third time in the past several minutes. Yet the charge in the air had shifted subtly; he no longer seemed angry, exactly, but there was something decidedly predatory in his eyes.

“The fuck you want from me?” His voice in her ear was a dangerous rumble that elicited chills up her spine and ignited a fire that bloomed hotly in her womb, a delicious contrast. Quite suddenly, all she wanted was to relieve the dull throb between her legs that his voice and presence evoked; she wanted him so badly that she physically couldn’t endure not to have him soon.

You. Just you. “I could ask the same of you,” she settled for, and she couldn’t stop the tremor in her voice. She was overwhelmed by him—by his nearness, by the heat emanating from his body, drawing her in. She tentatively raised a trembling hand, reaching up to touch a raised scar on his chest, just above his left pectoral. His chest continued to visibly rise and fall, and he was breathing hard through his nose in an obvious effort to calm himself, fists clenched in tight balls at his sides. His breathing hitched when she barely touched him, a feather-light caress, her fingertips just skimming the jagged edge of his scar. She had known all along that he was in pain. So much unbearable pain—yet he would never admit it to anyone, least of all her.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CFRXZCS

 

About the Author

 

K.A. Raines is a U.S. Navy veteran who lives in Longview, TX with her children and who has a passion for reading, writing, red wine, and good food. Her love for science fiction, the paranormal, and romance bleed into her writing.

Author Links

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Website:

http://www.karaines.com