How old are your brain children, your characters?
While organizing my bookcase, I browsed through some old historicals. Although dog-eared and yellowish they are very precious to my heart. The Kathleen Woodiwiss, Heather Graham, Johanna Lindsay and so many that I read and reread in the eighties. The heroines were blushing virgins, fresh out of puberty, sixteen to eighteen. They were living in country castles with strict fathers or guardians, dreaming and waiting for knights in shining armor.
The older heroines who had reached the respectable twenties were either widows who had just buried an unloved husband thirty years older; or spinsters as they called them at the time. Offspring of noble but penniless parents, they earned their living by chaperoning young pupils until the right husband showed up. The twenty-something spinsters were good mannered but assertive, claiming they didn’t want to get married while hiding a blazing curiosity under an uptight façade.
The Regency books of Stephanie Laurens, particularly the Bar Cynster series, presented heroines ranging in age from twenty-two to twenty-nine. And still not married. These books were published in the late nineties. The heroines were hot, daring, determined to follow their own minds.
What about the heroines of contemporary romances?
Most of the contemporary romances I read use heroines in their late twenties or early thirties, earning their own life and often determined to be happy without the help of a husband. They are experienced, assertive, sometimes passionate, but deep down they hide a secret longing for real love and commitment.
Before staring in my romances, the heroines of my books had to study for many years and earn advanced degrees. They work hard and dedicate themselves to their career.
While organizing my bookcase, I browsed through some old historicals. Although dog-eared and yellowish they are very precious to my heart. The Kathleen Woodiwiss, Heather Graham, Johanna Lindsay and so many that I read and reread in the eighties. The heroines were blushing virgins, fresh out of puberty, sixteen to eighteen. They were living in country castles with strict fathers or guardians, dreaming and waiting for knights in shining armor.
The older heroines who had reached the respectable twenties were either widows who had just buried an unloved husband thirty years older; or spinsters as they called them at the time. Offspring of noble but penniless parents, they earned their living by chaperoning young pupils until the right husband showed up. The twenty-something spinsters were good mannered but assertive, claiming they didn’t want to get married while hiding a blazing curiosity under an uptight façade.
The Regency books of Stephanie Laurens, particularly the Bar Cynster series, presented heroines ranging in age from twenty-two to twenty-nine. And still not married. These books were published in the late nineties. The heroines were hot, daring, determined to follow their own minds.
What about the heroines of contemporary romances?
Most of the contemporary romances I read use heroines in their late twenties or early thirties, earning their own life and often determined to be happy without the help of a husband. They are experienced, assertive, sometimes passionate, but deep down they hide a secret longing for real love and commitment.
Before staring in my romances, the heroines of my books had to study for many years and earn advanced degrees. They work hard and dedicate themselves to their career.
In TO LOVE A HERO, Cecile Lornier is quite successful professionally. She has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and wins an international contract to refurbish a laboratory in Belarus. But her personal life was a mess. At thirty-four, she is recovering from a bad personal experience with the wrong man. The last person she needs in her life is an alpha hero, a Russian general and national hero. And yet, she is attracted to Sergei and falls in love with him. Sergei recognizes she doesn’t need him like his delicate first wife. In spite of her love for him, Cecile hurts him while trying to protect her independence and her career.
In FRENCH PERIL, my heroine, Cheryl Stewart is twenty-six. She is my youngest heroine and is still working on her Ph.D. in architecture. She is more spontaneous but also more susceptible to be the victim of a charming playboy. There is a certain freshness about her that appeals to the experienced Count François. He becomes protective, abandons his current mistress and is even ready to cancel his most important project to shield her from danger.
In BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, Holly Collier is a doctor who has gone through four years
of college, four years of medical school, three years of residence and three years of fellowship to specialize in neonatology. No wonder, her ultimate goal is to pass her board exam and finally practice medicine. At thirty, she is determined not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule, especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez, who broke her heart seven years ago and made her almost flunk her exams. But when Marc is transformed into a father to his orphan nephew, Holly gives in to her maternal instinct and helps Marc…too much.
of college, four years of medical school, three years of residence and three years of fellowship to specialize in neonatology. No wonder, her ultimate goal is to pass her board exam and finally practice medicine. At thirty, she is determined not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule, especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez, who broke her heart seven years ago and made her almost flunk her exams. But when Marc is transformed into a father to his orphan nephew, Holly gives in to her maternal instinct and helps Marc…too much. 
In PRESCRIPTION FOR TRUST, Dr. Olivia Crane is a psychiatrist and respected University Professor. At thirty-five, she is totally dedicated to her career and her daughter. With too many secrets lurking in her past, she considers love a useless baggage and resists trusting the man who adores her and tries to help her, the French psychiatrist Luc George, she loved but refused to marry ten years ago.
My heroes are all in their late thirties, mostly alpha heroes, successful, gallant and respectful of their protagonists’ independent spirits and successful careers.
Whether you are writers or readers, you probably have a good idea of who like for heroine and hero.
How old are your favorite heroines? Are they seventeen, twenty, thirty, forty? Are they blushing virgins or brazen women, shunning love or looking for commitment? What do they do for a living?
How old are you heroes? Are they protective or possessive?
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