Happy release day for THE SPLENDOR FALLS!
To celebrate the release of Rosemary Clement-Moore's latest novel, THE SPLENDOR FALLS, I put her to work guest blogging for me. Because I'm evil, that's why. Okay, and I just can't get enough of her voice. Those of you who haven't read Rosemary's work yet are in for a treat. Her Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil is all about the exploits of a girl way more self-possessed than I ever was in high school and very, very savvy to boot. The second in that series, which consists of PROM DATES FROM HELL, HELL WEEK and HIGHWAY TO HELL) won the prestigious RITA Award this year for Best Young Adult novel. Check her out. Put her to work. (The more we clamor, the more she'll have to write!)
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When I first queried my agent (waves to Lucienne) about my supernatural mystery novel, Prom Dates From Hell, I pointed out to her that, judging from her clients’ books, she must love strong, sassy heroines, and so I was sure she was going to love Maggie Quinn. (Maybe I was a little more diffident than that. But not much.) Well, she does, and she did, and now you can read about Maggie’s adventures in her own “Girl vs. Evil” series. (The second of which, Hell Week, is now out in paperback!)
Of course, “strong” can mean a lot of things. Maggie is anything but an action heroine type. You won’t find her practicing martial arts with a tough-but-loving mentor, she’s pro gun control, and she can’t run a quarter-mile without collapsing. But when it comes to emotional fortitude, she’s got it in spades. Which is a good thing, because sometimes that’s the only thing that saves her when supernatural sleuthing lands her up against incalculatable odds. Which is not to say she doesn’t get scared. She’s a big chicken when it comes to physical danger, but she’s able to grit it out and make herself do what needs to be done.
When I set out to write The Splendor Falls, I wanted to make the heroine as different as Maggie as possible. Physically, that wasn’t hard. Sylvie Davis is a ballerina--so you know that no matter how fragile she looks, she’s in impressive physical shape. Or she would be, except that she’s recovering from a broken leg that ended her ballet career when it was just taking off.
In contrast to Maggie, Sylvie has been making harsh demands of herself physically her whole life. Emotionally, however, she’s one big mess. She’s mourning her dance career, still mourning her father, and now she’s been shipped off to stay with relatives she doesn’t even know, in the farthest place from her Manhattan home--a remote antebellum mansion in the wilds of Alabama. Oh, and she’s seeing things that aren’t there. That’s just about the final straw on her overburdened psyche.
What’s that writer’s adage about putting your character up a tree and throwing rocks at them? The corollary must be that you aim for their vulnerable spots! Findings Sylvie’s wasn’t hard: She can’t trust anyone, her family thinks she might be delusional and possibly self-destructive and she’s half-convinced they might be right. But getting through her armor was another thing. She didn’t want to admit her feelings to anyone. Not the other characters, not herself, and not even to me!
So Sylvie taught me pitfall of a strong-willed heroine. They can be a pain in the butt when they turn that will against their author. But like all nuts, the toughest ones to crack are the most satisfying.
(And yes, I just called my character a stubborn pain in the butt, not to mention a little bit cracked. After all, she’s my character, so you know the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.)
Sylvie’s adventure is spooky, romantic, magical and mysterious. She’s cracked, but she’s also witty and droll, and self-reliant. She also has an adorable little dog that keeps her from getting too emo. You can judge for yourself, since The Splendor Falls is out now.
Regards, and happy reading!
Rosemary ( rclementmoore )