I’ve written plenty of heroines over the years, but every once in a while I get to write one who is a little over the top. She can kick ass and take names, and I love that point in the book when they let down their guard and we get to see who they really are. It was tough to choose my Top 5, but I did my best…. Did I choose your favorite? Let me know in the comments… 🙂
First up… Sasha from Hunter’s Moon! She was a conflicted villain in Moonlight and I had such a great time sinking into her skin to see the world through her eyes. Her relationship with her mate, Aren, was very complicated since she shot him in Moonlight! Whoops! I loved their pairing andthey had so much chemistry…
He picked up the bill and we headed out to his car. We didn’t hold hands this time. He didn’t even try. It shouldn’t have bothered me.
Get a grip, Sasha.
As I followed him to the car I caught my stalker’s scent. I had ARC #93GX57LMP2 my Glock drawn and ready just as quickly as the wolf crouched down between the cars. He was on the move before I could stop him. Shit.
I took cover behind a pickup truck and scanned the parking garage for movement.
“Is that another wolf I smell?” The tracker had a Texan accent, but that fact wouldn’t help me find him. “Bad kitty.”
I spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice. The sound echoed off the cement walls in every direction. “You want me asshole?” My finger caressed the trigger. “What are you waiting for?”
“Whatcha doin’ with some other wolf, pussycat? Tryin’ to make me jealous?”
“Why don’t you be a man and show yourself?” My senses were on high alert as I tried to bait the bastard into the open.
“You brought your little gun.” He made a slow tsk sound. “Think that’ll protect you?”
His voice wavered like he was on the move. With my back pressed against the side of the pickup, I made my way around to the front of the truck and squatted to check the view.
“I know my gun will protect me.” I scanned every shadow. “Want to test my theory?”
“Oh, I want to test all sorts of things.” His voice was thick with perverted innuendo.
I smirked and jogged down the center of the row of cars, my pistol at the ready and my animal eyesight working overtime to locate the bastard. “Come on out, and we’ll see who passes.”
When I swung to the right the wolf yelled, “Sasha, get down!”
I dropped to the ground and glass rained over my head as the silent bullet exploded the car’s headlight. I heard a struggle, blows, curses, and finally the sound of a gun hitting the concrete. Knowing the perp was momentarily unarmed, I ran toward the noise. I would’ve been faster if I hadn’t been wearing heels for the trip to the mall.
They were sexy to look at, idiotic to chase stalkers in.
He ran for the exit. I took my stance, aiming my shot, but he was out of my Glock’s range. I wanted to shoot at the bastard anyway, but I didn’t have a silencer and nothing would get me arrested faster than firing a gun at a shopping mall. I stashed my gun back into the shoulder holster when I suddenly remembered I had a partner.
I ran down the aisles until I found the wolf in a heap. “Oh, Jesus.”
Racing to his side, I sent up a silent prayer he wasn’t shot. I knelt beside him and carefully rolled him over. He had some blood on his lower lip and a painful-looking bump on his forehead, but I couldn’t find any bullet holes.
Thank God. I rested his head on my lap and tapped his cheek to wake him.
He didn’t move. I leaned down to listen for any sign of breathing and closed my eyes in relief when I felt air brush over my skin. His chest rose and fell while I stroked his hair back from his forehead.
“Aren?” I waited and held my breath, but still no movement. “Come on, Aren. Wake up.”
His eyelids fluttered and finally opened, followed by a crooked smile that melted my heart before I could get a grip on myself.
“You’re all right,” he whispered, reaching up to cup my cheek.
I nodded, fighting the urge to nuzzle into his touch. “Only because you warned me to duck.”
“I knocked his gun free and got a good punch in before he swept my ankle. I hit the ground, and everything went black.”
I glanced down at his swollen ankle—his one weak spot. I had done that to him. My stomach clenched. “By the time I saw him, he was out of range for me to get a shot off. He got away.”
“Not that it helps much,” he said, “but I saw his sad excuse for a face before he took me out. I’ll recognize him if I see him again.”
“That’s something.” I lowered his hand and helped him up to a sitting position. “You saved my life tonight.”
He shot me a playful smile in spite of his swelling lower lip. “And you said my name.”
My jaw dropped slightly. “You heard that?”
“’Course I did.” He raised a brow. “I liked it so much I waited for you to say it again.”
I nudged him and shook my head. “You’re lucky I don’t just leave you here.”
“I’m safe.” He patted his pants pocket. “I have the car keys.”
I got up and offered him a hand. He winced, losing all traces of his playful smile.
“Fucking ankle,” he growled. “Dammit.” He steadied himself against the car bumper and grimaced.
“I could bring the car over.”
He shot me a glare in return. “I’ll make it. Just give me a second.”
“Can I at least offer you a shoulder to lean on?” He grudgingly draped his arm over my shoulder and together we hobbled back to his car, stopping only once so I could grab the stalker’s gun and silencer. I tucked it into the waistband of my slacks, and we continued our slow journey back to the Lotus.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Moon-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00E2PSL7I
Apple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/hunters-moon/id676925387?mt=11&at=1001lce2
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hunters-moon-lisa-kessler/1116150134?ean=9781622662142
KOBO – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/hunter-s-moon-entangled-select-otherworld
Next up is Tegan from Beg Me to Slay! I wrote this book when I was going through a tough time personally, and I wanted to be Tegan. I loved that she refused to be a victim and was ready to learn and fight. Seeing her get a happily ever after with Gabe was so fun for me!
An inhuman, creepy snake man flicked his tongue out, his voice hissing each word as he spoke to her. “You are the woman for my master. He marked you as his.”
A chill crept up her spine, and the scar on her collarbone ached, burning.
“That’s horseshit.” Gabe stepped back, nudging her. “Demons lie, Tegan. Come on, I need you to get back inside.”
The placating, calming tone of Gabe’s voice yanked her out of the fear-induced stupor. She blinked as though she was awakening from a nightmare. Only this one was real, and she had a chance to make a difference.
She trained for years to protect herself. Sure, this was some sort of reptilian demon-thing from God knows where, but it still…bled? She stared at the large green stain on the demon’s side. Gabe had wounded it. She glanced at her hired muscle. He clutched a crossbow, but the demon’s wound was larger than an arrowhead. Scanning the area, she noticed a battle-axe sticking out of the telephone pole across the parking lot. Apparently it had only skimmed the demon’s side.
The creature lurched toward them. Gabe raised his crossbow and bashed the demon in the side of the head. Tegan seized the opportunity and raced across the lot for the ax. Adrenaline pulsed through her muscles, strengthening her, drowning her fear in action. She gripped the handle and jerked it back and forth until the wood finally released the blade.
It took her a second to gauge the weight of the medieval weapon, heavy and dangerous. Perfect. She ran back, her bare feet barely registering the rocks from the asphalt digging into her soles. The demon turned from Gabe, facing her, and Tegan pulled the ax back to swing. He pivoted, his arm backhanding her. She lost her balance, and her ass connected with the pavement. Hard. While the demon leaned toward her, Gabe shot two more arrows into his back.
Tegan forced herself to wait for the right moment before springing to her feet and using the forward motion to power the ax across the base of the bastard’s long neck.
“No! Not the head!” Gabe shouted.
But it was too late. The demon’s head thumped to the ground, and bright-green demon blood sprayed onto her hands and arms.
“It burns,” she shrieked, fighting the pain to keep the ax in her hands. Why didn’t the demon body collapse? She’d heard that chickens ran around headless, but this was worse. The thing’s body lurched forward, arms flailing blindly as though he was…searching for her.
Gabe rushed to her side, grabbing her around the waist, and before she could protest, he carried her and the ax back to his car. He set her on her feet at the trunk and pulled out a rag, wetting it with a canister of water. He kept glancing at the still-not-dead demon body as he worked on her.
“We’ve only got a couple more minutes.” He started wiping the green goo off her. The skin still looked red, but there were no blisters. Not yet anyway. “Get all the blood off. It’s like a mild acid.” He opened the driver’s-side door and handed her the keys. “Once you’re clean, get out of here. I’ve got to finish this.”
Tegan kept wiping fast, but she had no intention of leaving Gabe to fight alone. Not a chance.
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Beg-Me-Slay-Entangled-Covet-ebook/dp/B00H0UT5UO/
Apple – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/beg-me-to-slay/id769936085?mt=11&at=1001lce2
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beg-me-to-slay-lisa-kessler/1117539134?ean=9781622664115
KOBO – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/beg-me-to-slay-entangled-covet
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18593150-beg-me-to-slay
Next up is Hope from Sedona Salvation. She was born an elemental witch with the ability to control lightning, but her mother died in childbirth and she had to learn to work with the deadly power all on her own. When Jett comes to town looking for her father, Hope is ready to kill him, but he’s nothing like the monsters her father described. Here she is through Jett’s eyes…
I finished the pretzel and threw the paper away as Hope walked out of the store with an oversized shopping bag. Keeping my distance, I followed her out of the mall, but instead of turning for the Metro, she went the opposite direction. She made a call on her cell, but even with my enhanced hearing, I only caught a few words over the wind. Something about changing clothes and needing privacy.
She put her phone back in her pocket and turned down an alleyway. Fuck. I couldn’t follow without her noticing. I pressed my back to the wall of the building and peered around the corner. She unlocked a back door and disappeared inside.
Was she meeting the senator there?
I made my way down the alley and stopped at the door she’d used. The sign above read “Backstage entrance”. A theater? I tried the knob, but it was locked. There weren’t any security cameras around that I could see, so I gripped the knob again and twisted until the gears gave way. Locks weren’t made to withstand a werewolf’s strength.
I slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind me.
Cold metal pressed into the side of my neck. “Don’t move, asshole.”
I put my hands up, finding Hope Hanson right beside me with a taser. I forced a smile, hoping I looked surprised. “I bought you a coffee, remember?”
“You also told me your name was Jax Mateo.”
Shit. I didn’t know how she found out my real identity, but things were getting messier by the second. I ground my teeth together. “Jax was my twin brother. Ask your father how he died.”
“My dad warned me it was only a matter of time before the monsters came for him, but he didn’t warn me about wolves in sheep’s clothing.” She nudged me forward. “Get on the stage.”
I walked out of the blackness of the wings to the dimly lit stage. It was empty except for a chair. Her shopping bag sat beside it.
“You didn’t think I was a monster when we were having coffee this morning.”
“Sit down.” She pressed the taser into me and I braced myself for the zap. But it didn’t come, at least not yet.
I sat down and she had my wrists zip tied behind me so fast, it surprised me. She kept the taser pointed at me as she came around in front of the chair. “Did I really want coffee this morning or did you just…make that happen?”
I arched a brow. “My reputation precedes me?”
“My father says you can force your will on people.”
“I’m guessing he failed to mention it was his experiment that left me this way.” I narrowed my eyes. “That research killed my entire unit including my brother. Their blood is on your father’s hands. He awarded the contract for the experiments.”
“Make me let you go.”
My eyes widened. Between the change in subject and the unexpected request, my head was spinning. “What?”
“The last thing I want is for you to find my father, so I’d never release you on purpose.” She shrugged. “I need to know what your powers feel like so I can fight it. So, force me to let you go.”
“No.” Her command triggered the rage inside of me. This power they’d unlocked left me ostracized from everyone. Bitterness festered in my gut. “I’m not a trained monkey for a rich girl’s amusement.”
I didn’t tell her that I was saving whatever I had left for her father. I wasn’t sure how many more times I’d be able to use my psychic ability before it killed me. I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste my life performing for her.
She lowered the taser, and sparks flashed from her fingertips in the shadowy theater. “I’m not going to let you kill my father or force me to do it for you.”
“I wasn’t sent here to kill your father.”
The surprise was plain on her face for a moment before she shook her head. “You’re lying.”
I pushed myself higher in the chair, lacing my fingers together behind my back. “Killing a sitting senator would lead to a huge investigation. I came here to stop him from exposing werewolves to the world as some kind of bloodthirsty monsters.”
She seemed to ponder my words for a second, but finally broke eye contact. “Bullshit. I’m not going to fall for your lies again.” She brought her gaze back to my face, her jaw set. “You’re not going to be able to keep him from declassifying the research. The American people deserve to know about a threat, especially one right in their backyard.”
“Yeah, the two first graders in my Pack are a huge threat. Have you thought about all the innocent kids your father’s decision would effect?” I glared up at her. “Who is the real animal here? Think about it. We only shift into wolves one night a month. How often is your father a monster?”
Bright white light flashed, blinding me for a split second before the entire world went dark.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2BJP2V
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sedona-salvation-lisa-kessler/1140116914?ean=2940162523222
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sedona-salvation
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Kessler_Sedona_Salvation?id=ygJAEAAAQBAJ
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59241766-sedona-salvation
My Muse Chronicles series is very girl power, and Callie, the Muse of Epic Poetry was an adrenaline junkie and so much fun to write! In Legend of Love, her Navy SEAL Guardian, Hunter, was a surfer, and the waves fed her muse! It was so fun to write!
Another wave passed by while Hunter steadied her board. His big hand covered hers on the edge. “All right. Truth is, you have to trust me out here. And if you can trust me, then I figured I could trust you not to think I’m nuts and send a report to my commanding officer.”
“I’m not your doctor anymore.”
He nodded, glancing back over his shoulder. “True.” His voice dropped. “Get ready. This is the one.”
Before she could respond, he released the board, and the swell of the tide propelled her forward. She gripped the sides of the surfboard and hopped up to her feet. For a split second, she thought she had it, then her balance faltered. She squealed as she fell backward into the water.
Strong hands caught her waist, pulling her to the surface. She instinctively held on to his biceps. She’d never intended to get this close to him.
Hunter scanned her face. “Are you all right?”
The adrenaline rush swelled in her limbs, and the muse inside of her fed on it like an addict. Callie’s feet didn’t touch the sand, the ocean lifting her so she was eye to eye with this Navy SEAL. Her Guardian.
She tipped her head back and laughed, the release, the joy of it, overwhelming her. She felt alive for the first time in longer than she could remember.
She filled her lungs with sea air and grinned. “I’m so much better than all right.”
For the next hour, she fell off that board more times than she could count. Each time, Hunter caught her before the waves could drag her into shore and pummel her onto the beach.
More determined than ever, she waited for the perfect wave, then pulled her feet up underneath herself and hopped up. She kept her weight forward, knees bent, and the wave pushed her toward the shore. Her balance shifted, her arms out, her entire body one with the swell of the ocean. She jumped off onto the sand and let out a primal scream to the sky.
Hunter walked out of the waves, and without any pretense, he wrapped her in his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his.
He bent his head lower, his voice a raspy whisper. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears like a bass drum. She ached to surrender, to taste his lips and run her hands over his body. But as hungry as the muse was for epic emotions, Callie caught herself and stepped back. Hunter’s smile faded, but he didn’t say anything, just picked up the board.
She followed him up the beach, wishing things could be different. He was definitely too vulnerable after his last mission. The last thing he needed was her.
He laid the surfboard down next to the other one and unzipped his wetsuit. “Sorry. I guess I got caught up in the moment.”
She sighed. “Seriously, it really is me. You’re amazing. I’m doing you a favor by keeping my distance. Trust me on this.”
He shook his head. “For a shrink, you have a pretty low opinion of yourself.”
Callie chuckled and smiled up at him. “If it were just me, I’d be all over you.” She lowered the zipper on her wetsuit and slid her hand inside over her heart. “It’s what’s in here that I’m protecting you from.”
He scooped up both boards. “You know that makes no sense, right?”
She shook her head. “Well, we still have a lot to talk about.”
He put the boards in the back of his SUV and handed her a towel. “Let’s get showered, then, and I’ll buy you a coffee.”
She nodded and clutched the towel. “Race you there!”
She was already sprinting across the sand before she got the last words out.
He followed close behind, laughing, the sound making her heart ache. She’d been through this before. The muse would eventually tire of him. No more adventure, no more interest, and she’d bolt.
At the last second, Hunter raced past her and hit the button on the shower. Water sprayed his back, rolling down his chest. “You didn’t think I’d let you win, did you?”
Callie crossed her arms, trying not to grin. “You were such a gentleman in the ocean, I just figured you’d be one on land, too.”
He sobered, hunger in his eyes. “Just because I didn’t cop a feel all those times you fell off that board doesn’t mean I didn’t want to. I’m no angel, Callie.”
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071DNPHR3
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legend-of-love-lisa-kessler/1123866265?ean=2940162712787
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/legend-of-love-2
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30249539-legend-of-love
GooglePay – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lisa_Kessler_Legend_of_Love?id=s49EDAAAQBAJ
And finally, one of my all-time favorite kickass heroines is a field agent for a top secret branch of the government, Department 13. Aura was a side character in the other immortal pirate books, but Pirate’s Promise was her moment to shine! This book torn my heart out, but their chemistry made the book write itself. So much fun!
Greyson balanced the empty bottles on the railing at the stern of the ship.
He shouldn’t let her get under his skin, but it was too late. He couldn’t get her condescending smile out of his head. He’d outshoot her, and maybe then she’d loosen up and he could enjoy the trip to Glasgow Harbor.
Maybe.
“I’m ready if you are.”
He turned around at the sound of her voice, his lips curving into a grin in spite of his annoyance with her. “I’m always ready.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just tell me where we’re standing.”
He crossed to her side, glancing over at the bottles. “This is a good warm up. Twenty-five feet?”
“Works for me.” She lifted her Glock, parting her legs into a solid stance.
She sized up the target, adjusting for the wind, and squeezed the trigger. The shot echoed through the night and the bottle exploded. She turned toward him with a smile that stole his breath and his bravado.
This was Aura. This was the woman she buried under all that hardass bullshit. She was more than a light. She was a beacon.
And just like that, it was gone. She holstered her Glock and raised a brow. “Happy?”
He nodded with a shrug. “Not bad.” He lifted his gun one-handed, his gaze sliding down the barrel to the center of the bottle, and fired. Glass shattered, disappearing from the railing, and from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her smile again.
His fucking heart lurched. What the hell?
He straightened. “Further back?”
She nodded, backing up a few more paces. Her feet moved apart, her knees bent, naturally compensating for the swells rocking the Sea Dog beneath them.
The wind tugged at her dark hair as she raised her weapon, her eyes focused on the target. Her lips parted slightly, her nostrils flaring. He could almost see her instinctively adjusting her aim for the gust of wind.
This wasn’t just someone who was well-trained at a gun range. She was one with her weapon. Part of her soul would guide the bullet to its target.
Or that’s how it seemed when he fired.
She pulled the trigger and the bottle exploded. There was that smile again. Before he could say anything, she bottled up the unbridled joy, all business again.
“Your turn.”
He inspected his gun and holstered it. “How about we make this interesting?”
“How so?”
“I have a couple of flintlock pistols in the armory. They’re not as precise as a Glock. You’ve probably never…”
The moonlight danced in her dark eyes. “I have, actually.”
He raised a brow, unable to hide his admiration. “Yer toyin’ with me.”
“No.” She shook her head, crossing her arms, but her lips were barely holding back a grin. “I’m trained in historic and mythical weaponry.”
“I’m impressed.” He pointed to a barrel near the railing. “Set up a few more bottles, I’ll be right back.”
He returned to the weapons room and took down a pair of flintlock pistols, then grabbed a pouch of steel pellets, gunpowder, and packing supplies, then went back to the stern.
Aura leaned against the railing, staring up at the moon. The cool glow of moonlight softened her features, offering him a glimpse of the woman behind her Agent Henderson shield.
She was beautiful and deadly. His favorite combination.
Too bad she hated him.
Definitely for the best.
He cleared his throat and waited for her to turn. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She took one of the revolvers, determination glinting in her eyes. “Did you load them already?”
He chuckled. “Nah, that’s half the fun, lass.” He shook his head before she could correct him. “Agent Henderson.” He raised a brow. “I didn’t mean any offense.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m armed.” She grinned.
Was she actually teasing him? She opened the pouch and started packing the barrel of the pistol. She was fucking glorious.
“Cut an old pirate some slack.” He chuckled, pouring in the powder. He glanced her way as he wrapped the steel ball in the small patch of fabric and dropped it inside the barrel of the pistol. She was keeping up with him, obviously experienced with the weapon. He tamped it all down with the ramrod and lifted the revolver.
“You don’t look old to me.” She packed the load in her barrel down and looked over at him. “How old are you really?”
His gaze locked on hers. “Don’t you have that in your files?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I did.” She set aside the gunpowder and gripped the revolver, gauging the weight in her hand. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter.”
“I’m old enough to know better than to try firing these old dogs into the wind.”
A sly smile curved her lips. “Afraid you might miss the target?”
“No.” He lifted his gun, focusing all his attention down the barrel, to the center of the bottle on the railing. “Afraid you might miss and damage the ship.”
He pulled the trigger, absorbing the recoil as the loud shot rang in his ears. The bottle exploded and he lowered his still-smoking gun. “Your turn.”
She looked over at him with raised brows. “Impressive.”
In a fluid movement, she lifted the heavy revolver to shoulder height, her knees bent, and her aim slightly north of the bottle. Without hesitation, she squeezed the trigger. The crack of thunder didn’t even make her flinch. The bottle was obliterated.
Laughter bubbled from his throat. “You are fucking amazing with a weapon.”
“Thanks.” She pursed her lips, blowing across the smoking barrel.
A raw jolt of desire slid through his veins, leaving his voice ragged and rough as he took a step toward her. “You’re a natural.”
And in that moment, the light in her eyes vanished. She handed him the gun. “Thanks for the target practice. We’re going to make a solid team.”
He watched her walk away, his jaw slack and his brain full of questions. He replayed the conversation and frowned. Had he said something wrong? He’d complimented her.
But that wasn’t going to make her forget the mission he’d fucked up for her back in Savannah. She disappeared around the corner and he reminded himself that he didn’t want her forgiveness anyway.
And he shouldn’t want to make her smile again either.
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097L56MSW/
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pirates-promise-lisa-kessler/1139714154?ean=9781640638709
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/pirate-s-promise-5
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57517087-pirate-s-promise
Thanks for checking out my favorite kickass heroines! I hope some of them will make your Top 5 lists too!
Lisa