WeWriWA: Woman on a Mission

It’s no secret – I love a strong heroine! To compete with and complement my hunky Alpha heroes, they have to be smart, tough, brave and loyal. No problem there. What I sometimes find difficult is making them sympathetic without appearing weak. My first draft Mia Guedry in PRINCE OF POWER was hard as acrylic nails, determined to avenge her family and snatch back her rightful place at the head of her clan no matter what she had to do. She came off as admirable, but also as unlikable. Draft two Mia, had softened edges, unresolved doubts and a betraying heart that made her struggle with the choices she needed to make. What a difference that gentler pallet made when coloring her actions. Here’s a glimpse of Mia wrestling with the direction she’s chosen:

She’d sworn vengeance over the graves of her father and uncle, had been denied the body of her brother to weep over. What was she waiting for? They were her enemies, enemies she’d vowed to destroy in the names of her dead. Why was she stalling? Because one of them had the most delicious lips and the other made her laugh? 

Sitting in her rental, staring down over the cold, deep waters of Lake Tahoe, gripping the wheel until her hands, then her arms and shoulders shook, Mia drew upon the rage, the pain, the sorrow and determination to take back what belonged to her. A vision arose, one as cold and clear as those blue waters, not of her standing atop the bodies of this enemy clan, but of their bones scattering in the wind until nothing remained of their legacy. 

To defeat them, she needed to divide them, to weaken that tentative loyalty their new king inspired. Without Bram the Beast to hold them together on short, choking leases of rage and fear, they could be taken apart, piece by piece, prince by prince, until nothing remained of their stronghold, and eventual, of their name. 

Divide and conquer, starting with the wedge she’d already driven between their clan’s most powerful supporters: Her two lovers.
 

I’m a woman on a mission next weekend, traveling to Arizona (leaving 20-degree Michigan behind – what a sacrifice!) to participate in the Tucson Festival of Books as a signing author in the Tell-Tale Publishing booth. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say hey!

Once my promo stint is done, I’ll be settling into some serious work on PRINCE OF FOOLS (and into a hot tub for a little vacay). A dirty job, I know. And as difficult as it may be, here’s another look at Colin Terriot, my PRINCE OF POWER (now available in a gorgeous trade paperback!)

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Obsessed with an enemy - the only female to ever walk away from him . . .

Colin . . . Prince in the House of Terriot

Brawny, cynical negotiator for his clan, Colin Terriot sees a move to New Orleans as an escape from a painful past and his reputation as a legendary lover. What he didn't expect was to fall hard for a rival spy, the female who tricked and betrayed him by leaving his bed for his brother's. Now, he now must work with her, up close and personal, as the envoy for her clan. Things are about to heat up.

Determined to have him - even if having him means losing all . . .

Mia . . . Strong-willed Guedry heir

Denied her rightful legacy, Mia Guedry plans to stake her claim over the bodies of those who killed her family. But best laid plans fall before her desire for the one male she can't resist, the one who will never trust her once burned by her necessary deceptions. Saving her Terriot prince from plans already in motion may cost more than her inheritance . . . the price could be her life.

“Get ready for fifty shades of tall, dark and deliciously dangerous with Colin Terriot, the hottest shifter yet! Five Stars!” – Book Bling

“Hold onto your heart (& your panties, ladies!) . . . the Terriot princes are back! Things are heating up in New Orleans in this powerful story of obsession, betrayal and revenge. Intricately woven plot lines and complex characters carry PRINCE OF POWER to a block buster revelation in another Page Burning Must Read! Five Hearts!” – Cross My Heart Reviews

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