It's a real pleasure for me to welcome Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey today! They have a couple of amazing books out now that have been getting some stellar reviews. They are here to talk about developing female characters and I can't wait to see what they have to say! Take it away, Chris and Cecilia!
Forging Female Characters
When Cecilia and I sit down to plot, develop characters,
develop plot and GMCs, our focus is not only on the story but on creating
strong, well rounded characters that readers can relate to and also put
themselves in their shoes.
With that in mind, we have almost subconsciously created
female characters who reflect the women of today. They are not meak, they are
not weak. They are strong, opinionated women who can hold their come hell or
high water..
I believe that comes from having strong women who have been
crucial and models in our upbringing. Both our mothers had to raise children on
their own—my mother, a Brazilian, became a widow at 35 and Cecilia’s father was
in the Air Force which left her mom, a Spaniard, on her own to raise three
children during his tours of Vietnam and service abroad.. They both have strong
sense of ethics, honesty, and determination. They both gave us the love and
attention we needed through our lives and forged who we are today.
They both went through rough patches and they overcame them
through sheer strength of character and will power. They were our role models
for life and are reflected in our female characters. Like all of us, they are
fallible. They make mistakes. But they also know when to make the right
decisions and when to fight for what they want.
We write women who, although roughed up by life one way or
another, they find the courage to move on with their lives, to make changes that
set them on the right path. Our message to our readers is simple, they are in
control of their lives even when they think they aren’t.
We hope that readers will take the same lesson from Cassandra,
Jessica, and the many others we pepper throughout our work—take something away
from the story that will push them forward in their lives, give them
inspiration to grab life by the horns. And we hope they enjoy the twists and
turns we throw in their path, knowing they will find ways to turn things around
in their favor. We certainly enjoy making them who they are.
Sláinte!
Chris
BIO
Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey write romantic
suspense under the independent label Éire Publishing. They have published
several short stories and their first novel, COUNTERMEASURE, a sexy romantic
suspense thriller with enough twists and turns to leave you gasping for breath,
was published in January, 2012. The second novel in the series, TO RUSSIA WITH
LOVE, has a scheduled release on July 30. They have also released a spin-off
series of short stories, COUNTERMEASURE: BYTES OF LIFE. The shorts are high-heat
mini stories revolving around the lives of the main characters, Trevor and
Cassandra.
Suspicious and determined never to fall into the love
trap, security specialist Cassandra James takes on a chase to recover files
stolen right out from under her nose. In an effort to prove to her father—also
her boss—that she is a capable woman, she follows the digital trail—a trail
that leads her directly into the arms of Trevor Bauer, an NSA analyst who
appears to have more secrets than she has scars...
Haunted by the mystery surrounding his parents'
disappearance, Trevor Bauer's dreams for his own life have been put on hold.
But being confronted by Cassandra James derails every one of his best laid
plans to avoid a relationship until he can find the closure he desperately
seeks. When he accepts her request for help in recovering the files she's hunting,
they embark on an adventure that takes them across the ocean and into a world
of intrigue and violence. As things between them begin to heat up, Trevor
realizes that, if he is ever to win Cassandra's heart and the future he craves,
he has no choice but to reveal all his secrets.
It’s been almost a year since Trevor and Cassandra’s brush
with a psychotic killer in COUNTERMEASURE, and they are knee-deep in new cases.
When George stumbles across a new piece of information on Trevor’s parents’
case, they end up following a digital trail to Saint Petersburg.
While infiltrating a Russia Mafia’s stronghold to destroy a
piece of software that could change the face of the World Financial Market,
they find themselves in hotter water than they bargained for—a dangerous game
of cat-and-mouse steeped in a world of betrayal, hidden identities, and secret
agendas….
Back in Ireland, Cassandra’s best friend Jessica is
determined to find the key to unlock the heart of Stephan, the man she
loves—but little does she know that her greatest obstacle will be Stephan
himself….
