Heather Snow's secret formula for romance: a brilliant heroine!

Since Jane Austen penned her first novel it has been (universally) understood that an excellent heroine has to be smart–or at least two or three moves ahead of the hero most of the time!

In order to truly appreciate the smartness of a fictional heroine a brief reminder about dumb female characters might be in order. Take horror movie heroines. Women seem to do the dumbest things in horror films. Example: Terrified by the night stalker, heroine hears a noise down in the basement. Why does she always go down there?

Smartest horror movie heroine? Ellen Ripley from Alien! 

The smarter the heroine the more we love her. 

Heather Snow has written a smart, sexy heroine who is more interested in experimenting in the laboratory than marriage. She represents the scientific woman, more of a rarity in her day than today! 

Fact: Women were not admitted to membership of the University of Oxford until 1920, although they had been allowed to sit some University examinations and attend lectures for over forty years by that date. 

In honor of Heather's brilliant and charming heroine, Liliana Claremont lets take a historical look at a few ladies of science. Pick your favorite scientifique féminin from the bios below or share your own personal favorite. Two commenters will win one of the following giveaways:

A signed copy of Sweet Enemy

A $20.00 Philosophy Skin Care Gift Certificate 

Hypatia 
(370-415)

Mathematician and astronomer Hypatia was a Roman woman who, unlike most women during her time, received a good education. Hypatia studied mathematics, astronomy and natural science, and was appointed as the head of the University of Alexandria.

Émilie du Châtelet

(1706 –1749)

French mathematician, physicist, and author during the Age of Enlightenment. Her crowning achievement is considered to be her translation and commentary on Issac Newton’s work Principia Mathematica. The translation, published ten years after her death in 1759, is still considered the standard French translation. Voltaire was one of her lovers.

Ada Lovelace 

(1815 – 1852) 

Mathematician Augusta Ada Byron (later Countess of Lovelace) never knew her father, the poet Lord Byron, who left England due to a scandal shortly after her birth. Lovelace wrote what now acknowledged as the world’s first computer program for an analytical engine considered one of the first computers.

Marie Curie

(b. 1867-1934) 

Marie Curie is one of the most famous scientists that ever lived. For her doctorate degree, Marie researched the element Uranium, and she discovered radioactivity.Her contributions such as the discovery of Radium and other key elements help us out every day, especially when getting an x-ray.

Liliana Claremont 

(Heroine of Sweet Enemy)

A brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a Countess.  If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge. However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father.

Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control...

A brilliant heroine requires a challenging hero

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates. His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs.  When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford.  But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Who is your favorite smart heroine? Pick one of the women above or name someone new. Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Sweet Enemy or a $20 gift certificate to Philosophy skin care!

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America  addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.