Guest blogs
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Guest blog: Jess Haines on Urban Fantasy and Strong Heroines …
Today, I’m pleased to welcome Jess Haines to my blog. Jess is the author of the H&W Investigations urban fantasy series, which includes the upcoming book, Forsaken by the Others, out on July 2. Take it away, Jess:URBAN FANTASY AND STRONG HEROINES
Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the H&W Investigations series — urban fantasy novels about Shiarra Waynest, a human private investigator in an alternate, present-day New York. Somehow she keeps getting pulled into supernatural troubles way above her pay grade …
One of the things I enjoy about writing Shiarra is having her grow into her big girl panties. So many urban fantasy novels start out with a powerful woman with magical powers who grows more powerful over the course of the book or series. Shia is something of a rare breed — not only is she human, she starts out both phobic and, frankly, racist against Others (supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, etc).
Over time, she’s become stronger, wiser, and more tolerant of those not like her. It’s one of the things I admired about stories like Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series and Kim Harrison’s Hollows series. As the series went on, the heroines came to understand that sometimes issues that started out seeming so black-and-white really weren’t so clear-cut after all.
Physical and magical ability has nothing to do with a heroine’s strength of character or what they are capable of as a person. When it comes to making the hard choices — the life or death choices, the decisions about whether to start or end friendships, knowing who they can really trust — that is where the real strength in that character lies.
That is one of the aspects of Shiarra I have really enjoyed exploring. Finding and pushing her limits to build on that inner core of strength. Making her look beyond her assumptions. In some cases, having to reevaluate some of my own.That is one of the joys of being a writer. Discovering what makes your character tick can sometimes open up new avenues of exploration for yourself and your own nature. Finding their backbone to have them stand up for the issues they believe in is one of the greatest joys of building a character over the course of time.
Shiarra is one of those characters who is supposed to rub the wrong way on some levels from the start. Even though I don’t delve too deeply into social issues in my novels, I do like to think that I have given her a compelling case of character growth over the course of the series. She starts out afraid and distrustful of all vampires and werewolves. Over the course of the books, she learns that, like people, some are worthy of her trust and respect — and some aren’t.
As a reader, this is one of the things I love best about urban fantasy heroes. Harry Dresden and the fae, the Sisters of the Otherworld and their take on humans, Rachel Morgan and demons, Anna and her view of Charles and the rest of the werewolves — they’ve all grown in different ways over time. Seeing why and how is a fascinating journey, and I hope you’ll feel the same way about how Shiarra’s feelings change about Others and how she grows as a person over the course of the series.
WHERE TO FIND JESS ONLINE
Thanks so much for being here today, Jess.
For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS blog tour calendar. You can also visit Jess on the web at the following sites:
Website: www.JessHaines.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Jess_Haines
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines
FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Others – vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night – don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem …
Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head … and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town – namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.
On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten – literally – in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them – and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge …
BUY LINKS FOR THE BOOK
Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
Powells
IndieboundGIVEAWAY TIME
To enter the giveaways that are part of the blog tour, use the Rafflecopter form below. Jess will be announcing the winners at a later date.
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And the winner is …
The winner of digital copies of Cattitude and Miracle Pie by Edie Ramer is:
101StrangeAngel
Congrats! You have until midnight, EST, Sunday, Oct. 28 to e-mail me or I will pick another winner.
Thanks again to Edie for doing the guest post and to everyone who left a comment.
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Guest blog: Edie Ramer on strong heroines …
Today, I’m please to welcome Edie Ramer to my blog. Edie is one of my author friends. She’s the author of Stardust Miracle, Dead People, and other books. Take it away, Edie:STRONG HEROINES:
Garrison Keillor uses this phrase to describe the fictional town of Lake Wobegon: “Where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”
Books with strong women and good-looking men are my favorites. (I take “above average” children for granted.) Though my first introduction to stories was fairy tales, where the average heroines are passive, I quickly graduated to Nancy Drew, devouring her mysteries. At the same time, I loved Wonder Women comic books. In my teens, I found great books filled with strong women, like Little Women, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Pride and Prejudice. I love a strong heroine and dislike whiny heroines.
Jennifer writes three series with strong heroines. Gin, the assassin heroine in her Elemental Assassin series also runs a barbeque restaurant. So she kills and cooks. I honestly think the cooking part might be harder for me. I’m sure my husband would agree. Her other heroines are strong in different ways. You won’t find a weak one in the bunch.
And the men … She does well by them, too. They are good looking. And usually they have a few dollars or more in their many bank accounts – which often makes a man look even more good looking.
Since my first published book, Cattitude, in which a cat changes bodies with a woman and thinks anything a human can do, she can do better, my heroines have been strong. That includes the woman in my Miracle Interrupted books. In Mo’s Heart, the fifth book, Rosa Fabrini is probably one of the emotionally strongest characters I’ve written – and it’s something the hero loves about her.
Here’s a short excerpt from Mo’s Heart that takes place after she’s been forced to leave her home, and she’s temporarily staying in an apartment above the hero’s restaurant – right next to his.All this ran through her mind in a second as Mo stopped beside her. “It’s not a palace.”
“I wouldn’t know what to do in a palace.”
“You’d be the queen. Anything you wanted.”
She laughed, surprised by his comment. Surprised that she had laughter in her. “I’d rather be a cook.”
“You are that. The best sous-chef in the village.”
There was a quiet moment between them, and a sense of peace sighed inside her as she looked at his serious face and knew he saw her as a strong woman, a woman who was temporarily down but not out. Never out. Not as long as she had breath.
She stood taller.
“The furniture is pretty ugly,” he said.
“I don’t know. The couch is the same color as your eyes.”
“Do me a favor?”
She looked at him. He never asked her for favors. “Of course.”
“Run downstairs and get my chef’s knife and bring it back up here.”
She laughed again and felt a shift inside her. Kind of like she imagined the earth felt when a boulder in a precarious spot moved. “Why?”
“So you can gouge my eyes out.”
GIVEAWAY TIME:
Edie is offering up digital copies of Cattitude and Miracle Pie to one winner. To enter, just leave a comment on this post talking about some heroines that you like.The giveaway will be open through midnight, EST, Wednesday, April 17. The winner will be randomly selected and announced here on the blog on Friday, April 19.
ALL ABOUT EDIE:
Edie Ramer is funnier on the page than in real life. A multiple award-winning writer, she writes stories with heart, attitude, and magic. She lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her husband, dog and one important cat. She’s happy to do what she loves nearly every day.
MO’S HEART will be available online any day. For more information, visit edieramer.com and follow Edie on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Thanks so much for being here today, Edie.