AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY: Jodie Becker and Sidney Bristol

Fiction Vixens: Not Just A Pretty Face

SIDNEY BRISTOL: I am Sidney. Today Jodie and I are going to talk about our heroines. I like a variety, as far as body types go. For Cody-Lynn it made sense that she'd be an athletic, average size as far as body type. In a lot of ways I picture her as having my mother's figure. I'm a little jealous of her, shhhhhhh. Cody started out barrel racing out of high school, going to jack pots and hitting up rodeos to win cash to feed herself and her horse. Along the way she did a string of random jobs, but after a few years she realized she needed to grow up and decided to study to be a vet. She likes animals, and enjoys hard work.

JODIE BECKER: I haven’t seen a rodeo heroine. Usually the guy is one and the heroine is all over that. I would be all over that! What’s not to like with the hat, boot, chaps… *ahem* Sorry. I dug your heroine, Sid. She’s so independent and “I can do it all” type of gal. And her sister! LOL I can’t wait to see what you do with that kooky family in Flirting with Rescue. My heroine is a primary school teacher. Although it doesn’t play as a main feature in the book, it flows over in how soft spoken she is. Erica is a full bodied woman with curves and I like that about her. Plus, she has a love for food and isn’t going to let magazines decide she can’t have that brownie late at night. To be honest, I like my heroines to feel real. I don’t want them to be able to leap over buildings in one bound or have this amazingly proportionate body with boobs that can put her back out. I like them to have flaws that I feel soften them.

SB: This is going to get me on a soap box! Somewhere along the way we've allowed ourselves, even as writers, to think we have to obey this preconceived idea of what a woman is supposed to be like if she'll attract a man. It's bogus! The truth is that men like a variety of women, and I think we should write them. Jodie's right, Cody isn't a "typical" romance heroine. While she does do some dumb stuff, like run head first into danger, it's out of her confidence that she can handle the situation. As the middle child of five, she's had to fend for herself, and I believe that shows in her personality and the way she handles things. Jodie's heroine in Dirty Beautiful is Cody's opposite! They're as different as night and day, and I like that. Erica is a type of every woman character, and I love that about her. It challenges us to realize that you don't necessarily have to be body image perfect to live with romance. It's a choice Erica made.

JB: *Nods* And the art of creating a heroine isn’t simply, giving her a name and occupation, it’s about giving her layers. Cody has a deep abiding love for family and a dry sense of humour. Whereas Erica has insecurities but is also very giving. I think long and hard when developing a heroine and I worry about getting the dreaded TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) tag attached to the woman many other readers are trying to connect with. We as writers want our readers to feel like this woman is a person they know. Someone they’d want to hang out with. Or think “Hey, this is me”. It’s important to have something invested in the characters, and by humanizing them, we do that and hopefully the reader wants to see their HEA (Happily Ever After).

SB: Exactly! As a writer, my goal is to make my heroine's relatable. I want for a reader to look at Cody, for example, and think, "I want to be in her shoes!" I like to think that my heroines and their story challenge readers to reach for what they want. Sure, its fantasy in part, but it’s rooted in real life. It's one of the reasons I like contemporary romance, there are so many elements that we write that can happen. We live in an imperfect world. For a little while, I’d love to give someone a dream of what life can be like.

JB: So both Sidney and I love our heroine. We wrote them with layers, flaws and hearts of gold. We hope you like them too. You can check them out below.

Jodie Becker: website
Sidney Bristol: website

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ABOUT THE BOOK

FLIRTING WITH RESCUE:

Scott Carrillo has sworn off women after being burned so he can focus on his animal shelter. Used to handling cats and dogs, he’s out of his element when horses are brought to him for rehabilitation. He needs help, in more ways than one.

Veterinarian Cody-Lynn Parker has always had a soft spot for horses. Rodeo and racing are part of her bloodlines. When an equine emergency brings her into the city to retrieve two abused thoroughbreds, it’s not all she ends up rescuing.

From the moment Scott meets Cody sparks fly. Working side by side they don’t waste any downtime getting to know each other. Not that Cody minds having a sexy Cuban’s magic hands on her. What starts out as a steamy fling turns into an affair of the heart, where everyone is tied in knots. Cody’s southern drawl does things to Scott that can’t be undone. But first he has to keep her safe from the dangerous men who want their property back, and that’s a tall order with a woman as alluring and independent as Cody.

 

DIRTY BEAUTIFUL:

Disillusioned by love, Erica has tasted the bitter pill of betrayal and wonders if she’s enough for one man. When a hot guy moves in next door, Erica decides to settle for good old-fashioned lust. What starts out as a simple seduction quickly evolves, and Erica is fast finding out Dylan is dangerous not only to her libido, but her heart as well.

Recently retired from the adult-film industry, Dylan hopes for a fresh start in Templeton where his porn persona, Drake Van Wulf, is unknown. His new neighbor is unlike the women he’s accustomed to, but she stirs his blood nonetheless. His rule not to get involved is quickly tested by Erica and her lush curves. Unable to withstand her allure, Dylan finds himself wanting more from Erica than just her body. He wants her heart also.

With the secret of his past hanging in the shadows, Dylan’s about to find out if love truly conquers all.

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**GIVEAWAY**

Thanks to Jodie Becker and Sidney Bristol, one lucky winner will receive a bohemian heart necklace! Please read Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the Rafflecopter form before entering. Good luck to all who enter!

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