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| Kathy Lane |
Joining me today is guest blogger and published author, Kathy Lane! Kathy's first book, Bloodsworn: Bound by Magic, just won 1st place in the Fantasy catagory of the PRISM contest. The PRISM contest is hosted by the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal chapter of the RWA, and her win was announced just yesterday! Join me a quick congratulations! :)
Check out her website and her blog. Also, her second novel comes out July 15, so keep an eye out!
Check out her website and her blog. Also, her second novel comes out July 15, so keep an eye out!
ATTENTION READERS: Join me on my July Blog Tour and play my Scavenger Blog Game. Visit each of my blog/interview sites for the month of July and leave a comment. At the end of July, one lucky winner will receive a prize package which includes a copy of Bloodsworn I and II, a $25 Amazon gift card, and more! Happy July!
Strong, Sexy, Secondary Characters in a book are a delight to read. Yes, you’re rooting for the lead character, but it’s nice to have someone else to add a little spice to the story from time to time.
Depending on the type of story, secondary characters can also be essential in showcasing your Hero or Heroine. In books dealing with mystery or intrigue, of instance, it helps if the main character has someone they can bounce ideas off of. Internal dialogue is fine, but unless your Hero is omnipotent, there is a limit to his information. Put him in a conversation with his best buddy, and the possibilities for plausible deductions increase dramatically.
Conversations between a primary and secondary character serve a multitude of functions. They reveal secrets, create or relieve tension, and explore motives and conflicts without the dreaded ‘telling’. In some cases, especially when the author is great at writing dialogue, such interaction can set the tone for the whole book.
In addition to providing information, a secondary character can often develop into someone we love and want to know more about. In my first book, Bloodsworn: Bound by Magic, two secondary characters stood out according to my fans. One is Devlin Tragar’s best friend, Karess (who has yet to tell me his story, the rascal), and the other is Avera St. John’s First Blade and new best friend, Bracca Cu-Laurian.
True, Bracca isn’t your typical best friend, but he’ll do anything for Avera. And she definitely thinks he’s strong and sexy. So does a young widow named Sheren Ni-Annun who Bracca meets in Bloodsworn II: Linked by Blood. From the moment he sees Sheren, Bracca is drawn to her. Yet his life and loyalty is pledged to his Bloodsworn, Lady Avera. A man with his dark and violent past has nothing left to offer a gentle woman like Sheren. Or does he?
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| Kathy's up-and-coming second novel! |
Duty vies with passion in book two of the Bloodsworn Series due out July 15th, 2011 .
Now, here’s my question for those of you who are playing my Scavenger Blog Game.
(1) What three futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal authors do you think have the best cast of secondary characters? My picks are Jeanine Frost, Patricia Briggs, and Ilona Andrews. There are lots more out there, so let us know. Happy Reading!
Great advice on secondary characters. And congrats on winning first place in the Prism, Kathy!
ReplyDeleteI like secondary characters in Jenna Black, Angela Knight, and sorry, have to say it because IMHO, he is the king of paranormal, Dean Koontz's books.
Hi Lilly. I'm not familar with Jenna Black, but I'll check her out. A definite YES to Angela Knight. Love her Mageverse Realm. Just Pre-ordered Master of Shadows. Dean Koontz? Know the author but don't think I've read any of his books, either. What book do you recommend?
ReplyDeleteKathy--The top 3 slate of secondary characters in Futuristic, Fantasy or Paranormal books are written by: J.D. Robb, Carrie Vaughn, and Keri Arthur.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on coming in First in the Prism contest.
Thanks, Jane. And thanks for listing your picks. J.D. Robb, yeah, she's a given. A great talent for crafting characters. Keri Arthur--love her Riley Jenson Guardian series. Carrie Vaughn I'm not familar with, but look forward to meeting her cast of characters. Thanks for listing her.
ReplyDeleteI love it when secondary characters get their own books. They're a great counterfoil to the hero or heroine, so of course we want to know more about them. (my muse wanted to write more about a secondary character in my first book, so he's getting his own) For my picks, I have to go with Karen Chance, Kelly Armstrong and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes love the secondary characters as much if not more than the primary character. I like Jeaniene Frost, Katie MacAlister and Kim Harrison
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa, I definitely agree with Sherrilyn Kenyon. She has such a strong character list. I'm reading her League series now. I've only read a couple of Karen Chance's short stories as of yet. I have two Kelly Armstrong books in my TBR shelf now. Looking forward to them. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Jean P. I agree that in some stories a secondary character can be more loveable than the hero. When I first read Ilona Andrews' Magic Bites, I knew Curran was male lead. He was strong, but his attitude made it hard for me to connect with him. I ended up falling in love with Derek, the handsome young werewolf. Good thing Kate wasn't into younger men. ;) But then, getting to know Curran and seeing his and Kate's relationship blossom over the series run has been vastly entertaining. Keeps me going back for more. I'm hoping to generate the same kind of interest with the secondary characters in my Bloodsworn world. Still waiting on Karess to get back with me on his story.
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