Monday, October 04, 2010

From the Desk of... (& Giveaway)



...author Louisa Edwards!











What Makes for a Good Romance Heroine?

When I first started writing romance, one of the guidelines I heard often was that your heroine should be someone readers want as their best friend.

The heroines of my books haven’t all been universally loved—which makes perfect sense, by the way. I don’t know about you, but my closest friends couldn’t be more different from one another. There isn’t a single set of characteristics that makes any one person the perfect friend for the entire universe. That would be boring! My heroines are true to themselves, and to their stories, so I’m proud of all of them.

But the heroine of my third Recipe for Love novel has been by far the most beloved by reviewers and readers. And she was the one I was worried for! When Just One Taste hit bookshelves on August 31st, I felt like a mom sending her little one to school for the first time, terrified she was about to get picked on by the rest of the class.

Dr. Rosemary Wilkins isn’t your typical contemporary romance heroine. In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, she’s a total nerd. A scientific prodigy who skipped multiple grades, has multiple advance degrees, and multiple diagnosable neuroses, Rosemary is more comfortable alone in her food chemistry lab than in conversation with other people. She’s awkward, sexually inexperienced, prickly, and tends to think in the clinical, analytical terms that are most familiar to her.

Of course, she’s also vulnerable, desperately lonely, generous, and funny—but I was so afraid readers wouldn’t see beneath her geeky exterior to the woman underneath. The hero, bad boy chef Wes Murphy, does . . . and never tries to change a thing about her, which I think is what makes him my most romantic hero ever.

But I should’ve had faith that my readers might turn out to be more like me than I thought! So many people seem to be able to identify with Rosemary’s brand of shyness, if she were a real person, she wouldn’t be the kid in the back of the class getting bullied; she’d be at a lunch table full of kids just like her, laughing, sharing comic books, and talking about the latest episode of “Dr. Who.”

Rosemary, it turns out, is best friend material for a lot of readers. Nerds rule!

Who are some of your favorite romance heroines? I have an autographed copy of Rosemary’s book . . . and some signature Recipe for Love culinary sway for one reader who comments!


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This was my first time reading a Recipe for Love novel and I just loved Rosemary in JUST ONE TASTE. She was very clinical and awkward but in such a cute way! Maybe I just have a thing for nerds but she was definitely a great romance heroine!! Be on the look out for my review tomorrow =)



GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

One lucky reader will win a signed copy of JUST ONE TASTE (August 31, 2010) by Louisa Edwards and some culinary swag (pictured below). I will also be giving away my gently read review copy to another reader. First name drawn will win the prize pack, second name drawn will win the review copy.


To enter simply answer Louisa's question above and include an email address with you comment... (no answer or email address = no entry)

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Giveaway ends October 18th and the winners will be announced October 19th. Sorry, US Entries Only.

Good Luck!

8 comments:

Jennifer Leeland said...

Oh! I have to say Minerva from "Bet Me". One of my favorite romance heroines.

Melissa Ecker said...

One of my favorite romance heroine's is Liberty Jones in Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas.

I am reading Can't Stand the Heat now and loving it! I would love to read Just One Taste!

melissa (at) melissaecker (dot) com

Mary G said...

HI Louisa
My fave word for Rosemary is endearing. Even in her nerdiness she was so adorable. Her reaction to making love for the first time was priceless.
I love kick butt heroines. It doesn't have to be physical. Rosemary was kick butt brains-wise. I love the banter between the H & H where the upper hand changes from one to the other depending on the situation. I love a strong heroine as much as I love Alpha Men. Tey balance each other. Don't enter me. I have all your FAB books.

Mishel (P.S. I Love Books) said...

Mary - I totally agree that Rosemary was a kick butt heroine! I loved the interaction between her and Wes. Rosemary certainly had me cracking up with her clinical way of looking at life. I thought she was so cute =)

Karielle Stephanie said...

Fantastic post, Louisa! The book sounds so interesting -- would love to read it now :)

My favorite romance heroine has got to be the classic Juliet. Though her love life doesn't end very happily, the sacrifice she makes is very noble, and that makes the story of "Romeo and Juliet" all the better!

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Debbie F said...

I favorite leading lady would be Eve from JD Robb's 'In Death' series.

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donnas said...

I really enjoy the majority of Nora Roberts heroines. They really seem likable and realistic. One of my recent favorites are the 4 friends in the Bride Quartet series.

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misskallie2000 said...

I love Eve from the In Death series by J.D. Robb and my 2nd would be Sherlock from the FBI series by Catherine Coulter.

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