A to Z II - J is for Joe

Another day, another letter! Today's letter is the letter j. J is for Joe.

What to say about Joe?

There is so much.

Without Joe, there is no Trajectory.

Joe Davis is a regular guy, and yet, he is anything but ordinary.

I love him. Now granted, I do love all of my characters. There is something special about Joe, though. For someone as tough as he is, his vulnerability is so endearing to me. He is so human, and I love that. He has depth, he has emotion. He's just awesome. I'm not just saying that because he's mine. If Trajectory was another person's book, I would still be madly in love with him. He's just a wonderful character. He's a great person, plain and simple.

I love his complexities, and his simplicity.

I love him and Claudette. I love them together; I love his love for her. I love the nature of their relationship. I love them.

Trajectory is my first story with a male lead, and also my first bisexual lead. I think Joe handles that beautifully. He is an excellent lead, regardless of gender. I think his bisexuality is a topic that is well discussed throughout the story - and in the end, he gets the result he could only have dreamed of.

So today is for j, today is for Joe. Joe is truly a wonderful man. I am honored to tell his story.

A to Z Challenge - J is for Justice

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

It's time for another A to Z Challenge! This year, I want to tell you about a story that is currently a WIP (work in progress). It's the story I'm writing in honor of my baby lovebird, Robert. It's a fantasy story, but it's really a story about emotional healing. So let's examine it by going through the alphabet!

J is our letter today.

J stands for justice.

You might be wondering where and how justice would play into a story like this, one of emotional healing.

I don't want to give any spoilers, obviously. While it may not be our standard definition of justice, there is justice to be found in the story. Take this definition from Google: "1. just behavior or treatment. 'a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.' synonyms: fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, evenhandedness, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, honesty, righteousness, morals, morality. 'I appealed to his sense of justice.'"

So that fits. But there is also a sense of justice served, if you will. After all, he does "defeat" the bad guy in a way that no one has before. In a way that serves justice for Emmalee, and countless others.

Justice, albeit an unusual element in a story of emotional healing, is a powerful element in the story of The Good Pirate, Robert.

Check back tomorrow as we explore the letter k!

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 10 (J)

 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.

We're in the double digits now! What better letter to start us off than J?!

J is for Justice.

Justice is not necessarily a word you'd think of when you read a paranormal story, but there is justice to be had in Pianissimo.

Agnes and Margaret face some horrible prejudice in their life time. Bigotry, hatred, lies, and accusations lead them to face their co-workers, and the entire town. With their lives and reputations on the line, and with virtually no one rushing to their side, they are forced to stand up for themselves. Will justice be served?

On the other side, there's Corinne learning about Margaret and Agnes. She learns not only of the lives they lead, but of the core of their beings. She learns about an entirely new way of life. She is forced to reconsider her old ideas and prejudices. Unlike the townsfolk of the early 1900s, Corinne's eyes and heart are opened. She uses them as inspiration to become a better person. She does them justice by restoring their one connection: the piano.

So yes, justice is a theme in Pianissimo. If you read it, you can find out if I do justice justice! ;)

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

A to Z '14 - Joviality

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


J is for Joviality.

My grandfather loved a good laugh. He absolutely loved slapstick comedy.



In his eulogy I wrote, "I really only remember him as jovial. His bright voice greeting me with his special, “Hello, Lauren!” I can so vividly picture his bright blue eyes, his contagious smile and hear his laugh."


He laughed to laugh and to make others laugh. He wouldn't pull mean pranks, per se. Rather, he had quick, dry wit that could always entertain you.


That's really one of things I admire most in him. He was always happy, always laughing, always positive. I aspire to be like that.



His joviality was absolutely contagious. Thinking of his smile and his laugh is making me smile as I write this!

A good sense of humor will get you through anything and everything in life. If there is one lesson I could give you from my grandfather, it would be to be a happy, jovial person. Joviality blesses you and the people around you. Just like he blessed us.

J is for Joviality.

J: Juggling

I wanted to broaden some horizons, including my own. So I decided to address a rather unusual performing art: juggling.



I think certain skills like juggling are over-looked as performing arts. We typically think of theatre, music, dance and the like as perfoming arts. But why not juggling?


Does juggling not take skill and practice? Don't we as artists always practice and improve our craft? A juggler does the same, do they not? Do they not entertain us like an actor or musician?




We laugh becuse we think of juggling being fun or even silly.



To me, fun is the point of creativity. We create because it is fun for us. We get enjoyment as do our audiences.

So, here is to juggling, the over-looked but well enjoyed performing art!