The Lessons of Twilight or Avoidable Mistakes in Vampire Fiction

In the world of vampire fiction, there are several names that loom large.  There's Dracula.  There's Anne Rice.  There's Sookie Stackhouse.  And, of course, there's Twilight. 

In writing She Dies at the End, one of my goals was for it to be the anti-Twilight.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I read all the Twilight books.  They are page turners.  There's no denying that they're fun.  But there are some things about them that really bother me. 

First, I shall complain about the romance.  Edward emotionally abuses Bella.  He's incredibly controlling, and her worship of him is disturbing.  Her total nervous breakdown after he leaves her paints a terrible picture to young girls of what it means love someone and of how you process your feelings after it goes bad.  This is one reason that November goes through a failed romance in Book 1 of my series.  I wanted to show that a girl can be sad about a first love gone wrong but still stand up for herself and move on.  I also wanted to acknowledge the fundamental creep factor of an ancient vampire going after a teenage girl.  The power dynamics of that are really unacceptable, no matter how much you try to gloss it over by saying that he's a virgin or that she's his one true love.  

The vampire-human romantic situations in my book are portrayed as sketchy because they are, in fact, sketchy.

Another thing that irritates me about Twilight is the lack of diversity in the main cast.  You do have Native American werewolves, but otherwise, it's white people as far as the eye can see.  The only Black dude has a handful of pages and then dies.  Why are all the Cullens white?  There is no reason for that.  Representation matters.  When the default race for every character is white, that sends a strong, negative message to people of color, especially young people.  I deliberately create my characters to reflect the diversity of the world around me, here in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I think that makes my books more interesting and sends a positive message to all readers.

Finally, there's the total lack of any consequences for bad decisions.  In the Twilight series, Bella knows that if she becomes a vampire, she is likely to kill someone.  Her vampire friends tell her this over and over again.  Some of the Cullens even take bets on how high the body count will be.  And yet, Bella wants to become one anyway, so she can be with Edward forever and never get old.  And instead of having to face the consequences of what is fundamentally a selfish decision, she's conveniently such a special vampire snowflake that she can resist her urge for human blood with no mistakes.  I find that to be an unsatisfying cop-out, one I try to avoid in She Lights Up the Dark.  

My mixed feelings about Twilight have definitely informed my writing, and serve as an example of how helpful it can be to read within your genre.  It helps you to see the elements you love as well as those that are more problematic.  I will likely never have the level of success achieved by Stephanie Meyer, but I'm proud of the story I've created.  I think it is enjoyable, interesting, and socially conscious.  I hope you'll agree.

Read more about my vampires, fairies, and werewolves in She Dies at the End, She Lights Up the Dark, and She Marches Through Fire.

A New Excerpt from Unclean

Today, I bring you another excerpt, this one from Chapter 3 of Unclean. If you want to go in blind, avert your gaze!  It describes the predicaments facing Shiloh and Silas at the beginning of the book. Don't forget to pre-order your copy. :-)

Silas opened his eyes. They fell upon the bricked-up window in his new quarters in the Dark Tower. Morning sun snuck through the gaps in the mortar. If he’d been a praying man, he would have prayed that the dawn’s light fell upon a free Shiloh, but he dared not hope it. Esta would not have made her move against him without first being sure Shiloh was firmly in the Patriarch’s grasp.

Rather than locking him up in the official jail cells of the High Tower, Queen Esta had chosen to hold Silas in the very rooms her mother had occupied for five years after her father had discarded Mirin and chosen his second wife. Esta had shared her mother’s quarters for the final year of Mirin’s self-imposed exile of protest. Silas supposed the new queen’s revenge had a certain logic to it.

The furniture was different. Mirin had taken everything of value with her when she had departed for the Southlands. The mirror Silas had used to spy on her was gone, as was her makeshift throne. The room was furnished with a mish-mash of odds and ends. There was a bed, a small table, and two chairs, along with a washbasin with a towel and a large jug of water. The adjoining room, he remembered, held the privy. There was no fire in the grate, which given the winter weather, was rather unpleasant. But there were plenty of blankets, and Silas was grateful for them.

Carefully, he sat up and stretched his limbs. The guards hadn’t beaten him as badly as he’d feared they might when they had dragged him from his study the day before. After all, Silas had always treated them with consideration and respect when they had answered to him, and tipped them generously besides, so their queen’s ordered mistreatment of the former Chief Minister had been executed rather half-heartedly. Still, the bruises ached. At least I didn’t lose any teeth.

He ran his hands over his clothes, feeling to see if his hidden treasures remained on his person. The guards had taken his wand, of course, and the knife he kept in his boot. One of the them had stolen Silas’s wedding ring. He made a mental note to exact vengeance for that at his earliest opportunity.

He found, to his pleasure, that the search had not been sufficiently careful to remove what he needed most. I’d better wait to rip out the seams, he cautioned himself. I think I hear footsteps on the stairs.

A guard named Cane opened the door. “Breakfast,” the man gruffly announced, then dropped the tray onto the table.

“My heartfelt thanks,” Silas replied. “I don’t suppose I could have some books.”

Cane shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Would you mind inquiring on my behalf?” Silas asked, taking his seat at the table.

“I guess.” And with that, Cane lumbered out and clomped down the stairs.

The prisoner heaved a sigh and looked down at his plate. They hadn’t been stingy, but the fare was dull and bland: a large hunk of brown bread, a wedge of cheese, an apple, and some rapidly congealing porridge. The tea looked like dishwater, but at least it was warm. He could imagine Queen Esta dining on pastries and chocolate, with berries from the greenhouse.

He forced himself to eat every bite, knowing that she might well try to starve him at some point, remembering how thin poor Daved had gotten when his appetite had failed him in prison.

I wonder what Shiloh is eating this morning. Is she locked in the Citadel? Still on the road? Did she escape?

His hope for the latter dimmed when an agitated Daved, Lord Redwood, appeared at Silas’s door. One look at the poor boy’s face was all Silas needed to know what rumors were swirling in the palace.

“Is it true?” Daved demanded, his pubescent voice cracking. “They’ve taken her to the Citadel?”

“You would know better than I,” Silas replied heavily, “but very likely.”

“But how could anyone think Shiloh is a heretic? She loves the Gods. I’ve never met anyone who loves them more.”

“Her innocence isn’t relevant,” Silas replied. “And you must take care not to express your sympathy in public, lest you suffer a similar fate.”

Daved collapsed into the second chair, face bleak. “I know. But I can’t do nothing. She’s my dearest friend,” he protested. “She stood by me when no one else did.”

“I know that,” Silas replied. “And I am glad for it. The best thing you can do for her is to rise in the queen’s estimation and trust. Then you will be positioned to act for Shiloh when it will count for something. Come see me regularly, and I can advise you how best to do so. Let people think you’re coming here to gloat over my fall. The other noblemen will applaud such an impulse, I am sure.”

Daved swallowed heavily and nodded. “Very well.” He laughed a bitter laugh. “I suppose I could bring you some books.”

Silas smiled weakly, remembering how faithfully Shiloh had brought books to Daved when the boy had been imprisoned under Silas’s own orders. “I would very much appreciate that.”

Daved glanced down at the remnants of Silas’s meal. “You fed me better than that.”

“I fed Mirin better than this, too. I suppose no teenaged girl is immune from a touch of pettiness, our queen included,” Silas replied with a sigh.

“If Shiloh had married me instead of you, this wouldn’t be happening to her. Her Grace hates you,” Daved accused, flushing red with sudden temper.

Silas felt his chest constrict, but then shook his head. “If she’d married you, the queen would have to kill her,” he said softly, “instead of merely locking her up out of sight.”

“What? Why?” Daved demanded.

Is it time to let Daved in on the secret? Or do I only make things worse? Perhaps Silas was swayed by his sense of isolation when he admitted, “The Usurper was Shiloh’s mother. A marriage with you would have strengthened her claim to the throne.”

Daved leaned back in his chair and let out a forceful breath. “Holy Mother above . . . That explains a lot.”

“I imagine so.”

“You killed the Usurper,” Daved pointed out.

“Aye.”

“You made her marry her own mother’s killer,” Daved accused, eyes again ablaze.

“Aye. I am, indeed, rather a monster,” Silas confessed. “In my defense, that particular murder saved Shiloh’s life. Not that I, at the time, expected it to last very long.”

***

What do you suppose Silas has hidden in his bclothes? And how do you think they will manage to get themselves out of this mess? Check out the blurb and order your copy here.  Happy reading!

Sexism in Fantasy Novels

We all live in a sexist world, though less so than it once was.  In our fantasy novels, however, more explicit sexism is often alive and well.  This is partly due to the fact that in many fantasy novels, especially of the high or epic fantasy variety, the society portrayed is quasi-historical or what I call "medieval-ish."  There's usually an aristocracy run by men, and a religion run by men, and an expectation that a woman must marry and have children.  Even when women do seize power, they have to contend with the mysogyny of their societies.

Take Cersei from Game of Thrones for an example.  None of the men in that series, odious as they might be, would ever have to take a "walk of shame."  Or Danerys, who rose to power only after her husband's death.  Westeros is a man's world, at least until things really start to unravel.

Even conttemporary fantasy Harry Potter portrays its share of sexism.  There are only two female Death Eaters named, for example, not counting Narcissa Malfoy, who is more of a hanger-on.  In the pro-Voldemort worldview, a woman's first duty is to produce pure-blooded wizards.

Then you have the works of fantasy that, rather than portraying a sexist world as a way to criticize misogyny, instead promote a sexist message themselves.  I would put Twilight into that category, as it glorifies controling behavior by a male partner.

There are plenty of examples of sexism in my own work as well.  The world of Hexborn is not kind to its women.  My imaginary country of Bryn is a largely agrarian society dominated by a male-centered magical aristocracy.  As it was during certain times and places in our own history, women are treated as the property of their fathers or their husbands, and the only path to a relatively independent life as a scholar is by entering a religious order and forgoing marriage and motherhood. 

Especially among the nobility, many women are married off at young ages, sometimes to men old enough to be their fathers or even grandfathers, and no one seems to think much about it.  Many of the girls with magical ability, at least the marriageable ones, drop out of school early lest they become too powerful or educated, and thus too threatening, to prospective husbands.  The queen’s value lies in producing a son, and woe betide her if she fails. I think you get the picture.

The sexism in this society even extends to the titular affliction.  Our main character, Shiloh, was born with a medical condition caused by the overuse of dark magic during pregnancy.  The extreme stigma around this condition is caused partly by the misogyny of the culture, which does not even consider the possibility that the mother might not be entirely to blame for this situation.

Shiloh, in some ways, steps outside the gender order.  Being hexborn makes her infertile, and her facility with fighting magic makes her too useful as a weapon to confine her to domestic duties.  This leads some to treat her, essentially, as an honorary man, as if they can’t bear to admit that she is a powerful woman.  Thus, she has to walk a fine line in order to remain “acceptable” while retaining her value to those in power.

Who are some of your favorite examples of women stepping outside of convention, either in fiction or history?  And how well do things work out for them?

What's an ARC Team and Why do I Care?

ARC stands for "Advance Review Copy."  An ARC Team is a group of people an author sends early copies of an upcoming book in the hope that those readers will read the book in advance and post reviews in the first few days following the book's release.  Typically, these folks are fans of the author's work.

What is the difference between an ARC reader and a beta reader?  Beta readers read the work at an earlier stage in its development and provide feedback about what major changes need to be made or problems need to addressed before the work is complete.  The ARC reader comes in after the book is finished but before it is released.  Of course, if an ARC reader finds an error, they should share it with the author.

Why would a writer want to forgo the income of selling books to these fans by giving them a book for free?  Those early reviews build credibility with browsers and help the book in the all important and myserious Amazon algorithms.

What do the readers get out of being on an ARC Team?  Well, you get first crack at a new work well in advance of release, and you get to build a relationship with a writer whose work you enjoy.  Your insights may even help influence future work by that author.  That sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Here are a few things for authors to remember about building and using an ARC Team:

• You cannot actually require a review in exchange for a free copy.  I mean, how would you even enforce that in the first place?  All you can do is ask for an honest review.  And speaking of honesty . . .
• Give people plenty of notice.   Don't expect folks to turn a review around in a week.
• Make sure to thank your team members.

ARC readers, here are some tips you should keep in mind:

• Your review should be honest.  You do not need to give the book five stars if you don't think it deserves it.  A varity of star ratings looks more credible anyway.  Your author will not hate you for being honest.  He or she cannot grow without constructive criticism.
• Don't stress about your review.  This isn't going in the New York Review of Books.  It's just an Amazon review.  A few sentences about what you enjoyed or about your favorite aspects of the book will do just fine.
• Don't sign up if you know that you can't read and review in a timely manner.  The author is anxious about his or her new release and is counting on you.
• Feel free to email the author to discuss your thoughts.  Believe me, any writer not thrilled to get a message from you about their book is probably popular enough not to need an ARC Team!

How do you start an ARC Team?  

• If you have social media accounts or an email newsletter for your writing, start there by asking for signups.   
• You can create a form in Google Forms or Mailchimp to gather information from your prospects and share the link to the form.  I ask for name and email address, obviously.  I also ask why they want to join the team and if they have ever reviewed any of my books before.
• Some people give a free copy of an older book to a prospective team member as soon as they sign up and allow them one month to post a review.  If they don't do so, they are cut from the team.  It's your team.  You can decide what your standards are for participation and what the consequences are for a lack of participation.

If you are interested in joining my own ARC Team, you can sign up here.

Sending a new book to your ARC Team is an exciting moment for both writer and reader.  So remember to enjoy it!  We write and read for pleasure, after all.  Happy reading and reviewing!

Unclean Sneak Preview

I'm finally ready to share more about my next novel, Unclean.  It's the sequel to Hexborn, and it finds Silas and Shiloh in a heap of trouble.  Here is a sneak peek at what is in store for them at the beginning of Unclean.  This excerpt is from the end of the first chapter.  Enjoy!

Notice of Annulment. Silas hoped his grinding teeth were not audible. “And they plan to tell me when?” he managed to ask. “Before or after they clap me in irons?”

“I don’t know,” Kiven admitted. “My visions of your forthcoming doom are not dated for our convenience.”

“I appreciate the warning,” Silas told the Academy’s Master of Farsight. His eyes burned hot. He stared at the paper, irritated that it did not catch flame with the heat of his displeasure. “I feared this was coming when the Patriarch brought back the Cleanliness Laws.” He closed his eyes and opened them again. “I had a month of happiness with her. I suppose that was more than I deserve.”

“It was foolish to fall in love with her, though I can hardly fault your taste. I would not consider this development a positive sign with respect to your long-term safety. Yours or hers,” Kiven pointed out, unnecessarily.

“I know that, Kiven. I’m not an idiot,” Silas snapped. “Esta probably has my shackles already picked out.”
“Well, then, do forgive me for trying to help you,” Kiven retorted, easily affronted as ever.

Silas sighed. “I’m sorry, Kiven. I appreciate your help, truly. Will Shiloh be permitted to return to school, at least?”

Kiven shook his head. “She’s ordered Headmaster Markas to declare her graduated. Her Grace is frightened that the girl’s power grows too great. The thousand acres Shiloh healed in the Frontier, her work containing the fever, her handling of the incident with the Gernish raiders—it’s all fueled the queen’s paranoia. The Patriarch is only too willing to encourage her fear.”

“The Gernish Raiders? She and her men killed a half dozen wandless thieves. It was hardly anything to be frightened of,” Silas protested, throwing his hands into the air. “It was barely even worth notice. And the fever? Was Shiloh supposed to let it spread? Thousands would have died.”

“I know, I know,” Kiven replied. “But the tales are growing in the telling. Shiloh is becoming known as a defender of the common folk. And that won’t do with a weak queen on the throne.”

“Then what is Shiloh to do? Take holy orders and stay on at the monastery at Northgate?” Silas asked. At least there he could see her and know she was reasonably safe. His lips pressed together until they almost disappeared.

Kiven shook his head. “Rumor has it that Patriarch Vinsen has sent some of his priests north to fetch her.”

Silas felt his stomach turn to ice. “To make her join the Elder’s Order? To force her to serve him?” he asked.

Kiven swallowed grimly and placed a hand on Silas’s shoulder. “I’m not certain what the Patriarch intends. But I fear that would be the best of the possible outcomes.”

How do you suppose Shiloh will get them out of their predicament?  I'm afraid you'll have to wait until February 19th to find out--unless, of course, you would like to join the ARC Team.

You can pre-order Unclean now on Amazon Kindle.  And if you haven't gotten around to reading Hexborn yet, it's currently available for only $0.99!

Welcome to the WATCH "#RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour! #RRBC #RRBCWRW @NonnieJules

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome the fearless leader of RWISA and RRBC, Nonnie Jules!  Here is an excerpt from her forthcoming novel, the as yet untitled sequel to Daydream's Daughter/Nightmare's Friend.  Fair warning--it is pretty intense!

EXCERPT FROM THE SEQUEL TO DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER

(I’ve decided not to preface this piece with any details.  I’d like for the readers to try and “figure” out the direction this piece is going in.  Have fun!)

***

LEEZA

“Are you gonna buy me a drink or, are you just gonna sit there and stare at me?” Leeza asked the stranger at the bar.

“Uh, sure. What are you drinking, pretty lady?” Swirling to and fro, the man gripped the ridges of the bar to keep from falling off the bar stool. “Hey, bartend, give this pretty lady what ‘er she wants and put it on my tab.”

Leeza looked him up and down. Although not bad on the eyes, he didn’t strike her as a man with deep enough pockets to have a “tab” anywhere, but, who was she to judge.

“Vodka on the rocks,” she said, waving her hand at the bartender. When her suitor heard her request, his eyebrows raised.

“Sure you can handle that strong of a drink, pretty lady?” he asked, still teetering.

“That’s not all I can handle.” Her suggestive wink was all the invitation the stranger needed to move a little closer, even though he could barely stand.

“So, what’s your name, pretty lady?” he slurred.

“Anything you want it to be, honey,” she replied.

“Really? Well, I want your name to be Available. So, are you?”

As he sat waiting for her response, he reminded her of a puppy, paws perched on a windowsill, who has just noticed his master’s return home from work.

“You gotta pay to play with me,” she nudged.

“Well, honey, you finish up that there drink of yours, and let’s head up to my room. I’m in town on business and I would love the company of a beautiful woman going by the name Available.”

In one fell swoop, she turned the shot glass up and the vodka was gone, causing the stranger’s eyes to bulge again. He’d never seen a woman down a drink as strong as that before.

Turning away from the bar and grabbing hold of his tie, Leeza lead the way to the elevator of the hotel…the stranger following close behind, like a leashed dog.

“What’s your curfew, pretty lady?”

With doors partially closed, she took her hand and grabbed his penis through his pants.

“I’m a big girl, single with no kids…does that sound like someone with a curfew?” she asked as the beep of the elevator signaled the arrival to their destination.

Stumbling ahead of her, the stranger swiped his key and pushed opened the door. Leeza walked past him, falling backwards onto the bed.

“C’mon over here and let’s finish the party we started downstairs,” she said, kicking off her heels and propping her legs up on the bed...spread-eagle.

Balancing as he walked, the stranger reached the bed with a huge grin plastered across his face.

“C’mere.” Leeza forcefully took him by the tie once again and pulled him on top of her.

“Whoa, filly…what’s your hurry? You said you didn’t have a curfew so why the rush? Don’t you even wanna know my name?” he asked.

“Well, I thought your name was Ready since that’s the way you came across downstairs at the bar.” Leeza was no longer smiling, feeling a bit toyed with, and being toyed with was the one thing she hated most.

“You’re a funny one, aren’t cha?” he chuckled. “Ok, well let’s ‘git to what we came here for! By the way, my real name’s Jim. Now tell me yours…”

“Nothing’s changed,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m still Available.”

Switching off the lamp, she proceeded to undress the both of them by the orange glow of moonlight trickling through the window. This was a typical night for Leeza. Raunchy sex with yet another man she didn’t know, nor cared to. After a while, she just lay there and let him have his way.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the party was over…for her, at least. The banging inside her head warned of the onslaught of another massive headache and there was no getting away from it.

She could no longer enjoy herself as the next one started to take over.



CHRISTY

Jim opened his eyes to a blonde pointing a gun in his face. Startled, his eyes scanned the room for the brunette he’d brought back with him the night before, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Give me your wallet!” the blonde demanded.

“Who are you? And, where is Available?” he asked, his eyes still searching.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t want to know what you’re talking about, capiche? My name is Christy and I’m not going to ask you again. Give me…your wallet.”

Jim pointed to his clothes that he’d been stripped of the night before, strewn across the floor. “You didn’t ask me the first time,” he said. “My wallet’s in there. Take whatever you want, just get outta my damn room.”

Christy stooped to pick up the pants, throwing them at him; the gun, nor her eyes, ever leaving their target.

“Hey, I don’t take orders from you. Remember that. Now give me everything in there that’s spendable.”

Jim took the cash from his wallet and threw it at her. “Here, this is all I have,” he muttered, anger lacing his tone.

“I saw plastic. I want those, too. And don’t make the mistake again of throwing anything at me,” she warned, raising the gun to remind him who was in charge.

Jim mumbled something, as he gently placed three credit cards on the bed. Christy snatched the cards up and backed slowly towards the door, but her hands had barely touched the doorknob when she heard Jim yell, “Get out, you bitch!”

Closing the door, she calmly walked back over to the bed. She could see the new fear which had quickly taken up residence in his eyes. Smiling, she put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

“Don’t you ever call me a bitch again. I told you my name was Christy!”

***


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Top Five Current Fantasy Television Series

Fantasy readers are often fantasy watchers, and it's never been a better time for televised fantasy. From Marvel to ancient mythology, from Brooklyn to Westeros to the great hereafter, these are my top five current TV fantasies.

 

5. The Runaways (Hulu)

Photo courtesy of Hulu.

Season 1 is, admittedly, way too slow. (Run away, already!) But season 2 promises to start with a bang, and the characters are interesting enough to keep me coming back for more. Also, I can't resist James Marsters being back on my TV again. What can I say? I spent a large swath of my adolescence as ride-or-die for Spike. Unfortunately, one of the cast has just been accused of sexual assault, which throws rather a pall over the upcoming season. It remains to be seen what his future involvement will be in the project.

4. Daredevil (Netflix)

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

Though the second season is a little sub-par, the stellar first and third seasons make this obligatory viewing for anyone into enjoying a good fight between good and evil and the blurred lines that result. The perfect casting of Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio, along with exciting fight sequences, give the series it's powerful punch. The rest of the ensemble doesn’t disappoint, either. Binge the first season and meet the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.

3. American Gods (Starz)

Photo courtesy of Starz.

Okay, I know season 2 sounds doomed, but season 1 is still worth your attention. The visuals are stunning, the characters vivid. And who can resist Ian McShane pulling the strings and gnawing the scenery, Pablo Schreiber as a leprachaun, or Kristin Chenowith hosting an Easter party with fifty different versions of Jesus?

2. Game of Thrones (HBO)

Photo courtesy of HBO.

Rarely does a film adaptation improve upon the books, but this one is widely viewed as far more enjoyable than the over-stuffed death march of reading the novels. And as the TV series nears its conclusion, with the final novels nowhere in sight, you don't have to worry about being left hanging (unlike some of the characters).

1. The Good Place (NBC, streams on Hulu)

Photo courtesy of NBC.

This one puts the high in high concept. Join a delightful Ted Danson and Kristen Bell for an hilarious take on the afterlife in this fantasy comedy. The casting is sublime and the jokes laugh-out-loud funny. It really is a riot, and the twists are to die for. (See what I did there?)

What are your fave fantasy shows?