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

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.

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!