[Note from Frolic: Today, we welcome author Stefanie London to the site. She’s talking all things sisters. Take it away, Stefanie!]
My sister and I have been BFFs since day one. Sure, we did that thing that I think all sisters do, where we’d fight about silly things—like who owned which My Little Pony or who got to pick the tv show we were going to watch after school. But we’ve supported each other in so many ways. She played model for me while I was studying for my makeup artistry certification, and I kept her well stocked with my extra gratis product when I worked at Clinique. We’ve held one another’s hands through education and career changes, house and country moves, weddings, graduations and more. We have loads in common (like our love of the Resident Evil video game franchise) but also plenty of things that don’t necessarily cross over (like her love of manga and my obsession with knitting).
This is one of the reasons I love writing sisters into my books. It’s a special kind of relationship that blends family ties with sisterhood and has all the best bits of friendship, too. But a sisterly relationship isn’t always without drama, especially not in stories! I love reading about and watching sisters who are different and want different things, and yet who come together out of loyalty and love.
So, in the spirit of celebrating sisters, here are some of my absolute favorite fictional sisters:
1. Sansa and Arya Stark, Game of Thrones
I’m a HUGE fan of the GOT tv show (please, let’s not talk about the last season, okay? I still haven’t recovered.) One of the highlights for me was the complicated relationship between Sansa and Arya. I think it perfectly showcases how hard it can be when you’re related to someone who is fundamentally different from you, both in terms of personality and priorities. But I love how these two complete such massive character arcs to find their way back to one another, and how they transform into different kinds of strong women. Easily two of my favorite characters across the entire series.
2. Elsa and Anna, Frozen
Disney hit it out of the park with Frozen. I loved Anna and Elsa’s relationship, which again was complicated by them being quite different people (are we seeing a theme here?) with different strengths. This is totally a feel-good girl power movie about how you can face anything if you have your sister by your side.
3. Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, The Crown
Complicated relationships are the most intriguing to me, and that’s exactly how I would categorise these two. The first season of The Crown was a masterpiece and part of that was owing to the tense, friction-filled relationship between Elizabeth and Margaret. Again, this comes from stark differences in personalities and desires, and it was often Elizabeth’s fierce sense of duty and Margaret’s need for the spotlight that made this such riveting viewing.
4. Rosa Diaz and Amy Santiago, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Okay, yes. This is totally cheating and these two are not, in fact, sisters. However, there’s something to be said for sisterhood in the workplace! I love how Rosa and Amy are both tough in their own, unique way and how they support one another through personal and career challenges such as Rosa coming out as bisexual and Amy’s ambitions to be a captain. As far as I’m concerned, I’m counting these two as honorary sisters.
Honorable mentions:
Winifred, Sarah and Mary, Hocus Pocus
Who didn’t love this movie when you were a kid? Witchy vibes, Halloween, what wasn’t to love? And sisters who revenge together, stay together. Just sayin’.
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, Little Women
Possibly the most iconic sisters of all-time? I think so. This was one of the first books I ever remember making me cry, and the love despite differences between the sisters was something that stuck with me a long time.
What about fictional sisters in my stories?
If you love reading about families where loyalty is king but differences are valued, then I think you’ll love the Roberts family in my upcoming release, Forever Starts Now. All three sisters are unique and they band together to face some of life’s most difficult challenges. As Monroe struggles on her journey to happily ever after, her sister are key players in helping her find herself and love.
I’m convinced that sister’s make the best friends, although that could be because I got so darn lucky with mine.
About the Author:
Growing up in Australia, Stefanie London came from a family of women who loved to read. Her favorite activity was going shopping with her Nan during school holidays, where she would sit on the floor of the bookstore with her little sister and painstakingly select the books to spend her allowance on. Stefanie lives with her very own hero and enough books to sink a ship. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, French perfume, high heels and zombie movies. At night she writes sexy, contemporary romance stories and tries not to spend too much time shopping online and watching baby animal videos on YouTube. www.stefanie-london.
Forever Starts Now by Stefanie London, out now!
What happens when two people who’ve given up on forever find it in each other…?
Single men are as scarce in Forever Falls as a vegetarian at a barbecue. That is, until Ethan Hammersmith moves in. After his fiancée gave him an ultimatum, he left Australia and never looked back. He isn’t in America to find a new girlfriend, though. He’s searching for the father he never knew. But now it’s like he has a flashing sign above his head that says “available.” Thankfully, the manager of the local diner is willing to give him cover—if only she weren’t so distractingly adorable.
Monroe Roberts, town misanthrope and divorcée, knocked “forever” permanently off her wish list ever since the love of her life skipped town with the cliché yoga instructor. And good riddance. She’s got this struggling diner to keep her busy, trying anything to boost sales…until a hot Australian strolls in and changes everything. Monroe’s restaurant is packed full of women who aren’t there to order food, unless Ethan is on the menu. This could sink her business faster than ever. So—light bulb—what if they pretend to be together?
It sounded like the perfect plan. It hilariously was not…
