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Mother's
Curse is a coming of age story about the
youngest Princess of Cothel and her efforts to save her father and brother from
her mother's schemes, while at the same time, coming to terms with what it
means to be a witch.
Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
Daughter's
Justice continues Stephenie's journey of
discovery, where she must overcome national opposition to her being a witch as
well as lead her friends and protectors on a mission to stabilize her countries
finances.
Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.
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Please enjoy this guest post by
Thaddeus Nowak, author of the exciting and beautifully written YA
fantasy,
Mother’s Curse, and its
sequel,
Daughter’s
Justice. Then read on to learn how you can
win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $450 in
Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.
Why This
Male Reader Loves Strong Female Characters
A Guest Post
by Thaddeus Nowak
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I've mentioned it before, but my formative childhood years
were spent with the neighborhood girls. My family had the only boys for
many blocks and with my closest brother being four years younger than me, the
only people my age to play with were girls. I learned all about Barbie
and Ken and playing house. I'm not complaining, we also romped around the
woods, got covered in mud, had snowball fights, and played ball just like any
group of kids would. To me, they were just my friends. There were
no boys versus girls attitudes between us (that concept came later when we went
to different schools and I had to make new friends). And even when faced
with that concept, I always preferred to be on the girls' team, because that's
where the girls were.
Due to those early years--to this day--I always think of
women as equals, and probably superior in many cases. So when it comes to
reading novels or watching movies, I have no trouble identifying with a female
lead. In fact, I think female leads actually make stronger characters
than their male counterparts.
What is a strong character?
To me, a strong character is one who's personality can be
felt. They may have inner fears and concerns, but they make the hard
decisions and are decisive when it counts. They know what they want and
actively make plans to get it. A strong character is a leader, someone
the other characters look to for guidance. That is not to say they are
hard-headed and stubborn; they have to be smart enough to know when they need
to ask for advice and be willing to admit when they are not able to do
something themselves. Delegation does not have to be a weakness--when
done right it is a strength.
It may seem counter intuitive, but physical strength and
prowess do not make a character strong. In fact, it can make them weaker
in the long run. A bully lashing out and attacking may be able to overpower
and intimidate others, but they still lack the strength of character that
someone standing up to them possesses.
For male characters, physical strength and skill in combat
(especially in fantasy novels) is a socially expected norm. A male character,
who is not stoic in the face of danger can't overcome his foes and has to rely
upon others, is perceived as weak. The problem is, being a stoic loner
often overshadows some of the character's personality and limits how dynamic
the character can be.
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Whereas a female lead, while she may be physically adept, is
not expected to use brute strength to overpower her foes. Society accepts
the fact that she can have doubts (which are perfectly human, regardless of
sex) and allows her to use her mind and intelligence to overcome
obstacles. She has to decide to stand up to the stronger bully. I
personally feel it makes the character richer and more balanced--more human and
more like the girls I grew up with.
It's not what's on the outside that
counts
The other reason I prefer stories with strong female
protagonists is that they do not usually feature the females as window
dressing--on the cover or in the story. While I have my share of
traditional fantasy art hanging on my walls, my childhood influences don't
align with the concept of the half-naked damsel in distress unable to do
anything for herself. Too many of the stories with male protagonists tend
to have the main woman of the stories hopping along on the man's coattails,
doting on his every action. The girls I grew up with definitely did not
dote; they knew what they wanted and knew how to get it. So when I read a
story, I want to enjoy a little nostalgia and see women as I know they are.
I write stories about fantastical creatures, magical
objects, and imaginary worlds. Not only do I get to spend the day flying with
dragons, playing with fairies, and swimming with mermaids, I’m able to share my
adventures with others. Now that The
Trickster’s Totem is complete, I’ve been visiting local elementary schools.
I bring my posters and signed bookmarks for the kids. I begin my visit by introducing
myself and showing the book trailer for The
Serpent’s Ring. But I’ve discovered something a little unexpected through
this process. 
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