Dec 7 2017

Why representation matters

Sigils and Spells: A Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection

Why representation matters

When I was a kid, I didn’t care about diversity. Just playing. If you were a kid and nice, then you were my friend. Only a person’s name and their character was what was important to me, not their race. Other kids called me names, because of my friends, and threw rocks at me and them. But a true person reveals their heart by their actions and words, not the color of their skin.

As an adult, I watched TV shows like The Cosby Show, Living Single, It’s a Different World, Fresh Prince, Martin, and many, many more. I loved them because they were funny and had good plots and dialogue. Now I watch Luke Cage, Queen Sugar, Shots Fired, and others.

I wept when I read the book, The Help and The Invention of Wings and The Secret Life of Bees.

In my own writing, I try to write diverse characters. But even then, I feel like I fell short of reality and painting my worlds in the vast array of wonder. I beta read for other authors and came across an interesting historical western romance. But as I read, something occurred to me: there were only white people in the story. This was in the Nineteenth century. When I mentioned this to the author, she didn’t respond. However, I can assume she realized it was true because her second book after that one she sent me to critique had two diverse main characters. Sometimes, I don’t think we realize that we, as authors, are showing the reality of our diverse world.

I had an idea for a new Urban Fantasy series with a sidekick who was not white. Then I thought, why stop there? Why not have the ‘sidekick’ have her own story, her own adventures?

blood lust.jpg ebook So I wrote Book 2, Thorns & Blood series, featuring a dhampir (half-vampire/ half-human) woman who hunts rogue vampires for a living. She’s has both African American and Native American heritage.

Being diverse, to me, means a more wonderful world full of amazing people who are like everyone else. Wanting and needing love and acceptance. I have friends of all nationalities and genealogy so why can’t fiction and movies and shows reflect that?

Not everyone feels this way.

“”Star Trek: Discovery,” the latest entry in the “Star Trek” universe, features two women of color – Michelle Yeoh as the starship captain and Sonequa Martin-Green as her first officer.” 1 However, fans were in an uproar that the two main characters were: 1) not white and 2) not male.

What??? Star Trek is based on aliens and space and the future. Is the future going to remain white men rule everything? Maybe a woman captain would be a good thing. In Alien: Covenant, having Janet “Danny” Daniels as their leader might have saved all their lives if she’d been in charge from the beginning.

What about you? Does diversity and representation matter to you?

#diversitymatters #representationmatters

Today, help support diversity and representation, and grab your copy of this great set of full-length stories before it’s gone!

1 – http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-star-trek-discovery-diversity-20170623-story.html

Cheri Winters got hooked on Urban Fantasy through Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, and Laurel K. Hamilton. Now Cheri writes her stories with kick-ass heroines battling their way through adventure and mayhem.

When not writing, Cheri practices Muay Thai and Karate or catches up reading her favorite authors.

Follow her on Facebook

Sign-up for her VIP Reading Group

Website

My Sexy Stranger ~ @MySexySaturday #MySexySaturday #MySexyAuthors #Saturday7 #MSS172

My Sexy Saturday – Claimed Book 1

Her lips parted, her tongue moistening them, and his nature
roared in his ears to take her. Clenching his fist, he used all his
strength to wait for her nod and carry her back to the rocky coast
rather than devour her mouth with his.
After he set her on the rocks, she scrambled away from the
water’s edge.
“Don’t forget your promise,” he teased, but he couldn’t help
it. Any more staring at the blush on her cheeks and chest and he’d
forget his vow and claim her. Even her erect nipples straining against
her wet lace bra made him dig his nails into his palms.
She huffed and snatched up her towel. Thankfully, it reached
just below her butt, leaving her long legs exposed for his admiration.
Then she batted her eyelashes at him. “I would never give you the
satisfaction.”
“Of which?” He beamed. “Drowning or bathing?”
“Both.” She inserted the corner of towel between her breasts,
locking the rest of it around her, and then grabbed her canteen. “Uh,
thank you for saving me.” She shivered, and he doubted it was
merely from the dunk in the water. “Please don’t tell the others; it’s
embarrassing.”
After his nod, she breathed out a sigh. She looked as if she
anticipated that he would haul her back into the water for a lesson.
Her movements reminded him of abused animals. He speculated
most people, who couldn’t swim but grew up around water, would
try to learn unless they experienced drowning or trauma in the past.
Could that have happened to her? There was more to this situation
than her usual stubbornness. Vulnerability even.

To read the next author, click on the MY SEXY SATURDAY Link

Andrea R. Cooper writes fantasy, paranormal, historical and romantic suspense.

Her favorite childhood memories revolved around creating vibrant characters for her friends, and then acting out their adventures. Inside her fantasy worlds of darkened forests, dragon-filled glades, and iced islands, nothing was banned. From the ethereal Elvin to the most maligned Vampires, all were welcome in her fictional realities, a stark contrast to her home, where the magical and mythical was forbidden.

www.andreaRcooper.com

Ya & Claimed Collage1

Jan 5 2016

Cloaked by T.F. Walsh

CLOAKED by T.F. Walsh Is Now Out

Cloaked woods

Blurb:

Raised by an overly protective wulfkin pack, Daciana leaps at the chance to venture into the human world for her one-year independence ritual. But after someone steals the endangered bear cubs she’s been assigned to protect, she must locate them or lose her job and return home in disgrace. The sexy inspector on the case isn’t making this any easier. He knows nothing of her kind, and wulfkin rules forbid relationships with humans.

Newly divorced Inspector Connell Lonescu trusts no one but himself. He’s convinced relationships are a waste of time and thinks burying himself in work will ease the pain. Yet he’s attracted to the gorgeous and mysterious Daciana, even if there’s something slightly odd about her. Can Connell learn to trust the sexy but secretive woman?

Cloaked is the prequel to Cloaked in Fur, book 1 in The Wulfkin Legacy Series. Find out how Daciana and Connell fell in love and set in motion the paramount events that forever change their lives and those around them.

Cloaked is only 0.99c

Grab Your Copy: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | iTunes

Publisher: Crimson Romance

3D Cloaked

Coming Soon

Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – March 2016

Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – May 2016

Sign up here for T.F. Walsh’s newsletter to keep up to date with latest releases, special offers, and exclusive content.

About The Author

TF-Walsh-Pic-275x300 T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she’s always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.

Jun 16 2015

The Curse of the White Screen – Jami Gray

Guest post by Jami Gray

The Curse of the White Screen

If you’re a writer, chances are you’ve faced the horrifying reality of a blank screen. Generally, this terror strikes when you’ve finally completed the roller coaster ride of your last work in progress. You’re flushed with the sweet knowledge that you managed to get your characters, their world and a magnificent plot etched into electronic stone. Some writers may decide to take a small breather, a day, a week, a month, before attempting the next great journey. Others (who are much braver than I am) give themselves a whopping hour before setting fingers to keyboard. Regardless of when you start, everyone encounters the same picture—a white screen where words tremble on the edge of existence.

Since I can’t speak for all of us out there (and we are legion!) we’ll say the views stated below are solely mine.

Follow me back three books. After mending the rips and tears from my writing partners on my second Urban Fantasy, SHADOW’S SOUL, I sent it on to my editor so she could dissect it and throw it back. The apparition of my third book, SHADOW’S MOON, loomed ahead like a large writer-eating slug.

Strapped to my office chair with chains of headphone cords and superglue dusting my fingertips, the urge to run was greatly dampened as I prepared to face my nemesis—a white screen. The decision had been made that SHADOW’S MOON would follow Xander, a secondary character, so as to give our main character couple a break. As the screen mocked me, my brain whirled. Plots and subplots flew around in a maelstrom. Faced with the fact that Xander, the heroine of my third book, was actually a fairly well adjusted, not too tormented being, I panicked. I don’t do well-adjusted characters. Dark and edgy are the two biggest components of character creation for me. Granted Xander can kick butt with the best of them, but she comes from a loving family, she’s confident in herself and her abilities, she’s unique and she just happens to be involved with a not-so-well-adjusted alpha male.

Slowly, bit-by-bit I started to carve out the plot, but it was like pulling teeth—without painkillers. I got halfway through, and felt like I just completed a 5K run in flip-flops. I sent out an SOS text to my partners in word slinging.

“Do I have to do it from her POV?” I whine.

Their responses are instantaneous: “Don’t be wimpy!” “Suck it up!” “YES!” and so on.

Resigned to my fate, I set Siri aside and continued on. Years and years later, I have a plot. HOORAY! Now to come up with the opening scene.

NOOOOO!!!

I reached into my emergency stash of chocolate and caffeine. I harbor a futile hope that this edible combination will save me from the bleak fate waiting on the other side of the screen.

I spent days lost in my head running through various scenarios. It got so bad I ended up walking around my house muttering constantly, hair sticking every which way, and wearing clothes that show why stripes and plaid should never go together. It’s horrible and my husband seriously considered contacting the local psych ward for help.

Finally, I dragged my weary, abused mind back to the computer. Six hours later, all I had to show for my efforts were seven measly pages. Tears of relief played havoc with my vision as I powered down the computer. That night I’m thrilled I’ve gotten something down, and even managed to go to sleep.

Then morning came, and with it, the realization that the scene would not work—not for the opening, and probably not in this book. My creativity threatened to implode. Now my inner critic pipes up. Maybe two books are all you have. You’re all written out. My creative well was empty.

I contemplated new hobbies such as…maybe….cooking, the kind that doesn’t involve a microwave, or rock collecting…a wisp of something drifted through my mind. It teased the edges of my consciousness with subtle pokes and prods, finally it snapped me out of my self indulgent whine-fest. That teasing temptation whispered, “What if…”, and suddenly I was tripping across the floors (it’s a super talent) and stumbling to my desk. Fingers raced across the keyboard and the most wonderful sight ever….WORDS started to spread across the white screen.

With six books under my belt, I have complete confidence I will face the challenge of the white screen again, rather soon actually. Any writer will warn you, this situation will pop up with frightening frequency…in the beginning of the story, in the middle of the story, at the end of the story. No matter how many times you manage to beat it back, it will endure, but so will you, because that’s what writers do. We endure and push through all those walls and blank screens so we can share the magic of our worlds and introduce readers to our wickedly cool peeps.

Pick up SHADOW’S EDGE for FREE for a limited time and dive into the shadows of the Kyn…

THE KYN KRONICLES (Urban Fantasy series w/Black Opal Books)

WRAPPED IN SHADOWS, Kyn Kronicles .5

(Things That Go Bump For The Holidays Anthology)

The magic of the holidays can be hell…

Celebrations abound during the holidays, but this Christmas an engagement celebration goes horrifically wrong. What appears to be a simple murder/suicide hides a vicious surprise. The type of gift Raine and Gavin, elite member of the Kyn, didn’t want humans to unwrap, because revealing the monsters in the shadows isn’t the way to spread holiday cheer.

SHADOW’S EDGE, Kyn Kronicles #1

Everyone fears what hunts in the shadows—especially the monsters…

When the supernatural lurks in the shadows of the mundane, hunting monsters requires unique skills, like those of Raine McCord. A series of deaths threatens to reveal the Kyn community and forces her to partner with the sexy Gavin Durand.

As the trail leads to the foundation haunting Raine’s childhood, she and Gavin must unravel lies and betrayals to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

SHADOW’S SOUL, Kyn Kronicles #2

Some nightmares are born of love…

A simple assignment turns into a nightmare when Raine McCord follows Cheveyo to the Southwest on a consulting gig. When the most feared beings of the Kyn kidnaps Cheveyo and leaves Raine for dead, her ability to heal her mind and spirit hinges on the one man who can touch her soul, Gavin Durand.

Unraveling the Southwest Kyn’s web of secrets and hidden vendettas will either bring them together or tear them apart forever.

SHADOW’S MOON, Kyn Kronicles #3

Even wild hearts can be broken…

Tracker, Xander Cade, confronts an enraged Shifter in a crowded human nightclub, fraying the thin secrecy shielding the supernatural community from public scrutiny. Danger stalks the pack and she must protect her alpha and mate, Warrick Vidis, even if he doesn’t want it.

If they don’t find a way to trust each other and accept their rare bond they risk losing everything-their pack, their friends and each other.

SHADOW’S CURSE, Kyn Kronicles #4

Death and chaos can devastate even the best-laid plans…

After tragedy strikes the Northwest Kyn, leaving the houses in chaos and the Wraiths hungry for blood, the fallout threatens Natasha Bertoi’s carefully laid plans. When the Council sends Darius Abazi, the one man guaranteed to skew the odds, she faces her toughest opponent yet.

As death stalks the Northwest Kyn, can Natasha trust Darius, a man well versed in subterfuge, to uncover the truth before treachery destroys them all?

Coming Fall 2015:

A collection of Kyn shorts, including WRAPPED IN SHADOWS

BIO:

Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams. She can be soothed with coffee and chocolate. Surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and two female labs moonlighting as the Fur Minxes, she escapes by playing with the voices in her head.

You can find Jami at:

Black Opal Books: www.BlackOpalBooks.com

Muse It Up Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com

Website: www.JamiGray.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamigray.author

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JamiGrayUFWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamiGrayAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JamiGray

Google+: https://google.com/+JamiGray

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B006HU3HJI

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/LvoZn

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jamigrayauthor/