IWSG & Villains & Heroes

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

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March 6 question - Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? And why?

I have to admit that I adore writing from the villain's perspective.
It's so much fun - which may or may not say a lot about me!

With my focus on contemporary romance, I don't have a lot of opportunity to let the evil drip onto the page, but I've got multiple suspense stories lurking in my To Be Written pile where I plan to start off each chapter wth a scene from the villain's pov. Some of the flash fiction I've been writing has the villain as the central character as well.

For me, villains are fun because they're the heroes of their twisted stories - and they want the rest of the world to see it that way as well.

How about you? Anyone else like writing the villain's pov?

JL Campbell & The Thick of Things

The lovely JL Campbell has a new book coming out!!!

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The Thick of Things by JL Campbell

Three reasons readers will love the hero

Douglas Blythe is a confident, mature man who catches Khalila Skyers’s eyes and fires up her imagination. His role in the story is that of a well-adjusted male, who knows what he wants and does what is necessary to acquire it. His personality makes the story an interesting journey. 

Here’s my take on why readers will love Douglas:

• He treats Khalila like a queen. Douglas is the kind of guy women dream about. He shows Khalila that he wants more than the physical attraction that burns between them, makes her feel cherished, and spends generously when he takes her out and about. 
• He says exactly what he means. Women appreciate honesty. In his conversations with Khalila, he’s direct and communicates without any frills, even if his words end up shocking her at times.
• He’s disciplined to a fault. While Khalila craves for another taste of their initial physical encounter, Douglas insists on keeping things chaste between them. His restraint makes their eventual coming together more intense and meaningful.

     Douglas is kind and sensitive and knows how to treat a lady. He impresses on Khalila that he knows who he is and what he wants. What more can a woman ask for?

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The Thick of Things

By JL Campbell

Synopsis

GENRE: women's fiction with romantic elements, contemporary romance

BLURB: Life has a way of going awry when you least expect it, and Khalila Skyers learns this lesson the hard way. In one devastating blow after another, she loses her cosy existence. Then Douglas Blythe overtakes her life like a flood, and she’s not equipped to deal with an attraction that seems forbidden and overwhelming. But her body and heart want what they want, and leave her wondering if she ever knew herself at all.  

Douglas is determined to help Khalila move beyond her obsession with the past and reach for love a second time. No matter how long it takes. No matter the distance. He’s going to prove he’s worth the risk. 

Buy Links

Amazon         B & N         iBooks           Kobo

Amazon Canada.         Amazon UK 

Can't wait to read my copy!!!!

Martin

Martin Luther King Jr changed the world. His courage and perseverance are legacies to all of us. Can you imagine living in those times? I hope not.

I really don't understand racism. I mean intellectually I understand it, but I just don't get it. To me, it's like hating someone because they have a different shoe size. I was lucky enough to grow up naive and oblivious in a small Canadian city.

My first best friend was a First Nations girl. I told my mom one day I wanted to have black eyes & black hair. She laughed & said, "Not in this family." I didn't understand her comment, but it stuck with me. I don't like being confused, but something about the way she said it made me feel like I was supposed to understand it, so I didn't ask for an explanation. It was a loooong time before I realized people with Scottish heritage generally don't have black eyes.

In high school I became best buddies with a girl born and raised for a few years in China. By this time I was a little more aware, so it was pretty obvious her features were Asian, but I still didn't notice really. She was an amazing athlete and I always envied her the confidence she showed. We bonded over sports & are still friends today though we live many miles apart. I didn't know until years later her confidence was a facade. She'd come to Canada & school speaking no English. It was years before she made real friends because of the language barrier. Her confidence was an act, a good one. She told me later, she was thrilled to find a friend who never asked her about what it was like to grow up Chinese. Oblivious little old me never really thought about it.

Kids today are a LOT more aware of things than I ever was. Naive just doesn't cut it these days. They know there are differences. And they love it. They discuss it and they celebrate it. I have kids from 8 cultural backgrounds in my classroom. There is no racism. Zero. Zip. None.

And I'm not naive anymore. I watch. I listen. I know. They're not just talking the talk. They're walking the talk as well. Best friends happen across language barriers, across cultural boundaries. In my class, we do a LOT of group work, a LOT of partner work. Partners and group members are chosen randomly. Always. No one complains about working with a classmate. Ever.

So... Thanks Martin. We owe you a lot. We will remember. We will keep up the dialogue. Because there are some parts of our history that should never be repeated. And with your help, we'll make sure your dream becomes a reality.

Who's Your Hero?

"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example."
-- Benjamin Disraeli

Like many women, my dad was my first hero, my first example of what it takes to be a man.

I’m one of the lucky ones. My dad continues to be a powerful, positive focus in my life, even though he died several years ago. My dad was a strong man, with a very low tolerance for laziness, stupidity and baloney. He kept his word. Always. You knew where you stood with dad, whether you liked it or not.

My dad wasn’t always popular at his job. He was a stickler for rules and for always doing your best work. He was promoted into a position of authority at a very young age. Some of the older folks weren’t impressed with taking orders from a young ‘un – although I’m sure they had much more interesting names for him! At his funeral, it was really touching to hear from these older men how they’d disliked or hated him at the beginning, but how he’d earned their respect and their trust. More good memories to add to my many personal ones.

The heroes in my novels tend to follow in at least one set of my dad’s footsteps. Sometimes more. But never so many that it’s a bit creepy :) They’re all strong, all men of their word.

So, how about you? Who’s your real-life hero? Does he show up in your work?