The HEART of a Heroine Guest blog and Giveaway with Jean Murray

The HEART of a Heroine
We always hear or talk about heroes in this line of work.  Large strapping men with tattoos doing battle on the streets against some untold enemy in a nice pair of black leather pants. Oh, and don’t forget the nice hair J  I’m not complaining, just ask my Gods of the Underworld.  Or my abundant love for the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  It is not hard for us to come up with words to describe a heart of a hero.  Strong, loyal, brave.
But what is at the heart of a HEROINE?  Do we simply take those same values and plant them into her heart or are heroines build differently?
No one has to tell us that men and women are different.  We are built differently.  We certainly think differently.  We process circumstances differently.  Hell, there are books that tell us Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.  Now, I’m not going to get into male bashing or any of that (although, it might be a fun with girlfriends and a margarita in my hand), but I want to give heroines a fair appraisal. 
So let’s look at this closer.  When we think of a heroine what qualities do we think about? 
When someone says heroine, I immediately think about an Alpha female.  God, I love them.  Kicking ass and taking names females.  I have so much fun writing these heroines.
In Soul Reborn, Lilly is the leader of the Nehebkau huntresses.  She is strong, graceful and dedicated.  She’s an alpha in the female sense hands down, risking her life day in and day out to save her sisters.  She has all the qualities of our leather clad lovers.  Strength, loyalty, bravery and man can she wield a mean katana sword.  Hey, when you kill the undead you have to be unstoppable, right?
What happens when you take away the strength?  How important is that quality to a heroine?  We are talking physical strength here.  Do you think it is necessary for a heroine to have physical strength?Kendra, my heroine in book 2, is petite and has none of the physical qualities of her sisters.  Grace is certainly not one of her talents.  Where bravery comes natural to Lilly, Kendra has overwhelming fear of the dark. 
Is Kendra any less of a heroine? 
Okay, dumb question because we all know the answer is – NO.  Okay, some may say – YES, but my point is damn if these heroines aren’t harder to write.  They aren’t out slicing heads off or running down the enemy in some dark alleyway.  They are behind the scenes tapping into talents beyond strength and bruit force.  So what Kendra lacked in strength she filled the void with other heroic qualities.  Intelligence – Fortitude - Empathy – Caring.  Although Kendra was more difficult to write, I love her all the more for it.  She is me and most of the women I know.  I still dream of becoming Lilly, but heart of hearts I’m a Kendra.So, what is really at the heart of a HEROINE?  Is she different than a hero?  The answers are not as clear as we think and will be molded by our preferences, experiences, up bring, etc...  So, just for fun let’s build our own heroine’s heart.   What qualities would be at the heart of your heroine?
Below are examples of core values that will help you design your heroine’s heart.  Pick three.  If you think of a word that is not on the list, use it.  Create your own heroines’ heart.  Tell us why you picked these qualities. Peace Wisdom Status Family Fame Wealthy Power Authenticity Joyful Success Integrity Love Friendship Justice Influence Happiness Truthful Kind Spirituality (God) Loyal Passionate Trusting Knowledgeable Reliable Team Player Competitive Commitment Creative Honesty Fair Humor Honor Caring Playful Innovation Security Fun Honest Adventurous Resourceful Faithful Cooperative Dependable Order/discipline Responsible Respectful Intelligent Devoted
GIVEAWAYOne lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Soul Reborn (US/CANADA) or ecopy (US/INT) and a $10 gift certificate to Amazon (US/INT-where available).  But, that’s not all…. enter the Rafflecopter for a Kindle Fire HD giveaway + kindle version of Soul Reborn and Soul Awakened.  Follow the Soul Awakened’s Bewitching Blog Tour and increase your chances at winning the ultimate prize.  See Rafflecopter for details.          a Rafflecopter giveaway




Soul Awakened
Key to the Cursed Series Book Two Jean Murray
Genre:  Dark Paranormal
Publisher:  Crescent Moon PressDate of Publication:  January 15, 2013
ISBN:  978-1-937254-97-1                     ASIN: 978-1-937254-98-8                    
Number of pages:  292Word Count:  92,000
Cover Artist:  Taria A. Reed
Book Description:
LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR
Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.
HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST
Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.
About the Author:
In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.

Web: www.jean-murray.com ; www.keytothecursed.com
Blog: www.wickedromance.wordpress.com
Face Book:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Murray-Paranormal-Romance-Author/130589967006760                      Twitter: http://twitter.com/wickedromance
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103113.Jean_Murray
Book Trailer Soul Reborn: http://youtu.be/smSJsJp5o74