KYRA HALLAND
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Daughter of the Wildings >
      • The World of Daughter of the Wildings
      • Map of The Wildings
      • Map of Bitterbush Springs
      • Beneath the Canyons Sample
    • Defenders of the Wildings >
      • Mages' Home Sample
    • Mage of Storm and Sea
    • Tales of Tehovir >
      • Chosen of Azara >
        • Cast of Characters-Chosen of Azara
        • Reviews of Chosen of Azara
        • Chosen of Azara Sample
      • Source-Breaker >
        • Source-Breaker Sample
      • Heir of Tanaris >
        • Heir of Tanaris Sample
      • Map of Tehovir
    • Urdaisunia >
      • Cast of Characters-Urdaisunia
      • Map-Urdaisunia
      • Reviews of Urdaisunia
      • Urdaisunia Sample
    • The Lost Book of Anggird >
      • Reviews of The Lost Book of Anggird
      • Lost Book of Anggird Sample
    • Sarya's Song >
      • Sarya's Song Sample
      • Sarya's Song Glossary
    • Short Fiction
    • Boxed Sets
    • Still to come...
  • Read Right Here!
    • Home on the Range
  • About
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Email Signup

Kyra Halland

Strong Women, Honorable Men, Worlds of Magic

Sarya's Song Cover, and Silas Quote of the Day

7/17/2013

4 Comments

 
I now have in my hot little hands (on my hot little hard drive?) the cover illustration for Sarya's Song. I think I said something once about "luciously dark and romantic," and oh my, it is! It's gorgeous! I'll reveal the cover on Saturday; watch for it!

For my Camp NaNo project, Book 4 of Daughter of the Wildings, I'm up to 23,252/30,000 words. Like I've mentioned before, the drafts of these books are fairly short, but I tend to "write short" in my first drafts and then fill in when I revise, so I expect them to end up in about the 50,000 word range by the time I release them.

Silas is always good for a quotable quote, and here's today's:
"Lainie, wait."

She looked back at him, anger in her face.

Silas didn't know what to say that he hadn't already said. That however badly the Mage Council might want him, whatever they might do to him if they ever got their hands on him, they would want her even more and do even worse to her? That he was going to drag her to safety by her heels, kicking and screaming? "Do whatever you want," he finally said. "But if you get yourself killed, I'll hunt you down through all the heavens and all the hells, and then give you the whupping your Pa would want me to give you for getting yourself killed."

She grinned now, a hard, challenging grin. "Same to you, Vendine." She heeled Mala in the sides, sending the mare galloping back to the camp.
Now, I really hate it when in books there's some kind of dangerous situation that has to be faced, and the man says, "I am the man and you are just a girl and I must protect you and keep you from going into danger because I am a manly man, and I don't care that having you along might actually be helpful or that you'll feel as bad if I get killed as I'll feel if you get killed." And the woman says, "Silly man, you can't tell me what to do because I Am Woman and no stupid man can tell me what to do even if it means I put myself in danger unnecessarily and make things harder for you because then you have to worry about me in addition to yourself."

I mean, I really hate that.

But I don't think that's what's going on here. Lainie and Silas are both in a pretty precarious situation with the law (as represented by the Mage Council), and a dangerous confrontation with some other mages is coming up. Lainie believes that Silas is in just as much danger as she is, plus she has certain skills that can really help in a situation like this (that is, saved his butt more than once before), and yes, she would feel just as bad if he was captured or killed as he would feel if something happened to her. On the other hand, Silas has reason to believe that Lainie has seriously underestimated the danger to herself, and that any display of these special skills will only make her situation worse. He has no intention of getting himself killed; he just wants to deal with this situation as quickly and efficiently as possible, and then take Lainie and get the hell out of Dodge (if Dodge City existed in their world). She, however, has equally compelling reasons for not wanting to run away.

Anyway, I was trying to come up with a satisfactory way to top off this argument, and that quote from Silas kind of came out of nowhere (as Silas's best quotes usually do), and I like it, along with Lainie's rejoinder at the end - she can give as good as she gets. So I really really hope I'm not doing that thing that I hate.

Author spotlights coming up Thursday and Friday, and then don't forget, the Sarya's Song cover reveal on Saturday!
4 Comments
Camille LaGuire link
7/17/2013 02:39:33 pm

I think the thing that you hate has become a meaningless cliche because it's a kind of by-rote bow to the fact that we're writing about a sexist world from a non-sexist point of view. (Or "less sexist" if you prefer.) When Manly Man says "Stand back, foolish Woman!" and Proud Ladygirl says "I'll be as foolish as I want!" they're saying it only because we (modern writer/readers) see that as a rule of the world, and we don't look any deeper because we aren't interested in the sexist parts. We just want to get past them as fast as possible.

But the characters have to live in that world. They are completely familiar with the unfairness -- even those who fully buy in to the sexist values. (And in westerns, individualism is to important for your characters not to feel especially strong about it.)

So you did what I like to try to do: As Manly Man, he's supposed to take responsibility, but as a human being, he has and shows respect.

In this case, I love the way he's really getting her to hear his warning by being a little vulnerable -- he uses humor and faux threats to show her that her safety matters to him.

And her response is so beautifully simple, it tells him that he's right on how to approach this, that he can't control her, but that she accepts that he cares and cares back.

It's a lovely exchange.

Reply
Kyra
7/17/2013 03:27:28 pm

Thanks, Camille. Glad you think I handled it well; that means a lot, coming from you :)

I've noticed how you handle this with Mick and Casey, too. It's a tricky balance - in a sexist world, having a husband and wife who pretty much regard each other as equals, while at the same time the man considers it his duty as a man to protect the woman - not out of any kind of lack of respect for her, or because he thinks she's incapable of taking care of herself, but because that's what men do, and also at the same time, the woman has some sort of skill that makes her at least as qualified to protect the man (Casey's sharpshooting, Lainie's unusual magical abilities) as he is to protect her, but it would make him lose face and confidence and self-respect if she were to step between him and the threat. And then you add the complicating factor of love and how neither one can imagine how they'd go on if something happened to the other one. Tricky to write, and if the writer isn't careful and willing to go into greater depth (as you said, because this brings up uncomfortable stuff about sexism and gender roles and difficult emotional stuff) they'll end up with The Thing I Hate. You manage this kind of relationship beautifully with Mick and Casey, and that's why they're one of my favorite fiction couples (and when do I get to read about how they happened to end up married?)

Reply
Camille LaGuire link
7/18/2013 09:15:33 am

Well, Mick is easy because he just doesn't let his ego get in the way. He's used to playing second banana to someone who is way tougher than her is (he started out as sidekick to a lawman who was one mean so-and-so). He also has a sense of humor and loves to play on other people's expectations.

Also, and probably most important, Mick knows that Casey can only be seduced by displays of respect for her toughness.

One of these days I am going to turn the screenplay about how they met into a book. In it, there is one line where Mick steps up to a tough guy and says something like "Hey, don't disrespect my wife!" "Yeah? Or what?" "Or she'll shoot you."

(He knows exactly how to impress his little lady.)

Reply
Kyra
7/18/2013 12:27:28 pm

lol, that's a great line. whenever you write that, you've already got one copy sold! Mick is great in how he's kind of laid back that way. And it's kind of - cute? that's not really the word, but you probably know what I mean, how he's figured out how to get around the barriers Casey has raised around herself.

Silas doesn't so much have an ego as much as he's just realistic about his abilities. He's a skilled bounty hunter, a powerful mage, and has mad gunslinger skills, and sees no reason to pretend to any false modesty about it. (About the only thing he thinks he's good at that he isn't is playing cards. Lainie had to ban him from playing for money.) It's been a long path to get to where they are in the 4th book, where Lainie is more powerful than he is (not stronger, but almsot as strong, and she can do things that he can't) and also in more danger (the things she can do make her a real threat to the powers that be, as opposed to his more ordinary lawbreaking). He knows and respects her abilities, and doesn't mind acknowledging that she's his equal or superior in some things, and the fact that she's saved his behind more than once, but at the same time he sees the danger she's in much more clearly than she does.

Little lady, lol. I use that too. I loved Mick's line about the little lady who chased the fella out the window.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I am Kyra Halland, author of tales of fantasy, heroism, and romance.
    Welcome to my worlds.

    Follow me on BookBub
    Follow me on Goodreads

    Sign up for my email list

    RSS Feed

    My Books

    Daughter of the Wildings
    Beneath the Canyons
    Bad Hunting
    The Rancher's Daughter
    To the Gap
    City of Mages Cover
    For the Wildings cover
    Daughter of the Wildings Books 1-3
    Daughter of the Wildings: The Complete Series
    Defenders of the Wildings
    Mages' Home
    Mages' Exile
    Mages' Uprising
    Defenders of the Wildings: The Complete Series
    Mage of Storm and Sea
    Tales of Tehovir
    Chosen of Azara
    Source-Breaker
    The Warrior and the Holy Man
    The Brilliant Career of Sajur Golu
    Tales of the Source-Breakers
    More Books
    Urdaisunia
    Love and Magic Box Set
    A Cure for Nel and Other Stories
    Mistress of the Mirror and Other Stories
    Click on the covers for more information

    Categories

    All
    Book Extras
    Creative Inspiration
    Fantasy
    Geekery
    Guest Features
    Musings
    News
    Reading Corner
    Romance
    Saryas Song
    Self Publishing
    Sneak Peeks
    Tales Of Tehovir
    The Lost Book Of Anggird
    Urdaisunia
    Weird Western
    Wildings Saga
    Writing Life

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    July 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Kyra Halland: Welcome to My Worlds is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Other links on this site may also lead to products for which the owner may receive compensation.

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
Kyra Halland: Welcome to My Worlds is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Other links on this site may also lead to products for which the owner may receive compensation.

This site uses StatCounter cookies to track page views, link clicks, and other information useful for running this site. To decline StatCounter cookies, click here.

Privacy Policy   FAQs

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo used under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Daughter of the Wildings >
      • The World of Daughter of the Wildings
      • Map of The Wildings
      • Map of Bitterbush Springs
      • Beneath the Canyons Sample
    • Defenders of the Wildings >
      • Mages' Home Sample
    • Mage of Storm and Sea
    • Tales of Tehovir >
      • Chosen of Azara >
        • Cast of Characters-Chosen of Azara
        • Reviews of Chosen of Azara
        • Chosen of Azara Sample
      • Source-Breaker >
        • Source-Breaker Sample
      • Heir of Tanaris >
        • Heir of Tanaris Sample
      • Map of Tehovir
    • Urdaisunia >
      • Cast of Characters-Urdaisunia
      • Map-Urdaisunia
      • Reviews of Urdaisunia
      • Urdaisunia Sample
    • The Lost Book of Anggird >
      • Reviews of The Lost Book of Anggird
      • Lost Book of Anggird Sample
    • Sarya's Song >
      • Sarya's Song Sample
      • Sarya's Song Glossary
    • Short Fiction
    • Boxed Sets
    • Still to come...
  • Read Right Here!
    • Home on the Range
  • About
    • FAQs
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Email Signup