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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Does the Modern-Day Amazon Exist?

Please welcome guest blogger Marcia Colette

This question was part of a panel discussion at LunaCon this year and I was sorry I wasn’t able to attend. However, it has been a question that has been on my mind for ages.

If you think about it, we had our action-oriented heroines like Wonder Woman, the Bionic Woman, Ripley from Aliens, and most recently Sarah Conner. When I think about today, I have a hard time coming up with one. I guess the most recent ones have been Sarah Connor again, from The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Sydney Bristow from Alias. I guess I could add Kate from Lost and some of the female cast members from Heroes, too.

There are plenty of kick-ass heroines out there right now. And by kick-ass, I don’t mean they have to have an attitude that grates on your nerves twenty-four-seven or they have to kill someone every other chapter to make sure the reader knows their a bad-ass. I’m taking about an action-oriented woman who is normal in all respects, but has to make a move every now and then that will blow your mind or leave your jaw hanging in awe. I love reading about characters like this. Also, it’s probably why I feel like there are a lot of kick-ass women on the market and can’t get enough of them.

But the questions—worry—remain. Will those champions stand the test of time? Will our little girls today remember them when they’re in their twenties?

This is one moment where I wish I could fast-forward in time to know the answer to that. I’d like to think that whoever leaps onto the scene these days will have long-lasting effects like Buffy had. Better yet, define a whole new genre.

In the mean time, the only kick-ass heroines I can think of today are all in books. You have Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton, Elena by Kelley Armstrong, and the ever-loving Sookie Stackhouse. If only Hollywood would take a chance on more than just Charlaine Harris’s books, would I feel confident enough to say “Yes!” our Amazonian heroines of today can stand the test of time be memorable for all-time.

Are there any action-oriented females in recent years (book or film) who you think we’ll remember in the next ten or twenty years?


Paranormal author Marcia Colette was born and raised in a single-parent household in upstate New York. She holds a bachelors degree in biomedical engineering and a masters degree in information technology. After a couple of moves from north to south to north, she is now living in the south again in the lovely state of North Carolina.

Unlike many authors, Marcia hadn’t discovered her love for reading until later in life. As it turned out, her tastes were very selective and different than most of the stuff her English teachers tried to shove down her throat. She has been a lover of the paranormal from her first horror movie and has never looked back.

Marcia is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Paranormal Mystery Writers, and Romance Writers of America.

The best place to find her is on her blog where she loves connecting with readers and other writers. Conferences/conventions where sci-fi, fantasy, and horror reign supreme are a good bet, too, along with the occasional romance conference.

Visit me at www.marciacolette.com or http://marciacolette.wordpress.com.


STRIPPED

Someone wants their perfect weapon back, only she’s not coming quietly.

Alexa Wells wants her life back. She’s just not sure what that life was. The memories inside her head—a stripper’s—aren’t hers, and before she humiliates herself onstage one more time, she sets out to collect the scattered pieces of her mind. The trail leads to Boston, charges of identity theft and murder, and the real bombshell: a forgotten werewolf lover who insists she’s a werewolf hybrid.

Matt York doesn’t care that she looks at him like he’s been smoking crack between court cases. Now that he has her back he’s not about to let her go it alone, even if she can easily kick ass and take names all by herself. Amnesia only scratches the surface of her problems, and like it or not, she’s stuck with him.

She’s also stuck with Robert Gamboldt, a venture capitalist who’s not above murdering his way to the top. He’s not about to lose his prize possession without playing dirty. It’s a simple enough offer. Be his personal assassin, or go to jail.

With options like that, it’s enough to make a hybrid go full-blood.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm with you, I love a kick-ass heroine and actively seek out books with them. If I had to pick one character who makes me want to read more, it would have to be Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson. She's strong, but not invulnerable. She does what's needed and doesn't look for affirmation. She's truly one of my favorite novel heroines.

As for film...well, I think you took all the good ones already. I don't watch much television anymore because I haven't come across characters I want to follow. There are many movies/shows that could have made their heroines kick-ass, but they made them less than impressive as far as I'm concerned.

Anonymous said...

I love kick-ass heroines. I'm with you, Danica...I totally seek out books with them, too!

I love them with snarky attitudes as well.

Great post.

Lisa Kessler said...

I like strong heroines, but the super snarky ones tend to annoy me. Ugh! LOL

I love Elena from Kelley Armstrong's series and her other female narrators rock too. Just the right amount of kick ass to be believeable... :)

Also, the female X-Men are pretty kick ass...

Lisa :)

Mary Marvella said...

Hmmm, I love strong women, but not necessarily heroines who are tough just to be tough.

Amazons? I'm sure we'll have a new Wonder Woman or Super Girl someday. Maybe we're using "powers" and "magic", instead. How about a new Mighty Mouse?

Edie Ramer said...

Strong heroines are a must for me. If a heroine is weak, I don't read past the first few pages. I have a kick-ass heroine in my current book. Literally. In my women's fiction, they're kick-ass in a different way. Strong-minded like you, Marcia. :)

I thought of Xena, too. Remember her? And Buffy. Love Buffy.

I'd like to see another kick-ass woman on TV who's the main character, not just one of the cast, as in HEROES. Young girls need strong role models to show them they can be powerful, too.

Melissa said...

I don't think I own a book that doesn't have a kick-ass heroine in it.

Damali- Vampire Huntress Legends by LA Banks, Anita Blake - Laurell K. Hamilton, Rachel Morgan - The Hollows by Kim Harrison, Sookie Stackhouse - Charlaine Harris, Charlie - The Better Part of Darkness etc.

I never get tired of reading about them. I've even wrote a short story with a kick-ass heroine.

I don't know if people will remember them in the long term but, I sure hope they don't stop writing them.

Marcia Colette said...

Danica: Yes, I LOVE me some Patricia Briggs. She is absolutely awesome with every Mercy Thompson book. I'm rather surprised that no TV station or movie deal (that I know of) is in the works for her yet.

Lynn: Thanks for stopping by. I'm with you. A book has to have a strong heroine for me to pick it up.

Lisa: Now that you've said it, I think that's why Elena continues to be my all-time favorite heroine. She's kick-ass, but not so snarky that I have to question why people let her get away with stuff. Excellent call with the X-men characters, too.

Mary: LOL! If they came out with a Mighty Mouse movie, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I LOVE MM.

Edie: *bow* Thank you, dahling. I think Xena was a great role model for girls. She was kick-ass, but she was also very human and very vulnerable, too. I love it when a heroine can pull off a feat like that.

Melissa: One good thing about the people you've listed, is if they don't have TV shows or movie deals in the works, don't be surprised if they someday do. Even though the movies don't always get it right, they do have a way of making our beloved kick-ass heroines memorable. Now if only someone can do something with Cat Woman instead of making her a kick-ass "ho", I'll be set. :-D

Nancy Lee Badger said...

I love the kick-ass heroines I find in the Urban fantasies of Jenna black...and in your paranormals! Even historical writers come up with women who will not live life as it 'should be' (so say the menfolk). Melissa Mayhew and Hannah Howell write of Scottish women who stand up to and sometimes conquer the bad guys...and the heroes.

Savanna Kougar said...

"With options like that, it’s enough to make a hybrid go full-blood."

Love that line.

Honestly, I know longer pay attention to mainstream entertainment shows. Most of them aren't any good anymore and are just the worst kind of propaganda... that's just my humble opinion.

That's why I think it's so important for those of us who are passionate about writing Kick-Ass heroines or simply strong fiercely-natured heroines to continue.

That's what will be remembered. Most of today's fluff-piece or gore-spectacular entertainment will be gone with the winds of history. What will be left standing are the stories we write now.

Xena and Buffy are two of my faves!!!

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