The Character I'd Like to Write: The Classic Villainess Medea

Once upon a time back in college, I took a class in which we had to re-write famous stories into short stories told from the perspective of a lesser-known character. So.Much.Fun. The assignment that sticks with me is rewriting Euripides's Medea. I think I picked one of the boys to be my POV character for the class, but, man, I really wanted to tell Medea's story from her POV starting at the beginning--like the pre-Jason beginning. I contend that it's totally possible to make her a sympathetic character if given her own agency independent of the patriarchy filter.

Yes, I realize I just said that about a woman who murdered her children seemingly to spite her husband. That's after she sent a poisoned wedding dress and crown to the would-be bigamist's would-be second wife. Which is years after she hacked up her brother's body so her then-crush, Jason, could escape with the golden fleece.

Hey, there are people who cheer for Cersei Lannister too. Just sayin'...

That's probably why I tend to write strong female characters who can easily be viewed as villainous if the story is told from anyone else's perspective.

The Character I'd love to write.

So many choices...

Limiting it down to one?

The Creeper.

Who's the Creeper, you ask? He's a character from DC Comics.

Jack Ryder is a reporter in Gotham City. Once upon a time he ran across the wrong bad guys, a mad scientist and a Halloween costume. The end result its that when Jack Ryder touches a device planted in his arm, he becomes the Creeper.

So what it is about the Creeper? He's a good guy with just a slight twist of the Joker thrown in to add to madness. He MIGHT have some DNA from the Joker. he MIGHT have a few supernatural twists. He definitely runs toward the crazy side and he can be horrifically violent. I ask you, what's not to love?

The Creeper was created by Steve Ditko, the very same gentleman who created Spiderman along with Stan Lee. He is disturbing and off the rails in the best possible ways. There is so very much I'd like to explore about him and so many tales I would love to tell. I think he could be a unique Gothic hero in Gotham of all places. A chap who handles the things that Maybe Batman doesn't get around to seeing. And that says a lot as Batman is the world's greatest detective.

Oh, and in a pinch I'd gladly work on Batman. :) Or the Joker for that matter.

The Character I'd Love to Write? Phèdre!

Our topic this week among the Seven of us SFF types is The Established Character We'd Love to Write.

Because, of course, all writers start out as readers (or they should), and we're all fangirls and fanboys at heart. In fact, I'd wager that many writers conceive the first spurring desire to *really* write something (as opposed to playing around with stories about our pets) from reading a story, world or character that lit us up. I think this is why so many writers get started by writing fan fiction. Yes, it's easier to play in a world with characters someone else has created - but also that love is what sparks enough fuel to do the work.

(Writing is hard work, whether fan fiction or creating your own worlds. Never believe anyone who says otherwise.)

There are a LOT of established characters I'd love to write. Or wish I'd written, which comes out to about the same thing. In fact, I suspect a lot of my writing is me working out how I would have written certain characters or worlds.

But today I'm picking Phédre nó Delaunay of Jacqueline Carey's absolutely brilliant Kushiel series.

Full confession: not coincidentally I read these books only a year or two before I got serious about writing my own fantasy. Thus I do think of this character as a spark that finally gave me enough propulsion to do the hard work.

Why Phédre?

First of all, at that time (book one came out in 2002), there were few epic fantasy novels or series with a fully gratifying political and mythological sweep that featured a heroine as protagonist. The initial trilogy centers on Phédre - told in first person point of view - and the story is about her journey. She's not a partner or an accessory. In fact, the male characters, while heroic in their own ways, are accessories to her story.

That electrified me.

(I can't tell you how many epic fantasies I set aside over the years because I wearied of reading about men romping about doing interesting things while the female characters barely registered as more than cardboard props.)

Also, Phédre is a sexual being. She's a courtesan. She's also a spy, a brilliant linguist and an skillful navigator of tricky political waters. She is all of these things at the same time. Her sexuality is integral to who she is - and is a strength that allows her to triumph. Love love love.

Finally, Phédre possesses a kind of unshakable integrity that I admire in my heroes. She always fights to do what's best, even in the face of others' disdain or dismay. Her internal compass leads her unfailingly. Not that she doesn't doubt, not that she doesn't suffer tremendous setbacks - but she always sticks with what she believes to be right, even if the people she loves most disagree.

Amazing series. Amazing character. Amazing world.

Oh! Also, I'll be at WorldCon this week. Check here for my schedule!

Networking Plus A Cover Reveal

Networking IS my superpower...as others have also said this week, not the kind where you attend functions and hand out business cards, but the everyday interaction with people, conversations, helping someone out, receiving assistance, just getting to know who to call or message to ask a question...I love the "people part" of any job or pastime.

About two years in on the old day job at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab I got assigned a desk in the Acquisition Division providing a contracted service which literally every area of the Lab utilized at that time. It was crazy busy and nonstop. The first day I counted 300+ phone calls and went home with a blazing migraine. The next day I came in with a plan and got organized. I got to know people on all the Projects and in every Division, at all levels. I helped them, they helped me, we all had a common purpose to support NASA. I became an expert on the subjects involved in that contracting area and served on committees and special projects where I met more people, acquired new skills and had more fun. (NOTE: JPL is a pretty exciting place to work in general, cool stuff happens there daily.)  That job became the foundation for the rest of my career at the Lab, doing a lot of other things, and it didn't hurt that no matter what the question or issue was, I knew who to call. (No, not the Ghostbusters...). Maybe I wouldn't know the ultimate authority or decision maker but I guarantee you I'd know where to start the chain of calls or e mails and I would get the answer.

I'm having similar fun in the author world - although not supporting NASA directly any more LOL. (Will always be a NASA geek.) My latest project (yes, now we're seguing to the cover reveal) is a really fun anthology involving science fiction romance, with pets thrown into the mix as part of the plots. Pauline B. Jones and I, who met through the Science Fiction Romance Brigade (which our SFF7 Jeffe told me about in the first place and Marcella invited me to join once Jeffe introduced us - networking at work, TYVM, ladies!). Pauline and I became fast friends in recent years - our devious minds work alike mwahahaha - put the anthology together and invited seven other authors we knew, who we thought might enjoy the challenge, added a very worthy charity and voila!

Here's the press release!

Pets in Space

Out October 11th, 2016

Even an alien needs a pet...

Join the adventure as nine pet loving sci-fi romance authors take you out of this world and pull you into their action-packed stories filled with suspense, laughter, and romance. The alien pets have an agenda that will capture the hearts of those they touch. Follow along as they work side by side to help stop a genetically-engineered creature from destroying the Earth to finding a lost dragon; life is never the same after their pets decide to get involved. Can the animals win the day or will the stars shine just a little less brightly? New York Times, USA TODAY, Award Winning, and Bestselling authors have nine original, never-released stories that will capture your imagination and help a worthy charity. Come join us as we take you on nine amazing adventures that will change the way you look at your pet!

10% of profits from the first month go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve quality of life and restore independence.

A MATE FOR MATRIX: CYBORG PROTECTION UNIT

By S.E. Smith (New York Times/USA TODAY Bestselling Author) Matrix Roma is a member of the elite Zion military Cyborg Protection Unit. Matrix gets more than he bargains for when his cyborg partner, a hybrid Wolfhound named K-Nine, goes missing and ends up finding a mate for Matrix in the middle of a deadly mission on an unknown planet called Earth.

STRAY

By Susan Grant (New York Times/USA Today Bestselling, and RITA Award Winning Author) Interplanetary Marine Lt. Lukas Frank has a lot in common with a street dog named Bang-Bang; they both started off as scrappy orphans fighting to survive—and beat the odds. Things change when Bang-Bang leads Lukas to starpilot Capt. Carlynn Riga. The tough war hero learns what it means to surrender — his heart. Lukas’s struggles with PTSD threaten to tear the three of them apart, but nothing threatens them more than when Carlynn goes missing on a mission. Can a scarred marine and his unlikely canine partner find Carlynn and bring her home, or will he lose everything he’s finally found worth fighting for?

SPARK OF ATTRACTION

By Cara Bristol (USA TODAY Bestselling Author) Memory: intact. Cognitive function: enhanced. Emotion: erased. After becoming a cyborg, Captain Dante Stone didn’t think he’d ever feel again, until a traumatized young woman and a ball of synthetic fur named Sparky helped him to love.

STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY

By Veronica Scott Cargo Master Owen Embersson is shocked when the Nebula Zephyr’s ship’s cat and her alien sidekick, Midorri, alert him to the presence of a stowaway. He has no idea of the dangerous complications to come – nor does he anticipate falling hard for the woman whose life he now holds in his hands. Life aboard the Nebula Zephyr has just become more interesting – and deadly.

THE REAL DRAGON

By Pauline Baird Jones Emma Standish didn’t think her day could get any worse. Her dad is marrying his boss, her dragon suddenly came back talking and typing, and it’s her fault the Earth, or at least ten square miles of Texas, is going to be destroyed. That’s what happens when you forget something very, very important. Luckily for her, she’s got the love of her life that she can’t remember and her dragon by her side. Who needs to worry when you’re having a day like this?

STARDOG

By Laurie A. Green Navigator Taro Shall has a mission no one wants – find a way to eradicate snakes on a starship. He never expects to find the answer to his problem in a charming street vendor named Adini. His already unusual mission becomes more complicated when he suddenly acquires an adorable StarDog that soon sweeps him and Adini into the maw of a brewing insurrection.

SPIKE

By Alexis Glynn Latner Young Roboticist Ten Jaxdown has to deploy, and possibly sacrifice, the swarm of investigative robots that he has invented and cares about more than anything else in the star system. It may be the only hope for those depending on him and his robots to save them. Yet, even as frantic preparations for the unprecedented deep-space rescue mission are set in motion, it could all be threatened by sabotage. Anastasia Steed is an intrepid young mission designer. She steps forward with an idea that can improve the odds of the mission. Neither she nor Ten expect the assistance they receive from a very unusual pet. A pet that will bring together two alienated human beings who didn’t realize they needed each other. Can Ten and Anastasia discover who is behind the sabotage, save the mission, and discover what is evolving between them? With a little bit of unusual help, anything is possible.

SPACE RANGER

By Lea Kirk Graig Roble is the Senior Commander of security for the Guardian Fleet. His expertise as a weapons specialist and combat master is his world, what he was born to do – or so he thought until he finds his resolve and focus inexplicably wavering. Even returning to his position aboard the Atlantis can’t save him; if anything, it has left him questioning his own motives. He never thought that could happen until he met Simone Campbell. Simone's focus is on her home world - Earth. She thought her life was full with her research as a botanist.....Graig's gift of a puppy to keep her company does more than that, it keeps him in her dreams. How can such a simple gift bring her comfort and make her long for more? Graig and Simone are about to find out that sometimes love can blossom from the smallest, furriest ties.

ESCAPE RUN

By Carysa Locke Teegan’s job as a hunter is to track down the Talented, those driven insane by their gifts. She and Ember, her psychically gifted fox, have tracked dozens of people for Cole, the man who works to rehabilitate and recover these troubled souls. When one of Cole’s most dangerous patients escapes, Teegan and Ember are on a hunt that could prove fatal if she doesn’t keep her focus on her mission. Unfortunately, Cole is proving one distraction that might make this her last hunt if she can’t do that. Can Teegan keep her heart and mind in the game long enough to save an entire planet’s population, or will her distraction lead to heartache – and possibly death for everyone?

Foolproof Networking

Networking. You already know it's good. You already know you need to be doing it. However. It is also true that money doesn't grow on trees. If, like me, you cannot get to conferences to do your networking in person (which is the ideal) all is not lost!

This is why Al Gore invented the internet.

Online memberships are networking opportunities. Any email list or group you belong to - networking. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr, your social media du jour - all networking ops.

Even though this is a great 'spot the dork' photo, even class reunions can be networking opportunities:

A few of my fellow Cornish grads. When I finally manage to produce an audiobook, I'll have several perfect choices for voice actors.

What does networking mean anyway? Cultivating relationships. Bet you thought I was going to run on longer than that. Nope. It's supposed to be a simple task, but it is as fraught as your first date was - all that fear of rejection! And of wondering what they'll think of you!

Here's a trick for handling networking (wish I could tell you it was fool proof, but networking queen I am not) - networking is NOT the place to talk about you. It's for finding out what everyone else does. Likes. Thinks. Believes. Values. You DO get to talk about you, but that blend should be at least 60 them/40 you. You network by having something to offer someone else. Whether that be time, talent, or knowledge. Offer. When someone asks questions on social media and you can answer, give it a shot. You may not get responses initially. Eventually you will. And when you need something, ask! This is part of your 40% - other people feel good when they get to help someone.

A true story as case in point: I'm in the middle of a draft. The research is destroying me because Civil War. Let me explain the level of available detail. O_o  Anyway, I needed to know whether scent hounds could track someone who was inside a vehicle. Many long, frustrating hours trying to figure that out and I stumble across a blog written by a woman who trains bloodhounds for police work. She had incredible content and detail. So I emailed her cold, asking my question. But in return for her reply, I made darned sure to offer what tiny little bit I had to offer: mention in the acknowledgements and a link to her site. A day later, I had the most amazing and generous encyclopedic answer. Short answer: Yep. Those dogs CAN track someone who's inside a car. Kat Albrecht is her name. The scent hound website. And her newest venture: producing live mystery events.

So networking need not mean jetting (or road tripping) to conferences. There are distinct advantages to conferences - there's nothing quite like getting to meet people face to face, but also? Bar. So long as James' excellent advice is followed. No being THAT guy or gal.

Help people. You'll be surprised who turns around to want to help you, too.

IMPORT OF INTRIGUE Cover Reveal

Hey all-- busy day for me.  

But look what's going on: A cover reveal of AN IMPORT OF INTRIGUE over at The Qwillery!  Check it out.

Re-release

This week my blog-compatriots have nailed everything I could have hoped to say about the topic of networking. So rather than reiterate their valid points, allow me to squee about the re-release of mine…

Many of you have messaged me to tell me that the short story prequel to my Persephone Alcmedi series Marlboros and Magic was unavailable on Amazon. I discovered that they had kept it from purchase because “Marlboro” is a trademarked name and it is against their policy to allow. (Though it had been allowed to sell for over a year…) So, I’ve finally got a modified cover, re-edited the text for a few minor rough spots, and re-uploaded it for Kindle. It’s the story of how Nana got evicted from Woodhaven Retirement Community. Here’s the link:

http://tinyurl.com/smokes-magic

And here’s a snippet:

SMOKES & MAGIC

**formerly published as MARLBOROS & MAGIC

Persephone Alcmedi leaned against the brick wall of the covered entry to Woodhaven Retirement Community. “You know why I’m here.”

            “Yep.” Demeter Alcmedi, or rather ‘Nana,’ leaned against the opposite side tapping the toe of her untied tennis shoe—untied because her feet were swollen. She dug the cigarette case from the pocket of her white Capri pants, opened it and put a cigarette to her lips. As she flicked the lighter the stern expression on her wrinkled face dared her granddaughter to admonish her.

            Seph crossed her arms and fixed Nana with a hard stare. Those little tubes of tobacco were the whole reason Seph was visiting on this late-September afternoon.

She looked Nana up and down. A silver bee-hive hairdo crowned her. As she mimicked Seph’s pose, her shoulders sank lower creating secondary rounded shape. Her hips swelled in a generous third curve, producing an undeniable snowman shape. The plus-size tunic with big red cabbage roses couldn’t hope to hide it.

            Nana’s icy practicality and arctic wit combined with her resourcefulness made her a fierce polar bear of an old woman. Therefore, it stood to reason that the heat from the chain-smoked cigarettes was the only thing preventing her from freezing solid.

But the rules were the rules.

            “Do you need me to buy you some of those smoking cessation patches?” Seph asked.

            “No.”

            “Nicotine gum?”

            “No,” Nana repeated belligerently.

            “Should I hire a hypnotist?”

            Nana’s arms dropped to her sides in exasperation. “Now shit, Persephone.”

            “What?”

            “‘What’ yourself.”

            “You could stop any time you want.” Seph made a decidedly magical hand gesture. “Cast a spell.”

            With a defiant lift of her chin, Nana looked away.

            Seph knew what button to push. “The addiction tougher than you are?”

            Nana stamped her foot. “I. Want. To. Smoke.” She took another hit, blew the gray results into the air. “I like it. I like what it does. And since I’m paying mightily for the privilege of living in this dressed-up nursing home—”

            “It’s not a nursing home!” They’d had this discussion a dozen times four months ago when Nana moved into Woodhaven.

            Nana harumpfed. “Polish a turd, it’s still…a…turd.” She punctuated the last few words by pointing her cigarette for each. “I should be allowed to smoke whenever and wherever I want.”

            “You knew the rules when you moved in here. You agreed. You signed a paper.”

            Nana smirked. “That’s exactly what Mr. Loudcrier said to me yesterday.” She mimicked a puppet talking with her free hand. “Blah blah blah.”

            Persephone recognized the name of Woodhaven’s CEO. She hadn’t been impressed by the self-aggrandizing ass, but he was in charge and it was his job to enforce the rules. “They have the right to evict you if you don’t stop, and trust me, he will. Then where are you going to go?”

Nana gaped at her.

Feeling like she’d won by implying that Nana wasn’t going to live with her, Seph pushed away from the wall. “You better think about that before you light up again.” She left Nana with that thought and walked to her car without looking back.

Networking: Respect, Redirect, & Recommend

Is networking valuable? Absolutely. Is it easy? Not for everyone. Is it necessary even in the world of self-publishing? You betcha. Hell, I'd wager it's more necessary in self-publishing.

It's necessary that you establish relationships beyond the bubble of authors, agents, and house editors. You need the dev editors, the copy editors, and the proofreaders. You need the artists, the designers, and the formatters. You need contacts at the distributors for when gremlins strike. You need the reviewers who deign to support self-published authors. You need narrators, ad designers, video developers, and tax folks.

You need to know who's good, who's reliable, who's flexible, and who's affordable. 

That's everything you need. What do you give? Introductions. Guidance. Respect. Credit for jobs well done. Gratitude--never underestimate the value of a Thank You.

Always, always, always provide professional responses. 

Personal restraint and decorum are the underlying differences between fostering relationships in a professional network versus expanding a group of friends. With friends, you can let your hair down. You say what you think, what you feel, all with minimal (if any) censorship. Not true about professional networks. No snarky asides about people in your community. No sniveling or sniping just because you weren't included in an anthology call. No bad-mouthing the work then trying to soften your rebuke with, "but he's a nice guy." And for gods' sakes, no laying your burdens at everyone else's feet and expecting them to resolve your issues.

It is very easy to say very nice things about people with whom we enjoy working. It's not as easy to discourage people from dealing with incompetent buffoons while remaining on the high road. There is an art to it: the art of Respect, Redirect, & Recommend. If you don't like the work an artist did for you, you don't disparage their talent. You respect the individual by noting something good they did then redirect the conversation and recommend an artist with whom do you like working. If you don't believe the quality of edits provided by a particular dev editor was up to par, you respect the person by pointing out a strength, then redirect and recommend to a dev editor whose work you value. If you're asked about a known predator, the respect shifts to the people who have done the vetting and verification that allow you to redirect the inquiry to a valid source and recommend an alternative service provider. If you don't know an answer or a contact, it's okay to say so. It's no shade on you.

There's a difference between providing recommendations/cautions and spreading gossip. A classic example, "Well, I heard that Pimpy's Promos totally screwed up the order and ruined Ethel's signing." Professional caution or gossip? Depends on whether or not you have personally verified the story with all parties involved. Do you know if there was any effort on Pimpy's part to rectify the situation? Do know if Pimpy provided exactly what Ethel requested, but Ethel's the one who made the mistake? You might share the unverified gossip with your friend, but you shouldn't say it to a professional contact.

Always be aware that the community of freelancers is well connected--for better and for worse. As James said yesterday, don't be THAT GUY.

You might not be courting gatekeepers, but you are building your own pre and post-production publishing team along with building your reputation as an author among peers and providers. Be the client with whom you'd like to work. Remember to give and take when networking. Remember that the contacts you make while networking are not your confidants or your cronies. They are your professional peers.

Networking is all about Respect with a healthy dose of Redirect & Recommend.