All the Pretty Girls (or not)

All the Pretty Girls

I was thinking last night about how my daughters will likely read my books when they are old enough to enjoy adult romance. And that made me suddenly very happy that the heroines I write about are often flawed and imperfect.

 

For that fact, so are the heroes. Why?

 

Let's put it this way. I've never been a beauty queen. Passably plain is about as close as I can come to describing myself. Now, this isn't self flagellation, it is simply the truth. Yes, I've always been one of those girls who looks in the mirror and pokes and prods my face with a big 'ole frown, wondering why my nose has to be so big, my face so broad, my eyes too small. And why the HELL do I have such a big crease right between my eyes? Why? 

 

I digress...

 

I just turned 39 and this self-realization still bothers me. Probably because I've spent almost half of my life wearing either a medic uniform, or jeans and a T-shirt. If further fashion besides black, moisture-impermeable pants with a gazillion pockets, a blue button-down shirt and heavy black duty boots exists, I'm oblivious to it. 

 

 

Aren't those boots sexy? Yeah. I thought not. I'm just not a girly-girl, even though a large part of me wishes I was. 

 

What does this have to do with imperfect characters? Because, though my daughters are both gorgeous, its good for them, and others, to know that people can be beautiful even with imperfections. No one is really perfect and though I always give my character men a totally rocking exterior, they always have a major flaw somewhere.

 

The leading ladies, too. They may be curvy or have scars or a physical handicap or an illness or something that makes them loveable, yet so very, very human. 

 

When young women read my work, I want them to see and relate to characters who are awesome brain-candy, yet so very real. You can be scared, plain, scared of something, maybe even a little ditzy and still come out ahead. 

 

Now if someone can tell me how to get rid of this crack between my eyes, I'd be all set.