heroine /hĕr′ō-ĭn/
noun
- A woman noted for courage and daring action.
- A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field.
- The principal female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Here are four "hardcore" heroines from novel series I've read:
L.T. Ryan's (with Brian Shea) Rachel Hatch (aka "Hatch")
L.T. Ryan's (with C.T. Gray) Maddie Castle (aka "Mad Dog," "Mads")
Dustin Stevens' Ham
Candace Irving's Kate Holland
Many of you know my all-time favorite heroine is Raleigh Harmon created by Sibella Giorello. She's different from the "hardcore" heroines I've listed here. She's just as tough but in a different way.
One thing all of these heroines have in common is deep pain afflicted in a variety of ways. Hatch's beloved father was murdered when she was a child, and she was severely scarred on her arm in the military. Maddie's dad left, and her mom abused her. Ham experienced a disruptive upbringing which led her to the place she considered home, and Kate Holland, as a soldier, was captured and horrifically raped in captivity. Raleigh's dad was also murdered and her mom suffered from dementia.
That old cliché "If it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger," definitely applied to these characters. There were points in their lives where they experienced genuine suffering and that kind of pain is not only never forgotten, it has a tendency to affect your outlook and actions. The four hardcore heroines varied in their emotional makeup, but another thing they shared is unwavering dedication to uncovering truth and rectifying evil. Of those four women, Ham was the "hardest" emotionally. She knew every version of killing and was not afraid to get it done.
To successfully create these heroines takes serious dedication to making them believable, admirable, just sensitive enough to allow the reader to want them to succeed, and to be able to present just enough vulnerability at some point in the story to encourage empathy. When female characters are given a toughness and/or "hardness," frankly, it can be a turn-off if not done right.
If you enjoy thrillers that feature heroines, I can seriously recommend all of the above. Only one of these series does not contain profanity and that's the stunning writing and creation of Sibella Girorello's Raleigh Harmon novels.
Father, thank you for the immense skills given to these authors. I ask that you would bless each one with more stories to tell. Encourage them as only you can do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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