Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to say thanks to Nicole for hosting me here on the blog today. Thanks so much, Nicole!
So Kiss of Frost, the second book in my Mythos Academy series, came out on Nov. 29. The series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psy¬chom¬e¬try, or the abil¬ity to know an object’s his¬tory just by touch¬ing it. After a seri¬ous freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Acad¬emy, a school for the descen¬dants of ancient war¬riors like Spar¬tans, Valkyries, Ama¬zons, and more.
One of the things I like most about the YA genre is all the strong heroines that can be found in various books. So today, I thought I’d talk about some of the things I think go into creating a memorable heroine. Here goes:
Smarts: Whether she’s book smart, street smart, or just has good old-fashioned common sense, I love reading about clever heroines. Your heroine is going to have to be smart and think quickly on her feet, just to survive all the magic, monsters, and other nasty things that come her way.
Strength: This can be physical strength, if we’re talking about magic, but what I really like is the heroine tapping into her inner strength and finding the determination to get through whatever bad situation she’s in.
A sense of humor: It can be a lot of pressure, having the fate of your friends, family, or even the world resting on your shoulders. So a heroine needs to be able to find humor and laugh when she can.
Hobbies and interests: I like reading about a heroine’s interests and the things she cares about, whether she’s in a rock band, is a cheerleader, or is in a debate club. I think hobbies and interests add another layer to a heroine and can really make her come to life that much more.
She learns about herself: I also like watching a heroine grow up during the course of a book or series. I always give a mental cheer as the heroine figures out what makes her smart and strong, what her place in the world is, and what kind of person she wants to be.
She cares about others:One of the most important qualities a heroine can have is her love and concern for others. It’s that love and caring that’s going to make her go the extra mile and fight that much harder to take care of the people who are closest to her.
She never stops fighting: No matter how bad a situation gets, no matter how impossible the odds are, no matter much she wants to just give up and admit defeat, you always want your heroine to keep fighting the good fight.
What about you guys? What characteristics do you think make for a good YA heroine? Who are some of your favorite YA heroines?
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep writes the Mythos Acad¬emy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, and First Frost, a prequel e-story to the series, are available now. Dark Frost, the third book in the series, will be published in June 2012.
Jennifer also writes Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. Books in the series are Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads, and Spider’s Revenge.
Jennifer is also the author of the Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series. Books in the series are Karma Girl, Hot Mama, and Jinx. A Karma Girl Christmas, an e-short story, is also available.
For more information, excerpts, and more, visit Jennifer’s website.
This giveaway is over.
Jennifer is also giving away a copy of Touch of Frost!
How To Win:
[mandatory] fill out the form below
[mandatory] be following me either on WORD or on Twitter
Quick Facts:
[1] copy of Kiss of Frost up for grabs
[1] winner in the U.S. only
ends December 7