Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Skylar Roth

Book: Karaoke Queen
Author: Erik Schubach
Heroine: Skylar Roth

Most of my books feature strong women. It just takes them a while to realize just how strong they truly are and to see it in themselves. This is especially true in Karaoke Queen, where Skylar Roth finally steps out of the shadows. She lost a foot and suffered burns on half her body as the result of a violent attack when she was a teenager. She hid herself away after that and entertained constant thoughts of suicide and suffered from night terrors. She meets someone who shows her how beautiful she really is, inside and out. She was able to turn away from the darkness she hid in and proudly show herself to the world. I am always of the opinion that someone's perceived weakness is usually their greatest strength... they just need to see it.

She is strong in so very many ways, from supporting her daughter and mother and putting them before herself, to defending others even though she is terrified to do so. Then finally in realizing that she doesn't need to hide and walking out in the world, proud of who she is.

She is sexy in the way she views the world and her attitudes toward the people around her. Her music and the way she pours every drop of emotion into it is sexy too.

Blurb:
Skylar was horribly scarred by a fire in a violent crime, thoughts of suicide plagued her until she found music. It was her savior. She came forward from the shadows to express her pain through song. Karaoke bars were her salvation. Now in an international competition, she finds herself continually vexed by her rival, Kim, who never shows her any quarter. A strange relationship of respect grows between them, but could it be something more? Something beautiful? This is the fourth book in the "Music of the Soul" series, all books are stand alone novels.

Excerpt:
I walked to the center of the stage and stood up tall. My eyes were locked on Kim up in our seats, channeling her strength. “Ummm... hi everybody.” This got cheers for some reason and caused my anxiety to peak. “Most of you don't know who I am, and these past few years, that's how I liked it. I felt like a freak, an outcast. I hid in the shadows.”

I paused as the crowd settled a bit, I pointed at the object of my affection.“But Kimi Solomon, the woman I love, showed me what true strength and beauty is.” This got off the charts cheering as I continued, “She saw something in me that I couldn't... until now. She's my hero in every sense of the word and my heart goes out to her.”

I paused and took a deep breath then said loudly, “I'm sick of hiding. I'm not hiding anymore!” I pulled my hair back and pulled the band I had on my wrist over it to fasten it into a loose ponytail and dropped my overcoat then took a step forward with my right side forward.

I was wearing a tight white mini dress with an open right side that was held together by white satin straps laced along it. I proudly displayed the henna tattoos Kim had drawn, tracing the full length of my burns. From the butterflies on my cheek blending into the flowers going down my neck which in turn blended into the feathers down my arm and the leaves down my side, ending with the flowering vines around my leg. She had even covered the receiving socket on my prosthetic foot, which itself proudly displayed the angel wings Tim had made.

I took one more step forward and yelled into the mic, “Hello, everyone. I'm SKYLAR ROTH and it's bloody fine to meet you!” I was almost deafened at the roar of the crowd as I saw myself on every screen surrounding the stage. I was seeing myself through Kim's eyes on them... I felt... sexy.

Are you an author with a strong heroine in your book? Want to see her featured? Find out how here.