Dear Reader,
Over the last weekend, I’ve been working on yet another book. Seems my muse is never happy with just one project at any given time. This one is a YA novella (might turn out to be an novel by the time I’m done). I find it amusing that Adam Lambert’s videos For Your Entertainment and If I Had You inspired the hero of the book, Adrian. Also, I think I started to write it because I’ve started to read the current Best Sellers in YA fantasy and paranormal romance. In the past, I’ve read the Twilight series, but other than that, I hadn’t read much since I was a teenager myself, picking up stories like R.L Stine and Christopher Pike.
And with each book I finish, I’m noticing a disturbing trend.
Weak heroines. And the heroes who walk all over them.
Perhaps this irritates me, because after writing adult fiction for so many years, with strong, yet flawed heroines. And through my writing career with my previous pen-name, and talking to people, I’m not the only person who sees emotional frailty and dependence on the male role showing in the starring women’s roles as a pet-peeve.
Adult readers want to see strength and self-reliance in the women on the pages, something to aspire to. As they should. But many of these YA novels depict teenager girls as the anti-thesis; helpless, women who CAN think for themselves, but don’t. They put too much trust in the male role, who many times, isn’t worthy of the privilege.
What is this? The dark ages?
So alas, as I stated before, I’ve began to write, to see where it takes me. I’m not entirely sure where this new story starring an alpha punk/goth angel, named Adrian, and a not-so-helpless heroine, Arabella, will take me. But I’m 10k in, and she’s already put one guy in his place for stepping out of line. She thinks for herself, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone—well except her spoiled rotten twin…but more to come on that little tidbit soon enough…
Until Next Time,
Kinsey Knight
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