Writing What You’re Not: Diverse Characters vs. Cultural Appropriation by Kris Tualla

Back in 2010, I decided to write a deaf private investigator ~ in the 1700s. I called him a “Discreet Gentleman of Discovery” and he turned into a five-book series published by Desert Breeze Publishing whose Editor-in-Chief had a severe hearing loss. DBP closed their doors last year, so when the rights reverted to me I re-edited and republished the series. And I decided to write a sixth book.

That book takes place twenty years later and is the story of the deaf foster son who takes over the discovery business along with his hearing brother. His heroine in the story is legally (not totally) blind. In the 1700s.

For the record, I have excellent hearing. I am quite nearsighted, but not to an extreme. I am writing “what I am not.”

Most discussions about diversity center on race, so my deaf characters flew under the radar until 2016 when I had the audacity to apply to speak at the Romance Writers of America national conference about writing differently-abled characters.

A month before the conference, when the speakers and their topics were published, I was publically and viciously attacked in a Twitter storm which had me pulled from the program within 12 hours. Loooong story shortened, after I did get to co-present alongside a very kind author with a hearing loss, she said to me:

“The real question here is why aren’t we talking about this? Why were you the one to stand up?”

Excellent question.

The world of “othered” people is clamoring for more books which represent them. I want to continue to write books that represent them. But many don’t think I should. Some call it “stealing our voice.” Others call it “appropriating my culture.”

What they do not take into consideration are:

1. Right now, the demand far outstrips the supply. Better get writing, and write fast, as the void is growing.

2. With all of us working together, then the “other” becomes mainstream. Someone might read my “discreet gentleman” because they love the rest of the Hansen series, and be so intrigued that they seek out other books with deaf characters. Win-win.

3. Will everyone get it “right”? No. And that is true across the entire spectrum of books about everything. But when we who are writing “what we are not” are silenced, then those of us who 1) research heavily, and 2) utilize those who know to proof our manuscripts, are made the enemy. Lose-lose.

So I forge on. My next book after the deaf/blind characters has a heroine with a trauma-induced stutter who passes herself off as a man ~ in the mid 1800s. Not sure what will come after that. What I do know is that I will continue to make my characters diverse.

In 2016 at the RWA conference, several people recognized my name when they saw my nametag. Most were very sorry that they were not able to hear what I had to say. One woman however, broke my heart when she said, “My nephew has cerebral palsy, I wanted to write a character with CP but now I’m afraid to.”

I hugged her and whispered, “Write the damn book.”

KRIS TUALLA

Kris Tualla, a dynamic award-winning and internationally published author of historical romance and suspense, has created a dynasty with The Hansen Series. A member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime, she was a guest instructor at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University. Two of her WWII novels have been optioned for a limited series.

When an historical deaf hero sits down at your laptop…by Kris Tualla

Several years ago, I read an article in the Romance Writer Report which stated that women are attracted to a man who "looks at them like they are the only thing in the room." I found that idea intriguing. So I started wondering, what sort of man would have that kind of intensity in his gaze?

A deaf man would.

So, I decided to write a deaf hero. Because I write historicals and Norsemen, I set him in the 1700s in Christiania (now Oslo) Norway. Next, I needed to figure out what a deaf man could do to support himself, after being passed over as heir because of his hearing loss. He told me he solves crimes because (in his gestures): When people find out I'm deaf, they forget I'm in the room.

Plus, he reads lips, courtesy of the older cousin brought in to be his “ears” when he was young.

I contacted a friend who is a sign language interpreter to run my ideas past her and get advice from. She told me that my hero needed to have acquired spoken language before losing his hearing, or there would be slew of other problems to deal with. That was excellent, and critical, information. I wrote that Brander was seven years old when his second eardrum burst irreparably, the result of multiple ear infections.

After dragging poor Brander Hansen through all kinds of emotional torture ~ and having him track a serial killer along Norway's southern coastline ~ he gets his "Happily Ever After" with the heroine. I typed The End, and thought I was done.

He didn't agree. After a few months, Brander nudged me and asked if I was really certain I wanted to let go of him. And for a mute-by-choice deaf man, he has a very loud voice.

I had to admit, I wasn't.

With a deep breath and a squaring of shoulders, I turned back to look at Brander's life with his new wife, Regin Kildahl. Turns out, the spunky Baroness wasn't ready to sit back and enjoy a quiet life either, and their shared precarious adventures filled five full-length novels.

Writing a deaf hero in the 1700s was a challenge, to be honest. Aside from the lack of a formal sign language, the common perception of the deaf was that they were stupid. Of course, Brander turns that to his advantage.

As I was typing along, I occasionally made mistakes. When I did, I worked them into the narrative. Like this line: “Regin lowered her voice…” Oops. Well, go on with the thought: “…before she remembered she didn't have to.”

I even had a line of dialog where Regin points her finger at her deaf and mute husband and shouts, "Don't you ever say that to me again, do you hear me?" Who wouldn’t use words they were accustomed to in the heat of an argument?

Brander looks at her like she's crazy and asks: Do you realize what you just said?

"You know what I mean!" she retorts.

Realistic. And humorous.

I have a scene in the second book "A Discreet Gentleman of Matrimony," when a doctor asks to look into Brander's ears. My discreet gentleman experiences a moment of shock and wonders if he could regain his hearing.

He cannot. And when he thinks about it, Brander realizes that he is a better man because he is deaf. To regain his hearing at this stage of his life would be a detriment to his career.

That is a very realistic response. Not heroic. Not bitter. No pounding anyone with a politically correct agenda. Just real.

Another challenge was figuring out a way to let the reader know HOW the dialog was being delivered. I decided on:

"Spoken words are in quotation marks."

Written words are in italics.

And when Brander gestures: His sentences look like dialog, but without any quote marks.

Aside from the 80% 5-Star ratings Brander has garnered, the most gratifying response to the books came from a reviewer of books and movies with disability themes: http://reviews.paradevo.net/2012/08/a-discreet-gentleman-of-discovery.html

After all, getting it “right” is the most respectful portrayal of all.

KRIS TUALLA

Historical Romance Author Kris Tualla is a former Genre-ista and a frequent guest at Romancing the Genres. There are now 17 full-length novels in the Hansen Series plus 3 novellas. These comprise 5 trilogies plus one 5-book set. And I am very happy to report that the Hansen Series has a 4.75-star overall rating on Amazon.

When the "Prompt" is Wrong: ***WRITE A NEW TRILOGY***

I posted some of this in January 2015 and now we come full circle; this contemporary paranormal Hansen trilogy releases in print on January 26, 2016!

I happen to be one of those odd ducks who refuses to write anything that does not fit her brand; I do not wish to waste either the words or the effort. So when the opportunity arose, I launched into my first contemporary paranormal story. Ever.

I knew enough about the genre to realize that world-building is key. Whatever the rules for the fantastical element, they must be logical and consistent throughout the manuscript(s).

If you know me, then you know that I write the Hansen Series with Norwegian heroes. And the only way I figured I could be true to that brand, was by making the hero a Viking ghost from the year 1070.

“Hollis McKenna walked into the hotel foyer and spotted him across the space, leaning casually against the wall. His eyes flicked back and forth, examining the largely female crowd with unexpected seriousness. She assumed he must be one of the cover models, dressed as he was in costume—though fur and leather were unfortunate choices on this roasting Labor Day weekend in Phoenix.”

And just like that, Sveyn Hansen manifested himself into my life. And into the life of Hollis McKenna, curator for the brand new Natural History wing (which does not exist) at the Arizona Historical Society Museum (which does) in Tempe, Arizona. Boom.

Sveyn was far too compelling to be quiet. He kept explaining what happened to him, and how he really is not a ghost, because he never actually died. And then I realized why he has been drawn to Hollis: to finally get his Happily Ever After.

I bounced my premise and its resolution off several paranormal-reading friends, and every one of them bought into it. And when I explained the major shift in the middle of their relationship, they got goose bumps. Goose bumps.

And now, Sveyn Hansen is set to meet the world.

The release party will be at the museum where the heroine Hollis works. And the collections manager proofed my books to make sure my details were correct. And she got so excited that her intern asked if she could come to the release party, too.

Because of my appearance schedule this coming year, I’m not releasing the ebooks until March 15th so that the print copies get “legs” at the big events I’m attending. So, mark your calendars.

'Cause Sveyn rocks.

What happens when an historical author writes a contemporary story…

What happens when an historical author writes a contemporary story? It’s like that old fable about stone soup.

A stranger comes to town and starts heating up a large pot of water with a stone in it. The townspeople gather around, curious about what the old guy is doing. He tells them he is making stone soup and makes a show of tasting the water as it heats, adding a bit of salt and pepper.

As a crowd gathers, he offers to share his meal. “But,” he says. “It would taste better with a carrot in it.” One housewife hurries home to get a carrot, which he then cuts up and adds to the pot. “And maybe an onion,” he suggests. Another gal runs home to get an onion.

By the time the stone soup is finished, every person in the village has contributed one item, and the resulting and abundant stew fills them all with a deliciously warm supper.

And how, you are certainly asking yourself, does that apply to a story?

If you are a reader of historicals, then you know that only period-appropriate words, references, and locations can be used if the manuscript is to be authentic. For example: mesmerized. Franz Anton Mesmer died in 1815, and in 1830 his technique using relaxation and suggestion made its way to America. The first time mesmerized was used to describe a general state of being enthralled, however, was in the 1860s.

Up until now, that word has been off-limits to me—not anymore! In it goes.

What else? Computers. The internet. Google. Smart phones. Cable television. Flat screen TVs. DVRs. Microwaves.

All of it goes in. I’m positively giddy!

Online dating services. Reality TV. Social media. Cult classics.

I’m out of control…

YouTube and cameras everywhere: night vision cameras, thermal imaging cameras, motion detection cameras. Even a “rufie” assisted crime.

And it doesn’t stop there—the story takes place in Phoenix, my home town. So local hotels, restaurants, and attractions get thrown in as well.

I can use contractions! Text-speak! Cultural references from the 20^th and 21^st centuries!

And slang! Are you picking up what I’m throwing down? J

The stew of my story is being spiced by all sorts of ingredients that I have never been able to use, and I’m having a blast. Random information that I pick up along the way makes it in. Why not? It’s contemporary!

*sigh*

As much fun as this has been, I won’t stay here for long. Once this trilogy is finished, my next stories will be set either in the 1840s or the 1940s, depending on which I write first—so I’ll be back to Googling, “When was blah-blah-blah invented?” and checking Etymology Online for the earliest use of a questionable word. That’s okay. It’s what we historical writers do.

But for now, I’m going to pull in another popular television genre. And the Arizona Renaissance Faire. And The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Flavor.

Summer Releases: Henry VIII—Way before Anne Boleyn…

As authors, we all get our inspiration from different places. For me, one common prompt comes from my travels to Europe. In 2010, my husband and I took a tour of northern Spain which started in Madrid and ended in Barcelona.

In Barcelona, we visited the medieval Barcelona Cathedral (not to be confused with Gaudi’s 20th-century Sagrada de Familia Cathedral, a work still in progress) and I was surprised to find that the seats in the choir were painted with various knights’ coats of arms instead of saints. This was because the “Order of the Golden Fleece” met there in 1519.

The Order was an elite fellowship of sovereigns and noblemen who forged alliances and solved disputes between their principalities. I came home and did a little research, and discovered that the king of Norway and Denmark was a member. That was all I needed to know to send my Nordic knight to Barcelona as his representative—because we all know that no king ever abandoned his throne for months on end, to travel so far, and sit in a musky Cathedral for weeks.

The next fun fact: Henry Tudor, a.k.a. Henry the Eighth, was also a member.

Clearly, my Nordic knight needed to spend some time in Henry’s court in London, on his way from Copenhagen to Barcelona. I rolled up my virtual sleeves, and began to research Henry in 1518 – at age 27: eight years before meeting Anne Boleyn and begging her to become his mistress, and fifteen years before he married her. At this point, Henry was still in love with his wife, Catherine of Aragon. He only had one documented extramarital affair thus far, with Jane Popincourt in 1514.

The bad news for my research: history pretty much ignored Henry before he attempted to divorce Catherine over a decade later.

The good news for my research: history pretty much ignored Henry before he attempted to divorce Catherine over a decade later.

As I tried to do my due diligence in researching Henry, I ran into blank after blank. For example: how many residences did he have? “This list is incomplete…” and started in 1527. I did, however, find out what his tennis balls were made out of: putty and human hair. What is putty made from? Linseed oil and chalk.

I’m hoping that by including the things I did find – like his early original poetry – purists will forgive any omissions. The truth is, if I couldn’t find it, I doubt they can find it either. On with the story!

Now we jump to the serendipitous part of this tale: I attended Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Kansas City in 2013, and ran across a videographer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He had a distinctly Nordic look, so I asked if he wanted to be on a book cover. He said yes!

Jump again to 2014, and the long-distance photography session. Funny thing about the pictures—my videographer looked a lot like a young Henry. So being an author and creator of plots, I wrote that similarity into the story.

In “A Nordic Knight in Henry’s Court,” Jakob Hansen visits Henry in 1518. Catherine is currently pregnant for the sixth (and final) time. And because she miscarried four years earlier after finding out about Miss Poppincourt, Henry is desperate to keep his new mistress, Bessie Blount, a secret from the queen. So he presses Jakob into service as a diverting body-double, to disguise his actions.

Furthermore, he makes Bessie a promise: if no one finds out about the ruse, then Henry will claim any male bastard she bears. What happens? I’m not telling.

“A Nordic Knight in Henry’s Court” (May) and the second part, “A Nordic Knight of the Golden Fleece” (June) will take the reader to times and places not commonly visited. I hope you will come along, and explore with me.

Visiting Norway's Arctic Circle!

As authors, visiting the settings of our books is extremely helpful in writing those settings in a believable way. For this reason, many authors place their stories in locations with which they are already familiar – because readers from those areas will know if the author is making things up! Not only will they know, but they will call the authors out on any mistakes.

So what is an author to do if they want to write someplace in a time far away, or off the beaten path? The best answer is, obviously, to visit that location. Some of us are blessed enough to be able to do exactly that.

I write historical Norwegian characters in stories set in Norway, England, Scotland, Spain, and America. So far.

I have been to England, Scotland and Spain, and in July of 2011 I was able to spend nine days in the southern part of Norway, exploring from Oslo to Bergen, with a side trip to Arendal – my fictional Hansens’ ancestral home. I watched the sun set at 11:30pm, and rise again at 3:30am. I saw fjords, mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and rivers. I walked the old streets of Oslo. I ate delicious and generic fish soup, made from that day’s catch.

I discovered that rivers of glacier run-off are a silt-laden opaque turquoise, something I would never have known to describe. I was told that the end of the Viking era was 1070 AD. I stood in the ancient stave churches which were converted from pagan halls to houses of Christian worship at that time. I learned that a secure sod roof requires seven layers of birch bark to keep the building dry and warm. Not six; seven.

All of these tidbits have worked their way into my books, adding authenticity to the narrative. One thing was missing, though: I had not yet experienced a Nordic winter.

This February, I did.

I took a “Northern Lights” tour into the Arctic Circle, sailing on the iconic Hurtigruten line from Tromsø over the top of Norway to Kirkenes on the Russian border. This time, the sun rose at 9:30am, and set at 2:30pm.

The arctic coast of Norway is as scattered with rock outcroppings and islands as the rest of the country – but up there, they rise from the sea treeless and covered in snow. Whenever a flat surface extended from one of these rocky mountains, hardy fishermen had established little villages. Colorful houses clustered together against a white backdrop, with the spire of a church as their anchor. The Hurtigruten ships are their connection with the rest of the world, as these working passenger ships carry mail, packages, and people from town to town.

And then, there were the lights.

When I saw the Northern Lights for the first time, I stood with my mouth open, stunned by their behavior. They move. They grow. They get brighter. They fade. When seen from the side, they have that “curtain” look to them: a ruffled bottom with shards shooting upward as they literally unfold across the sky.

When they are directly overhead, they flow and swirl, like a broad stream hitting a rock. They surge. They retreat. They are never still. Green is the most common color, but our display shifted to white, and then to the faintest red on the edges. Utterly spectacular.

Most people assumed it would be really cold, but the Gulf Stream flows along Norway’s western coast. The ocean does not freeze there, and there are no icebergs. Air temperatures were in the mid 20s – only six or seven degrees below freezing. When the winds were calm, it was bracing and refreshing.

Inland, however, the temperatures were lower, and the fjords were frozen solid – providing paths for racing snowmobiles, and ample opportunities for patient ice fishers.

I cannot begin to explain how amazing it has been for me to visit Norway these two times. The country is “real” to me now, and I have made some friends there. I will find a way to go back again someday. There is just too much more to see, too much interesting history to explore, and too much plot potential in this generally unfamiliar and unbelievably beautiful setting.

What Do You Do When the "Prompt" is Wrong?

Well, not wrong, exactly. It works perfectly well for most authors: "I walked into the Dreams Convention, and…" Write one to two thousand words. Go.

Now I happen to be one of those odd ducks who refuses to write anything that does not fit her brand; I do not wish to waste either the words, or the effort. But I write historical novels, not contemporary. And I have never written anything in first person, except the novella of one character's journal.

And yet, I co-run the Dreams Convention, and was in on the planning for this opportunity. I cannot pass up the chance to be involved. It will be great promo for my books!

What's an author to do?

Stretch, apparently. With that idea in mind, I launched into my first contemporary paranormal story. Ever. I've read a couple—well, more than a couple if Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" novels count. And while I couldn't get into the books, I did watch the "Twilight" movies. And "Young Frankenstein."

I know enough about the genre to realize that world-building is key. Whatever the rules for the fantastical element, they must be logical and consistent throughout the manuscript. Because, yeah, a manuscript is what this is turning into. Two, actually. I think it might even be a trilogy.

If you know me, then you know that I write the Hansen Series with Norwegian heroes. And the only way I figured I could be true to that brand, was by making the hero a Viking ghost from the year 1069.

"I walked into the Dreams Convention, and saw him across the foyer, leaning casually against the wall. His eyes flicked back and forth, examining the crowd with unexpected seriousness. He must be one of the cover models, dressed as he was in costume—though leather was an unfortunate choice on this roasting summer evening in Phoenix."

And just like that, Sveyn Hansen manifested himself into my life. And into the life of Hollis McKenna, curator for the brand new Natural History wing (which does not exist) at the Arizona Historical Society Museum (which does) in Tempe, Arizona. Boom.

Sveyn was far too compelling to be quiet. He kept explaining what happened to him, and how he really is not a ghost, because he never actually died. And then I realized why he has been drawn to Hollis: to finally get his Happily Ever After.

I have bounced my premise and its resolution off several paranormal-reading friends, and every one of them bought into it. And when I explained the major shift in the middle of their relationship, they got goose bumps. Goose bumps.

The moral of all this is simple: embrace challenges, and use them as opportunities to be creative, especially within preset parameters.

Sure, I could have tossed off a quick contemporary story. Just written the two thousand words and been done with it. If I had, however, I would not have met Sveyn. And meeting him opens up a whole range of possibilities which I never considered before.

So. What will you do when the prompt is wrong?

Venturing into new territory…

I have always read historical romance. I cut my teeth on "Gone with the Wind" in junior high. I discovered Kathleen Woodiwiss in college, and enjoyed her books for years afterwards. Finally, I was inspired to try my hand at writing because of Diana Gabaldon's Jamie and Claire.

It turns out that, after becoming an adult who didn't have to worry about a bunch of random dates and boring treaties, I really like history. I am fascinated by the people who came before us and the lives they lived.

Let's be honest, which one of us hasn't thought about time travel – going back into the past and experiencing what it was like to live during Jane Austin's time. Or Henry the Eighth's. Or ancient Rome. Now, by writing historical novels, I can immerse myself into people's lives during any time frame I choose. When I discover some interesting historical nugget, I send one of characters off to experience it, allowing me to do so vicariously.

But this month's subject is "near death experiences" and the reader must be wondering what writing historical stories has to do with the that. Bear with me. I'll get there.

I am going to be in an anthology next summer, consisting of very short stories which are contemporary in nature. I am very excited to be on board, but at the same time, I never want to write and publish anything which does not fall under my brand.

(Which is "Norway is the New Scotland" in case the reader didn't know. It's time for heroes who do not wear kilts.)

So, how do I write a contemporary story, with a Norse hero, and historical elements, in only two-thousand words?

I make it a paranormal, of course.

Which means very tight world-building. I still need to have an arc to the story and somewhat rounded out characters. I can't spend my precious and limited word count on explaining who, what, when, where, why, and how – it's more important to present a hero and heroine who are immediately likable and sympathetic. And in clear conflict.

While the challenge was happily accepted, I had no idea it would be such fun!

Once unleashed onto the virtual page, these two leapt to life. Quirky, damaged, confused, and thoroughly entertaining, my hero and heroine have far more questions ahead of them than answers.

As it turned out, extrapolating forward to complete the world that I had started building revealed an incredible construct; one strong enough to support these characters through a trilogy of their own, and beyond. I have to admit, I don't read enough paranormal, or actually any, to know if this particular idea has been "done" before, but even if it has, my story will be unique. Look at "Twilight" – sparkling vegetarian vampires. Who knew.

I don't want to give away the story before it is published, but I will say this (and here it comes): the story presents a twist on near death experiences. Boo-yah!

In a moment of shameless self-promotion. I would like t mention that this particular anthology will be released at The Dreams Convention 2015, and will only be available at the event bookstore, and only in print (early bird tickets are still available for $89 for the reader portion of the event, Arizona Dreamin'). What the other authors choose to do with their stories after that brief window closes is up to them.

As for me, I'll be entering a brave, newly created world. I can't wait.

Writing the Historical Romance Novel. No - Writing the Suspense Novel. Wait - Writing a Disabled Hero? Throw them all into one!

God bless the era of ebooks.

Just four years ago I pitched my deaf private investigator in 1700s Norway to an editor. She literally turned up her nose and said, “I have no idea how to sell that!” and walked away. One year later I pitched the same book to Gail Delaney, Editor in Chief of Desert Breeze Publishing, and she bugged me until I sent her the manuscript. Five contracts later, my “Discreet Gentleman of Discovery” is winning fans everywhere.

What was the difference? Shelf space. Or rather, virtual vs. actual shelf space.

Historical Romantic Suspense books cross three genres – so where would a bookstore put them? A digital first publisher (ebooks with print-on-demand copies) doesn't have to worry about that, freeing them up to accept cross-genre books with unusual characters or themes. In fact, the latest numbers from Amazon show that small presses sell the majority of ebooks on Amazon, probably because of this very freedom: http://authorearnings.com/july-2014-author-earnings-report/

There were three reasons I decided to write these hybrid stories:

1. I write historical romance. It’s what I love to read, so it’s what I love to write.

2. I write Norwegians. It’s time for sexy heroes who don’twear kilts.

But why a deaf man? And why suspense?

3. I read an article which stated that “women love a man who looks at them like they are the only person in the room.” So I thought, who does that? A deaf man would.

Having that decided, I needed to give him means for supporting himself. What sort of work could a deaf man do in the early 1700s? He can solve crimes. As he says: When people find out I’m deaf, they forget I’m in the room.

Next hurdle: Brander Hansen does not actually speak. He and the childhood cousin brought in to be his “ears” worked out a gesture language together. And of course, he can write what he wants to communicate. This required some creativity on my part, to let the reader know how the dialog was being delivered:

“Was it spoken aloud?”

Was it written down?

Brander set the pencil down: Perhaps I used my hands.

Now came the fun part – deciding what the crimes should be. Murder is as old as humanity. Cain and Abel, anyone? Theft is good. I mean, to write about. Spying, kidnapping, stolen identities, serial killers; almost anything happening today could have happened then.

Of course, there were no fingerprints to go by. And limited medical knowledge. No quick phone calls to be made, and correspondence was only as swift as the next ship’s journey.

So my hero has to be very observant – a skill which is enhanced because he is never distracted by sound. And he has to be very clever to assemble the evidence, and know where to look next. Being a master at disguising his changeable looks comes in handy as well.

His most powerful tool, however, is the assumption that because he cannot hear and chooses not to speak, he is a “dummy.” So he stands off to the side and reads lips. Oh, the things one “hears.”

But Brander’s deafness is only one aspect of his character, and not the plot of any of the books. To write them, I had to figure out all of the same things any crime writer needs to know: who did it, what did they do, and why. And then, how will the evidence be discovered, by whom, and in what order. Of course, any good suspense story has a red herring or two tossed in, so those must be figured out as well.

Added in are the personal stakes involved to Brander and his wife Regin in every crime – what do they stand to lose?

Over the five books, Brander’s character deals with a sudden wife, issues with his estranged father and brothers, teen-aged foster sons, deadly deceptions perpetrated by his wife’s first husband, and international intrigue.

And did I mention, murder?

KrisTualla.com

The Discreet Gentleman Books

This kid will melt your heart…

Several years ago I met a woman with whose son I had a connection. Our connection superseded mine with her son’s, so our friendship grew. As time went on, her daughter birthed a boy with special needs. His name is Julian.

Julian "Bug" Cruz was born at 28 weeks - 3 months premature. Doctors gave him little chance of survival following a massive brain bleed the night he was born. When he did survive, they said he would be a vegetable. When he surpassed being a vegetable, they still said he would never sit up, speak, hear, crawl, stand, or run.

On May 19, 2012 (his 10th birthday) Julian won both bronze and gold medals in the Special Olympics Florida State Games as a cyclist. Although he has shunted hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and is severely hearing-impaired, Julian faced every obstacle with courage and a winner's attitude.

Because speech is his primary mode of communication, he is far behind his profoundly-deaf, ASL-fluent peers; as a result he could not attend the Florida School for the Deaf with any hope for success. In addition, his health problems and multiple disabilities prevented him from attending a public school. His best opportunity was to attend Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf in Clearwater, where deaf and hard-of-hearing student (like Bug) learn from American Sign Language-fluent teachers. This school is equipped to handle children with additional health concerns.

So what’s the catch?

Tuition for Blossom School is $7,000 per school year. Plus, Julian and his mother have to move to Clearwater during the school year, which is an additional and crippling expense.

Enter “Go Fund Me”!

Julian’s father, Eddie Cruz, created a page where friends and strangers alike can make donations to help offset the cost of Julian’s education: http://www.gofundme.com/gobug. I double-dog dare every single one of you to go to this page, click on “More Updates” to scroll through Eddie’s poignant posts, and look at photos of Julian without shedding a tear or two. This kid has more spunk than anyone I know.

In 2012 Desert Breeze published the first in my 5-book-series historical deaf hero (Brander Hansen, “A Discreet Gentleman of Discovery”) and I donated all of my royalties for the month the book was released.

Furthermore - if you can figure out who Julian’s uncle is (my friend’s son), I’ll donate $10 for every right answer emailed to me at Kris@KrisTualla.com.

Our subject this month was “shout-out to charity” and neither Eddie, nor his mother-in-law, had any idea that I wrote this post. But they will.

It seems we all are inundated daily with outstretched palms asking for donations – heck, I can’t stop at any major intersection without having to face yet another person with a cardboard sign asking for cash. So an attitude of skepticism is warranted, no question about it.

But this little guy is real. His parents love him and want the best for him. They have shaped their lives around helping Julian be all that he can be. If you feel so moved, donate. Or if not, simply share Eddie’s link. You never know.

Thanks for reading this post to the end.

Humor, Deconstructed.

I remember the old Dick Van Dyke television show very well; I watched it as a prime time evening program when I was a young child. Decades later, as a young mom at home with kids, our local independent TV station reran episodes every weekday at noon. I used to challenge myself to name the episode within the first thirty seconds - and was pretty darn good at it. I watched consistently until Ted Turner bought up the rights, and my free daily fix disappeared deep into cable land.

Though I knew the episodes so well, and could quote dialog along with the characters, I still laughed. The quips were still funny, even when repeated.

For example, in one episode Laura Petrie goes to work for her husband Rob as a temporary secretary for the "Allen Brady Show" comedy writers. Misunderstandings ensue, prompting a loud argument between Rob and Laura, which she ends by shouting, "I'm fired!"

Rob's frustrated response still makes me giggle: "You can't fire! I quit you!"

(If you have never seen the show, that episode is available at Hulu.com:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/114070 )

Throughout the five years that the program ran, Dick Van Dyke took several opportunities to do something other comedians didn't do: he used his character - a comedy writer - to explain to the audience how comedy is created.

In the "Father of the Week" episode, son Richie brings home a note announcing that Rob is Father of the Week for his class. Rob is thrilled, until Richie explains that Rob is the LAST father to be invited - and one other father has already come twice. The embarrassed boy says that being a comedy writer isn't a career that third graders would be impressed with. And impressing his classmates is high stakes for an 8-year-old!

Nonetheless, Rob pushes onward and appears in the class at the appointed time. Things start very awkwardly, until Rob accidentally trips and the kids in the class laugh at him. That incident prompts Rob's explanation, complete with hilarious demonstrations, of core components in comedy - the "unexpected" being number one.

Several other episodes contain similar explanations in different situations, all which flowed effortlessly into the plots of this classic show written by the great Carl Reiner. (Does anyone think it's a coincidence that Carl's son is named "Rob"?)

I had no idea as I watched, re-watched, and enjoyed these episodes that I was absorbing one foundation for my future career as an author.

Now as I write my books, I listen to my characters. When they respond after misunderstanding what was said to them, get in an awkward physical situation, or snap something snarky, I put it in. I let them be funny, even if it's only for the briefest moment, such as in the middle of an argument or other tense situation.

Why? Because that is what real people do. Humor releases stress. In some cases, it can deflect anger. And some characters just have good senses of humor as part of who they are! Adding humor - where it fits and isn't forced - adds another level to our stories and deepens our characters.

Fifty years after the first "Dick Van Dyke Show" episode aired, I give grateful kudos to both Dick Van Dyke and Carl Reiner. Because of their expertise and dedication to their craft, I have a better understanding of how to let my characters laugh. 

How Scarlett O'Hara Determined My Future

I was twelve-and-a-half years old the first time I read "Gone With the Wind" ~ and thirteen-and-a-half when I read it for the second time. I found the 800+ pages of that complex novel far more interesting than math class.

Forty-*scrubs hand over mouth* years ago, I certainly had absolutely no idea what career turn my life would take in my mid-fifties. I had no aspirations of becoming an author. And I didn't realized how Scarlett's saga imprinted the historical romance genre on my impressionable, young psyche. But it did.

Scarlett began the story as a spoiled brat, concerned only with the size of her corseted waist and the attention of the ill-suited Ashley Wilkes. But by the time the Civil War ended, her natural intelligence and steely will have carried her through into adulthood.

Scarlett single-handedly directs the salvation of her beloved home, Tara, doing whatever ~ and marrying whomever ~ she must in order to achieve her goal. The selfish child becomes a selfless woman. At least, for the duration of the crisis.

I was hooked. Historical romance was my genre of choice. But not short little stories with no depth, subplots, or fleshed-out secondary characters. I wanted hefty stories which would carry me outside of myself for several days at a time.

My second favorite author in my life was Kathleen Woodiwiss, the mother of the meaty historical romance. I read and reread her first five novels throughout the 1970's and into the 1980's ~ until raising four children cut severely into my late-night reading abilities.

I didn’t read fiction again until 2006, when I discovered/devoured Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Her influence prompted me to attempt writing my first novel. Ten published book later, I have never looked back.

And all of this goes straight back to Margaret Mitchell's Scarlett. The ultimate flawed heroine, whose character arc is hard to match in any other fictional work of any genre. As much as I wanted to be the rich and beautiful flirt in the green party dress that matched her eyes, I would like to think that I could deliver a baby, drive a wagon out of a burning Atlanta, and keep a plantation going, and a household fed, by my wits and sheer determination alone.

Thank you, Scarlett.

I hope my heroines might make you proud.

*****

Norway is the New Scotland!

To find out how to receive a limited-edition, signed Hansen novella

go to KrisTualla.com !!!

Gentle(Wo)men Prefer Blonds ~ even if they don't know it yet!

Let us consider a rare breed: the blond romance hero.

Very few male leads are blond if book covers are to be believed. Tall, bleached, and handsome has never been a thing. Instead, the brooding brunette has been spoon-fed to the romance reading public for decades.

For some reason, blonds are seen as weaker than their ebony-coifed counterparts. Yet in reality, the warrior with the wheaten locks is traditionally more fierce than his opponent.

Do you need proof?

Let's go back to post-Biblical times when the Teutons ran the Roman army ragged. Big blond men from northern Europe were legendary, their fierceness in battle the stuff of folklore.

Next came the Vikings of Scandinavia. Sailors, explorers, traders - and invaders - these intrepid, flaxen-topped Northmen bravely went where no men had ventured before, successfully sailing west into the sunset several centuries before Christopher Columbus, an brunette, dared to try the same.

During the Renaissance, blond hair and blue eyes were regularly portrayed as signs of beauty, and associated with noble moral qualities. This preference didn't express racial preferences, but instead reflected the traditional symbolism of light as opposed to darkness.

Fifty years ago, movies like "Beach Blanket Bingo" sported sun-tanned and sun-bleached hard bodies, honed by hours on a surfboard. Girls swooned. Men emulated.

Blonds used to have more fun. Lately however, the venerable blond has been under attack. Blond jokes are aimed at women, but the spillover onto the male gender is unavoidable, whether consciously or not. The sheen of golden tresses has been connected with the lack of intelligence, and that idea has been carried to a comical level.

I believe the time has come for all good women to stand up and champion the fair-haired hero.

Big, blond, buff, and beautiful with eyes the color of seawater. What's not to swoon over?

May I present these gentlemen for your consideration:

• Chris Hemsworth - "Thor" as he is currently known.
• His brother, Liam. (Someone should bet on that bloodline. Winners all around.)
• Derek Hough from "Dancing With the Stars."
• Clay Matthews, linebacker with the Green Bay Packers.
• Alexander Skarsgaard - Erik from "True Blood."
• Brad Pitt during certain phases.
• David McCallum in his youth; Illya Kuryakin posters covered my adolescent bedroom walls.
• And Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Jamie Lannister on "Game of Thrones" - is a dirty, dirty, blond. A deliciously bad boy blond.

And then there are the Hansen men: Rydar, Brander, Martin, Reid, and Nicolas. These guys are smart enough to run circles around any blond joke thrown at them. Plus there's not an ugly gene in the mix.

It's time for a breath of fresh hero, don't you agree? Let's all resurrect respect for a yellow-streaked mane on a handsome head, lightened after hours spent in the sun, sweating through physical labors until every bulge of muscle shines in sculpted detail.

*sigh*

Who's with me?

_____

Norway is the new Scotland: http://www.kristualla.com/