Heroine Week Post

I've been kicking around in the online romance community since 1999, and for those of you who have been following my various ramblings all that time I would wager there are three commonly known "facts" about me.

1) I'm a librarian (like, duh)
2) I'm a category romance ho
3) I love, beyond all reason, historical western romances

What might not be as well known is exactly why I love historical western romances so much - and that answer is simple. 

It's the heroines.

Given the landscape, the hardships, the lack of civilization (in many cases) - women making their way out west would have be self-reliant, tough, smart, and resilient.  Doesn't mean they can't be vulnerable - but it also means they have, what I call, "real problems." 

I like my fairy tale escapism as much as the next gal - but romances that tend to flip my switch the hardest are books featuring characters that feel "real" to me.  Like they really could have existed in the past.  Also, I'll be honest - my blood is quintessential American.  Which is to say, I'm a "mutt."  I like that in historical westerns the characters don't have to be gently bred or dashing Dukes or "special" in anyway.  They are allowed to be "normal" people.  Normal people often in extraordinary circumstances - but normal all the less.

So when Brie over at Romance Around The Corner approached me about writing a post for her special Heroine Week extravaganza, I immediately said yes.  We kicked around some ideas (yes, category romance was thrown out there!) - but ultimately I wanted to talk western heroines, and some of the more memorable ones I've read over the years.  So why not head on over and check it out?  And stick around Romance Around The Corner all week - because, like whoa, Brie's got some great guest-posters lined up.