Guest Post by Angela White: When is a female too manly?

Greetings, all.


Today, we have a guest post from dark fantasy writer Angela White discussing female heroes and manliness.


Take it away, Angela.


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When is a Female Hero too Manly?

This can be a tough line to walk. We like’em hard and mean and able to throw a great punch, but not digging at their crotch or cursing like a Bronx fishwife. They have to be able to wrestle wild animals and shoot a round through a flea’s ass at five hundred meters (Nod to Clint there), but if they have to take a leak, we’re pulled from the story with a roll of the eyes. 

They can give birth with no pain medicine or stitch up a gaping wound with a safety pin while fighting off a herd of rabid kangaroo, but if she hacks up a loogie, we feel ill with disappointment and revulsion.

And then there are they ways she responds to people, especially a lover. It’s a delicate blend of never loosing control and still surrendering in the name of bonding. She can flirt, roughly, but never may a giggle pass her lips. She can moan and grunt but never scream,”Yeah Daddy! Who’s my da…”

…You get the picture. The manly female hero is a union of sacred sexuality and time honored roughness, one that nature (and writers), often bring together under the ugliest of circumstances. Like the Apocalypse. So…
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this burning question to your answer. What we the people have joined together… let no spammers tear asunder. Please tell your views on this union or forever hold your 

peace:

When is a Female Hero too Manly?

For me, the top three no-no’s are spitting, excessive snotting, and not appearing to feel any pain. Two of them I don’t care to know about and the third is just too far beyond the boundaries to keep me reading. Everyone feels pain.  Join the Discussion.

Do you like strong female heroes? How about stories where they’re in charge? Then you might like Alexa’s Travels.  It’s a dark fantasy quest into the nuclear wilderness.

They came from the West

Seven fighters to the end

One stunning blonde warrior

Leading six hard-ass men

Alexa's Travels

Apocalyptic fiction

An impossible quest

& A Haunting new vision

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Thanks for stopping by Angela.

Life After Divorce: A Guest Blog by Susan Ricci

Today, I'm talking with Susan Ricci who is currently working on Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, a post-divorce self-help novel that started life as a non-fiction project and now is being transitioned into a fiction project.


I asked Susan about her inspiration, her odd title, and the advantages of self-help via fiction.


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My book first took substance with the experience of Internet dating after my divorce.  It's truly an insane way to meet people, what with the weirdos, scammers from Nigeria, and guys who just want to enjoy the Friends with Benefits kind of thing.  What transpired, though, was the evolution of a bitter, divorced woman, who'd rendered herself a recluse for nearly a year, then turned herself into a don't-you-dare-take-any-more crap type woman who took technology by the proverbial, ah, you know whats, and twisted them to her advantage--or so she thought.  Because happy endings do happen and I'm a very lucky lady.

During that time, though, I learned much.  I decided I wanted to share it with a self-help, get-you-through-it narrative, so people don't waste valuable time feeling regret regarding former relationships, or feeling leery of forging new ones.  Stepping stones, baby steps, call them what you will, but all are learning experiences that bring us to the next, fantastic level.

I think we're all following the same equation.  As writers, who have something to say with an audience that needs to hear what we share, no matter what genre' we've chosen.  I am also working on a novel, called Slick Trespass.  When I started Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, I was flipping back and forth between the two, and each day when I began working, I wasn't sure what mood would drive me; either into the nonfiction arena, or the liar's club, because I do so love to make stuff up.  One day, I realized I had to focus on one project, or I'd accomplish nothing.  I chose Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, because it's timely and I gravitate to the truth.  Fiction never dies, or so it's been told.

Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems won an award at the Philadelphia Writers Conference this past June for nonfiction narrative.  My workshop leader, author Ellie Slott Fisher, (our picture is on my Facebook home page), told me these type of books do well as memoirs, but only if you're famous or have a notorious character within, neither which was me.  But I also gained the interest with an agent, who requested a book proposal, but I've been too busy editing and revising to submit it.  Then I found IWU, and my thoughts have swung into a diverse and very welcome option.

As far as the title, the original was too cliche.  I chose Dinosaurs, etc. because my kids think I AM one, (and maybe I am), and cherry stems because it relates to a very interesting, or so I think, chapter of the book.  So, regarding your inquiry, that this may be based on personal experience:  Well, yeah, sure it is.  Write what you know.  Isn't this to what Those Rules imply?

I imagine there's tons of folks out there, people of any age, who've experienced similar scenarios as mine, and perhaps have given up hope on a satisfying, loving relationship.  I know I did.  And If I can inspire anyone to never to give up, I think my message will have been delivered.  Thus,  I'll be satisfied I've done my best, as a writer, delivering that message.

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Thanks for sharing, Susan.


If you want to see more from Susan check her site out at http://www.susanjeanricci.com/.

Infusing History Into Pulse of Heroes: A Guest Post By A. Jacob Sweeney

Today, we have a guest post by A. Jacob Sweeny as part of the VBTC Romancing Your Darkside Book Tour.

She's going to talk to us about infusing history into her paranormal romance, Pulse of Heroes.

In addition, she's giving away a copy of Pulse of Heroes. Just leave a comment and we'll use random.org to pick a winner. You'll be receiving a physical copy, so the author will be contacting you for a shipping address.

Now on to the guest post:

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There was never a question about infusing history into Pulse of Heroes, as the entire idea for the story began with me wanting to bring ancient history back to life. My intention first and foremost was to bring the subjects of what most people today think of as legends into our modern reality, since the bulk of these tales have their roots in actual historical events. And this was to serve as the backdrop of my romance and very real coming-of-age story of 17-year-old Michelle. The immortals in my novel are the story tellers, and through them we get to learn about so much. Below, an example:

Elliot, our main immortal character, served in the military under King David’s command. Now most people are probably familiar with the legend of how David as a boy toppled the giant Goliath with a small sling shot. Whether this ever happened or not, perhaps we’ll never know. However, as I study archaeology and participate in actual excavations, I get to see firsthand how legends and history collide as we discover more and more. And this to me is the most exciting thing. I wanted to share this with people who would never dream of picking up a history book, let alone a field report from an ancient site. I will give you another example.

I had the unique privilege to actually excavate in the hills of Judea on a site that has been dated to the proposed time of King Saul (David’s predecessor) and King David. It overlooks the valley where the Philistines would meet the Israelites in battle. It also marks the exact place where David and Goliath’s story is said to have taken place. On a clear day one can see the outlines of the cities of the Philistines, now also active archaeological sites, from this hilltop (it is a royal pain in the behind to climb up that long steep pathway every day). The encampment was clearly constructed so as to have an unobstructed view of every side of the great valley as a military vantage point.  The Goliath story might be legend, but the Israelite encampments are not. Knowing this gives the Goliath story a whole new dimension.  I was there. I dug and lifted the broken dishes that these fighting men used to eat their dinners. They were every bit as real as we are today. Just last year, a carving of the name “Goliath” was found in one of the Philistine ruins. Suddenly, the name Goliath itself gains a new reality. We don’t know which Goliath, but the name was evidently used by these people. Another clue pointing to David’s existence has been found carved into a victory stele (a large stone) by Hazael, King of Damascus, or by one of his sons. The inscription is in Aramaic and commemorates victories over local ancient peoples including the Davidic Kingdom. The bracketed areas below denote missing fragments which have been filled in by recognized biblical and ancient near-East text experts.

5: And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the] seven[...]

6: of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sands of cha-]

7: riots and thousands of horsemen (or horses). [I killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab]

8: King of Israel, and I killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin]g

9: of the House of David. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned]

10: their land into [desolation........................]  ( Courtesy of Wikipedia)

This is what I wanted to share with my readers. I wanted to spread knowledge around. And if the reader is interested, all they have to do is search further.

So far I have received nothing but compliments with regards to the way I weave short historical tidbits into the main plot of Pulse of Heroes. The real history also provides a basis for the existence of the immortal characters. I have noticed that many people do not enjoy “high fantasy”, and yet historical reality is just as fantastic. As the saying goes, “Truth is indeed stranger than fiction”!

If anyone is interested, right now there is a continuing discussion on the Pulse of Heroes Facebook page about the historical elements of the novel. You should come check it out - it’s on the left side under the “Discussion” tab.

Thank you for having me here!

A Jacob Sweeny.

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Thanks for stopping by.

Check out AJ's site at http://www.pulseofheroes.com/.

Remember, if you want to be entered for a free chance to win a copy of Pulse of Heroes, just leave a common (preferably with some sort of e-mail address so we can contact the winner).

Guest Post: Marion Sipe: Characters of Color in Fantasy

Today, Marion Sipe, author of the recently released Signs of Blood. Here's a little about her book (available at Amazon and Smashwords):

"While investigating her father's murder, Chadri never meant to get involved in politics.  She arrives in Mesaceal with her mentor Nathias and a wild talent for blood magic, but soon finds it won't be enough to stop a brutal attack on her family home.  After befriending a queen who is forced to fight to win her crown, and learning of rumors about the theft of a sleeping god, Chadri is caught up in a web of conflict spanning two nations. Trapped within the tightening threads, she must unravel the secrets surrounding her father's death, or die the same way he did."

Today, though, she's here to talk about characters of color in fantasy.

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Characters of Color

Quite honestly, when I created this world I was fairly oblivious to the lack of characters of color in fantasy. Not because I didn't read it, I've devoured fantasy books (and most other kinds) all my life, but like many white people I didn't get it. I was, literally, color blind. I wrote these characters, Chadri and Liral who are both characters of color, because they were from a background where they would be... characters of color. Liral is Devsari and they're a desert people, and Chadri is half-Devsari/half-Bensas. The Bensas once shared the desert with the Devsari, but the Devsari expanded and the Bensas got pushed up into the mountains on the western coast.

I'm white, but I grew up in all different places (mostly around the south), surrounded by people of myriad skin tones and cultures. When I went to write, it was normal to me that people would be varied, that they would come in shades, so that's the way I wrote them.

It was Chadri and Liral who taught me about the lack of characters of color in fiction. Because I was writing them, I looked for other characters like them. And I found shockingly few. There are many whose race or ethnicity or skin color weren't mentioned, but I found I always thought of those characters as 'white.' Books with characters of color as MCs were shelved in a different location than books with white MCs. Seriously. And the horrible thing? Sometimes, they still are. Segregation in literature. Why? If it's a fantasy novel, shouldn't it be in the fantasy section? Does the color of the MCs skin really mean that it should be somewhere else?

I think white writers are afraid to write characters of color. We're afraid of getting it wrong, of being accused of racism. (Let's face it, we're kinda terrified of that word.) But is it any better to ignore the issue? Even laying aside the problem of realism (humans come in a multitude of shades, it's just a fact, look around. Most things come in various shades), there are larger things at play here. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in what they read. It's one of the reasons we do read. Books (TV and movies, too) are our experience of our culture. They are how we relate to it, one of the mediums through which our culture's expectations and values are communicated to us.

How many of us read a story and the MC does something awesome, and we grin and think "I would totally do that." or "Yes! Exactly what I would have said." Or what we wished we could say. Or what we want to believe we'd do in that situation. Or any number of other things. Books, movies, TV, these are our ideals. These are the standards to which we hold ourselves (which only makes it sadder when there's no way to "live up" to those standards, or when those standards are twisted into impossible, ridiculous, or unworthy goals). How would you feel if you looked at the TV and couldn't find a face like yours? Think about it. Take a moment and imagine that almost everyone in almost every book, TV show, and movie looked different than you. Not only that, but how would you feel about your culture when it communicated to you ideals that were nothing like your personal experience? How would you feel knowing you weren't reflected there?

I think it's an important issue, especially in secondary world fantasy, in which we get to create the people we're writing about. Writers have the unique opportunity of communicating their world to readers, but at the same time they're communicating their ideals to readers. Our books, in addition to hopefully having an awesome story with awesome characters, say: "This is what I find admirable/worthy/important." What does that make what we leave out?

And yeah, there's a chance that we'll get it wrong. There's a chance that any character I write isn't going to ring true. That's the chance I take when writing. I can limit those risks by doing my research, by widening my own experience of the world, by listening to what people of color have to say on the subject, and by taking just a little time to educate myself on the pitfalls, clichés, and the topics at hand. That doesn't remove the risk of my messing it up. But I take that risk with every character, no matter who they are or what the color their skin, their gender, their class, their sexuality, whatever. But if I don't try, I wind up populating my fictional universes with... well, thousands of clones of me. And seriously, who wants to read that?

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Thanks, Marion. As a minority and a long-time fantasy fan, this topic is something I've thought a lot about throughout the years, and it's interested to see it explored by someone else.

Please check out Marion's blog at (http://marionsipe.blogspot.com) and her book at Amazon or Smashwords.

Guest Post: Tamara Rose Blodgett: Why Write YA with a Male Lead?

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Jeremy for graciously hosting me on his blog!

Why Write YA Lit with a Male Lead?

Writing Death Whispers from a teenage boy's perspective wasn't difficult (my four sons and all their friends were fodder for the novel!). I fell in love with the idea of a fresh premise told from the male POV as soon as I had the story in my head.

Caleb Hart has the same problems all teens have except the pesky zombie-raising that rears its ugly head at the worst possible times. Just like everything in teen-dom it's about finesse, and that is a learning experience that he suffers through along with all the other fun puberty stuff. This is a novel about real teens in extraordinary circumstances. Many of the events that take place in this book challenge Caleb morally. I like putting my protagonist(s) under pressure from the beginning all the way to the end. Action and crisis are part of the reading pleasure (for me). I've heard other authors describe that they write books they'd want to read and when others love them too: bonus. That's what I did here: writing a book with real dialogue that teens actually use, lots of action and romance that unfolds naturally.

I don't write a “clean” or sanitized story where everybody comes from perfect families that robotically interact in an expected way, hence: my main character falls for a girl he's hopelessly attracted to that hails from a nightmare family. This strife is part of what makes the story's heartbeat tick-tock along. Caleb matures during the story, his experiences begin to shape him, he begins the journey of self-discovery, making decisions that will shape him into the man he will become.

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I love genetics but am far from expert. I did do enough research for the premise (DW) to be plausible. All three series' I'm working on and will work on have their basis in the “what-if” factor. [The] human potential is intriguing to me.

In Death Whispers we have a group of teens that are given a “booster” inoculation before high school that sends them down a slippery slope of power and choice. The Pearl Savage, (paranormal romance, publishing in June) addresses what happens when genes are tampered with and a group of humans become...other: bred to protect. Bloodsingers (Publishing in fall 2011) deals with a sub-species of human beings that balance the “food load” for the vamps and give the Were's a chance to become moonless changers. This rare group, Bloodsingers, are but a fraction of the human population and have a skill set that makes them as dangerous as the vamps and shifters. Finally, a group of humans that can fight against them on equal-footing because of evolutionary circumstance.

My hope [for you] while reading Death Whispers is (besides being wildly entertaining!) is some of the stereotypes will be debunked about boys. There are some things that will be stereotypical because they're simply true. Conversely, there will also be the moments when the reader's mental light bulb goes off with an “Ah-huh!” The girls are clever as well and not diminished one bit in their respective roles in the book. All the characters have flaws which makes the reading of it more real; that was the goal for me, a unique read that was entertaining, imaginative and resonated with all who read it. (And encouraging teenage boys to read feels pretty snazzy!)

Thanks for reading my stories.

Author Bio:

Tamara Rose Blodgett is a 'thinking-out-of-the box' paranormal enthusiast who believes there's a 95% chance zombies do not exist; but loves to write as if they do. I'm from Alaska and have worked as an online journalist in the past. I enjoyed writing, Death Whispers, and am hard at work on book two, Death Speaks, (pub. Aug. 2011). My paranormal romance, The Pearl Savage, is due to publish in mid-June. In my spare time I'm a [reluctant] serial-re-modeler, project-slave and big time, in-my-pants reader (surprise!). I do a great deal of day-dreaming about impossible scenarios and events, writing books to capture them in stories for you~ Side note: Gnomes should be exterminated.

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Thanks for stopping by Tamara. 

Tamara can be found at http://tamararoseblodgett.blogspot.com/.

Death Whispers can be found at the following vendors:

Amazon.com

Amazon.com.uk

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

Blog Tour: Guest Blogging About Aleron by Kane

Today, I’m again turning over Riftwatcher for a guest blog by Kane, author of the vampire novel Aleron:

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About me:

            I am 36 years old and from my childhood, fantastical creatures have always been a part of my life. Whether it was super heroes or Greek mythology, supernatural beings captured my imagination on a daily basis. My fascination with suspense grew from my affinity for horror and thriller films, which I have watched from a very young age. I remember when I was in Jr. High I was writing a short story based on a common fear that everyone shares, being alone in complete darkness in an unfamiliar place. I paid some classmates to spend ten minutes in an old abandoned building with no light and equipped only with a voice recorder. I got a lot of information for my story. I realized writing involved more than just words. It involves all of the senses. And that is when I began detailed descriptive writing.

            I began doing research about the world of the undead including werewolves, warlocks, strigoi, and eventually I sank my teeth into the vampire. From my research, ‘Aleron’ was born.

           

            The inspiration for writing ‘Aleron’ was a combination of many factors, including my love for vampires in general, and my respect for the genre as a whole, in addition to recognizing a need to cater to ALL vampire fans instead of a select few. I feel that many fans are being overlooked as they are bombarded with modernized pale imitations of who and what vampires really are. In short, I wanted to tell a story rich with love, betrayal and action that would bring all fantasy fiction lovers back to the written word.

            I was influenced by the original writings and notes of Bram Stoker, along with the vampire characterization of Anne Rice, as well as the style of Stephen King and story telling detail of Thomas Harris and J.R.R. Tolkien. Historical writing filled with fact and folklore of Romanian historians have also influenced my writing. Fear of the undead remains prevalent in some towns surrounding Brasov, Transylvania, Snagov, and SIGHISOARA.

            My writing process begins with a topic of interest followed by extensive research in an effort to tickle all five senses. For instance, in order for me to bring the setting of ‘Aleron’ to life, I visited the very places that are described in the book. This allowed me to convey the actual smell, look, feel, and taste of the environment, as well as the many distinct sounds prevalent in that land and during that era. From there I put together a living outline that guides me from start to finish, in addition to having the flexibility for my characters to take whatever route they wish to accomplish set goals. I then spend many months getting to know my characters beginning with an extensive character bio. Sometimes I pretend to be a character for an extended period of time; even interacting with others as the character. This helps me learn what my character would and wouldn’t do in certain situations. Finally, I began to write, and once I began, the characters take over and finish it.

           

            What makes ‘Aleron’ different? The same difference between Mercedes and Lexus, Research and Development: I infused realism with my imagination to give birth to a fantastical story that is rooted in legend and seasoned with fact. My studies and travels of and to Eastern European allowed me to give my characters depth inside of a realistic environment. My vampires are not of our day, they are from days of old, which brings historical richness in storytelling. There was a time when vampires were feared, even though they were beautiful, elegant, and immortal, people were still afraid of them. I have brought that back with a humanistic twist. ‘Aleron’ is sure to entertain vampire lovers, and general fantasy fiction readers alike. Whether young or old, male or female, this book has something that will keep you turning the page.

            My advice for new and upcoming writers is to never stop writing. Don’t let anyone discourage you and write for the love of the genre and not for the money. If your writing is good, the money will follow. Continue reading works from many authors. This will improve your general writing skills as well as grow your understanding of what people are reading.

            I just returned from Romania and pictures and video will be posted soon at www.aleron.co, Facebook (Aleron fan page). Aleron’s reviews are at www.amazon.com, www.aleron.co, www.barnesandnoble.com, goldenpen, and readers favorite. Aleron can be purchased online from all online book sellers and will be in stores mid-summer! 

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Thank you, Kane, for sharing with us.

Guest Post: Kevin Villegas, author of Sunwright Chronicles: Empire at War

In today's post, for the first time at Riftwatcher, I turn the reins over to someone else.


Please welcome author Kevin Villegas, who is currently on a blog tour to promote his fantasy novel, The Sunwright Chronicles: Empire at War. Today, he'll be discussing the character development process he used during the creation of his novel.
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The Characters of Empire at War

In my novel, I decided to focus on creating deep, realistic characters. One of the ways I set about accomplishing this was to not have the story center around one character. There is no single hero in the book, as there is no single enemy. I don't like to work in the world of black and white. I like shades of grey. The characters undergo transformations through the book, and I think this is most evident in Claudius. When I write a character, I take a lot of things into consideration. 


Let's use Claudius for an example. First of all, there is the base personality to work out. Claudius is very well- educated. He has been raised amongst the Elves of Garion. His mother was full elf and his father human. He is calm and serene, but at the same time, he is strong a natural leader. He's naive when it comes to the certain things, such as temptation and the true meaning of warfare. So right there, you have a base personality: Claudius is a naturally calm person, he has a strong personality and is a leader not a follower. At the same time, he tends to be naive about certain things. 


The next thing I take into consideration is the culture of the character. Claudius was raised and lived among the Elves of Garion. This means is he is well-educated and versed in combat. He has also learned the importance of the individual amongst society. The most important lesson drilled into him was that kings are meant to lead not by divine right but by the blessing of their people. 

Now we have the base personality and the cultural influence on the character. Next starts the really fun part of writing a character, the actual creation process! When I'm writing, I become the character. Knowing their personality, I will move forward and as the story develops, so too will the character. I try not to think ahead regarding a character's decision or reaction to a certain event, I let my imagination flow. When writing I try not to second guess myself, and I don't like to change the decisions of my characters for fear of what may happen to the storyline. If the storyline is carried in a direction I didn't expect, I think that's great. That's the creative process at wok. Surprising things can happen when you don't map out ever aspect of a character. It is especially fun to have two characters interacting with one another who would not talk to each other in a normal situation. In my case, I have Calia and Liz. I don't want to give away too much, so suffice it to say these two strong independent women have conflicting personalities that lead to some interesting interactions. 


If you enjoy strong, well-developed characters, you will enjoy "The Sunwright Chronicles: Empire at War." I hope you have enjoyed this guest blog post. 


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Thanks for sharing with us, Kevin.


Kevin maintains a website dedicated his series at http://thesunwrightchronicles.wordpress.com/.