Harry Potter or Hunger Games?

Harry Potter has recently won Best Hero at the MTV Movie Awards after a close battle with Katniss Everdeen from "Hunger Games.” What do you think about that? Do you agree?

I, for one, am not sure if the competition was completely fair. Harry Potter had five movies to grow into a fully-formed, multi-faceted hero, while Katniss had only one. She’s only at the beginning of her heroic journey. To be honest, I like Katniss better. Maybe I’m biased because I’m a woman. The way I feel is that a large reason for Harry Potter’s victory is his magic powers, which he was pretty much born with. He was destined to defeat the enemy and given the power to do it. He is brave, he is protective of those weaker than him, he never loses sight what he is fighting for and is willing to sacrifice his life for his cause. That all make him an amazing hero.

And I still like Katniss better. I’ve given this some thought this morning. I thought figuring out why I like Katniss better than Harry could be a useful exercise for me, since I’m an author and I write my own share of heroes. For one, Katniss has no special powers. She has to sweat blood to get better, to become good enough to win. I appreciate her courage more than I appreciate Harry’s, probably because Katniss has no special spells to fall back on. It’s all her. And she doesn’t enter the battle by an accident of birth. She volunteers to save her sister. That shows tremendous heart.

So this is the theory I ended up with: I appreciate heroes who show their heart. How about you?

I never thought about this while writing my current release, SPY HARD, but Jase, the hero, shows tremendous heart throughout the book. He is undercover at a South American drug lord’s compound in the jungle. His cover depends on how ruthless he acts. If anyone sees any soft spots, his cover would be blown and he’d be summarily executed. Yet his honor and heart are tested at every turn. When the men encounter a native orphan boy in the jungle, will Jase sacrifice the boy to protect his mission, or save the boy and risk his own life? Then he faces a choice again with a three-legged puppy at the ruthless dog fighting rings. And again when he meets the drug lord’s pregnant sister-in-law who is a hostage at the jungle compound. If Jase messes up his mission, hundreds, maybe thousands of Americans will die, as the villain is now smuggling not only drugs north, but weapons for terrorists. Yet for a hero with honor and a heart, sacrificing the few in order to save the many is not an easy choice to make.

You can read an excerpt about Jase here: http://romance.danamarton.com/home/excerpt/51

To celebrate the release of SPY HARD, I’m giving away a free book. To be entered into the drawing, all you have to do is post a comment here. I’ll be giving away a copy of LAST SPY STANDING, which features another one of my favorite heroes who shows tremendous heart under pressure. Good luck!

Also, as a special giveaway, THE THIRD SCROLL, is only 99c at amazon right now!! http://www.amazon.com/Third-Scroll-Hardstorm-Saga-ebook/dp/B007YWXDEW

(Note: this is a re-post from www.romancejunkies.com)