Round Robin for May: Settings and Danger

Saturday, May 24, 2014

ROUND ROBIN TOPIC:  Do you have a preference for a certain time and place for a story?

What is the most inspiring, romantic, or dangerous setting you have ever read or written?

I don’t have a preference for a certain time or place.  Once a story takes root in my mind, the characters and setting automatically get created as a follow up. 

I like to pick different setting for my stories so I can have the pleasure of researching something new/learn something with each book I write.

As to the most dangerous setting I’ve read or written:  I’ve read so many but the one I’ve written in a historical I’m revising now is uppermost in my mind.

My historical, ‘Honor Bound’, starts in India and ends in Herat, a tiny kingdom in Afghanistan.  In order to reach Herat to prove her father’s innocence, the heroine is forced to drug the hero and take the place of his servant till they are far away from civilization and she can convince him to let her accompany him. 

Part of their journey involves crossing the dreaded Thar Desert where danger awaits in more ways than one.

 They end up in a camp of a sheikh notorious for trading with slave dealers.  The scene made my flesh crawl while I was writing it and the research turned up facts about dealers in human flesh that made me sick.

If you can bear with me a little longer, here’s an excerpt from the book, ‘Honor Bound’ so you can see for yourself what I’m talking about.

Through the slit he had made in the rear of the tent Jonathan surveyed the scene outside.  He had a clear view of the area in the center  of the compound ringed by tents.   What he saw told him the situation was as bad as it could get.   They were in the camp of Amjad Khan, notorious slave dealer and one of the cruelest men alive.

In the blistering heat, sat a line of semi-clothed slaves.  Heavy chains attached to the iron shackles at their necks and hands linked them to each other.  Young men and young girls, naked from the waist up, stared into space, impervious of what was going on around them.  Their expressions indicated they had passed beyond contemplation of their future.  Jonathan had seen the same look on the faces of men after  battle.  Minds weighed down by problems too great to handle often snapped and went totally blank. 

A Turk appeared in front of the slaves, slopping gruel into wooden cups that he placed in their hands.  The slaves were fed regularly, because no one would buy them unless they were young and healthy. 

As he wondered how long it would take for Amjad Khan to order them brought before him, a noise at the entrance to the camp claimed his attention.  Heads turned in the direction of the group of men that had ridden in.  Dismounting the finest piece of horseflesh Jonathan had seen in a while, a man waddled in the direction of the main tent. 

He was met at the door by an imposing figure dressed in a white robe with a black headdress.

"Who is that greeting the visitor?"  Xandra had maneuvered herself under his arm, and was sharing the slit with him. 

"Amjad Khan," Jonathan’s gaze was fixed on the face of one of the slave girls.  Her expression was one of abject terror.  It didn't need much intelligence to guess what had caused her fear.  Even from this distance Amjad Khan's corpulent face and cruel visage advertised a man of deep and horrific passions.  "The man who will decide our fate."

"He looks like the devil in disguise."  Her voice shook and she pulled back from the slit and looked at him.

Amjad Khan motioned his guest into his tent.  The other man shook his head.  No time for the usual refreshments, Jonathan guessed.  Probably there was a rich buyer waiting impatiently somewhere for the new consignment.  With a wave of his hand, Amjad Khan led the man over to the line of slaves, henchmen hurrying in their wake.

"Let me see."  Xandra fixed one eye to the slit again.  Jonathan sighed, but other than move her aside bodily there was no way he could prevent her observing what was to follow.

The buyer pointed, and the chosen slaves were culled from the rest to stand in a group.  He beckoned, and a few of his men approached the group.  The slaves were driven to mud structures little more than hovels with walls on three sides that were shoulder high, to be examined.  An occasional cry followed by a rough laugh or the sound of a blow reached their ears.  Jonathan was surprised any of the slaves even had the strength left to cry out or resist.

"What are they doing?" hissed Xandra. 

"Examining the slaves."

An unwanted mental picture of their being stripped and prodded like cattle, disturbed Jonathan. 

Only one slave remained seated on the ground.  The young woman whom Jonathan had seen staring at Amjad Khan in terror.  The slave dealer looked at her, and then said something to the visitor who spat in the dirt and laughed .  Amjad Khan again gestured toward his tent.  This time the visitor nodded.  A barked order and the girl was led to the tent by a guard while Amjad Khan and the visitor stood out in the open. 

From their dramatic gestures and loud remarks, Jonathan guessed they were haggling over the final price.  A pouch exchanged hands, and then Amjad Khan clapped the other man on his back and gestured with his hand to his tent.  With a pleased smile, the visitor walked towards it.

"What is he doing?" Xandra demanded.

Jonathan dragged her away from the opening.  "Nothing you need concern yourself with."

"Why did they take that girl to Amjad Khan’s tent?"

Jonathan looked at Xandra and sighed.  This wasn't the time for a discussion on  the sexual aspects of the slave trade.  Besides, the expression in her eyes told him knew what was happening, but her mind balked at the explanation.   He should never have agreed to escort her to Herat.  The drugs she and her retainer had used must have been mind altering.  It was his fault she was in this situation.  He had known what might happen on the journey.  She hadn’t.

Guilt was a deliberate bite in his voice as he said, "I don't have all day to stand here talking to you.  Go and see if Rai has breakfast ready.  We have to eat before Amjad Khan sends for us."

He needed his wits about him to convince the slave dealer he was nothing more than a poor merchant with two servants.

She turned to obey him, then paused at the tent entrance.

“Colonel Forrest?”   Her voice was a mere thread of sound.

"What is it?" Jonathan asked.

"I am scared."  She didn’t turn around.  “Promise me you will kill me if there is the slightest chance we will be taken prisoner.”

Rhobin, thanks as always for letting me be a part of the Round Robin.

Let's get our cyber skates on and whiz over to see what Connie's input on this topic is:   connievines.blogspot.com
After that you might want to whiz on to the rest of the group that's participating:
* Lynn Crain at http://lynncrain.blogspot.co.at/
* Anne Stenhouse at http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
     * Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca
* Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/
* Beverley Bateman at http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
* Ginger Simpson at http://mizging.blogspot.com
* Margaret Fieland at http://margaretfieland.com/my_blog 
* Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com
* Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com

April 25th, 2014

April's Round Robin

"You loved the blurb. First page sounded interesting. You bought the book. What makes you throw the book you're reading against the wall, stomp on it and go find another?"

I drop the book at the point the book disintegrates into an ‘every other book’ tale.

When I wrote for a print publisher I saw a distinct ‘drop’ in the writing after the first three chapters in some established authors' books.  Bear with me while I substitute 'hook' for first page.

The first three chapters were the hook that sold the book to the editor and made good reading.

After that there was this ‘oh lets get it done’ story that disappointed.

When the story begins to ‘sag’ it no longer holds me as a reader. 

When it’s the same story line as every other book the author has written, I give up on it.

My best revenge:  I put it down and tell myself 'I won’t try that author again'.

Luckily for me that there are some really good, prolific authors out there who do not disappoint.

As always Robin thanks for letting me have my say.

Now folks get a move on to Connie’s blog to read her take on the subject.

http://connievines.blogspot.com

March 22nd, 2014

VILLAINS

Do you need them? When do you use them, and what is the most diabolical type of villain to you?

Every mystery/thriller needs a villain or a perp as they are called in ‘police speak’.

The perpetrator is as necessary to the plot of a mystery or a thriller as sunshine to a plant.

In the romance genre too, the TV show Dynasty is a great example of how necessary villains are… Krystle Carrington seemed all the nicer when she was constantly battling Alexis’ ploys.

His or her wickedness throws the hero and heroine into sharp relief, draws the reader into the story and has him or her cheering for the main protagonist, the hero or heroine and hoping they will win.

In the young adult mystery series I’m writing:  The Green and Gold Mystery Series, the first three books, January, February (out now) and March (upcoming) have villains that are introduced early in the story.

They are used throughout the story and add richness to the mysteries.

In ‘The Green and Gold Mystery Series:  February’ (now available on Amazon.com), there is a unique twist on the perps.

Instead of being the usual dastardly criminal minds, they were people one can’t help liking.  They were funny, endearing and have troubles of their own.

Was I channeling Arsenic and Old Lace, a favorite movie of mine when I wrote this book?  I think so.  Though there are no murders involved in this mystery, the sisters do challenge the readers’ imaginations and the story has an unusual ending.

The most diabolic type of villains to me are the ones in the following psych thrillers,

A Perfect Murder

and

Along Came a Spider.

I love psych thrillers in which villains are disguised as good guys/gals and keep us guessing till the very end ‘whodunit’.

Please visit the next blog in the Round Rhobin for more:

http://connievines.blogspot.com

Robin thanks for organizing these and including me.

YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY SERIES

I'm really happy to announce the release of my second book, 'The Green and Gold Mystery Series:  February', under the Books We Love banner.

The book is available free from Amazon.com till 2nd March.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Gold-Mystery-February-ebook/dp/B00IKXB904

Bethany Graham is ready for another mystery but will anything fun happen in this difficult month? 

February isn’t easy for children with one parent as they have to fill in for the missing parent on Valentine’s Day. The fourteenth is extra torture for Bethany as there’s going to be a school dance at the end of the month and Lexi keeps asking her whom she’s going with. 

Bethany knows she isn’t ready for dances and definitely doesn’t want a boyfriend till she’s thirty…or does she? Deep down she knows that thought she doesn’t want to go, but it would be nice just to be asked. 

When Cody insists they follow up on a flyer about a missing pet, Beth agrees and soon they are busy with interviews and clues and trails that seem to lead nowhere. 
Mom invites a Hungarian boy to join the tutoring group, complicating matters and Mrs. Naidu only seems interested in befriending a couple of senior citizens who play Scrabble. 

Is there really a mystery to solve? 

*********************************************************************************

The first book in my young adult mystery series, 'The Green and Gold Mystery Series:  January', is available under the BOOKS WE LOVE banner from Amazon. com

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Gold-Mystery-January-ebook/dp/B00I0IEBLS

Bethany Graham is an introvert almost fourteen year old. Since her Dad died she’s prefers her own company to anyone else’s. 
Very conscious of her large frame (she feels she’s built like Fort Knox) and plain looks, the last thing Bethany wants in the world is to draw attention to herself. How will she explain to Alexis Evelyn Raquel Rodger the fifth that her mother has hired a sari clad Indian Math tutor for her? 
Lexi will die laughing and Bethany is sure she will die of humiliation when Lexis spreads the word. 
Bethany soon discovers Mrs. Jaya Naidu isn’t just a sari clad Math tutor. She’s lived a fascinating life and has actually solved several crimes. With her help Bethany starts a mystery club and suddenly she’s in demand. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and will Bethany and the members of the Green and Gold Mystery Club be able to discover who’s behind a local burglary or will the Club dissolve before it gets off the ground? 

Foreword Review 
Kakade tackles themes of peer pressure, alienation and bigotry toward different races and ethnic groups by interweaving teens from different backgrounds united in the common goal of solving a mystery. As the teens learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, they learn to accept each other for whom they really are, not who they pretend to be. Younger teens graduating from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys will find a smooth transition to more adult mysteries here. 
Melanie C. Duncan 

Long and Short Reviews: 
The super-sleuth Bethany Graham: Beth lives with her mother, Bridget Graham, a single parent. A computer whiz and a word collector, she loves reading. How could Mama arrange an after school Math tutor for Beth, without even discussing the matter with her first? Sometimes the best thing to do in order to get through boring homework is to find a way to make it fun. Does that involve a feisty elderly woman, a robbery, and math homework that seems really hard? Sure it does, if you’re reading the January Green and Gold Mystery. I like that this story deals with things a teenager would understand—bullying, homework, single parents, and the stress of life. You can identify with the characters and their struggles to fit in or deal with their situations. Ms. Kakade writes a story that is relevant to teens today and is something they can immerse themselves in. Beth is an interesting heroine. I like that she’s not overly concerned with boys, makeup, and clothes. She has body issues, which many young girls can relate to. She’d rather read or write. She shows that there is more to life than going along with the crowd. I also liked Mrs. Naidu. She’s feisty and full of vigor. As she inspires Beth to improve on her schoolwork, she shows her how to improve as a person while never coming right out and saying “I am helping you to be a better person”. And then there’s the mystery. This story harkens back to the good old series with the Great Dane, but in an intelligent can’t-put-it-down-until-the-last-page fashion. 
If you want a story filled with twists, turn, and characters you won’t forget, then you need to read The January Green and Gold Mystery. I give this story 4 suns. TIGER LILY

HEROES

My personal hero is an ongoing challenge to me as I'm sure I am to him.
I'm lucky to have him in my life and there are certain qualities in him that find their way into my books and yet I take full advantage of the fact fiction gives me the license to create perfect heroes...the kind I like 'meeting' in the books I read or the shows I watch.

Where do we writers find them?

In the depths of our imagination, combining them with the real life qualities we like best in the men we know.  Part film and television, part books, part real life.

What kind of heroes do I like best?

The dependable kind of course with a strong purpose in life and great family values.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder so they don’t have to look perfect…they just have to have something about them that appeal to the heroine.

Are my heroes realistic?

My ‘reality’ is different from every one else’s so I can’t say they are. 

I emphasize ideals of qualities that are universally wanted and needed by every woman.

I think books create a world to escape to for a few hours and I want to provide a retreat that leaves readers feeling good.

Which one quality in heroes appeals to me the most?

It’s the ability to understand a problem the heroine’s facing and deal with it without her having to put it into words.

http://www.fionamcgier.com 

http://geetakakade.blogspot.com

http://dbator.blogspot.com

http://www.marcibaun.com

http://lynncrain.blogspot.co.at/


http://beverleybateman.blogspot.com

http://mizging.blogspot.com

http://connivines.blogspot.com
http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/ 
http://rhobinleecourtright.com/

Marriage and Women in India

This blog continues where my last blog on heroines left off.

Thanks to all of you who've contributed and shared your insight.

Reasons women in other countries do what they do:

When right and wrong of a culture is programmed into you from when you are a child it is extremely hard for women to go against that inherent core belief.  If religion is added to it (and it always is), the equation becomes hard.  The bogey man is 'society'.  That's a name that includes religion, of course.  Religion formed the basis for the voice of society at one time.   
As young girls we are told the family honor is at stake and our parents will be shunned if we step out of line.  Making a good marriage (one arranged for us) will elevate their position. To preserve a beloved father's honor is everything to a child.  We are also told (if we have younger sisters) that their chances of a good marriage will vanish as no one will want a girl from a house where another girl has shown willful behavior.  If we have an older sister, already married, then any wanton behavior will reflect on her new family too and she will be embarrassed/ disgraced by our choice.   Hindu guilt is a ball and chain.
This guilt isn't just in women in India...it exists in the heart of women the world over.
To be thrown out of a family/disowned scars women psychologically.  The reasons for 'toeing the line' go on and on....

Luckily for me my father was extremely independent, didn't give a &*#& what others thought and backed me up 90%.  My mother too, bless her traditional heart, let me have my way though my choices didn't sit well with her.

When we women in a free world talk about what others 'should' do, we have to remember that we need to walk in their shoes for just one day to realize the coils of tradition are iron chains.  If you are not raised to think freely, reaching for personal freedom is a terrifying GIANT step to take.

Tradition is not all bad...the ideals were made for the protection and well being of daughters.
Many traditional marriages are preceded by a period of courtship and are the epitome of love and success.
It is when women are abused in the name of tradition that life derails.   No one should put up with cruelty in the name of 'family honor', 'religion' or 'tradition'...but unless they have an acceptable alternative they will put up with it the world over.
I've talked to women here who are married to indifferent/cheating/no-good husbands and told them what their choices are...they've listened politely, thanked me and then said they prefer to be Mrs. Somebody than a nobody in a 'house for women' or one their own.  Her parents, one woman said when she told them about the way her life had crumbled, told her, "That's your life.  Go back and live it."

These women believe that suffering makes them true heroines in the eyes of 'their' world.

Luckily more and more young women each day, empowered by education, are making choices for themselves and 'divorce' once a religious taboo for Hindu women is becoming common abroad and in the cities in India.

As I said before laws are being made for the protection of women but Independence in the area of marriage is an individual movement.

ROUND ROBIN BLOG FOR JANUARY 2014: HEROINES

January, 25th, 2014

TOPIC:  What type heroine(s), traits, personality, in particular always draw you into the story?
Has it changed with time?
And do you write this type of heroine?

Heroines who draw me into a story are ones who:

1. Stand up for themselves.
2. Do not choose love for the sake of security but demand to be loved back 100% before they will commit to a relationship.

3. Face a compelling challenge other than the romance, from the word go.
4. Have a fault that makes them vulnerable and human.
5. Someone who at least once in the story 'rescues' the hero from a predicament.
6. Insist on equality at every level.

This type of heroine draws me into a book and makes me want to share her journey of external problem solving and self discovery on the path of love.

In Faith, Hope and Love, my first traditional romance and again in Daddy's Little Girl, my sixth, the heroines Rachel and Sara don't have two nickels to rub together but they still stand up for the things they believe in each in their own way.

Remember Anne of Green Gables, Jo of Little Women and Portia in The Merchant of Venice?  These were a few of my favorite 'early' heroines.


The changes time has brought about:

When I was first published in 1990, the traditional romance category was for young women.  Heroines in this category fell in love, worked through challenges with the hero and then got married before they consummated their relationship.  When I had one couple in bed before they were married in one of my books, I remember an editor telling me,  “Your heroine's not been married before so we can't have that scene in here.”  She went on to say, "If she's a widow or divorced that’s okay but explicit love scenes belong in another romance category, not yours."

Things have definitely changed since then with 90% of heroines now jumping into bed first and then working out their relationship with the hero for the rest of the book.
When I tell people I write 'traditional romance' they ask what's that and I explain.  Then they look at me like 'She must be the sister of the Dodo bird to be still writing those books!'

So, in today's world I'm a young adult writer and that's a label that’s right for my books.  I continue to use the traditional romance label as well for those 'golden oldies' readers, like me, who still recognize their favorite category by it.

Do I write about this type of heroine?

I do.

I have to sidetrack a bit and explain why this type of woman is so important to me...
I read romances in India as a young girl (Essie Summers, Anne Weale, Lucy Walker...to name a few).  Hemmed in by traditions that gave no leeway to women where marriage was concerned, I felt trapped.  The books I read reached into the head and heart of a ten year old and gave me the idea it was all right to be independent and to want to love someone and marry them because they loved you... not because your horoscopes matched, or you were good looking and healthy and would have many sons to carry on the family name, or well trained and would never give your husband a moment's worry no matter what he chose to do, or that there was a large dowry offered to diminish your faults and make you acceptable.

Back to the present:


I like to think that young girls all over the world, not just in the USA, might read my books and get ideas from them of self sufficiency, self worth and their rights in the decision making process about one of the most important areas of life...their choice of a partner…just like I did.

The women I write about now are not 'mooning' about love; they are realists...they meet someone who makes them realize that life has much more to offer with that special someone in it, but also that instead of a guaranteed 'happily ever after' they are going to work every day at building and maintaining a successful relationship.
They have to fall ‘in like’ with the hero first, find common ground to sustain their initial interest for a relationship to develop to the point where they cannot live without each other.

As for personality traits....

I like my heroines to be intelligent, have a sense of humor and be absolutely determined to support themselves so they are not leaning vines who need to be propped up by a hero.

Christy, Bridget and Laurel, the three heroines in my Cupid holiday trilogy, are all like this though they come from very different walks of life.

When I’m writing a romance, I think of my heroine as 'sleeping beauty being brought to life by the kiss of reality and determining to have it all:  a great personal life and success in work that is vital to her...whether it is running a home, raising a family, having a great career or running a country.'


I hope that strong heroines will continue to inspire women all over the world to insist on their right to freely choose whom to love and marry…just as they inspired me.

Thank you for your comments.  The replies to your comments are in the next blog...


                                                                  ****************

Robin, thanks so much for letting me sound off on a topic very dear to my heart.

http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/