The Myth of Strong Women in SFF...and Oreos

Hello Familiar Friends:

It has been a long time since I posted a blog. I have been very involved with a lot of things, mostly writing new tales and attempting to master social media to promote sales for my two books out there in the abyss of Amazon. I have wondered if it was worthwhile to continue blogging with the mass of social media swarming around us.  Plus social media platforms like Facebook and twitter have been a storm of political chaos, which had me in its grasp too. But, maybe it is?

I try to post interesting articles about my beloved fantasy and science fiction genre on Twitter and Facebook.  One article I ran across, which I shall not name, but a rather confusing article with a definite attitude about what strong women are and why aren't there any real strong women in science fiction and fantasy. There were other issued addressed in this person's blog-but first I want to address the point on strong women in fantasy and science fiction, or the lack thereof.


No strong women? Really? That sent me into tizzy as I gobbled some oreos and tried to understand this blogger's reasoning. I had trouble getting through the article to be honest. The author of this piece argued women as only being seen as strong if they kick butt, or they were submissive like Bella Swan. She made points about fantasy and science fiction being gender biased. There was a section on how common rape is overused in the SFF genre as a means to show women will never be equal with men.  There was much note about how it was "male genre. The blogger referred to characters as being either too strong or weak, with no balance in between. They long for more developed characters. I do not agree with this blog. Let me explain....

Any genre has issues, but I do not think this author is very well read in the SFF genres, at least in my personal opinion. Maybe they have seen too many comic book films, which are not the best examples for three dimensional characters male or female. The common bestsellers are not always the best example of any genre. Twilight set female characters back 50 years. Has this person read any Tanith Lee, Davis Eddings, Neal Gaiman, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, Martha Wells, or even my work?? Yes, I name myself. Indie writers deserve attention too. Really-I have several strong female and male characters that are not black or white in development. There are tons of great books out there with fully developed female and male characters. If you want to talk TV, look at Babylon 5, X-Files, Stargate SG1, and Stargate Atlantis,  and even some Star Trek for good role models. Do not look to vampire TV unless it's Buffy. 

For myself, SFF in book or media form has had on opposite effect on my perspective. I treasure SFF because it showed women could do more than bake pies or be just the hero's girlfriend. We all have our opinion. This is mine.

More to come...in the meantime read more fantasy!

Book releases, new tales, and familiar chaos

Greetings Familiar Friends!

The new novel in my series, Tree of Bones, A Familiar's Tale, Book 2 (published by the fantastic Sky Warrior Books)  is available on Kindle and through all the normal channels. I have only one review so far (but it is 5 stars-thank you.)

If anyone has read and liked my novel, please post a review on Amazon. It is the kindest thing you can do for an author.

Am deep in the creation process on other projects. One of which is a heroic fantasy where the heroine is the core focus of core. Heroines rules my words. I cannot reveal much about the novel of course, but the lead character's name is Sabine Fable.

I have submitted my final book in the Familiar's Tale trilogy to my publisher (Fires of Rapiveshta). It is odd to have the tale completed. I will miss my characters.

More exciting is on the horizon as I hear about release dates for my other books. Until then...read more fantasy!

Cheers,

Verna McKinnon

Tree of Bones release date and preorder!!!!

Hello Familiar Friends!

 

Tree of Bones, A Familiar's Tale, Book 2, is available for pre-order from my publisher, Sky Warrior Books at Amazon!! Happy dance.

 

I want to thank all my friends and fans for their patience in the release of my second opus in my trilogy. This is the wonderful cover art.

 

This is the wonderful link to pre-order my novel!

http://amzn.to/2gLskIg

 

More to come. Hugs and chocolate for all!

 

Verna McKinnon

Fires of Rapiveshta done and other insanity.

Greetings familiar friends and readers!

Just a quick update about Fires of Rapiveshta, the 3rd and final novel in my Familiar's  Tale series. It is done. Complete at 104,000 words and submitted to my overworked publisher at Sky Warrior Books. I finished in early June, but my brain was so spongy after months of intense writing, which was made easier by a friend who is a darn good editor with a practical eye.

I am looking forward to the release of Tree of Bones, the 2nd novel in the series. I have seen the preliminary cover art and am excited.

Currently, I am recovering and organizing my next writing projects. I have several in mind. Until then, read more fantasy!

Cheers,

Verna McKinnon

Write, write, write.

I have reached the 50,000 word mark in Fires of Rapiveshta. Am on a roll and need to keep the momentum cranked up. I am about halfway through novel. So I will not be posting for at least 2 weeks. Think of me as I feverishly type the fates of my characters in final book of the Familiar's Tale trilogy. I will also be off social media for 2 weeks. Can I survive?

I will be living on coffee and chocolate. And mashed potatoes. Sorry, but I am hungry and it's lunch time. I love this stage of writing. It is a mad rush as it all flows. I try to imagine I look like this:

 

 

But I am more like this:

 



More to come. Stay tuned. Until then, read more fantasy!

Cheers,

Verna McKinnon

Heroine Julian Crane of "The Man in the High Castle"

 

As I write about heroines and their importance, it is worthwhile to point out someone new and exciting. The character of Julian Crane in the series, The Man In The High Castle, is definitely worth noting. I have watched the 2 seasons on Amazon, and am thrilled it has been renewed for a third season.

The series (based on the science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick) is set in 1962 in an alternative timeline where the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy, won World War II. Life in this America is not pleasant or safe, no matter where you live. The west coast is controlled by Japan, the east coast Nazi Germany, and there is a neutral zone in the middle.

Juliana Crane is a heroine of great substance, though not in the usual tough girl format. Wonderfully played by Alexa Davalos, she is a soft spoken woman who loves her family. She is trying to survive in a world where life is cruel and can be snuffed out on a whim. When her sister goes missing, she does everything to find out what happened to her, connecting her with dangerous people. It send her on a deadly path where even the so-called good guys (resistance fighters) cannot be trusted. Juliana makes mistakes along the way. She wanted to find her sister and give her justice, which doomed her to be used. She does not actively betray anyone, but her compassion and mercy endanger her.

That's the thing. Her compassion is what makes her a great heroine. Not her fighting prowess or if she can shoot or blow things up. She wants freedom, but is not willing to do anything or hurt anyone to achieve it. People hated and judged her for it. The man in the high castle (the one behind the Resistance & the films) did not want her killed when she failed to kill a target, but the hotheads who had her in custody were just as bloodthirsty as their oppressors. They try to kill her, but her fortitude and drive save her. She escapes to Nazi America with both Resistance and Imperial Japan in pursuit, trying to survive again, and being used by the Resistance-again. She does not like the Nazi's anymore than her life in San Francisco. The Resistance use her but do not forgive. There are people who knew her and loved her too, who see her gentle strength as something great.  But they cannot help her. She mus save herself.

"The man in the high castle," an enigmatic man with control of the strange films people covet (will not explain here-watch the show) understands her importance.  He has seen her impact in every version of the world and knows why. Her compassion makes her special. She is the hope that binds in the mysterious films. Her kindness is not only the hope of the world, but an change the fate of the world.

More heroines and writing news to come.

Cheers,

Verna

Holiday madness, novel outlines, and cookies

Hello Familiar Friends:

As the holidays explode and Christmas cookies and truffles destroy my healthy eating plan, I am still working on my tales. I have been writing a chapter a day of late. A good friend (Chris W you know who you are) acts as my unofficial editor as I burn up my keyboard. Thank you, Chris.   

I do not use a strict outline when I write. I have a basic rundown of what I want to happen and to whom, and rough chapter outlines as guides. But when I am writing, that's when everything clicks together and I take the story onward to its conclusion.  I know exactly what needs to happen to my characters for the whole series of "A Familiar's Tale," as I do for the newest series I am working on for Sky Warrior Books. The new series is about a Dwarven female heroine named Rose Greenleaf, (Bardess of Rhulon) and it should be out next year sometime. Am excited. Kudos to to my favorite editor, Carol Hightshoe, for editing my novels. She is the best. But I know the outcome of my tales before I sit down to write. The stories roil my head and are crammed into notebooks, but I know what to do. With me there is no guess work about what to write.

My biggest writing problem, like so many others I think, is procrastination. I am quite guilty of putting things off in favor of a good X-Files marathon or baking cookies. But when I am in writing mode, I'm a possessed creature, whose feverish typing curse is only broken when I reach the conclusion of the end of the novel. Also rewarded by cookies. Goodness, but cookies are on my mind aren't they. I blame the elves. Darn sugar cookies. Darn elves with high metabolisms.

So, as I finish up Fires of  Rapiveshta, A Familiar's Tale, Volume 3,  Enjoy a safe holiday season and beware of spiked eggnog and sneaky elves.  Tree of Bones is coming soon. Watch for it!

Cheers,

Verna McKinnon