Amy Lignor is one of the authors participating in the Win With eBooks event for March. Several authors have come together to offer a Buy One, Get One Free promotion on their eBooks as well as a chance to win some Amazon.com gift cards. The promotion is running from March 15 - 18 and you can find all the details at winwithebooks.com. Today I would like to welcome Amy to Library Girl Reads & Reviews to talk about finding strong female characters...Thank you so much for having me here! I would love to begin by speaking briefly about strong female heroines. I am a fan of tough, intelligent females in novels, and I believe that comes from two places.
My mother is the strongest, most courageous woman I know. Being a career librarian, she taught my sister and I at a very young age that books were magic and T.V. and video games were not. Although I really did not like that idea when I was a teen, I learned pretty early on that she was absolutely right. It is because of that lady, that I became an avid reader and writer. I also got the love for strong female characters from my daughter. She is a reader extraordinaire, but when she was not reading, Buffy was playing in the background. Shelby always loved the fact that the girl was able to kick major butt, and that she was the ultimate hero in a world full of men…and vampires, of course.
In a historical series I write called, Tallent & Lowery
, the main character is a very tough, very intelligent woman who has a card catalogue for a brain. She can pull up all sorts of information, head out on adventures, and solve puzzles that no one else even understands. She actually brings the mysteries to life. Funny - a bit sarcastic, at times - she is the ultimate heroine.So when I began my foray into the young adult world, I decided that I very much wanted to tell a unique angel story (not ‘fallen’ or tormented…at least, not at first). I wanted that female angel to be the toughest of the tough; not by wielding swords, but using her talents to go against the most difficult things you can possibly think of - human emotions. When this angel meets up against love, fear, anger, envy - she is beyond confused, but she keeps going. Her mind and her heart were bent at times, frayed a bit around the edges, but she never gives up who she is or what she believes in, and I think that’s really the best type of character in the world. Whether the female characters are strong and powerful with their hearts or minds or talents, etc., does not matter. Whatever their ultimate fate is makes the story, and I hope that readers really understand and feel that with Emily in Until Next Time
.What are you working on now?
I have just finished book number 2 in the Angel Chronicles, and it is a whole lot of fun. I cannot tell you why they are where they are because I do not want to ruin the first book, but it has loads of adventure, romance, and historical locations that readers of all ages are really going to love.
What is the first thing you did when you found out you were getting published?
The only one in the house with me was Reuben, my German Shepherd, who sits beside me day and night while I write. So he was very excited. He got a lot of treats and a lot of hugs.
If you could have dinner with any author (alive or dead), who would you pick?
I have stated in the past that, just for fun, I would love to sit and have dinner with Dean Koontz. Because every time the man is interviewed, he has a spectacular sense of humor. But J.K. Rowling would be a fantastic dinner partner when it comes to writing. I mean, this is one tough woman who thought she was writing a book for her daughter and ended up creating a work of art that will be one of the greatest events in literary history that my great-great granddaughter will call a classic. That is a stunning accomplishment.
What are the last 3 books you read?
LOL. I am a book reviewer for so many sites, magazines, newsletters, companies - that I usually have at least twenty on my ‘to read’ table at any given moment. I just read Syrie James and Ryan James’ new YA book titled, Forbidden
, which was wonderful. And the two before that were Wonderstruck
, by the amazing Selznick, and A Soul For Trouble, by Crista McHugh, which is a new YA with a wonderful plot.Thank you again for having me!
Until Next Time, Everybody
Amy
Until Next Time: The Angel Chronicles, Book 1How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?
Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.
When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.
From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.
Amy Lignor's Bio:
Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.
Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend
; the thriller, Mind Made
; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13
.She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.
Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.
Find Amy Lignor online:
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Note: All opinions provided on this blog are my own. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Bookstore links are generally affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.
Love, love, love this topic! I was just saying on my own blog this morning that my dislike of Twilight is not actually because Edward is a sparkly vampire, but because Bella is an exceptionally weak female protagonist, and that irritates me. Bella's message to her peer group is that most important thing in your whole life is getting the guy. Ugh.
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