Character of the Week: Lareina from Unbreakable Hostage

Smart and sexy, Lareina Oliveira  is a rare gem.

She was born in Puerto Rico. Growing up, she and her family didn't have much. Her parents, Consuelo and Jose, wanted more for Lareina and her brother. They wanted to see their children succeed in life. So, the family packed what few items they had, and they came to the States.

At twelve, Lareina had to adjust to an entirely new culture and language. It was a difficult adjustment at times. Very few of her classmates had any interest in befriending her. She was the new girl, the foreign girl, the poor girl. Her parents worked tirelessly for her to have a better life. Lareina quickly learned to appreciate all that she had, and all that her parents worked for. At a young age, she carefully tended to all of her belongings. Her clothes - any of her property - was kept very clean, very well organized, and remained in perfect condition. That is a trait that stayed with her throughout her life.

Seeing her parents' sacrifices, Lareina also focused on school work. She knew she needed to make the best of her education, and she did. She was a smart girl, so school work was not difficult for her. Math, though, came especially easy.

Her studies paid off. She graduated at the top of her class. Lareina decided that she wanted to give back. She thought that if she became a teacher, she could do some good in the world, and that would be a way to honor her parents' sacrifice.


College - both undergrad and graduate - was a breeze for the young Latina. She studied diligently, but she also had a social life. She had quite a few friends, and she dated occasionally. One of her friends was a gal named Sandy. Sandy was from San Diego, and she was also an education major. The two hit it off, and they eventually became roommates. She and Sandy both landed  jobs at the same school, before they even graduated. They were definitely two peas in a pod - two peas wanting to make a difference in the lives of children. Lareina was so excited to share her love of math, and to help her students learn and grow.

Like all teachers, she had her good students, and her not-so-good students. Lareina did everything imaginable to help reach her less-than-stellar students. Sometimes her hard work paid off. Other times, not so much. The longer she taught, the harder it became to reach her students. Lareina eventually felt defeated. It seemed that nothing worked. Her students didn't care, and she was unable to ignite a passion within them. She gave up. She waived her white flag, and decided to return to school to get her doctorate. She was going to be a professor, where she could work with students who had the drive and enthusiasm that she had.

In her first class, she encounters a man named Tony Covelli. He is awkward, and Lareina felt very uncomfortable around him. Time after time, he tries to strike up conversation with her. It's strained at best. He asks her out on dates countless times. The more she rejects him, the more assertive he becomes. Lareina becomes increasingly concerned as his behavior worsens.

At the end of the semester, after countless rejections, Tony cannot hold out any longer. He had to have her. So, he kidnapped her.

Her kidnapping was a long and torturous event. Tony brought her up to an old cabin hidden deep within the woods near the Merced River. At times, he was abusive and controlling. He raped her, he cut her with knives, he smashed her hands under the leg of a rocking chair he sat in. He was a brute. There were, however, other times where he was tender and gentle. He would talk to her, feed her, and try to take care of her. His words and actions were unpredictable. Despite his monstrous behavior, he also showed Lareina that he was just a very sad, sick, and hurt human being. There were times where Lareina couldn't help but feel sorry for him, or connect with him in some way. The Stockholm Syndrome was prominent in her experience.


For all of the abuse she endures, Lareina remains strong and stoic. She knows that only her wits and determination are what will save her. She is resourceful, using anything and everything to help herself, and help lead her friends, family, and police to her. Though she sometimes feels hopeless, her determination and will to live keep her going. She has an inner strength that not even she is aware of. She is an incredibly strong and resilient woman.

Tony was able to elude the police for days. For about two weeks, they hide in the cabin, living in fear and squalor. A case against Tony's brother brings the police right to them. Lareina watches as Marc, a missing persons detective fights with Tony in order to save Lareina. Weak, and severely injured, Lareina also fights for her freedom.

Once she is free, she rides home in Marc's car. For the first time, she looks at herself in the mirror on the car visor. She sees all of her bruises, wounds, and scars. The woman who loved to keep herself pristine was anything but. It was more painful to see what she truly looked like than to endure all that Tony had done to her.

In a perfect, fairy tale ending, Lareina and Marc find hope, freedom, and love with each other. As Marc said to himself. "I might have rescued her, but she rescued my heart." Theirs is the ending we all hope and wish for.

Lareina is a very strong woman. She has inner strength, physical strength, a mental strength like no other. She is quick witted, clever, smart, resourceful - she's unlike anyone you have ever met before. A perfect combination of brains and beauty, Lareina Oliveira is the kind of heroine we all need today.

Favorite quote from Lareina: "I wanted to show them how much I appreciated what they had done for us. So, I studied hard and I always worked. It was all for them – for their sacrifice. My first obligation is to my family, not to just any man. The right man would understand; they always told me that and I fully believe it.

     “Besides, I was raised to be a good Catholic. My parents instilled morals into my brother and I. Between my family and my beliefs, I was simply living my life the best way I knew how.”

Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Unbreakable-Hostage-Lauren-Shiro/dp/0615902456/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1428701439&sr=8-13&keywords=lauren+shiro

2015 A to Z Challenge: Pianissimo - Day 23 (W)

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've made it all the way up to day 23, which means our letter is W. W is for Will.

In using the word will, I am focusing on the will and determination of the characters.

Agnes is a strong, willful woman who lives life on her own terms. She and Margaret willfully spend their lives and love together, despite social stigmas and prejudices.

Corinne is bound and determined to learn the history of the house and the piano. She is also willful in taking on the restoration of the piano, when she has never done anything like that before.

Perhaps my characters are closely related to me, but I find it important to write stories about women who are strong, fearless, and determined. Whether in historical context, or modern times, we need strong female characters to help us continue to push forward.

So yes, Margaret, Agnes, and Corinne are all very willful. This story couldn't exist any other way.

See what a strong will and determination can do, by buying your copy today!

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

Feminism in my books

I just read an article about some of the forward leaps that have been made in the name of feminism this year. That caused me to look at myself and my work.

For as long as I can remember (yes, even as a kid. No joke), I have been adamant that females are equal to be males, and should be treated as such. So, I live feminism. I also write feminism.

You'll note that the majority of my main characters are women. And they are strong women. They are career women, wives, daughters, sisters, lovers, fighters, individuals. My characters come from all walks of life. They run the gamut of personalities. They are not defined by their looks or their jobs. They are simply who they are as human beings.

For as much as I want to raise LGBT awareness, I also want to support the feminist movement. I want to remind all readers that we are so much more than our race, orientation, and gender. What we look like, what our physical bodies are, do/does not define us. We need to raise our voices. We need to remind the world that our size and gender do not mean that we are lesser in any way. We are so much greater than our bodies.

So, women and men alike, I implore you to read my books. Come discover these characters who defy race, gender, and orientation. They remind us that we are all simply human beings.

A to Z '14 - Unafraid

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


U is for Unafraid.


My grandfather was unafraid. Never once did I ever see him exhibit fear. When my mother was 16, they had an electrical fire in the house. When my grandparents got to the house, my grandfather ran in (while the house was burning) and saved the family parrot. The firefighters told him he couldn't go in, but he did anyway.



That was him: brave, determined, and always thinking of others (seriously. How many people do you know who would risk their lives to save someone else?).


He came from nothing. A childhood in poverty, he had to be determined just to survive. He started working as a teen in order to support himself and his family. With no degree, not even a high school diploma, he could not be afraid if he wanted to get anywhere in life.



He turned down no jobs, no opportunities. Even if he was afraid because it might be something new, foreign or awkward to him, he still did what was needed. He never let fear hold him back. He never said, "I am afraid."


He was bold, and he ended up making a name for himself in the process.


He taught me the meaning of courage and determination.


Thanks to him, I face life boldly.


U is for Unafraid.