Monthly Archives: January 2024
About Those Strong Female Characters
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND, DIANA FEDORAK!
Lately, there’s a bevy of cultural commentary on strong female characters in art. More than a few blog posts and influencers have complained about Mary Sue characters, or unlikable female characters in cinema. Reddit threads abound with commenters stating they’re tired of the strong, female trope. These complaints don’t come just from men, but women as well. Not too long ago, actress Emily Blunt said, “It’s the worst thing ever when you open a script and read the words ‘strong female lead,’” Blunt said. “That makes me roll my eyes. I’m already out. I’m bored. Those roles are written as incredibly stoic, you spend the whole time acting tough and saying tough things.”
What gives with the pushback, and have we reached a saturation point in the culture for strong female characters?
My personal opinion is no, strong female characters are not outdated. Nor is the damsel-in-distress character ready for a comeback. The confusion comes with the label as Blunt suggests, and how we interpret it. If a writer makes it a point to portray a woman as “strong” by having her do everything the men around her can do but only better, then the protagonist is a one-note character. There’s no room for growth or a character arc.
Most of us have known an acquaintance or coworker at some point who doesn’t share a shred of self-doubt, or any complaints. A person who’s always confident and competent or at least pretends to be. We find ourselves scrutinizing such a person for flaws, or distancing ourselves from them because we suspect it’s an act. Men and women are rarely that stoic in real life.
Perhaps it’s time to just retire the term and develop a real character, one with vulnerabilities and struggles. Think of Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley. No one would call these female characters weak. But these characters are written in a way that doesn’t discard their natural femininity, either. They are tough because in Sarah’s case, she was irrefutably changed by the end of the first Terminator movie and adopted a no-holds-barred survivor mentality in the subsequent movies. She also displays a range of emotion to include dismay, anger, and sadness. Ripley’s character is powerful because of her intelligence, and how she devises clever ways to defeat the Aliens. We still witness her fear and horror of the terrible situations she faces.
Novels have the space for an author to more fully develop complex characters whereas screenwriting is a condensed form of a story, a beautiful haiku if you will. So while I won’t be discarding strong female characters in my stories, I will probably forego the term and instead tell readers that they’re in for a complex character and give them a little information about her. Like for my debut novel, I made my heroine a young mother and physiographer on another planet. That tells the reader much more about the adventure they’ll embark on, and one I believe they will look forward to much more.
Bio: Diana Fedorak is a speculative writer from Las Vegas, Nevada. Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, she grew up in a Pan Am Airways family who frequently traveled overseas. In her prior career, she served as an intelligence officer in the United States Air Force. She enjoys writing complex characters in high-stakes science fiction and fantasy worlds. When she’s not writing, she spends time in her own universe with her husband, two children, and their German Shepard.
Where to find the author:
www.facebook.com/dianafedorakauthor
www.instagram.com/diana_fedorak_author
Title of book: Children of Alpheios
Genre of book: Science fiction dystopian
Excerpt:
Alina rolled the vial in between her fingertips, noting Mandin’s blood sample contained a purplish undertone. They had never requested her permission for an experimental lab test. Dr. Olek would have informed her. Did Dr. Daxmen draw the sample himself when she had stepped away for a moment? She fumbled with the vial and wrapped her fist around it. “And if Mandin’s body accepts the treatment, what’s the outcome?”
“We should be able to preserve his very special talents while ridding him of his seizures.”
Goosebumps rankled the nape of her neck at the sight of the purplish undertone. It looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She wanted to dispose of the vial, but instead, passed it back. Ms. Silver placed the tubes in the refrigerator.
“Are you sure it’s safe for infants?”
Ms. Silver brushed a piece of invisible lint off her lapel. “We believe so. Although we need some paperwork from you before you bring him in.”
“What exactly?”
“We can dispense with the non-disclosure agreement we discussed earlier, provided you consent to Mandin’s Phase Three treatment. The other item would be your agreement in allowing us to file a patent for Mandin’s DNA.” The director picked up the glass tablet and scrolled through the screen. “As a matter of fact, I have the forms right here.”
Buy links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/children-of-alpheios-diana-fedorak/1142852307?ean=9781509247769
https://books.apple.com/us/book/children-of-alpheios/id6445167694
Read about a deadly ice planet this winter! Don’t miss the giveaway!
WELCOME author STEVEN BISSETT with his Earthborn Saga series!
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Sure thing, I’ll summarize them with a major attribute, and then go into a little more detail to explain.
Rex: Loyalty.
Somewhat counterintuitive for someone who was exiled to a prison world as a child for someone else’s crime and grew up around underworld types, Rex is unshakeable in his loyalty to his friends.
Much of this can be seen to stem from the fact that on Delta-13, the only things of real value are your word and your friends. Anything else can be taken away by the authorities, and being friendless or unreliable is often to be dead.
For Rex, this taps into his naturally honest and fair personality and causes him to unblinkingly confront assassins and celestial beings for his friends.
Wellesley: Responsibility.
Built for management, responsibility comes naturally to Wellesley and he always looks for the best practical outcome for his friends and allies.
Conscious of his wartime experience, Wellesley puts meticulous thought into his advice and knows vividly that many people’s lives hang on his assessments.
Lily: Discovery.
An intensely curious woman by nature, Lily has devoted her life to uncovering the mysteries of the mind and understanding what makes people do the things they do.
Extreme cases, unknown mental disorders, mysterious psychological afflictions, all are fascinating to Lily and she jumps at the chance to help those that are suffering from them.
But what no one else knows is that her pursuits are fueled by a condition that she’s managed to keep secret for most of her life.
Gromyko: Enthusiasm.
Growing up on Delta-13 presented Gromyko with two options: Be crushed by the bleakness of life until he dies forgotten, or be a Superman to inspire hope.
Being the great man that he is, he chose to be a Superman, and he lives life just as close to the edge as he can while trying to free the people of Delta-13 from their unjust imprisonment.
Many see his actions as self-aggrandizing self-promotion, but in truth, they are actually motivated by a deep attachment to the people of Delta-13 and an unrestrained love of life.
Ugo: Idealism.
A true intellectual and idealogue, Ugo believes that the only path for humanity is through pure freedom of the mind.
Naturally an explorer, the Empire’s heavy-handed control tactics offended him personally and drove him to radical freedom movements promising to release humanity from the chains it’s been bound by. Even if the cost is a bloody galactic civil war that would leave many human worlds open to attack from aliens.
In other areas of life, he’s a very balanced and reasonable man that tries to find the best outcome for everyone. But in the name of his idea of “freedom”, there’s no one that he won’t sacrifice.
What is your favorite part of A Son of the Shadows and why?
My favorite part has to be when Rex and Gromyko go out to contact the Order operative and run into the authorities. I won’t spoil it for those that haven’t read it, but Rex and Gromyko act very naturally and smoothly in concert, and the scene is so dynamic that it’s one of my overall favorite scenes in the whole series.
How did you come up with the name “A Son of the Shadows”?
I came up with it while brainstorming titles with my brother. We were trying out different possible titles, and shuffling a list of words to draw inspiration from when my mind caught on “Shadows”.
I really liked the mystique of it, and since darkness plays such a role in the book, it seemed like a really great starting place. So we started working on what could go with “Shadows” to fill out the title, and give a weighty feeling for the book.
We settled on “A Son of the Shadows” since it has a double meaning for the protagonist Rex.
Firstly, he’s an orphan and was raised “in the shadows” on Delta-13, so it’s a pretty direct connection.
But the second is because of the dark “shadow” power that guides his destiny and shapes who he is. Metaphorically, he is a “son” to the power since he wouldn’t exist without it, and it’s the whole reason why he’s a significant person.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Yes, I’ve got a couple that haven’t been published. For the most part, they’re Western short stories that I wrote before starting in on the Earthborn Saga, but there are a few fantasy books as well.
Westerns hold a special place for me, so someday I’d like to write up a few more stories and release a new collection of short stories.
Night is falling.
Embrace the darkness.
A Son of the Shadows
The Earthborn Saga Vol 1
by Steven Bissett
Genre: Science Fiction Fantasy
Night is falling. Embrace the darkness.
On the ice-clad prison world of Delta-13, where minds teeter on the edge of madness, mankind’s future dangles by a thread.
Living under the shadow of an imperial conspiracy, Rex Hunt discovers a psychic gift that will upset the balance of power in the entire galaxy.
As Rex grapples with his newfound power, prison psychiatrist, Dr. Lily Tselitel, delves into the chilling surge of madness among the inmates, pulling her closer to a secret as old as the galaxy itself.
Their paths converge as they uncover an imperial plot to build a weapon that threatens to suffocate the flickering spirit of rebellion in the galaxy’s fringe colonies.
Unbeknownst to the rebels, as they fight against the empire’s sinister plan, an ancient shadow looms over the galaxy, threatening to consume humanity’s vast colonies, and even Earth itself!
Discover the first book in an epic space opera where hope survives in secret taverns, and the line between life and death is blurred in the snowy expanse of Delta-13.
You’re just one click away from learning mankind’s fate.
The Beast Emerges
The Earthborn Saga Vol II
Ancient secrets. New battles.
An unyielding, insidious peril, the Devourers unleash chaos in the galaxy.
First in their malevolent sights: the ice planet Delta-13, next the enigmatic jungles of Preleteth. Rex Hunt, driven by destiny and cryptic legends, forges alliances in the galaxy’s darkest corners.
From pirate-infested asteroids to secret Imperial bases, danger lurks at every corner. When ancient prophecies from the sentient world of Preleteth point to a shadowy salvation, Rex’s fate becomes irrevocably intertwined with a journey that spans galaxies.
Every alliance forged, every secret unveiled, and every battle waged will shape the future in this grand space opera of courage, sacrifice, and cosmic revelation.
Dive deep with Rex and his crew as they embark on a perilous journey. If you think you’ve outsmarted the might of the Empire or the ruthlessness of the Devourers… prepare for your reckoning.
Jump into book two of The Earthborn Saga today!
The Crucible of Titans
The Earthborn Saga Vol III
Dreadnoughts. Devourers. Deception. In a star field of lies, can anyone be trusted?
Trapped aboard the Empire’s ultimate weapon, Sentinel, Rex becomes the crucial factor in the cosmic war against the Devourers.
But there’s a mysterious web of deceit beyond the battlefield. Driven by an intense hatred of mankind, an ancient being emerges as the parasite’s true puppet master.
Between the Empire, the Devourers, emboldened pirates, and a plethora of colonial revolutionaries, are there simply too many enemies to overcome?
The mysterious Krancis, architect of the Empire’s desperate gambit to survive, sends Sentinel on a collision course with the single greatest foe ever to threaten mankind. The battle to come is beyond colossal: it’s a celestial clash of titans that could cost Rex everything he has left.
Dive into this enthralling mosaic of military tactics, clandestine politics, and cosmic spirituality. Feel the universe quake under the weight of monumental choices. Here, heroes are born, villains rise, and entire galaxies crumble.
Ready for the next level of space opera?
The Tides of Retribution
The Earthborn Saga Vol IV
Will the Empire crumble under the weight of betrayal and invasion?
As the galaxy is besieged by the merciless Devourers and treacherous Fringers, one ship and one man stand as humanity’s final hope.
Can the enigmatic Rex, a master of shadowy psychic powers, and the massive warship, Sentinel, keep the relentless enemy at bay?
Rumors of alien infiltration and psychic omens shake the Empire to its core. Can Rex and Sentinel hold the line long enough for Krancis’ new experimental weapon to be deployed against their enemy?
As the hive-minded Devourers grow bolder and more ruthless by the day, the Empire finds itself fighting battles on multiple fronts. Eliminating high-level operatives providing intelligence to the parasite becomes as crucial as protecting the Empire’s teeming population centers.
Venture into this colossal clash, where an alien hive mind, the Imperium’s internal enemies, and the ticking clock that marks humanity’s doom converge. Witness as Krancis’ innovations offer a glimmer of hope, Rex pushes his psychic gifts to the limit, and the Devourers edge closer to ultimate victory over humanity.
Ready to discover what surprises await humanity?
Immerse yourself into the intrigue of book four of the Earthborn Saga today!
The Crusade of Vengeance
The Earthborn Saga Vol V
The tides are turning, but is it enough to save humanity?
When the Empire’s last gamble pays off, the Devourer’s end finally seems inevitable.
Armed with Adler fighters and Sentinel’s devastating cannon, the Devourer’s reign of terror might be on the brink of ending.
But the colossal enemy has one last trick up its sleeve and is spreading a devilish evil across the Empire in a desperate bid at victory. Armed with city-sized masses of stinking Devourer flesh, these psychic nightmares that consume life are being warped in from deep space to wreak havoc on the Empire’s core worlds.
And even as Rex powers Sentinel’s cannon to obliterate the Devourer’s latest monstrosities, a darker evil waits in the wings, a force that dwarfs all other threats.
Advanced weaponry meets arcane entities and the very fabric of the universe hangs by a thread.
Prepare to confront the real enemy in book five of the Earthborn Saga today!
Steven Bissett has been writing stories for over fourteen years. An eclectic author, he excels at seamlessly blending genres together to produce unique stories. With compelling characters, dynamic plots, and a crisp, candid style that holds nothing back, Bissett continues to delight readers of every age.
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$20 Amazon
Take an exotic trip into love and mystery!
PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND J. Arlene Culiner!!
My book, The Turkish Affair, is a romantic suspense/mystery. There is certainly menace in the story, but it’s largely psychological. Yes, there has been a murder, but takes place offstage: there are no violent descriptions, there are no car chases or screaming sirens. The setting for this story is exotic — the archaeological site of Karakuyu in central Turkey, once home to the long-vanished Hittites.
The heroine of The Turkish Affair, is Anne, a strong-willed woman who’s running from a scandal in her past, but her attraction to my hero, Renaud Townsend, threatens her peace of mind and her way of life. Renaud is intelligent and tender, but has no wish to settle anywhere: his passion is archaeology “discovering the world from the ground down.” However, when important artifacts are stolen, both Anne and Renaud are drawn, although unwillingly, into the mystery.
The Turkish Affair was inspired by my own adventures. Like Anne, I went to live in central Turkey where I learnt Turkish and worked as a translator. Many of the incidents I describe in the book really did happen: I was with a group of archeologists when they were called in to identify fake coins; and the brave young woman, Leyla, who rescues Anne from a tricky and dangerous situation really does exist. She came to my aid on a lonely road in exactly the same circumstances. Like Anne, I was also brought in for questioning by a menacing group of policemen — a frightening experience in a country with a terrible human rights record, and where people were being arrested for criticizing the government, religion, for being a communist, a Kurd, or a journalist, filmmaker, writer, or even a teacher protesting against the lack of books.
And although I never did meet Renaud, the hero of The Turkish Affair, he is modeled after a man I briefly saw. I was traveling on a bus when it pulled off the main road, drove down a rutted lane, and pulled into an archaeological site. While we waited for a passenger to board, I caught sight of a man ambling in the direction of a tumble of pillars and ruins. He was lean, supple, and the bright sun caught the golden blaze of his hair. Who was he? An archaeologist? I never found out. With a puff of noxious smoke, the bus turned and roared back toward the main road. That blond man’s image remained with me over all these years; he was slated to become Renaud Townsend, Anne’s lover.
Excerpt
A delicious breeze tickled the air, and the little boat rocked gently. A fine line appeared between Renaud’s brows, and his blue eyes were, once again, serious. “I need your help.”
Anne stared. “My help? With what? Translating?”
“No. With something else. I have to find out who is behind the thefts at Karakuyu.”
The feeling of dread returned, but she forced herself to sound casual. “How could I possibly help you with that?”
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I just don’t want to feel that I’m alone in this.”
What could she say to that? Tell him she was the last person he should team up with? That long ago, she’d escaped arrest by the skin of her teeth? If she did so, this splendid moment would be over. The silver-foil glimmer of romance would be tarnished forever. He’d row back to shore, drive back to Gülkale, get rid of her as quickly as possible.
“Anne?” He reached out to caress her bare arm. “Come back from wherever you are.”
“You know nothing about me,” she said jaggedly.
“Nothing,” he agreed.
She swallowed. “I could be involved in the thefts for all you know. Why ask for my help? Why choose me?”
He smiled faintly. “A good question. I suppose, quite simply, I need—or want—to trust you.”
She felt utterly miserable. Why was life always like this? Wanting someone and not being able to have them? Wanting trust, but seeing it snatched away before it came close?
Blurb
Love and Danger at the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu
Priceless artifacts are disappearing from the ancient Hittite site of Karakuyu in Turkey, and the site director has vanished. Called in to solve the mystery, archaeologist Renaud Townsend is hindered by both his inability to speak the language and the knowledge that the local police are corrupt. His attraction to translator Anne Pierson is immediate, although he is troubled by her refusal to talk about the past and her fear of public scandal.
But when murder enters the picture, both Anne and Renaud realize that the risk of falling in love is not the only danger.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zkQ20uC4eg
Purchase Links: https://books2read.com/TheTurkishAffair
Author Bio
Writer, social critical artist, and impenitent teller of tall tales, J. Arlene Culiner, was born in New York and raised in Toronto. She has crossed much of Europe on foot, has lived in a mud house on the Great Hungarian Plain, in a Bavarian castle, a Turkish cave dwelling, a haunted house on the English moors, and on a Dutch canal. She now resides in a 400-year-old former inn in a French village of no interest where, much to local dismay, she protects spiders, snakes, and weeds. Observing people in cafes, in their homes, on trains, or in the streets, she eavesdrops on all private conversations, and delights in hearing any nasty, funny, ridiculous, sad, romantic, or boastful story. And when she can’t uncover really salacious gossip, she makes it up.
Author links: https://linktr.ee/j.arleneculiner
I’m not saying it was aliens….
NOW AVAILABLE!!
What Really Happened…
Swamp gas?
Weather balloons?
Ball lightning?
That couldn’t really have been an atmospheric reflection of Venus, could it?
Heck no!
We’re not saying it was aliens, but…
20 stories about What Really Happened
Edited by Sheila Hartney
Executive Editor Sam Knight
Stories by:
Kay Hanifen, C. D. Kester, Julia C. Lewis, Lou J Berger, Margaret Karmazin, Eldon Litchfield, Chad Barger, DW Milton, Christopher Blinn, Sheila Hartney, J. Edward Gregal, Dana Bell , Michael W. Clark, Fulvio Gatti, John M. Campbell, Damien Mckeating, Al Simmons, L.N. Hunter, Z. M. Renick, and lastly, YOURS TRULY, Lyndi Alexander
Here is the Universal Book Link : https://books2read.com/u/m2608G
GET YOUR COPY NOW….BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!
What makes a great adventure?
Sometimes a great adventure happens without traveling out of your city or town. It doesn’t require a long trip, a boat, a plane, or a significant amount of money, but it’s an adventure that changes your entire life. The adventure begins when you decide to leave behind old ways of thinking, guilt, or inhibitions that tell you that you’ll never be anything but what you are at the moment or that you don’t deserve to be happy.
A great adventure starts when you realize that you have other options and that it’s not too late to change your job, walk away from a bad relationship, or expand your knowledge and skill set. Other people might not want you to go off on that adventure, but it doesn’t hurt to look at them and their motives so that you can do what’s best for you.
It’s this kind of adventure that changes the life of the heroine in Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith. Shauna has a rough life. She’s dealt with loss, hunger, and worry over where she’ll live. She’s tied up with people who have no interest in her welfare, people who want to keep using her for their benefit. Then she meets two men who offer a helping hand. They know she has not only the potential but the right to be more than she is. It takes her time to accept the opportunity to leave her old life behind. She can’t believe that that past won’t follow her or that she can trust anyone, but it’s a decision that can’t be made for her. She has to make the choice.
At the start of her story, Shauna doesn’t leave her city, but she has a giant adventure, changing from a victim to a warrior who learns to believe in herself.
Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith (Silver Hearts 3)
by Kate Hill
Steamy Paranormal Romance
Blurb:
Daniel – Reared by the master swordsmith who taught me his craft, I’ve dedicated my life to forging steel. I never thought about the occult, until a foreign man with unimaginable power stops at my home and forge. He takes me to Japan where I study under an ancient swordsmith. Nothing and no one, especially a woman, can tear me away from my craft, or so I think. While visiting New York City in 1927, I meet Shauna, and everything changes.
Shauna – Working the streets with only my abusive pimp Jack to look out for me is no way to live, but I don’t have much choice. When a rich weirdo takes me to a ritzy hotel and offers me a way out, I’m not sure what to do. Then he shows up at Jack’s juice joint with tall, gorgeous Daniel whose mixed messages make my head spin. Can a vampire swordsmith fall in love with a former pro skirt, or is all his heat only in the forge?
Note: Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith is a short vampire romance with a stubborn hero, a resilient heroine, historical settings, some spice, violence, and a HEA.
Excerpt from Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith:
I close the bathroom door, relieve myself, and wash up in the sink. When I return to the living room, Lucas is seated in a chair by the fireplace. By now the logs have been reduced to tiny pieces of burnt, smoldering wood. How long have I been here? I haven’t checked in with Jack all night. He’ll probably kill me.
“Mr. Kishida, I have to go. That wine must have hit me in the head, but I don’t remember much of anything after you—To be honest, I don’t know what you did. Oh, and that whole taking my blood thing, it’s a great act. You really had me going. If you give me my dough, I’ll scram.”
“Your money. Of course.” He stands and tugs a wallet from his jacket pocket. He removes several bills and places them on the coffee table.
I snatch the money and count it. “Wow! 50 clams! You must have had a helluva time tonight, and I don’t even feel worse for wear.”
He studies me with a hint of pity in his strange gray eyes. The rest of his face remains calm, like a wax statue again. Just like when I’d seen him on the street corner.
“I really have to go, but if I can ever do anything for you again—”
“I know where to find you. Shauna, you should consider applying for a job here.”
I smile. “They won’t hire me.”
“I have pull with management.”
“I bet you do.” Hell, I’m tempted to listen to him, but if I don’t get hired and Jack finds out—
Who am I kidding? Even if I do get hired, Jack will never let me keep the job and all my teeth.
“Why the hesitation?” he presses. “Room and board comes with the job. It will get you off the street.”
“Room and board,” I whisper, shuffling the bills like they’re cards. I lift my gaze to his. “I’ll think about it. Now I’ve really gotta go. It’s probably too late to get a cab, and besides, I shouldn’t spend the dough.”
“Why not? It’s yours.”
I laugh. “You slay me. It doesn’t work that way. It’s been an interesting night, Mr. Kishida.”
Purchase Link:
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CKX1C8WC
Author Bio:
Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.
Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Join her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter.
Social Links:
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Lyndi Alexander's worlds of fancy 