I love reading stories with strong heroines. Especially when the author gives enough backstory to help me understand and sympathize with the circumstances that produced that tough outer shell. Nine times out of ten, these tough ladies are warm and loving underneath, and it takes an equally strong hero to convince them to lay down their defenses and take a risk on love.
But writing a strong heroine can be tricky. Too much backstory and readers get bored. Not enough and the heroine comes across as harsh and unsympathetic. It’s a balancing act to flesh out these complex characters in ways that readers fall in love with them and root for their happy ending.
The heroine in my new book, BEYOND FEAR, is a tough-as-nails Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer and former SWAT team member. But she’s also back in Florida to try to repair her relationship with her grandmother and assuage her own guilt over her mother’s death. The last thing she needs is to lock horns with newly promoted Sheriff’s detective Pete Tanner, who came by his nickname of Bulldog honestly.
I had a blast watching these two strong characters face off and go from adversaries, to co-workers, to falling in love.
Here’s a bit more about the story:
Sometimes, wild animals aren’t the biggest danger in the forest…
After her mother’s murder two years ago, sharpshooter Lisa Bass returned to Florida to start over – and try to earn her grandmother’s forgiveness. She loves her job as a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer, and teaching a weekly self-defense class helps keep the guilt at bay. So when the husband of one of her students is murdered, Lisa is absolutely determined the woman won’t get railroaded for a crime she didn’t commit.
Newly promoted Sheriff’s Detective Pete “Bulldog” Tanner believes spouses are always the prime suspect, but when the clues point to blackmail and illegal game hunting, he’s not sure what to think. Especially when their prime suspect vanishes.
Neither Lisa nor Pete relish working a joint investigation, not with the unexpected and unwelcome attraction crackling between them. But when Lisa is targeted and more people disappear, they will have to trust each other to stop the killers that are closing in fast.
You can grab your copy of BEYOND FEAR on Amazon or these Other Retailers.
If you haven’t read BEYOND RISK and BEYOND POWER – the first two books in the Florida Wildlife Warriors series – you can order copies at www.conniemann.com
What about you? Are you a fan of strong heroines? Do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments and I’ll send one lucky commenter an e-book copy of BEYOND FEAR.
I do love strong heroines… so many great ones out there… my go to is Eve Dallas from JD Robb’s In Death series.
yes, no fav