Monday, June 2, 2014

Taming Miss Tisdale by Jessica Jefferson (guest post, spotlight, excerpt and GIVEAWAY)



I have the pleasure of having a guest post by Jessica Jefferson today who is musing on...


The heroine as stereotype?

by 
Jessica Jefferson


Throughout literature there are several heroine stereotypes that repeat themselves time and time again.

First, there’s the tough girl with Daddy issues.  She’s got a chip on her shoulder, as well as one or two tattoos.  She often refuses to fall in love because that’s just a sign of a vulnerability that she doesn’t want to admit to having.
 

And then there’s the unsure, shy female who becomes empowered through her relationship with the uber-dominating alpha male.
 

There’s the studious, smart girl who miraculously turns into a supermodel the moment she removes her reading glasses.  Usually she’s pretty covered up, only to reveal her Brazilian bikini body at an unexpected moment.
 

Then there’s the lovely, too-good-to-be-true type that struggles with some sort of inferiority issue contrary to all evidence indicating that her life should be perfect.  There’s always some sort of inner struggle taking place with this one, though the motivation may not be crystal clear.
 

And finally – there’s the tomboyish mischief-maker.   That one’s my personal favorite.  In my latest release, Taming Miss Tisdale, the heroine (Tamsin), is characterized by her feisty temper and inappropriate clothing choices.  Regency novels are a great place to find such a heroine.
 

So why do authors keep coming back to these tried and true characterizations of the literary female form?  They work, obviously.  But why do they work?  Even though a heroine may be overtly characterized by one of these descriptions, throughout their story they may adopt characteristics of any number of these different stereotypes.  The most endearing of heroines will be a contradiction unto themselves-a combination of all of the above.
 

And like the heroine, readers are not just one of these stereotypes, but a combination of them all in one way or another.  At different times in our lives we may channel one of these identities more so than another, but at one point all of us will have a need to play the tough girl or the smart girl.  We are able to see ourselves reflected through these heroines, which is why they work so well.


                                          



                                Taming Miss Tisdale

By
Jessica Jefferson

BLURB:  

Miss Tamsin Tisdale believes herself to be completely unsuitable for London life. After a myriad of social mishaps, and the potential ruination of her family name, she’s shipped away to her cousin’s northern estate. Only after she comes to her senses will she be welcomed home.

Marcus Winston, the Duke of Grayson, has a lackluster reputation. The last in a dying line, he’s endured a protected life—rank with privilege, encumbered by isolation. After a brief encounter with rebellion, he learns the devastating consequences of his carelessness and willingly accepts living life from inside his gilded cage.

However, a chance meeting with the brazen Miss Tisdale gives Marc the opportunity to reinvent himself into the man he’s always dreamed of being. When his deception comes to light, and ghosts from both their pasts threaten to unravel the intimacy they’ve come to cherish, will either of them set their fears aside long enough to embrace love? Or will Miss Tisdale’s stubbornness divide them?

EXCERPT


    Jason looked bored. “Get to the important part, Grayson. Was she beautiful?”

    Again, Marc was ill-prepared to answer such a question. Taken individually, that large mouth, those plump pink lips, her long nose, red hair, and freckled skin—nothing about her was spectacular by any means. But together, all those odd pieces and parts, which seemed so ordinary at first glance, fit together to form the picture of a particularly stunning woman.

    “Yes,” he answered quite simply. No need to give Jason any more fodder for discussion by rambling on like some sort of awful poet.

    Jason grinned from ear to ear. “Well, that is quite eventful, indeed.” He swept a crumb off his jacket sleeve. “Does this original have a name?”

    Marc stopped suddenly, his coffee halfway to his lips. “Name?”

    Jason laughed. “Yes, her name. This unique creature has to have a name. Diana? Aphrodite? Venus, perhaps?” Then Jason stopped laughing as realization spread over his face like a mordant rash. “You don’t know her bloody name, do you?”

    Marc set his cup down on the table and stared at it. “She never volunteered the information and I never bothered to ask.”


Buy link:

Amazon
 



AUTHOR INFORMATION:



Jessica Jefferson makes her home in northern Indiana, or as she likes to think of it—almost Chicago.  She is heavily inspired by classic sweeping, historical romance novels, but aims to take those key emotional elements and inject a fresh blend of quick dialogue and comedy.  She invites you to visit her at jessicajefferson.com and read more of her random romance musings.

website
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GIVEAWAY




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here




20 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting me today!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, I look forward to reading your book. Good luck on the tour!

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  2. I enjoyed the excerpt.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Glad you liked it. Thanks for visiting, Rita!

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  3. Oh, the reading glasses trope. I still remember a scene from a movie featuring Rachel Leigh Cook as a bookish shy girl, who by removing her coke bottle reading glasses transforms into ... well, Rachel Leigh Cook. The movie was utterly forgettable, as evidenced by my inability to remember the name of it, but that moment still sticks out.

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    1. Lol...unfortunately, I need my glasses since I am extremely nearsighted but I do like watching that scene play out. Thanks for visiting!

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  4. Great excerpt. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!!---Rae

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    1. Glad to see you and happy you enjoyed the excerpt! Thanks for visiting, Rae.

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  5. I do like the reading glasses trope (and I actually kinda liked Rachael Leigh Cook's glasses in SHE'S ALL THAT). Maybe that's why Superman resonates so much--Clark Kent is the male equivalent, and I'm always stunned that no one makes the connection. (Gael Garcia Bernal has a moment like that in BAD EDUCATION, too, where it's clear he's using the glasses as a geek disguise and not fooling me!)

    vitajex(at)Aol(dot)com

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    1. I am bad at recognizing faces so I imagine that I would probably be more likely to remember the glasses than the face, lol. Thanks for visiting!

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  6. Congrats Jessica on the new release!!! Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. You are welcome, thank you for visiting, erin!

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  7. I have to agree with you that the tried and true is just that and somewhat overused. But there are only just so many situations that can be used so I guess it's a no-brainer. I read them all and love them all! Thanks for the giveaway too.

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    1. I appreciate you visiting, Karen...and that is what makes me appreciate good authors...they can still make familiar tropes fun to read. Good luck in the contest.

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  8. A great post. I don't like it when the stereotype becomes a caricature. Nuances and subtleties are important.

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    1. It definitely takes a deft hand to navigate that difference, Mary. Thanks for visiting.

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  9. Those heroines can be interesting depending on how they're written

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    1. Definitely...just because they are stereotyped doesn't mean they have to be cookie-cutter! Thanks for visiting, bn.

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