As I was reading the Veronica Mars essay book, I started thinking about my own books, specifically the Assassin urban fantasy series that I’m working on right now.

The Assassin book, titled Gin on the Rocks, is about Gin Blanco, an assassin who moonlights (daylights?) as a cook at a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit. When Gin is double-crossed during a job and her mentor/handler is murdered, she goes looking for the people responsible.

Why did the VM book make me think about Gin? Because it made me realize I’m writing a form of Southern noir. VM, of course, is California noir, with movie stars and millionaires and the ocean. My book? Well, it’s set in a fictional city called Ashland, which sprawls over the spot where Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia meet. Instead of a California landscape, I’ve got barbecue joints and debutantes and antebellum mansions. And corruption, of course. It’s not noir, unless there’s corruption. 😎

The essay book also made me think about other similarities between VM and Gin — and why I like VM so much. Both feature strong heroines with troubled pasts. Veronica’s friend was murdered; Gin’s family was murdered when she was 13. Veronica wants justice for herself and Lilly; Gin wants justice for herself and her mentor.

Don’t get me wrong. My book isn’t a VM rip-off. Quite the opposite. My book has magic and giants and dwarves and runes. I wasn’t even thinking about or watching VM when I wrote it. And Gin is very, very different from Veronica. For one thing, she prefers to kill first and ask questions later.

But the essay book really made me think about and examine what elements appear in VM and my own books. What sort of themes I use over and over. The big stuff, so to speak.

A strong heroine is a must for me, whether I’m the author or the reader. I hate silly, weak characters, especially ditzy women who can’t take care of themselves. As far as getting revenge or justice, it’s a great way to motivate your character and drive your plot. Carmen Cole, anyone? 😎

I also like using symbols and symmetry. Often, my characters end up in the same place they started out from, albeit with a completely different perspective. Like Karma Girl opening with Carmen’s wedding — and Hot Mama doing the same.

And I really enjoy giving my characters little quirks, like Carmen always wearing jeans and cutesy T-shirts. Or Fiona Fine eating everything in sight and wearing zebra stripes with hot-pink polka dots.

As far as the Assassin book goes, Gin almost always wears long sleeves (the better to hide her knives). Gin also loves to cook, so most of her shirts have some sort of food item on them, like blackberries or tomatoes or key limes. She’s also enjoys watching the Food Network, and she shows her love for the few people she cares about by cooking for them.

Okay, I’ve rambled long enough for one post. What are some of the things you enjoy about VM, the Bigtime books, or your own writing? What kind of themes and characters do you like to see? Share in the comments.