In Honor of International Women's Day: Strong Heroines

It's a great day to talk about strong heroines in fiction.

It's especially pertinent as I watched this great video yesterday about the Damsel in Distress trope in video games (thanks to punkerplus on the r/GirlGamers subreddit for sharing).

This video reinforced for me why it's so important that I'm doing what I'm doing. It's easy to think, "Well, I suppose there are enough strong heroines out there, I don't really need to add to the pantheon." But the truth is, there's a huge empty space waiting to be filled by a vibrant cast of multi-layered, determined, interesting and flawed female characters. The more women we add to our fictional lexicon, the more role models new generations will have to choose from. Sure, writers like me may not necessarily create someone meant to be a shining emblem of modern feminist virtue; but simply adding to the variety of options has a huge impact.

Here, in anticipation of Kiellen's upcoming induction to the small but growing crowd, are some of the invented women who have inspired me.

Terminator 2's Sarah Connor

My love of Sarah Connor is no secret (I did, after all, dress up as her for Halloween one year and create a site detailing how to follow my lead).

Better Late Than Never! Upcoming Guest and Events

Okay, I know it's late, but it's still technically Wednesday! I'm in the middle of a big chunk of business travel, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Of course, Marvin over at Free Spirit would say that a writer NEVER keeps it short and sweet, but Mavin's not hear right now. Mwahaha.

My guest this week for Community Fridays will be Danielle Ackley-McPhail, marketing genius and author of the recently released book Tomorrow's Memories. If you get a chance, stop by for some great info, and say hello to Danielle!

Friday, November 21 there will be a meeting of the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) in Greenbelt, MD. They sponsored the terrific Capcalve conference I attended recently (here's a link to next year's Capclave, if you want to plan way, way ahead!) From what I hear, the meeting coming up is pretty informal, and pretty fun. Check out the website for more info.

And of course, two weeks from now is Darkover, a.k.a. the Darkover Grand Council Meeting XXXI in Timonium, MD. Tamora Pierce, one of my favorite fantasy authors of all time, will be one of the presenters, so I'm super psyched. Only $50 for a weekend-long convention, which is not too shabby. I hope I'll be able to make it, as it's a bit of a busy time for me. At least to the Saturday events. We shall see!

Emerging Emma Recommends... First Test by Tamora Pierce

So I'm going to try a new feature for my blog called Emerging Emma Recommends. Every month, I'll recommend a book. I'll tell you a little about the book and who it's suitable for. And I'll keep the book in my sidebar for the duration of the month. I don't have any books of my own to recommend (yet!) but this way, you'll still find good things to read when you stop by. Who knows, I might even recommend your book!

Today's recommendation is First Test by Tamora Pierce.

First Test is the first book in the Protector of the Small quartet. If you've spent time on my blog in the past, you've almost certainly heard me raving about Tamora Pierce. All of her series are excellent, but I just finished re-reading Protector of the Small, and I wanted to rave about it in particular.

Full disclosure: this is a book geared towards young readers. But then again, so was the Harry Potter series. Tamora Pierce is one of those authors who, simply put, can tell a good tale. Even if you're not a huge reader of fantasy, this book will interest you. There are some fantasy elements to the story, but it's really more about adventure than magic.

In First Test, Keladry decides that she wants to be knight. Luckily for her, Alanna (heroine of the Song of the Lioness quartet) came before her and broke the ban on female knights. Unluckily for her, there are more than a few people in power opposed to the idea. However, Keladry has already had years more of training than her fellow pages. She's tough, she's talented, and she's determined to prove to everyone that a woman can make just as good of a knight as a man.

This book has it all - battles, friendships, feuds, struggles against seemingly impossible odds, and even a dash of romance. Recommended for anyone who wants to escape from the daily grind into a world where anything is possible for a person with spirit and will.

Page (Protector of the Small) Reviewed

Page by Tamora Pierce

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Everyone should read Tamora Pierce. Not just fantasy readers, not just young readers, but anyone who enjoys a good tale. And who doesn't? If you've read Tamora Pierce, then you already know what I mean.

Tamora never tries to win an award for the most confuscated use of the English language. She never lets language get in the way of her story. She writes her books in a simple, honest way to hook her readers into a fascinating tale. And she succeeds brilliantly in doing so.

In Page, Tamora Pierce gets back to the very essence of storytelling - a young hero must prove herself in the face of seeming unbeatable odds to achieve her goal. In this case, the hero is a female page struggling to gain her knighthood. Tamora is not afraid to touch on difficult subjects such as discrimination, abuse, and death. She creates strong, unique female heroines who fight against oppression, and yet the appeal of her books is not limited to a female audience. Who among us has not felt held down by seemingly unbeatable odds? Who has not wished for the strength to pursue an impossible-seeming dream? Tamora's characters pursue their dreams with strength and grim determination, and in doing so, make us believe that we too can achieve our dreams if we stick by them.

I read Tamora's books as a child and found myself unable to put them down, and even a decade later I get the same thrill as her characters fall in love, escape from danger, or rush into battle. Rare is the author who can so completely captivate a reader's attention.

It's no wonder that Tamora's books have all recently been re-released. And to boot, Tamora is kind to fans and frequently appears at conferences, book-signings and conventions! If you're looking for a new author to love, look no further.

View all my reviews.

Tamora Pierce and Community Fridays

Last night I met Tamora Pierce for the first time at a reading/book signing in Greenmount, MD.

This was quite an experience for me! I've never met an author before who I've followed so avidly for so many years. I don't know if authors are considered 'celebrities' in the traditional sense, but I think that devoted readers will understand when I say that I shook in my shoes and could barely manage to speak a word in her presence.

Growing up, I spent more time in the worlds created by Tamora and others like her than I did in the real world. It was probably one of the main influencing factors in my decision to become a writer.

At the event, Tamora read from her upcoming book Bloodhound, sequel to Terrier. In addition, she discussed a little about how she ended up as an author, her love for all things living (including anthropomorphic logs) and her extensive research techniques. Seriously, if you ever want to know anything about world histories or cultures, just stop by one of her readings and ask her a question!

If you love fantasy of any sort, and you haven't yet read any of her books, you should definitely check her out!

Also - stay tuned for a new upcoming feature on my blog, Community Fridays! In this feature, you'll hear from a bunch of great people in the writing and publishing communities. I already have some terrific talent lined up, so get ready!

Tamora Pierce Coming To Northern Maryland

Stop the presses! This is one of the best birthday presents ever! I just looked on the events calendar for my local library (a great way to find book groups and writer's critique groups, by the way) and what did I see but Author Visit: Tamora Pierce in big, bold letters.

For those of you who don't know, Tamora Pierce is an author of fantasy books for children, teenagers, and adults like me who aren't sure about the whole 'growing up' thing. Her books include the Song of the Lioness quartet (starting with Alanna: The First Adventure), Trickster's Choice, the Immortals (starting with Wild Magic), and many, many others. Her words have been a constant companion for me through the years, and I'd just like to thank her for being one of the inspirations for my current quest to become a published author.

If you're interested in seeing Tamora, here's a list of her upcoming appearances.