Busy...Busy...Busy...How do we keep it all in order?

Recently another mom I know told me she had gone to the doctor and when snippily asked for her job title and place of work she told them she was Super Mom and she worked at the nuthouse. They didn't think her candor too funny and demanded a serious answer. The receptionist told her for an accurate exam of her stress level, they needed an accurate answer. She replied, "Well then, to describe my stress level, that is a very accurate answer."

I thought my friend was pretty funny. Being mom sometimes feels that way, at least for me. How about you?

As a busy wife/mom/author sometimes I wonder how I'm going to accomplish everything I need to do to stay on top of everything. Whether it is remembering to put my husband's clothes in the dryer, getting my daughter's backpack ready for school, or jotting down that really good plot I just thought of before I forget it; I'm bound to not get at least one of those done. Unfortunately for my husband, his clothes have been left wet in the washer a few mornings as I finished the last touches on Under the Harvest Moon. And as school just started here, it seems my life only got more hectic.

In the last weeks, I've found that keeping a planner and setting alarms on my phone to remind me when certain things need to be done have come in rather handy. How about you? Whether you are a mom or not, how do you keep your life in order as a busy woman?

Under the Harvest Moon Coming Soon!

I am very pleased to announce that my fourth book, Under the Harvest Moon, will be coming to Evernight Publishing soon! I will announce the date as soon as I can, but until then, here is the blurb:

Witches, hunters, and even a set of fangs; will love conquer or be in vain?

In the village of Salem, Rebecca finds herself in need of a champion when a deacon threatens to have her accused of witchcraft if she does not succumb to his unholy desires. Will Christian cast aside his own plans to save her in the Accursed?

Romanian Prince Vasili Acros holds a dark secret, one he has never failed to keep. That changes when he chooses a woman for his pleasure and she returns light to his life. Vasili must make a choice; live in the shadows or return to life in Castle de Sânge.

In Her Dark Hunter, as the equinox nears, Enid fears of being taken by the Drocdraci hunters for their ritualistic pleasure. Though Ciarán has sworn to keep her safe, when his plans fail, will he save her? Or lose Enid forever?

Beautiful, young, & perfect.Advantages and disadvantages of the modern heroine and how their level of perfection can connect or disconnect readers.

As a modern woman, how do the (sometimes) perfect heroines we read cause us a disconnect to the story? Or in come cases, can a too imperfect character cause just as much of a separation between reader and character?

I am on the side of balance here, but I've asked a few fellow authors to weigh in on this topic. Author Raven McAllan says, "I have to have a character who has real attributes . . . " I agree. It is hard to identify with a heroine whose hair never strays, or if it does, does so beautifully, her make-up never smudges, and her body is divine (though she never seems to work for it). But if not perfect, can a character be too flawed? As a reader, I want a character to live through on the page and I want a good looking heroine to do it through. There has to be a balance. We need a heroine who's not perfect, but with just enough of that not-perfect perfection to attract an audience.

Author R. Brennan says, " . . . one comment I get most often on my novel, Call of the Sea, is that they loved the heroine character because she was flawed enough to be real . . . were really able to see growth by the end of the novel because she didn't start out or end up perfect." And Lynde Lakes says, "We need human heroines with strong emotions and good hearts."

Real, flawed, and human is the general opinion. Kastil Eavenshade says, "It's hard to identify with a character that has no flaws. It kills the realism . . . Sure, books are an escape from the real world but it's hard to dive right in when the character isn't believable . . . "

I have to agree with these ladies. What about you? Or, do you think the imperfect heroine makes us as women less likely to strive for perfection within ourselves?

Hello!

I would like to welcome you to my new blog. I am excited to get this started up and connect with you, readers, about more than books. (Well, of course we will talk about those, too!) But please join me next Monday, August 12th. I will be blogging about being a modern woman and connecting to the characters we read.
-Kerri