First we have three copies of Mike Resnick’s The Buntline Special to give away.
David mark brown
Riva Laughlin
Joan Gallo
Congrats! Please email me at suzannelazear (@) hotmail to claim your prize.
Didn’t win? We still have books by Tim Akers, or Ren Cummins up for grabs and a prize pack of goodies including a copy of Blameless and a fan autographed by Gail Carriger.
Today we welcome back one of my favorite people, author Leanna Renee Hieber. She’s also giving away a copy of Strangely Beautiful 1 or 2 (your choice).
Award winning, bestselling author, actress and playwright Leanna Renee Hieber grew up in rural Ohio inventing ghost stories. She graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Miami University, a focus in the Victorian Era and a scholarship to study in London. She has adapted works of 19th Century literature for the stage and her one-act plays such as Favorite Lady have been produced around the country. Her novella Dark Nest won the 2009 Prism Award for excellence in Futuristic / Fantasy / Paranormal Romance. Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series of ghostly, Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels, landed on Barnes & Noble’s mass market and overall Bestseller Lists. The book was named a favourite of 2009 by 14 genre book review blogs including Publishers Weekly’s Beyond Her Book and Smart Bitches/Dear Author’s book tournament, won two 2010 Prism Awards for Best Fantasy and Best First Book, the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer’s Best Award (Young Adult category) and option rights have been sold for adaptation into musical theatre production currently in development with a team that includes talent that brought Tony Award winning shows like Memphis, Wicked, Tarzan and more to the Broadway stage. In November 2011 Leanna launches Magic Most Foul, a new Gothic Paranormal Young Adult series with Sourcebooks Teen Fire.
My Non-Traditional Heroines: The Joys and Struggles of Being Different
by Leanna Renee Hieber
Firstly, thanks Suzanne, I am thrilled to return to this festival of awesome.
This topic is one of the most near-and-dear subjects to me and to the books I write, it also a subject I’ll be presenting several times this year at conventions and conferences. It’s also a topic that goes really well with the themes of Steampunk.
One of the great values of this genre: You get two fantasy worlds in one; a historical setting/world we do not live in yet have some sort of touchstone to, and yet different from what you’d see in a textbook or on the History channel. That being the punk part – and I think that’s what draws people to alternate history, taking known historical facts and asking ‘what if’ – it’s a wonderful challenge to the imagination that so many wonderful writers have risen to. Disclaimer: In regards to my work, I have to be careful saying Steampunk straight up, though I’m happily active in the Steampunk community, my books are technically Gaslight Fantasy as I’ve no tech or gadgets in my story; i.e my ghost-busting Guard uses holy fire, not contraptions. For me, what I love most about Neo-Victorianism and Gaslight Fantasy is re-envisioning it, but yet still putting my characters in a ‘realistic’ Victorian world. There were so many issues and injustices inherent in the Victorian age, and I’m not interested in writing books where those conflicts are not present, but rather how my characters must deal with them. And while we have some ‘advances’ in our society, we can’t cast stones today. There are just as many present injustices and social issues taking different sheeps’ clothing. But by presenting a fantasy world – we can present an enjoyable rather than didactic way of examining what we find troubling, interesting, or needing fixing about the past or present society. We can also challenge the normative.
The thing that draws me time and again to storytelling are tales of underdogs and outcasts struggling to find a community, working to find a place where they belong and where their particular gifts and talents are valued. The heroines of my two series, The Strangely Beautiful and forthcoming Magic Most Foul series are examples of this.
About Miss Percy Parker:
18 years old, Miss Percy is entirely without colour. She surpasses pale, she’s without colour. She looks, for all intents and purposes, exactly like a ghost. She can see and speak with ghosts, and feels often as if she belongs more with them than the mortal world. She’s lived clinging to the belief that her abilities and crippling visions mean she’s fated for something specific, and the series is about finding out that purpose,.
Speaking just about Percy, solely, as a character, I suppose every author hopes her heroine will be loved and adored, so when my awkward, timid Percy is loved, I rejoice more than anyone. But I’ve also discovered that my books are not for everyone, not everyone is ready to go on the ride that the Gothic novel style requires, nor is everyone ready for Miss Percy. Perhaps they think she should be stronger. If you were told you were a freak every day, if people shuddered and started when they looked at you, would you feel very confident? You might, like she did, think yourself the freak the world thinks you are. It’s a brave act for her to face the morning every day, and to interact with the world at all. Still, I’d never write a story where a character simply stays in the uncomfortable place they’re in, and Percy goes on quite the growth journey in the series. And it’s growth she as a character and we as readers can take joy and pride in.
Some aren’t exactly sure what to do with Percy, how to think about her. Far from typical, she looks shockingly different than your average person. I’m not sure people quite understand that on a visceral level, even though I describe her often. One reviewer who rated the book poorly mentioned that she didn’t understand how a pale girl with blue eyes would be treated poorly in Victorian England – evidently she simply did not internalize how different Percy is and what that truly, realistically would have meant for her. Still, I want her not to be criticized for her difference but accepted regardless. I’m so grateful so many readers do just that; accept her and champion her. But for those who may wonder, it’s why I have the picture of her on my website, for reference. Personally, I think she’s beautiful but in no way could someone say she’s ordinary. This is a distancing quality for some readers; we’re used to seeing ourselves as the protagonist in some ways, relating to her, rooting for her on a deeply personal and relatable level. I think her sweet nature, her awkwardness and passion is something everyone can relate to, but visually it’s hard to capture that same relational quality. And yet, I think we should challenge ourselves to relate.
She is the woman she is because she came into my mind just as she was, and I was captivated by her from the start. I felt presented with an exciting opportunity to make us all think about beauty and its limitations through the character of Percy, through the eyes of us; the beholders. The Victorians had a very strict notion of beauty, and it was limiting to women. Present day is no exception. Yet there are plenty of ways to go against the grain. I’m a Goth girl, I think a lot of things are beautiful that other people might think are strange, and I find it a freeing and envigorating way of life. It may be a bit lofty, but I’d love for the character of Percy in the Strangely Beautiful series to encourage us to redefine beauty, as the narrow definition of beauty is so limiting from past to present, it is confining and damaging to so many people in the world. Let’s find something we might once have dismissed as strange, in fact, beautiful.
Miss Natalie Stewart:
17 years old, Natalie lives in 1880New York City, lost her mother as a child, the trauma of which led her to suffer from Selective Mutism, a condition where she does not speak. She communicates through a mixture of Sign Language and note-writing. The story is told through her diary.
I’ve always been interested in giving a voice to the voice-less. So much of Victorian society muffled most women, speaking for them and speaking about them, never did the society really interact with them and their best interests. The society stifled their sexuality, their intellect, their abilities and their rights, across all classes, and far worse treatment was offered to non-white races.
I wanted to think about a girl who was still subject to the rules of this muffling society having to exist further muffled. With a sharp wit, a fiercely intelligent mind, but this frustrating condition that wasn’t one that she could simply ‘snap out of’, Natalie is additionally oppressed. Though the book does see her speaking by the end, thanks to supernatural circumstances, it isn’t an ‘easy out’ for Natalie. She has many social and physical constraints to overcome as she struggles to regain something she lost. Yet, like Percy, there is such pride in overcoming her battles, all the more fierce pride for having been written off as an ‘unfortunate’ and pigeonholed into nothingness, to then rise to heroic heights no one would have expected of her. In my world, I empower Natalie with a few awesome and open-minded helpers along the way. The reality for a girl like Natalie in that time period, though, was much less optimistic. I make Natalie aware of this so that we, the reader, may be aware of her particular advantages amidst her struggles.
I’m not interested in non-traditional heroines as novelties or plot points. I’m interested in them as people. I’m interested in all persons being able to see themselves as heroines of fiction, no matter their body type, mental type, physical type, etc.
Beauty for the freaks, a voice to the voice-less. These are my small, tiny hopes for love in a world full of difficulty and pain.
Something that I have not mentioned yet is something that must be mentioned: Multi-culturalism in our work and the work of our genre. The ‘traditional’ heroine in our Western fiction is just that, traditionally Western. I don’t personally have an example otherwise, though my upcoming Strangely Beautiful release, The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess, has an Egyptian hero and several Egyptian characters from several different religious backgrounds. For greater, ongoing discussion on the multi-cultural front as it is always an ongoing discussion, I’d like to turn you to two of my very favourite resources in all the world: Beyond Victoriana http://beyondvictoriana.com/ and Silver Goggles – http://silver-goggles.blogspot.com/ – Please do yourselves a favor and have these sites on your radar and check them often.
I’m giving away a copy of either Strangely Beautiful book 1 or 2, winner’s choice, to a random commenter chosen by the Steamed! Staff – So tell me, What about you? Please share your favourite non-traditional heroines!
~Leanna Renee Hieber
http://twitter.com/leannarenee
http://leannareneebooks.blogspot.com
The Strangely Beautiful series: The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess (A Strangely Beautiful prequel) arrives May 3 in trade and digital
The Magic Most Foul series: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1) arrives November 8 in trade and digital from Sourcebooks Fire
Great post! Not only does it give insight into a wonderful writer’s mind, but teaches us (me!) so much about building a real character and layering theme that make a story a good story.
Thank you for sharing, and I’d love to toss in my name for a chance at Strangely Beautiful 1 or 2
I think non-traditional characters are fascinating. I love to be drawn into their world, sometimes reaching way out of my personal comfort zone.
I adore Miss Parker. I can’t wait to read the second book about her!
My favorite non-traditional character is not a heroine, but a hero: Elric. He’s, like Miss Parker, pale, because he’s an albino. And he’s weak too, and because he looks so weird and seems so frail to the rest of the world, it’s an invitation to his enemies to *try* to walk all over him. (Try being the operative word) Then of course he kicks their butts–especially after he finds the sword Stormbringer.
) So he is, but he’s not a “alpha” (but oh boy when he gets fired up look out) but he’s seen as weak, until Stormbringer’s strength comes into play).
Thanks for sharing, and please do toss my name in the hat for book one!
Great post, fellow Apocalypsie! I love non-traditional heroines. I’m not sure my heroine falls into the non-traditional category, but she does turn into a falcon which I think is pretty unusual!
One of my favorite non-traditional heroines is Gail Carriger’s Alexia Tarabotti Maccon – she’s definitely one of a kind.
I enjoyed the interview and I loved the first Strangely Beautiful book. I haven’t had a chance to read any more of the series yet, but I certainly plan on doing so.
We need more non-traditional heroines in the literary world! Characters that have it easy are just boring…one of my favorite non-traditional heroine is Scarlett March from Jackson Pearce’s “Sisters Red.” When she was little, she got attacked by a wolf and lost her eye, as well as being covered in scars. I know of many characters who are put through worse and come out with little to no scars, and if they have any, it makes them look ‘cool.’ I like Scarlett because her scars actually ostracize her in society, and they aren’t a problem she can just ‘fix.’ It’s a lot more realistic when authors actually make characters that aren’t perfect and have legitimate flaws that pose problems they have to overcome with actual difficulty.
Hey, Leanna! One of the things I like about your books is the way that you don’t just disregard historic convention, but you play with it. I’ve been interested in Percy’s development as a character, and now I’m really looking forward to meeting Natalie.
Very much looking forward to The Perilous Prophecy — two more weeks!
Thanks friends!
@Rashda Oh, thank you, glad it made you think about character development, I think it’s one of the most critical aspects of storytelling.
@Janel – I definately appreciate being out of my comfort zone but also understand that it’s not always for everyone, so I appreciate that you like it too, (and appreciate that you love Miss Percy).
@Julianne – Awesome, thanks for mentioning Elric and Stormbringer!
@Nicole – Thanks my Apocalypsie buddy!! Um, turning into a falcon is AWESOME.
@Barbara – Greetings and thanks for reading, I do hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the series! And yes, Alexia is totally one of an awesome kind!
@Noah – Awesome example, thanks so much for mentioning Scarlett, absolutely, I think scarring and deformities are things we rarely see dealt with other than in the Phantom of the Opera way, so Pearce brings it into a new light and yet doesn’t shy away from the real societal trauma Scarlett goes through, which isn’t something that should be downplayed, because it’s all too real.
@Catherine – thanks so much, that means a lot to me! And thanks for counting down with me! The release is right around the corner, yay! Thanks again for reading.
Beauty for the freaks – love that line.
As for fave non-traditional heroine in literature, the one that stands out to me is Alanna from the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce.
Great post, thank you. I am very intrigued to learn more about Miss Percy.
I am also a fan of Alexia and Alanna.
Tina
I don’t think I know how to write a traditional heroine, but then I’ve never considered myself traditional. My husband affectionately calls me “not-typical” and has for 23 years. I think for all our flaws there is no one who is perfect, and in that way that makes them all the more interesting. I have a heroine who’s suffered with being misdiagnosed with mental illness when she really has psychic abilities. This can be very controversial, but I want to give her so much heart that they can’t help, but love her. Best of luck with the books. I haven’t read them yet, but they are on my TBR list.
@vvb – Thank you so much, so very glad that resonated with you, it’s a bit of a mission statement for me.
And Alanna, yes, great mention. Thanks!
@Tina – Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy Miss Percy, her books are the ‘books of my heart’ as they call them.
@Teagan – Awesome, thanks for coming in and sharing, you make great points and I very much appreciate your dealing with mental illness in your books, a difficult topic that I don’t think gets enough treatment in fiction. I look forward to following your work, thanks for your well-wishes.
Fantastic post! I love to hear about non-traditional heroines… Unfortunately, a lot of my favorite heroines in Victorian novels are white… Which is why I was really happy to hear that Mary Quinn from YS Lee’s series is half Chinese. I enjoyed the first book in the Strangely Beautiful series! I am looking forward to reading the rest.
@Cialina – I’m SO glad you mentioned YS Lee – definately on my TBR pile as well! Cheers, thanks so much for commenting and thanks for coming along for the Strangely Beautiful journey, much appreciated!!
Stacia Kane’s Chess Putnam in Unholy books is an unusual heroine because she’s an unapologetic drug addict. What a burden to overcome in her character arc as she grows throughout the books.
I like in your bio that you told ghost stories while growing up in rural Ohio. I’m an Ohio girl too and I was also the designated scary story inventor at slumber parties.
The Strangely Beautiful series has been on my radar since last year’s RT when I saw you on a panel. I will bump it up to the top of my TBR list.