We welcome Lauren Dane today. She’s here to celebrate her latest Phantom Corps release, Captivated.
So I’m Lauren Dane. I write books. Some of them you might give to your mom, others you might not. (Heaven knows I love it that my parents are so supportive of my writing, but I cringe knowing they read some of them!)
Today, my futuristic erotic romance, CAPTIVATED is releasing from Berkley Heat. Which is why the lovely ladies here at Book Binge are kind enough to have me as their guest.
Some things I love: Led Zeppelin, Wye Oak, Etta James, Lykke Li, pistachio gelato, handbags, fried food, scary movies, science fiction, vintage styled clothing from the 40s and 50s, lemon drops, hot men (including my husband), tumblr, shoes, muscle cars, Motown, dancing…
And badass women. I think perhaps it started with Wonder Woman back when I was growing up. Lynda Carter was tough as nails with her lasso of truth and those awesome bullet proof wristlets. Oh and Lindsay Wager’s Bionic Woman too. I’m sure today they’d give Wonder Woman a better job, but I digress. It also helped that my mother is a strong woman. As were my grandmothers.
I grew up in a culture that was changing. The 1970s and early 1980s were a time where women where trying to find a balance between home and work, between career and family. Where women in media had so often been pretty, unless they were single and slutty – we started to see women portrayed as more than that. As smart people who struggled with balance like men did. As lawyers and senators, as superheroes and scientists. As well as mothers.
I don’t write weak female characters. I can’t connect with them and I’m not sure most readers want to. They don’t want to read about doormats, crybabies or helpless whiners.
But they don’t all have to be perfect. Or superheroes. They can be flawed. Broken. They can step back and let the dude fix stuff—not because he’s the dude, but because he’s the expert on lock picking or shooting or whatever.
I also love writing about women who have gone through something difficult and are healing. I think healing, the drive to survive bad things is a common experience. Not necessarily what Hannah Black, my heroine in Captivated has endured, of course. But people get through things, get past them, triumphed over them. People can relate, even if what the person on the page has dealt with is far more severe.
Perfect people are boring on the page. Totally well adjusted people are wonderful and someone to look up to, but they don’t usually make for a good story. Following a character through ups and downs as he or she works to get better can really show a reader the heart of that character, which is why I love to write them as well as read them.
Of course, in CAPTIVATED, all three characters have their wounds. Vincenz, who has spent years of his life trying to prove he is not the same as his father. Or Julian, who is nearly drowning in his need to avenge the death of his best friend. So Hannah finds her place there with them. And they protect her, but it’s Hannah who has to heal herself. And she does, slowly but surely.
Broken heroines need their HEA too, don’t you think? One of my favorite wounded heroines are JD Robb’s Eve Dallas, who has grown so well over the series, but will never entirely be healed. Oh and Faith from Linda Howard’s After the Night (one of my favorite books of all time) and Tessa Dare’s Susanna from A Night To Surrender. What about you all? Any favorites?
The story goes like this — Seven years ago, Lauren Dane decided to quit her job and stay home with her brand new second child. As a result, she had lots of conversations in a sing-song voice but no real outlet for adult thoughts and words. While on bed-rest with her pregnancy with the tiny monster, Lauren had plenty of down time so her husband brought home a second hand laptop and she decided to “give that writing thing a serious go.”
Lauren had no idea how fabulously wonderful it would feel to actually make a go of her writing and she’s thankful every day people actually want to read what she writes! She’s well aware of her good fortune and loves every moment of it, even when she has to edit and put Barbie’s dresses back on over and over again. She still hasn’t managed to figure out how to shut out the sound of Wizards of Waverly Place so she can write a love scene, though.
Visit Lauren on the web at www.laurendane.com.
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Lauren has offered a signed copy of Captivated to one lucky commenter! Leave a comment on this post answering her question from above and you’ll be entered.
Contest ends Sunday, May 6 @ 11:59pm. Please note: you must include a valid email address with your comment to be eligible.
Captivated is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
This comment has been removed by the author.
i got so many good recommendation of JD Robb, but dont know, i’m still not interesting 🙁
for me, i love all books lol, but i’d just read jaci burton’s book and really lover her book =D
and yes HEA is a most 😉
eli_y83@yahoo.com
I keep waiting for Eve and Rorak to adopt. Can anyone else see that? I don’t like heroines who have everything too easy. Just can’t relate.
Hi Lauren!
My favorite wounded heroines are Rachel, Sophie, Sarah and Shea from the KGI series by Maya Banks. Maya knows how to write about broken heroines! Sometimes, it was almost too harsh to read. But, thank God, Maya also knows how to write HEA!
Thanks for the chance to win your book!
Kanya 🙂
I don’t actually have a favourite broken heroine but there again I still haven’t read any books by J D Robb yet(lack of funds is the pits).
ilona
felinewyvern at googlemail dot com
Thanks for a very interesting post! I would love a HEA for Jane Yellowrock (Faith Hunter).
greetings, Melanie
booksforalleternity at gmail dot com
My favorite is also Eve Dallas.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
I agree Eve D is a very strong broken heroine.
I also like Sarah from Sarah’s child if you could call her broken. (Linda Howard)
I forgot to lv my email – sorry – it is
patoct@yahoo.com
Answers: Eve D and Sarah from Sarah’s Child.
I haven’t read JD Robb’s Eve Dallas series yet – I’ve been a bit intimidated by the number of books in the series, but I think I’ll take the leap & start them. As for wounded heroines, I immediately thought of Erin Brown & what she went thru with her daughter. I don’t think I’ll ever forget her story.
sallans d at yahoo dot com
Hi lauren!!
We have the same choices there, at least your two choices. Eve and faith are strong women with troublesome past. And, i’d like to add marlie keen from dream man, another linda howard’s book. She also had a troublesome past due.to her psychic power.
smile_1773@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
One of my favorites is Molly from This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Diana
Forgot to include my email:
ISRAEL2 at hotmail dot com
Diana
Oh yes, Eve Dallas! She is my favorite too. As with Faith too from After the Night, even I don’t like the hero. If I can add, I like Erin Brown from Laid Bare! She is so tortured with her fast, I almost cry when read the book.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Ren
sawamura_foxman AT yahoo DOT com
I love wounded characters, whether they are heroes or heroines. One of my favs is Anna Cornick from Patricia Briggs’ Alpha/Omega series. She had a terrible time when she was turned into a werewolf and everyone underestimates her, but mentally she’s unbreakable. I adore her.
Favorite broken and/or strong female? Sophie Hatter from immediately comes to mind: she’s strong in many ways, facing up to a wizard with a bad reputation and a fire demon and maintaining her ground. Even gaining it every now and then.
I also love Sascha from Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation. Told all her life that she was a defective Psy, she finds her strength and goes up against a sociopath, and helps engineer his downfall.
And I’m definitely going to look into this series. Sounds too good to miss!
tsukishine at gmail.com
Thanks for a great post and giveaway! I’ve been dying to read this series!! Definitely top of my wishlist!
I love Eve Dallas too. She is the ultimate bad*ss, tortured heroine. I wanna be her when I grow up 😉
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com
Oh my, yes, Eve Dallas! And also a Linda Howard heroine, Roanna from Shades of Twilight. Oh my, that woman! *sigh*
Another heroine who was broken, but in more subtle ways, is Elli, from LaVyrle Spencer’s Morning Glory (I know, I’m a broken record, I keep bringing this book–and its characters–up, but it’s sooooooo good!)
I love Francesca from Julia Quinn’s When he was Wicked.
Mojostables@yahoo.com
I never thought of Eve Dallas as damaged, but you’re right. I think Robb is trying to finally heal her character with the events that happened a book or two ago, but I think you’re right, a victim of such severe childhood violence will carry a bit of damage for life, but I think she’s shown that you can rise above it and not let it control you as an adult. A positive message.
I’ve read lots of books with abused characters or ones that have lost “everything” (Lisa Kleypas’ contemporaries) , but none stand out.
I have to agree with Eve Dallas – sums up the answer to the question.
gmapeony@yahoo.com
Gmapeony
The heroine from Nora Roberts latest book, The Witness had been raised without love. She was an interesting character that really wanted to belong to a family.
A couple more memorable heroines are Jax from Grimspace, Sara from Pack Challenge, and Elle from Dirty.
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
Yes, Faith and Eve are good. Also Rachel from Dream A Little Dream by Susan Eliz. Phillips.
lovesthemets@yahoo.com
Karen T.
For heroine, I adore Liberty Jones in Sugar Daddy Lisa Kleypas.
She’s so strong and have to be mature in such a young age.
One of my favorites is Milla from Cry No More by Linda Howard.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Eve would be one of my favorites too.
I do love characters that are flawed.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Love Faith, she’s also one of my favourite heroines! I also like Sienna from Kiss of Snow.
spav05(AT)gmail(DOT)com