The Writer Inside Me

Thanks to Kermit for giving me the metaphorical kick in the pants I needed.

The Writing Fool

Give it a look!

I've been submitting a lot of my stories to an online site called Spinetinglers, which holds a monthly competition for five stories, and top prize is 100 pounds(or the currency equivalent) and publication in their anthology. I got an email today informing me that I've won first prize for the month of September!

Dogged stubborness pays off once more!

So I've finally uploaded some new userpics. Candy, I borrowed from the Rumple Group. I hope that's OK. :D :D

I really loved the first season of OuAT, due in no small part to the lovely creature in my pic. *Drools* I love Rumple.

Now for my rant.

I've been following along with the sporkings of Fifty Shades of Sludge over at das sporking, and a rather depressing thought occurred to me-lately, it  seems that if there is a male love interest in a fantasy or 'romance' novel, he is a scarily controlling asshole who browbeats and psychologically terrorizes the  heroine under the guise of knowing what is best for her because she is a puny wimmuns and does not know how to tie her shoes without his help.

It doesn't help matters at all that the heroine, who is supposed to be this tough, reliable woman that we can relate to, is too blind to see the danger that is clearly in front of her, only caring that her love is hawt. Or sparkly, in one case. ;)

The relationship is also dangerously possessive and unhealthy. There's no mutual trust, just suspicion and emotional blackmail. There's no love, just lust and jealousy. The heroine tosses aside everyone important in her life for her lover, or just never gave a damn about them to begin with. They fall in love after only knowing each other for a very short time. Now, I have done the "Love at First Sight" in my fanfics, but I didn't have Ilosovic stalk and obsess over Alannah. He's honestly shocked when he meets her again for the first time.

The 'heroine' always needs to be rescued from situations that she could have easily avoided if she actually had two braincells to rub together.

Which is why I've decided to actually write a male protagonist that is likeable.

Robert Carmon is a one hundred twenty year old Alpha werewolf. He's married to my female protagonist Maeve, and is also her partner in Hunting. He is physically much stronger than a human, especially on the days before the full moon. He also has heightened senses on those days.

As an Alpha, he has the ability to transfer his lycanthropy via bite. In my universe, werewolves are created in one of two ways-they are either born or bitten. Werewolves that are born are Alphas, and both versions tend to live much longer than humans. But true-born werewolves are quite rare, due to the fact that the transformation is extremely painful, and for Alphas, it can begin when they are as young as six months.

Also, not everyone that's bitten changes. You have to have the genetic mutation-otherwise all you'll do is bleed.

Robert can change at will, but he is more aggressive-both in hunting and sexually- during the full moon. He is slightly larger than a real wolf, and keeps his mind. When he's in wolf-form, he is able to communicate with Maeve through telepathy, and he can understand human speech.

He is very much in love with Maeve(and loves having sex), but does worry about being 'too old' for her, a notion that she quickly squelches. He also knows that she is quite capable of looking after herself, and sticks with her no matter what. They have a relationship built on mutual trust and friendship.

Silver and wolfs-bane are poisonous to him.

He first meets Maeve when he is beaten by a group of Purists(humans who want to exterminate all supernatural beings, regardless of their personalities) and left for dead. She tends to his wounds, and that is the start of a beautiful partnership.