Character of the Week: Donna from The Cop/the Loving Her series

Cop, hero, friend, lover, daughter...Donna White wears many hats. She is a deep and complex woman. Hers is an emotionally charged story.

Donna was an only child. Her father, Tony, was a cop. Her mother, Amanda, was a seamstress.

Tony was a narcotics detective. Donna watched him as he risked life and limb every day to clean up the streets of Philadelphia.

Her father's work had a tremendous impact on her. For one, it was made clear to Donna at a very early age that drugs and alcohol were dangerous to say the least. He and his work were also very inspirational to Donna. She saw all of the good that he did, and she wanted to emulate that. Most importantly, it showed her that nothing in life was guaranteed; to savor every moment, and always tell loved ones how important they are.

Following in her father's foot steps, she studied criminal justice at Chestnut Hill College before attending the Philly Police Academy.

She did well in her class. Studious and focused, Donna was one of the top students.

Father's Day came, and as was the tradition, Donna took her parents out to eat at one of their favorite restaurants in the city. Donna and her parents had a wonderful holiday dinner together.

At the end of the evening, her parents drove off back home, and Donna went out to her apartment. It was the last time she'd ever see her parents.

On their drive home, Tony and Amanda were hit head on by a drunk driver.

Losing her parents meant losing her life. Everything was cold, dark, and empty. Nothing made sense, nothing had meaning. Suddenly, Donna's only way of coping was to drink at home, or to try to numb her pain with one night stands. She didn't know of any other way to forget the pain. She couldn't function, no matter what she did.

She went through the motions of life, like she was supposed to, but it was all a facade.

                                       

One year went by, and everything stayed the same. Donna was still completely devastated. She continued to search for peace in alcohol and women. Graduation wasn't anything important. Life was still meaningless.

She started to get some reprieve from her depressive state when she began her field training. Her FTO (Field Training Officer) was tough with her. He tested her and he pushed her. At times, he drove her insane. At others, he was her best friend.

Two days before her field training was to end, Donna was shot when they went out to an armed robbery.

Donna was shot in the back, and lost a kidney as a result of her wounds. She survived, though. In the hospital, she was painful, angry, and depressed. Once again it seemed as though nothing could go easily for her.

She recovers, and much to her surprise, was given glowing ratings from her FTO. Normal protocol would have had her on patrol for three years before she could go into narcotics. Between her father's reputation, and the recommendations from Kirkpatrick, her FTO, some strings were pulled and Donna went right into Narcotics. To make the deal even sweeter, she was teamed up with John, her father's old partner.

Donna excells as a Narc. She does so well that she receives the highest award a police officer in Philadelphia can receive: the George Fencl Award. Donna hates being the center of attention, but she deserved this award (and she knew it).

Life continues on status quo, until Donna's birthday. Once again, she seeks out a woman to help ease her loneliness. But this time, something's different. Heather was beautiful, alluring, addictive. One night of passion lead to two, which lead to more. Donna suddenly found herself in a relationship. She had always been afraid to open her heart to anyone after she had been so devastated by her parents' death. But Heather was worth it.

Or was she?

The relationship had been going well, or so Donna thought. Donna was madly in love with her, she assumed Heather loved her. There had never been a sign to indicate otherwise. Until one night when Heather tells Donna that she had accepted a new position, and would be moving to Chicago. Donna was floored. Especially when Heather suddenly became very cold, and said some horrifically cruel things to her.

Once again, Donna's heart was shattered.

Donna had met a gal named Linda through Heather. Out of desperation and loneliness, Donna sought her out for some support. Thus began an incredible friendship for the two women. Linda introduces Donna to Liz and Jen, Maria and Stephania. Donna went from being a loner to being a part of a group - a family of sorts.

Liz and Jen bring Taffy, a little calico kitten, to Donna for more companionship. Donna's entire world opened up thanks to her connection to Linda. She had friends - people who genuinely cared about her. Now she had a little roommate to boot.

What Donna receives in acceptance from the group, she gives back in time. She always makes herself available to them. When Jen falls down a flight of stairs, Donna is the person she calls. When Linda's shop is vandalized, she knew she could call Donna. Later on, when Katie is kidnapped by her own parents, Donna is right there to save her. 

Katie's rescue came with a price, though. Donna had gone to bed early because she and John had a sting early the next morning. Katie called her in the middle of the night, and to come to a section of town that was quite a bit away. It took a while for Donna to arrive with two patrol officers. Then, they needed to find Katie. After Katie is safe, Donna brings her back home, only to drive her and Linda out to one of the hospitals for much needed medical treatment.

Donna finally crashes in the break room at the precinct. 

She only naps for a short while before going off to her raid with John.

Her exhaustion gets the best of her, and she flubs the operation. John gets shot as a result. It seems that once again, the people closest to Donna get hurt.

In a sick twist of irony, John loses a kidney, like Donna did, from his injury. He, too, recovers. His is a tad more lengthy, but he survives.

Dedicated completely, Donna works diligently to get the guy that shot John. Her work leads her to Brynn, a cop in Doylestown. Brynn and her family are friends with John and his wife, Beth. John had wanted to set them up for a date. Now, they were working together.

Between her concern for John, and her attraction to Brynn, working this case became difficult for Donna. She and Brynn, though, are able to bring justice to John's assailant. 

The most terrifying moment, though, comes when Brynn asks Donna out. That night, Liz was premiering as the new principle dancer for the Pennsylvania Ballet, so Brynn asks Donna if she can join her. Although she is petrified, Donna agrees.

Thus begins a wonderful romance for Donna. Her story ends with a happy ending, but Brynn reminds her that life isn't perfect. That their friends' relationships aren't impeccable. That Donna's quirks and insecurities are just like anyone else's. And that a real life, flawed relationship is even better than fiction.

Donna is such a rich, deep character. She is chock-full of heart, emotion, courage, and humanity. She is a wonderful woman, someone we can all connect to.

Favorite quote from Donna: "I gotta say, it really is an honor to be up here. I never expected to win an award like this. That’s not why I go out and do what I do. I’m a cop because…I’m a cop. My father was a police officer, I had to become one!

     “I do what I do because of my father. He instilled good morals into me. He taught me about honesty, integrity, doing the right thing, fairness. All the things that a police officer is meant to encompass.

     “And I work in the department that I do because of my father. Not only because I am following in his footsteps. But because of how he died. A drunk driver hit and killed both of my parents on Father’s Day. It was a drug related crime as far as I’m concerned. And I don’t want other people to suffer through what I went through. I want to make the streets cleaner and safer by getting rid of the chemicals that cause people to lose their sound judgment and their humanity.

     “I do what I do because I love it and because it’s important to me. Thank you.”

Happy reading!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cop-Loving-Her-Book-ebook/dp/B00FW3VWF2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 7 (G)

For the third consecutive year, I am participating in the A to Z blog challenge.
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

This year, we're going to go through my latest full-length novel, Pianissimo.

This is the seventh day of our little adventure, so that means our letter will be G today. G stands for Girl Power.

That's a bit of a stretch, I know. Just hear me out.

The three main characters: Corinne, Agnes, and Margaret, are all very strong women.

Corinne is a military wife. She has had to move all across the country for her husband. She has moved, she has been alone for months on end. She has had her share of difficulties. Add to that her memories of her brothers telling her that power tools weren't for girls; she defies those memories and learns not only to use power tools, but how to restore a piano. That's some serious girl power if you ask me.

Then there's Agnes. She comes from a well-to-do family, but her parents die in a tragic accident, forcing her to run the farm all by herself. She maintains the home, the farm, the horses, and she's also a teacher! Agnes also does not back down from confrontation. She is one tough cookie!

Margaret may not seem like such a tough girl, but she is in her own right. She is tough in her ability to maintain the secret of the true nature of her relationship with Agnes, especially when being harassed by Clarence. She is quiet, but very strong. She supports Agnes through some incredibly difficult times without wavering. She, too, is incredibly strong.

Even though this may not seem like your typical "girl power" story, there are 3 incredibly strong women in this book. They all prove the true strength of women, each in her own way.

http://www.amazon.com/Pianissimo-Lauren-Shiro-ebook/dp/B00OEOTZMC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420832795&sr=8-2&keywords=lauren+shiro

Character of the Week: Agnes

It's the last Thursday in March, kids! Can you believe it? Time flies when you're having fun!

Speaking of fun, we are about to embark on 2 very fun adventures!

First off, I just announced that my A to Z Challenge theme this year is Pianissimo. In 6 days, we will travel through the story and the alphabet. It's gonna be awesome!



Secondly, we are officially starting our Character of the Week series. Now there won't be any Character of the Week posts in April due to the A to Z Challenge, so what I decided to do was use this first week as a lead-in to the A to Z Challenge, and then once we hit May, we will continue on with these studies of my characters.



So without further ado, let's jump into this week's character study: Agnes, from Pianissimo.

In the story, we know a little about her family history. We learn that she comes from a prominent Louisville family. We also learn that she tragically lost her parents when she was eighteen. Most of what we know of her past is told only through the abstract on the house, newspaper articles, and her brief mentions of her story. But who is Agnes Walker?

Agnes was born an only child. Although she came from two powerful families, the farm was still a working farm.

Chores aside, the farm fed her passion for horses. We are later introduced to her best friend, Chief. He was the only soul who knew her, who didn't judge her, and who loved her unconditionally. He was her companion, a soul-mate of sorts. In a world where being a lesbian is taboo (though she doesn't even realize that she is), Chief consoles her and gives her freedom to be herself.

When her parents die tragically and unexpectedly, Agnes is forced to take on an entirely new role of working and managing the farm completely by herself. She is never truly able to mourn the loss of her parents as she immediately felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. She quickly becomes strong and cynical. She keeps to herself; though she eventually becomes a teacher, she doesn't socialize much with her co-workers.

When Margaret Begum arrives as a new teacher, there is a gentleness about her that Agnes cannot resist. Though she still hasn't defined herself as gay, she cannot help but be drawn to her. The pair quickly forge a strong friendship. Margaret quickly and quietly worked her way into Agnes' heart. Agnes opened herself up to someone like she never had before.

It doesn't take long for Agnes to fall in love with Margaret. She's thrilled and petrified at the same time. She was vulnerable, and that alone was frightening. Moreover, she was scared because she didn't understand her feelings. She could not fathom what was going on. She feared losing the best human friendship she ever had. Always one to be stoic, Agnes never let on that she was madly in love with Margaret until Margaret mustered up her courage to confess her love.

Agnes and Margaret share a beautiful life together. Though Agnes sadly loses everyone who is ever important to her: her parents, Chief, and eventually Margaret. Agnes knows great sadness. She tries desperately to hide her emotions, lest no one ever discover her vulnerability. In the end, however, she is simply a human - a woman doing the very best that she can.

Agnes was always a very potent character. From the very beginning, she made her presence known. She's a strong woman; she is deep, emotional, brave...she is a hero. Living a life that is true to herself. She is an amazing character, and I'm glad that I was fortunate enough to write her story. ;)

So that's our background on Agnes from Pianissimo. I think she's a great way to introduce the book, this series, and the A to Z Challenge!


Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Pianissimo-Lauren-Shiro/dp/0692310819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426886459&sr=8-1&keywords=lauren+shiro

Brynn's Page 69 Trial

It's Thursday...AGAIN!




Today's gift is the Page 69 trial for Brynn.




So, without further ado, here is a little teaser for ya! ;)



“No place is safe anymore.” Her mother said quietly.
“I know it. So, I got a name. And then today, I got an address for him! I’m gonna get Donna in on this and we’re gonna take him down together.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“It is. But we’re probably going to have SWAT and a ton of back up with us, so everything should be okay.”
“Should be.”
“I know you worry, Mom. But you know I’m not careless. I’m not going into anything unarmed or alone or anything. We’re going to get this guy and bring him to justice for shooting John.”
“You sound so much like your father.” Julia said.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing!” Brynn teased.
“You know I worry about you. You’re my youngest child. And your sister is sick. I don’t want anything to happen to you too.”
“I know, Mom. Don’t worry. We’re going to be careful; we’re going to outnumber him. We’re going to make sure this ends well for John, for Donna…for Doylestown! If we can get a scumbag like that off our streets, that would be wonderful!”
“Yes, it would.” Julia acquiesced. “Just be careful.”
“I will, Mom.”


Happy reading! ;)

On Femininity

One thing that always fascinates me is femininity.


What is femininity?



How do we define what is or isn't feminine?



Each and every woman on the planet is similar, yet very different.



Are we feminine when we wear dresses and jewelry?



Are we feminine simply because we are female?



The characters in Loving Her are all women, and they are all very different. Liz and Stephania have "stereotypical" feminine jobs as a ballerina

and a model.



Linda is nearly androgynous and works a typically masculine job, but she's still a woman.


They all have different personalities, different likes and dislikes. They're all human. They're all women.



Personally, I think femininity is individual, just like us. I don't think it's a black and white issue. I think that there are variations. I don't think someone like Linda is in any way less of a woman than someone like Liz.



I love that these characters are as diverse as they are. I love that these characters are true to themselves. Mostly, I love that these characters are real women, just like us.



Come get to know each and every one of them in their own stories.


The women of the Loving Her series will be some of the greatest women you've ever met.

Happy reading!