Hands up if you have read a fantasy/paranormal novel with one or more of the following:

• Love triangle
• Hero or heroine who is orphaned
• Rough and ready, bad-boy-hero
• Is the hero a Harley-Davidson-riding biker
• Supposedly kick-arse heroine who buckles under the ‘manful gaze’ of the hero
• Biologically impossible hybrid species

Yep, probably seen at least one of these if you are a fan of paranormal or fantasy stories, and at some point, you want to kick the ‘kick-arse heroine’ into touch or tell the rough-and-ready hero to take a shower and smarten up.

Stereotypes. The bane of any author’s creativity. Use them, and you will risk the yawn factor from your reader. Don’t use them, and you are not following the unwritten style-sheet for your genre, and also risk alienating your reader. Coming as I do from the world of Facebook role-play, it seems that when people are designing a character, there is an element of what is popular right now. A few months back, when everyone was watching The Originals, the characters were a wolf-vampire hybrid or some form of ‘noble’ vampire. If people were fans of vampire fiction, then it was vamps vs. werewolves. Right now, it seems the fashion is for characters with a mafia background. But that’s another topic altogether.

The trick is that, if you have to use a stereotypical image, then try to add your own unique twist to it. Well, that’s what I have tried to do.

Let’s use Fane Anghelescu as an example. He is a Hellhound, or at least, in the course of “Bound”, that is what he believed himself to be. There is more to him, but that will have to wait until later books, “Caduceus” and “Ddraig” (pronounced “Thrrraig”), Volumes 5 and 6 respectively.

Examining his character, is he orphaned? Yes, his dam is dead, but he lives in a violent world and he is a pack animal, so she may have died, but he is not ‘orphaned’ as such. Is there a love triangle? No way. His Queen won’t allow him to look elsewhere. She wants complete and total control over her chosen Alpha and all his paranormal capabilities. Is he a rough and ready bad boy. Yes, he is a bad boy. He is a Hellhound and he knows that he exploits the weaknesses of the humans around him. But does he ride a Harley? Hell no! Apart from the fact that I am British, I don’t think Harleys are the most comfortable ride around. Yes, the one-percenter culture is built around Harleys, but there are other bikes out there. So Fane rides a Triumph Rocket 3 Touring, a behemoth of a bike without a doubt.

His first bike was a Vincent 1000, a classic bike. The workshop his Pack runs deals with classic British bikes. Fane does deal with motorbikes, but not the usual stuff.

Then we have the kick-arse, but inexplicably wilting heroine. So Stefania Anghelescu is a Hellhound also, for all that she has been absent from her pack for half a century, and has been living with humans. She is a survivor and a fighter. Wilting is not part of her game plan. But, even the toughest can have a point when they might break. That’s the trick there. That’s where there is scope to buck the stereotype.

My stories are about strong females and undoubtedly Alpha males who realise that being part of a whole can result in greater strength. And before anyone takes me to task over the whole ‘showing equality’ side, and only having M/F relationships, one of the planned titles, “Rhyfelwraig” says it all. Warrior women. Being strong doesn’t mean there is no ‘soft’ side, but it is all about finding balance.

Just as, as an author, I need to find balance in my own life in order to write, so I would like to think that some of this also comes into play with my characters. There is no harm that Fane enjoys holding his Stefania. He is an Alpha. An Alpha does not take chunks out of his pack just to prove a point. Hellhound he may be, but he is an Alpha. He is allowed to care, although he might show that in a … strange manner.

So, stereotypes or characterisations necessary for your genre? That is the question. Make your character unique. Remember, to sell your books, you have to sell your character and no one likes buying a ‘Me Too’ product. A little twist can make all the difference.

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS IN THE DIARIES OF THE CWN ANNWN

Amazon.co.uk: £3.05 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KB20OL6
Amazon.com: $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KB20OL6#nav-subnav
Smashwords: $3.99 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/660156

In the last few weeks, I have contributed a couple of extracts from primarily future volumes of the Diaries of the Cwn Annwn series which feature the character, Casimir Gosselin. Feedback has been that he seems like a fascinating character, and one about whom people would like to know more.

Therein lies the difficulty. Casimir is probably one of the most complex characters in the series. Deliberately, I have laid clues as I go, wanting my readers to wonder and to ask questions. How successful that is will depend on when people find out the truth about Casimir Gosselin.

So, regretfully, that ‘truth’ won’t be here, although I will give a few details. Rather the focus will be on building that complex character and the pitfalls, particularly when you are writing a series involving that character.

Casimir Gosselin was inspired by a picture of the American model, Sean O’Pry. Having my author origins as a Facebook role-player, the concept of a ‘face claim’ is quite key. This is generally a picture which the writer feels epitomises some aspect of their character. Admittedly, there are some writers who choose busty female pictures for their characters because they just want to attract attention. I look for something more, perhaps the background of the individual which says that, if they were an actor, rather than a model, they would be my choice for the role.

So, Sean O’Pry was my choice for Casimir. As a character, he was first mentioned in “Alpha”, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, commenting on how corruption and appropriate lobbying can have a ‘desired’ effect. In “Beta”, the impression one gains from the descriptions given by his siblings, Alix and Adhémar Gosselin are that he is a barely leashed psychopath.

Casimir himself makes it clear that he never had any intention of supporting his sire and elder brother when they must face a duel to the death against the Negrescu Cŵn Annwn, even though the remnants of his sire’s followers flock to his ‘banner’, believing him his sire’s only heir. At the end of “Beta”, he is heard to give a very cryptic instruction on a secure mobile phone:

Casimir smiled, as he pulled out his secure phone. He spoke briefly. “Alert the team. The plans are in motion.”

That is perhaps the first clue that there is more to Casimir Gosselin than seems obvious. This is probably the hardest thing about a complex character. In leaving the trail of clues, one doesn’t want to give away too much, but equally, one must also make sure that the continuity works out as intended. Recently, I pondered entering a writing competition with an extended episode from Casimir’s backstory which would shed more light on his motives. I was advised that I should avoid revealing too much, at the risk of ruining the ‘surprise’ in Casimir’s own book, “Anatarachí”.

Casimir, like most of my male characters is a biker at heart. When I had discussed his choice of bike with a colleague, I outlined his visible character.

“Definitely a Harley.” said my biker friend. “It is the ride of choice of the outlaw-type.” But does Casimir ride a Harley? No, he has two bikes at his disposal: a Ducati Diavel and a Triumph Tiger Explorer. Work that one out if you can.

According to the core group of my followers, who have access to the ‘raw’ version of my stories, they had no clue how the truth would pan out, and the overall consensus was that it was more than worth the wait, considering that his book was the eighth book in the series.

Suffice it to say, I would like to think it will not prove to be a disappointment. The difficulty for me as a writer is knowing his background and keeping it all to myself. But then, even as Fane has proven to be a far from typical Hellhound, understanding Casimir’s motivations has been a rewarding experience as a writer.

So, just as a bit of a teaser, I will use something my son suggested. Depending on the kind of day or my mood, he has been heard to grade the situation as a ‘Gavril’, a ‘Fane’ or a ‘Casimir’. Bearing in mind that Fane is a Hellhound who will kill his enemies without compunction, a ‘Casimir’ ranks as worse? Writing a complex character is beyond ‘fun’. It is a challenge, both the understand his motivations and to communicate those motivations to my readers.

Are you ready for what he has the potential to unleash?

(Copyright of the photographs used in this piece belong to the original owners.)

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.LINKS TO THE BOOKS IN THE DIARIES OF THE CWN ANNWN

Amazon.co.uk: £3.05 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KB20OL6
Amazon.com: $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KB20OL6#nav-subnav
Smashwords: $3.99 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/660156

I thought I would ask Fane to consider a question, and write something up. Character development, particularly if it means that they stray away from the norm, is a difficult process. I will be the first to admit that I had not envisaged how much Fane would change, but he remains himself, true to the clues in “Bound”. One other point, Fane has tried to control his language, but, let’s just say that it may be a work in progress ...

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So, that human wanted to do another interview with me, but for some reason, she finds me intimidating. Me? So, I am 6ft 5in in my socks. Add another couple of inches if I am wearing my bike boots, which I would be doing at the workshop, so 6ft 7in. I work out and I swim, so yeah, I am not a small person. She’s what? 5ft 3in in her tights. Does the extra 16 inches make that much difference? I suppose it must, because, instead of turning up in person, she sent me an e-mail.

“Describe how you have changed over time?”

She had to be fu …, err, joking? Describe how I had changed over time. “Make it funny.” Stefania said. Am I surrounded by

interfering females? Make it funny? From the time I was whelped to now, and she reckons I can make it funny? So I am ranting. Boo hoo! I am a Hellhound Alpha. I enjoy a good fight, and I win them. Given the sort of opponent I might face, if I didn’t aim to win, I would die. I prefer to live.

So, how has my life changed? Born in the mountains, I believed that I was sired by the Anghelescu Pack Beta. I wasn’t, but that comes later. My dam suspected that I had it in me to be an Alpha, and let’s face it, Aurelija, our Alpha at the time was making a pig’s ear of the whole leadership thing. We hadn’t won a battle against the Lupei Pack in years, so my dam told me. It was only a matter of time before the Queen’s wrath meant that she would lose to a challenger. My dam intended that I would be that challenger, but she didn’t now how to achieve that. Key thing was keeping me alive, and keeping her other pup, my sister, alive.

Now, the whole thing about my becoming Alpha has been told in “Bound”, but what did it feel like, all those changes? Well, let’s look at what Hellhounds are usually. They are normally sired by a demon, or from the Devil’s blood. Boring! With you humans, you are not all clones, so why should we as Hellhounds be any different? That is part of this whole character development gig. Did my human writer go for the same old, and admittedly tired, stereotype, or did she come up with something different.

Well, let’s see, my sire wasn’t the Pack Beta, and I wasn’t a full blood Hellhound either. Turned out that my dam was a little bit more frisky that many thought, and she had a dalliance with a local demigod. I was the result. I was the planned and quite deliberately conceived result, more to the point, because my sire had a damn good idea what might happen if you mixed Hellhound blood with that of a demigod of warfare, fertility and divination.

Next point, genetics. When you mix two species, have a think how that is going to work. Which species will predominate. In my case, the mix was interesting to say the least. The warfare from my sire mixed with my Hellhound dam’s ability to fight, amping up what I could do. My weapon of choice became a blade of pure energy which I could wield as easily as some might a dagger. The fertility side? Even better, because I am an incubus. Now whilst I was enslaved by my former Queen, she used that part. Sex magic, and I raised psychic energy like a damned generator. Like I said, genetics and how it affects a character can be fascinating.

What else affected me? Circumstances. I wanted to protect Roxana, so I became even better at fighting. I was going to become Alpha, so I put up with all the crap thrown at me by the Queen’s trainers, because it was all for a good reason, I told myself, to protect my pack. But it also changed me. Nothing motivates you more to change that wanting to protect others. Every single skill that I have learned, I have done so because others … not depended on me, but they looked to me. I was the Alpha. The protection gig is part of the job description. Another circumstance? The death of my dam at the hands of Vladimir Lupei. That changed me. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and by the time I caught up with that jerk, it was so damned cold, it was almost frozen.

So, in a few decades, a blink of an eye in the life of a Hellhound, I went from pup to a juvenile and Alpha-in-training, to Alpha, to Mated.

Yeah, that definitely changed me. I shan’t go into details, but I am sure most humans will agree. Committing yourself to another is a giant leap into the unknown. Would I have done it had I known what might happen? That’s why I delayed things, why I didn’t want to admit what was staring me in the face. Of all the things that changed me, that, mating Stefania, was the one thing that had a huge, life-changing effect. More to the point, it is an effect that is anything but over right now.

Having pups? Well, you will just have to wait and see, won’t you? You don’t expect me to give everything away, surely. Yeah, I have changed. The little caterpillar changed into a butterfly? Not bloody likely! But I did change and some might say that in doing so, I have betrayed my species. However, I would remind you. All species evolve if they wish to survive. Why should my own be any different, just to enable you to stay in your comfort zone?

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Following on from my last post, I was delighted when Facebook pulled up this from a ‘Memories’ post. Such bliss that might be: having the time to nothing. It made me recall a talk I attended several years ago on the subject of ‘Modern Human Sacrifice’ by a prominent pagan author, whose name I can’t recall for the life of me. I will say, that this piece is from a female perspective, because, duh! I am female.

Now, if you perform a Google search for ‘human sacrifice’, you will pull up some fairly gory images. Blood, damning statements on abortion, pictures of military cemeteries. That’s how many see human sacrifice. But how does that work in the modern world? You know that modern world where, if you are still a wage-slave like me, whilst trying to write and publish books as an indie author? You day consists of waking early, bolting a breakfast down to join the morning commute. Actually, you might even skip breakfast, which I consider to be a major thing, because then you will end up snacking mid-morning, before you might even risk indigestion all afternoon by bolting lunch down, because you have ‘stuff’ to do.

Then there is the evening commute. Home with the family. Food preparation, unless you have an understanding spouse. Evening tasks, including preparation for the next day. Sleep – probably fairly late. Then it begins again. Nothing changes. Everything continues, and there comes the point where you want to cry because you can’t cope anymore. And then you break.

So, modern human sacrifice. What is it? What is the one thing that is lacking? How often have you said to yourself, “If only I had a bit more time!” To me, that will always be the essence of modern human sacrifice. Time. Cue the sound of the Pink Floyd song. Make time. Now that is easier said than done and I will admit that I am the worst when it comes to that. Yesterday, my bo

ss queried the number of hotel nights I had last month. Hotel nights cost the company money, and behind his apparent concern was the question: “Will the company see a return on their investment?” Mask it how you will, but that is what the thought will be, because that is modern business.

If you want to feel less like a commodity and more like a person, then you have to make the changes in your life. Yeah, right! Like that’s going to work.

Baby steps. That’s how you make change. Baby steps. Small changes. Perhaps agree that you take turns with your partner to cook dinner? That would give a breather, at least on some evenings. Breakfast: eat it. It doesn’t take long to make a bowl of porridge, and sling some fresh fruit in it. Apple goes well, frozen blackberries. Tesco sell a bag of frozen berry fruits; a handful goes well as the porridge cooks. Look at your bedtime routine. Do you keep your phone/tablet computer by the bed, and ‘do a bit’ before turning in? Guilty here of that one. My husband reckoned the apocalypse was imminent because I left my phone at home one day. So, charge your equipment in another room. Read a book, of the paper variety, that has nothing to do with work. The lack of flickering screen will make a huge difference in your brain shutting down. I have started to use an aromatherapy vaporiser in my room. I set it off about an hour before bed, with some lavender and patchouli to fill the room with a relaxing scent. When I go to bed, the scent is conducive to sleep.

Little things, but they are changes. So, what’s the To Do List?

• Make a list of EVERYTHING that you do from waking to sleeping: eating, drinking, etc. There are plenty of ‘timesheet’ type apps that you can use to record this.
• Look at where your time is going.
• Can you introduce the ‘baby steps’?

You don’t have to do it all, but even one change is a ‘baby step’ in the right direction. Baby-steps, small ripples in a still pond … However you look at it, it is your life and only you can start the process to change it to the life that really works for you.

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS BY JO PILSWORTH & THE HUNTER’S ARROW LTD

Amazon.co.uk: £3.05 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KB20OL6
Amazon.com: $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KB20OL6#nav-subnav
Smashwords: $3.99 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/660156