From shy to kick-ass! All my romantic heroines… #paranormalromance #mermaids #heroines @AliceAuthor

 

By Alice Renaud (Guest Blogger)

My first attempt at writing a romance novel wasn’t a success. One problem was that the hero was a jerk. I aimed for Alpha male and ended up with Epsilon arrogant and overbearing spoilt brat. The heroine wasn’t great either. She was a bit of a drip… although she still deserved more than the Mr Super-Macho I had saddled her with. Needless to say, the book never found a publisher, and the world is probably better for it. I was writing what I thought readers wanted, rather than what I wanted to write. But these days, drippy heroines are no longer in favour. I think romance readers like strong heroines, who are more than a match for the hero.

Fast forward a few years and I was writing the story that became A Merman’s Choice, my first published book, the first in the Sea of Love series. The hero of this fantasy romance, shape-shifting merman Yann, isn’t an Alpha in the old fashioned sense. He’s a good guy, generous and caring, and he helps the heroine overcome her phobia of water. Alex is a gentle soul, but I was careful not to make her too helpless. In fact, in the course of the story, she overcomes her anxiety, discovers her inner strength, and finally rescues the hero! I enjoyed writing Alex’s journey from frightened girl to strong woman.

My second heroine is feistier. Charlie, heroine of Music for a Merman, book 2 in the Sea of Love series, is a spunky eco-warrior. She knows what she wants, and isn’t afraid to grab it… even if what she wants is the shape-shifting merman-cop who has just arrested her! Charlie was real fun to write. She is sassy, sexually confident and more experienced than the hero.

So it wasn’t surprising when my third heroine turned out to be the most kick-ass I’ve ever written. Caltha, in Mermaids Marry in Green, book 3 in the Sea of Love series, is a tough, feisty shape shifting mermaid, a warrior and a leader. Her skill with a blade is second to none, and she never shies away from a fight. I enjoyed writing her story very much. She has inner vulnerabilities too – when she falls for the hero, it is the first time she is in love, and this love tests her to her limits.

You can have too much of a good thing, though. I don’t think all my heroines will always be as tough, because it would get boring. I like showing how a character evolves. A strong heroine who discovers her inner softness, a gentle heroine who digs deep to find her inner warrior, are equally interesting.

What about you? Do you prefer kick-ass heroines, or gentler ones? Does it depend on the story, the genre? Let me know in the comments below!

Blurb

Caltha Dooran is the toughest, fiercest shape-shifting mermaid in the western seas. She has three Clans to rule, and no time for romance. But when a warlock, Jonty, turns up and asks her to come with him to London to capture a water monster, she can't say no. In London, away from her duties, her attraction for Jonty grows... and they soon fall under each other's spell. But will his past and her responsibilities pull them apart, or can they find the only true magic, the one that binds two souls together?

Buy Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FCQQ75P

https://books2read.com/u/3LglAN

Excerpt

Jonty’s head hit the pavement with a thud and searing pain lanced through his skull. He kicked, hard, and connected with one assailant’s groin. The man yelped and rolled off him, but the other attacker stamped on Jonty’s wrist. The bone-crunching torment made him gasp and open his hand. The thug picked up his gun and pointed it at him.

“I’d stay still if I were you.”

The incantation formed on his lips, almost without any intervention from his brain. Power crackled through him, then doubt sneaked in. He hadn’t used a fighting spell for a year and a half, not since that terrible night when he and Jackie had taken on the hags—and lost. Because he wasn’t as good as he’d believed. Because the spell hadn’t worked. Because he’d over-reached himself. And Jackie had paid the price for it. Grief crushed his chest, a feeling far more excruciating than the throbbing in his head and wrist. The magic in his body fizzled out. Once, he’d practised the spell so many times, he could have recited it in his sleep. But now he couldn’t have performed it even if he’d wanted to.

The hoodlum sneered. “You’re not much of a threat.”

“But I am.” Caltha’s sweet voice came from behind the man, and Jonty saw his expression change, his features contract in pain.

“Of course, you could shoot my friend,” Caltha carried on, conversationally. “But then you’ll be dead. See, if I turn the knife just a little bit to the right, it gets close to your artery, and—”

The thug gasped. “Stop!”

Jonty, numb with surprise, saw Caltha’s small white hand appear under the man’s chin, holding a long and very sharp knife. The other attacker was lying on the ground, unconscious. Shock gave way to wonder. He’d thought Caltha needed protecting. But he was the one lying helpless on the ground, whereas she’d knocked this man down like a bowling pin.

“You have a choice,” she said to the thug, in the same pleasant tone. “You can shoot, and then it will get very messy. Especially for you and your friend over there. I haven’t killed him—yet—but I can change my mind. I’m fickle like that.”

She pressed the tip of the knife against the man’s throat, and a drop of blood appeared, as bright and red as a ruby. The thug grew very pale and beads of sweat glinted on his forehead.

“Or you could drop the gun and run away, and we’ll all live! Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Caltha paused.

“Your choice!”

The man let the gun clatter to the ground. Jonty scrambled to his feet and picked it up. Caltha removed the knife from the thug’s throat. He turned and ran, without a second glance at his inert companion.

Caltha slid the knife into the lining of her boot and turned to Jonty. “Are you OK?”

Shame crept over him like lava. He’d been worse than useless. He’d put her in danger and then proven himself incapable of protecting her. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who these guys are, or why they went for us.”

About the Author

Alice lives in London, UK, with her husband and son. By day she's a compliance manager for a pharmaceutical company. By night she writes fantasy romance about shape shifting mermen, water monsters and time-travelling witches. Her first book, “A Merman’s Choice,” was published in January 2019 by Black Velvet Seductions. It is the first book in a fantasy romance trilogy inspired by the landscapes and legends of Brittany and Wales. The second book, “Music for a Merman,” is out now and the third, “Mermaids Marry in Green,” will be released on 1 November. Alice has also written two short stories for BVS anthologies, “The Sweetest Magic of All,” in “Mystic Desire,” out now, and “The Holiday Mermaid” in “Desire Me Again,” out in October. Alice loves reading and writing stories, and sharing them with anyone who’s interested!

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