Here’s to Bad@ss Women!
There’s a certain amount of badassery that comes with many of my favorite romance novels. Most often it’s in the form of an alpha hero in a romantic suspense or protector novel. But sometimes, there are those gems where the female main character takes front and center as the fierce, feisty, force to be reckoned with.
I have several favorites (see the list below for a small sample) and so many more I want to read (see the other list below), but beyond reading about it, I have the honor and privilege to train with and work with some real-life badass women.
For the past 11 (almost 12) years, I’ve been a student and teacher at an all-female karate dojo in Columbia, Maryland- WKD Karate 4 Girls. To call it empowering would be grossly undervaluing everything the school exemplifies, but at the same time, it’s the most encapsulating word for it. Because with that empowerment comes confidence, strength of body and mind, and a sisterhood built on trust, tears, and tenacity.
Read through any good hero story, and you’ll find a plot that extends beyond the mere physical elements of fight scenes and saving the day. You’ll find characters who bond, work together for a common outcome, and reveal the softer side behind the steely protector exterior. Spend time in any dojo, and you’re likely to find the same.
So why on Earth am I writing about protector novels and my dojo in the same blog? Well, because female badasses don’t just live within the pages of a book. They’re all based on someone. A real life badass who existed somewhere at some point and became that author’s muse. Sure sometimes they’re just in the author’s head—perhaps a conglomeration of news stories or characters in other works of fiction. But sometimes, they’re based on personal history, prior occupations, or personal anecdotes from friends.
Sometimes the badasses step right off the page and become your security detail for an event you're hosting. In this case, the fierce Black Belt women of WKD are the security detail for Charm City Romanticon. Realistically, what does that mean? Do we expect to have to break up fights over who gets the last Kaylee Rose book on her table? No. Do we expect readers to forget their manners and cut the line, causing an ugly exchange of finger pointing and insults leading to security sending them all to their neutral corners? Nope. Do we expect interlopers from other events to try to crash the Pajamaramapalooza when they realize how much fun we’re having? Well… ok, maybe.
But no, that’s not why we’re having a security detail. Or why it’s comprised of only women. It’s because representation in the field matters. It’s because female martial artists work just as hard for their rank, skills, and respect as men, but are often overlooked or ignored. It’s because badass women are a relevant part of Romancelandia and seeing them in public, and knowing they exist and look just like me and you helps us feel seen and valued too.
So if you’re attending Charm City Romanticon, and you see one of the security sisters wandering the room, stop and say Hi. Ask them about their training—don’t ask them to “show you a move”, but ask them how long they’ve been training, why they train, what they love about it. And why they decided to immerse themselves in a sport that is so predominantly male, requires intense amounts of physical and mental investment, and how it’s impacted their lives outside the dojo. They may just have you convinced to give martial arts a try by the time you’re done with your conversation. Then you can become your own real-life badass.
Some of my favorite female badass romance books. There are many more, but these are by authors attending Charm City Romanticon. Stay tuned for another blog post about more badass female characters from Romancelandia:
Charissa Gracyk's Slater Security women
Janice Whiteaker/ Jemma Westbrook's Alaskan Security Team Intel and the women of BIG NW
Freya Barker's Special Agent Luna Roosberg from the Rock Point Series
Patricia Eddy's Agent Zoe Dawes from Storm of Sin
Samantha A. Cole's Jordyn Alvarez from Samantha Cole’s Absolving His Sins
On the TBR:
Jess Bryant’s Fated Mates series
Engaging Emersyn and Defending Bridget by PJ Fiala
Drew and Leo by Maryann Jordan
In Her Sights, Trusting His Instincts, and A Shift in the Earth by Patricia D Eddy
A Hero for Olena, Her Rock, Wild Hearts, Justice for Blyss by Reina Torres
The Deception & Discipline series By Golden Angel
The Georgia Fell series by Maegan Beaumont
Until Death Do We Part by Fiona Davenport
Bear It All and Body Heat by Rochelle Paige
Where you can find WKD Karate 4 Girls:
