Stumbled across this thought-provoking blog on FaceBook and thought I’d share. http://harlequinblog.com/2010/03/the-harlequin-blog-celebrates-national-womens-month/

I particularly like what the author of the blog says about strong heroines. The book I’m currently revising features a woman coming out of an abusive relationship. What drew me to Daria was the strength it took to stand up to the many people in her life who felt that what she had (a lovely home, two beautiful kids in private school, a nice car, etc.) more than made up for the fact her husband regarded her as a possession. My heroine is strong, but there will be those, I’m sure, who wonder why she didn’t leave sooner. Why did she stay with him and have two kids? Valid questions, but, as in life, there are no simple, pat answers. She struggled with and continues to struggle with her sense of identity and establishing her independence and her right to live a happy, fulfilled and engaged life, rather than standing in the shadow of her husband’s success.

Interestingly, this topic also dovertails nicely with the book the Wine, Women and Words Book Club is discussing on Sunday. A SHORT HISTORY OF WOMEN by Kate Walbert  is not a placid,  easy read. I found it challenging but worth the effort. A word of advice if you pick this up: keep one finger on the family tree index. (I was very confused by all the Dorothy characters.) What I found most interesting was how the advances in women rights, beginning with suffrage, affected the generations of women in this one family.

Also, I’m in the mood to give away prizes today–in celebration of National Women’s Day. Post-it notes–who can live without Post-its?!?–will go out to the first three posters.

Have a great week, everyone.

Deb