Today I have with us, Susannah Sandlin...who is talking about heros and heroines.
Breaking Down
the Stubborn Hero and Heroine
Susannah Sandlin
I
had a struggle on my hands when I began writing Omega, the newest book in my Penton Legacy series (out February 5).
I usually have a good grasp of my hero and struggle with my heroine, or
vice-versa. Every once in a serendipitous while, I’m in sync with both hero and
heroine from the start. (The second series book, Absolution, was like that—thank you, Mirren and Glory!)
Then
there was Omega. I did character
charts. I plotted scenes. I made several false starts on the book before I
finally set the laptop aside and put myself in time-out. Literally. I made myself
sit in a chair in a quiet room and do something you’d think authors do a lot,
but which in fact we rarely take time to do:
stop and think. Just think.
I
finally figured out the problem with Will and Randa, my couple in Omega. They
were both alike. That in itself is a challenge. Not only were they alike,
however, but they handled stress in the same way—by erecting a wall.
Randa
hides behind a tough-as-nails attitude. The only girl in a family of military
guys, she feels she has to prove herself just a good a soldier as her brothers
and her father the colonel. Nothing gets beneath that steel armor. When she was
turned vampire, she lost her human family but inherited a new family in
Penton—and has to prove herself all over again with another bunch of domineering
guys (only these guys have fangs instead of uniforms).
Will
has had a truly horrific upbringing, emotionally abused by his wealthy father
in New York as a child, then turned vampire by that same father when he was 22,
when the mental abuse turned physical. Outside, he is handsome and brilliant,
with a quick wit and outgoing personality (and, yeah, a bit of a jerk). Inside,
he feels like the inadequate screwup his father always told him he was. Like
Randa, he hides himself behind a mask. He plays a role. He doesn’t want to be
exposed.
So
when two Teflon-coated characters come together, something extreme has to
happen to get them to open up and, slowly—ever so slowly—begin to reveal bits
of their hidden selves. In the case of Omega, it took a projectile grenade, a
cave-in, and the lure of Army underwear. I can’t say more, or Will would sink
his fangs in me.
So
in the end, I got Omega written, and
fell in love with this hard-to-understand couple that used up more than their
fair share of my brain cells.
What
kind of romantic couples do you prefer? The opposites-attract type (like Mirren
and Glory), or the work-through-some-issues types (like Will and Randa)—or is
it all about the chemistry? Enter the Rafflecopter for the tour prizes, and
leave a comment to be entered for a choice of Penton Legacy print book, Kindle
book, or audiobook (CD or mp3).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Omega
Penton Vampire Legacy, Book 3
Susannah Sandlin
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Date of Publication: February 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1612183596
ASIN: B0073XV3L2
Number of pages: 328
Word Count: approx. 88,000
Book Description:
The
bloody war between the Vampire Tribunal and the defiant scathe of Penton,
Alabama, rages on, forcing its residents and their bonded humans to retreat
into the underground fortress of last resort: Omega. There, Will Ludlam is
charged with the care of Penton's humans, though he longs to fight alongside
his vampire brethren. He knows the risks: as the renegade son of the Tribunal's
vicious leader, Will's capture could doom the resistance.
Yet he
is determined to prove his worth to his adopted scathe, to his vengeful father
and to former US Army officer Randa Thomas, his beautiful, reluctant partner.
Randa has little faith that a former member of the vampire elite has what it
takes to fight a war. But as their enemies descend upon Omega, Will's polished
charm and Randa's guarded heart finally give way to the warrior within.
Fans of
Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy are sure to devour this long-awaited third
installment of the steamy paranormal series.
Susannah
Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there
are always things that go bump in the night. A journalist by day, Susannah grew
up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch and the horror fantasy
of Stephen King. (Um…it is fantasy, right?) The combination of Howatch and King
probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has
also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.
Website:
http://www.susannahsandlin.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/susannahsandlin
Indie
Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781612183541
21 comments:
For me it's all about Chemistry!
I loved the relation between Mirren and Glory but i also love Will and Randa. Both couple are different and it's wonderful to see they evolve together. You really managed a good work with both and randa and will personnality is well buit and well described
really wonderfully done^^ congrats!
A series to recommend without a doubt!
Thanks for the background info on Will and Randa. Patiently waiting for Omega, 5 days to go now. I like the work-through-some-issues types.
It's all about the chemistry between a couple. Every couple is different, has different dynamics, and different issues to overcome. From beginning to HEA it is the chemistry that keeps them committed to their HEA. I cannot wait for Omega. I love Will! I keep telling my reading buddies about this series. It is fantastic!
mrs.robinbird@gmail.com
Thanks for the comments, guys! I agree the chemistry has to be there in order for the couples to go through their issues.
@Shellbelle...I hope you like Omega--you might be surprised at what Will's been hiding :-)
I'm struggling with the same thing in my currently incubating WIP--and the heroine sounds a lot like Randa, so I can't wait to see how you deal with them!
I definitely like characters who have to struggle to let other people see who they really are...there is physical courage, that's all nice, but emotional courage...that's HUGE.
That's always such a challenge, Teri. When I'm sketching out characters now, I make two lists: physical flaws and emotional flaws, and make sure there's at least one or two in each category. I'm finding the emotional flaws are the ones that really drive the romance--and sometimes the emotional flaws come out of the physical flaws. In Randa, her emotional flaws come from her childhood and growing up in a male-dominated world. Her physical flaw is that she hasn't embraced her vampire nature, so she never feeds well or uses her full potential strength. Good luck with your WIP!
Yes it has been chemistry that has been building between and Randa. can not wait for Omega to get here!! I am excited to see just how Susannah has written it.
Happy reading and writing*
Teresa
morris1963tess@yahoo.com
Hi Susannah,
Thought I commented before, but it didn't show up. Apologies if this turns out to be a duplicate...
I loved the chemistry between Will and Randa in Absolution, and can't wait to read the rest of their story in Omega! Thanks for sharing the process of their evolution as a couple.
Carole
Thanks, Teresa! I hope you're pleased with what happens. Omega is a wild ride!
Thanks, Carole! I used to hate character development but now find it really rewarding. Hope you enjoy Omega!
Thanks for stopping by everyone.
For me, the characters have to sizzle when they're around each other. Chemistry!
Enjoyed reading today's post.
Every couple needs to have chemistry.And build the relationship from there. I also like the opposite attract. The way character knock heads (sorta speak) and see things from different views, then the steamy make up scenes :)
elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
Thanks, Elaine. Yes, the chemistry's got to be there to make all the rest worthwhile--especially for the opposites-attract couples!
Thanks again, Catherine, for having me on the blog today!
Got to havethe chemistry!! Enjoyed the post. Can't wait to read Will and Randa's story. Thanks for the chance.
mlawson17 at hotmail dot com
Thanks, Martha! And chemistry is fun to write, which makes it even better :-)
I like all kinds of couples.
bn100candg(at)Hotmail(dot)com
I like the chemistry but I think the opposites attract is one of the most common couple used. Especially when it comes to the good girl meets bad boy romance. I haven't read to many where they are alot alike and deal with things the same way so I can't wait to check this one out and see how I like this relationship also. Thanks for the post.
I'm all for the opposites-attract type!! I love to read how they menage to work their differences and bild a relation.
I totally love that type of stories.
clanamoc(at)gmail(dot)com
I like couples with lots of chemistry, but they fight really hard not to give into it
Thanks for the comments, everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been checking in as often as I'd like--my day job is becoming really annoying. I mean, they actually expect me to WORK. Sheesh.
Totally agree about the "opposites attract"--they're also a lot of fun to write. Writing a couple like Will and Randa in Omega, who are a lot alike, is much harder.
It's all about the chemistry!
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