Earlier this week I interviewed Bill Sanderson for “True Blood.”(My day job is as a TV and Film critic for print and radio.) You guys might know him from his work on “Deadwood” or as part of Larry, Darryl and Darryl on “Newhart.” He’s a lovely character actor, a polite Tennessee boy and he’s become a friend. The last time we chatted he went out and bought my book “Charmed & Dangerous.”

“I really liked the book,” he told me during the interview. “It reminded me a lot of Charlaine Harris’ stuff. I think you should be writing your own TV shows.” This was flattering on several levels. First, that he actually bought the book and had read at least some of it because he knew details. Second that he compared me with one of my favorite authors and third that he actually liked the book. And yes, I’m well aware he was just being sweet but it still made my day.

And If I were really honest, I would tell you that I absolutely would love to write my own TV shows. Someday. I think we could use an infusion of strong female leads in television and film. We have no shortage of tough chicks in books, but we are sadly lacking in TV and film. It’s to the point with me that if a heroine is wimpy or vapid, I turn it off.

I write strong female characters. They may be a little clueless about their love lives, but they can kick butt. When things go to hell, they are right there on the front lines. They often are the ones who swoop in and save the men in their lives. Many times they save the world.

I wondered why I felt so strongly about this, and I realized it’s because I come from a long line of women just like that. My mom and grandmothers are/were the type of women who never backed down and always stuck up for the underdogs of the world.

When I wrote my first book I wanted a heroine who had the fighting skills of Buffy, the humor of Stephanie Plum, the take no prisoner’s attitude of Anita Blake and the vulnerability while still kicking butt of a Sydney Bristow (“Alias”). Bronwyn, the lead in my “Charmed & Dangerous” series, turned out to be all of those things and had her own special brand of magic.

In my new Blaze, my heroine, Mariska, has a big secret. She’s not exactly comfortable with what she has to do, but she does it anyway. Don’t we all, as women, have to do that? We take on situations and do what we must to get the job done. And more often than not we swoop in and save the day.

So how about you, do you have favorite female heroines in TV, film and books? (Funny how there is no lack of strong females in books.) In addition to the ones I previously mentioned, I’m also a big fan of the “Terminator” chicks, old school Linda Hamilton and new school Lena Headey and Summer Glau. Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah on “Chuck”) may play one of my favorite CIA agents ever. But my all-time favorite kick-butt chicks are Kate Beckinsale from the “Underworld” movies and Peta Wilson in “Le Femme Nikita.” As for books, there are too many too mention, but I want to hear all about yours. So tell me…