March 27, 2010: it was a wonderful time. My second published book, Valentine, had just been released. It was a proud moment for me, because Valentine was a book I had written just a … Continue reading Valentine’s 10th Anniversary
Tag: feminism
The Year of HER: Female Characters in W.E.
I’d like to create a harmonious balance between the use of male and female characters in my books. However, try as I might, I seem to lean towards the female characters more. Maybe it’s my inner feminist. One of my goals for 2020 is to write stories that focus more on the male characters. As a society, it seems our mission is empower women and young girls. I fear the men and young boys are being left out in the cold, and that isn’t good. The last thing I want to see, is a generation of males being made to feel like their feelings and thoughts don’t matter, because they’re not females. But, I digress…
For the Woolaston Entertainment books, this has been the year of HER.
Rock N Role Model
Amy Edwards of the Our Lady of Righteous Rage series shows off her tender, motherly side in this first companion book of Phase Two of the series. She discovers a young fan named Stephanie (Step for short) and takes her under her wing. The two of them begin to spend time together, bonding almost as if they were mother and daughter. It’s an opportunity for readers to see Amy isn’t all punk rock and guitars; off of the stage and away from the studio, she’s a mother.
Lucia and the Saints
The woman who created John Rafferty and gave The Syndicate it’s name is a force to be reckoned with. She’s the reason Valentine, Jo Fuentes, Lola Vencent, Mac Avery and Kelly McCormick each have a place in the Syndicate. Lucia carries a gun, and she knows how to use it. She has no problem standing up to anyone, be they a man or a woman. But she’s not the only strong woman in the series: the young girls she takes in, The Lady Saints are each pretty badass in their own right. They’ll pick up a gun and join Lucia in a fight if necessary. Lucia is their role model, and they want to learn as much from her as they possibly can.
Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep
Jo already proved her worth in the Valentine series and in Jo Fuentes: The Black Queen. In Project Sleep, Jo works through her PTSD in order to discover the true origins of her dangerous skills. She could just worry about her own safety, but Jo is still a soldier, and the welfare of the other members of Project Sleep is a major concern for her.
Rock N Role Model and Lucia and the Saints are both available on Amazon. Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep will be available by the end of December 2019.
Dear Netflix: Don’t Show “Revolutionary Girl Utena”
Dear Netflix: So, you’re getting into anime now, eh? Streaming Neon Genesis Evangelion for a new generation? How nice! Too bad you’re showing it without any of the LGBTQ elements (can’t believe … Continue reading Dear Netflix: Don’t Show “Revolutionary Girl Utena”
Monday Blog: Oct 22, 2018: Witchcraft & The Age of the Daughter
Hello, everyone! My apologies for the late post. This week, I wanted to share some of the information I have learned while continuing my research for one of my upcoming … Continue reading Monday Blog: Oct 22, 2018: Witchcraft & The Age of the Daughter
A Woman’s Place in “Young Kelly McCormick”
You’ve probably read stories about mob bosses or seen a few movies about underground networks of criminals. In the majority of those stories, the major players are men. In the … Continue reading A Woman’s Place in “Young Kelly McCormick”
Monday Blog: Celebrating Jo Fuentes
This month, Woolaston Entertainment is celebrating two themes: Male Character Month, and Pride Month. I’ve decided to begin with the later. This week’s blog post, is all about Jo Fuentes of the Valentine and Valentine Apart series.
Jo is the first LGBTQ character to be featured in a published Woolaston Entertainment book. She’s also W.E.’s first LGBTQ character to receive a stand-alone book, Jo Fuentes: The Black Queen. When I created Jo, I was thinking of a sort of alter-ego for Valentine. The two of them do share a few characteristics: they’re tall, mouthy, and they don’t take any crap. Jo was never intended to be a soldier of any kind, but I had a dream about the scene in the second chapter of The Black Queen, where Jo takes out eight men in under sixty seconds. I thought, it would be cool to have a female character experience a James Bond moment, but I needed a reason. I decided, making her a Marine, would be the best reason.
Jo is a great character, because she’s a little complicated. She has a frightening set of skills, and she has no idea where she learned them. She’s gay, and proud of it. She values the friendships of the people who matter the most to her, and she’ll do anything for them. She easily makes the transition from Marine to Hitwoman when she begins working for Kelly McCormick. And, she has a wicked sense of humor.
I’m honoring Jo, by making Jo Fuentes: The Black Queen, available for FREE, June 4-June 6. If you’ve never read it, this is a great opportunity to become acquainted with Jo, and the rest of the Valentine Apart/Valentine series.
Jo Fuentes on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jo-Fuentes-Black-Queen-Valentine-ebook/dp/B078TNHBRF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528138515&sr=8-1&keywords=jo+fuentes+the+black+queen
Next week: the boys of Valentine and Valentine Apart
Monday Blog: Is Valentine a Feminist Series?
Hello! Welcome back! I missed you over the weekend (really, I did!) It’s Monday, so it’s time for the Monday Blog. It’s Valentine month, so I have good news, and great news! Plus, I’m going to answer one of my reader’s questions: Is Valentine a feminist series?
Valentine 1 and 2 Promotion Results
The first two books in the Valentine series were free for Kindle and the Kindle App, from Feb 5th through the 9th. The results: seven of you downloaded books! Two of you emailed me to say how much you enjoyed the books! Thank you! I’m going to run promotions like this throughout the rest of the year, so you may want to check the website often. And now for the better news…
Valentine 3 Promotion
You’ve read books 1 and 2, so you may as well read 3, right? Valentine 3: Queen of Hearts, will be FREE, for Kindle and the Kindle App, from Feb 12th through 14th (starting TODAY!) So, if you have the Kindle or the Kindle App, you can download a free copy! How cool is that?
Valentine 3 is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Valentine-Hearts-Nicole-E-Woolaston-ebook/dp/B01MXXYCEC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1518289553&sr=8-1
Is Valentine a Feminist Series?
I never really thought of myself as a feminist, or a feminist writer, for that matter. I simply write what I like. My writing began with my love of books, and my difficulty finding books with subjects I wanted to read about, over time. But I suppose I can call myself a feminist writer: most of my characters are female, and most of those females are not “damsels in distress”.
Now, for the question: Is Valentine a feminist series? The answer: yes. Sure it is. Was that my intention? No. But that’s the way it worked out. Let’s consider the definition of the word feminist: person who supports feminism. Well, that didn’t help, did it? Let’s consider the definition of feminism instead: the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. That’s much better. Think about the “heroes” we see in movies and on television. There have always been plenty of “tough guys” around. The renegade cop with a chip on his shoulder. The butt-kicking karate expert. There are plenty of strong male characters, but now, more strong female characters are emerging. Val Entienne is a female, but she has some masculine traits: she carries a pair of guns, she drives a classic Mustang, she’s not afraid to get into a fight, etc. She’s like this, because she can be like this. I wanted to take a male personality, and place it inside a female character. Then I wanted to surround her with other females like herself (Lola Vencent, Jo Fuentes, Mac Avery, etc.). In the end, I wanted to show, a girl and be both a badass, and a girl.
Until next week…
Melinda’s Summer Plans (a snippet from Valentine 5)
Melinda St.James, one of the younger (and more innocent) characters from the Valentine series, has decided on what she wants to do, when summer arrives. Here’s a snippet from the upcoming Valentine 5, which features a conversation between Melinda and Jo Fuentes. Enjoy!
“Hey, I know what I want to do this summer,” Melinda said. “I heard someone at school talking about the Pride Parade in June. I wanna go!”
Veronica, Val and Jo all turned to her in surprise. “The Pride Parade?” Val asked.
Melinda set her bowl on the coffee table and nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!” she said. “Can we go this year?”
“Uh, sweetie, do you know what the Pride Parade is for?” Jo asked.
“Sure,” Melinda said. “It’s about celebrating who you are, and being proud of yourself and your friends.”
Jo turned to Val and Victoria and smiled. “She’s so innocent, it’s too adorable,” she said. She turned back to Melinda, and said, “Well, you’re not wrong. Pride celebrates the LGBTQ community. It reminds people to be tolerant and open-minded, and embrace everyone’s differences. It helps the community be more aware of people like me.”
Melinda blinked at her in surprise. “What, do you mean, like, other Marines?”
Jo raised her eyebrows. “You’re really adorable, do you know that?”
Melinda beamed, and picked up her bowl of cereal. “Thank you.” Victoria leaned over and whispered something into Melinda’s ear.
Jo smiled at Val and Veronica. “This year, she should lead the Pride Parade.”
Lola, Jo, and the Badass Girls of “Valentine”
The other day, someone asked me if I considered my self to be a feminist writer. I hadn’t thought about that, until that moment. I considered my style of writing, and the characters and stories I’ve created over the years, and realized, YES, I suppose I am a feminist writer. The majority of my characters a female, and they’re not the “damsel in distress” type. Take the “Valentine” series, for example. The first book starts out with 19-year-old Val Entienne (aka, Valentine) driving from Chicago to L.A. to find her father. She’s a young woman, armed with a pair of handguns, and a serious “can-do-will-do” attitude. She knows the trip is dangerous, but she’s willing to risk her safety to find her father. Throughout the rest of the series, Val does several things that art generally not associated with her gender. Aside from knowing how to shoot (and being a very good shot, I may add) she knows a lot about cars and how to fix them. She has no problem stepping into the role of “leader” of her family. She’ll do anything to protect the people she cares about. All in all, Val is a badass.
But she’s not the only one. The “Valentine” series is full of strong female characters. Two of them, just appeared in their own books. Lola Vencent, John Rafferty’s former valkyrie, and Jo Fuentes, have their own back-stories. Both Lola and Jo are hit-women, and both are extremely skilled and good at their jobs. Aside from being a hit-woman, Jo is also a United States Marine (extra street credit there).
Val’s cousin Veronica is another force to be reckoned with. If Val needs someone to back her up, Veronica is right there. She comes off as the voice of reason in the Entienne family, but she can be tough when she needs to be. At one point, she even pulls a gun on Rafferty.
I’ve been inspired by strong women most of my life. My primary source of inspiration, is my mother. She raised me single-handedly, and she has always been my rock. There’s a little bit of her, in all of my female characters.
Feminism in W.E. Books
Valentine
Haverdy Oyama , Val Entienne & Amy Edwards
Thinking about W.E.’s 22 anniversary, I can’t help but think about the primary part of W.E., which is the books. Thinking about the books, led me to think about the characters in them. When I was a child, I gravitated towards books with stories about female characters who weren’t afraid to do whatever the male characters did. I was never a big fan of stories about princesses. I was a bit of a tomboy, so stories about ultra-girly characters didn’t interest me. When I started writing, my female characters were bold, brave, and they weren’t afraid to do any of the things the male characters would do. The definition of feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men. I didn’t want to create female characters who were “damsels in distress”.
Take Haverdy Oyama of Fortune’s Wing, for example. Haverdy is a tomboy, through and through. She wears her hair short, like a boy, and she even wears the boy’s uniform to school. When her brother and his friends find themselves fighting monsters created by the Winged Seven, Haverdy has no problem picking up a sword and running head-first into danger.
Val Entienne of Valentine is equally as brave. Despite her pink hair, when her father needs help, she’s a regular “ride or die” kind of girl. She arms herself with a pair of handguns and drives all the way to California to rescue him. She gets caught in a gunfight on more than one occasion, but she doesn’t run and hide.
Even when some of the guys in her life doubt her abilities and her talent, Amy of Our Lady of Righteous Rage learns to play the guitar and become a rock star. She’s also a firm believer in the idea that girls can do anything boys can do. And the person behind the concept for the retail store in the series, the “Urban Collective”, is Vanessa, another female character.
Should the sword-wielding hero always be a boy? Certainly not. What about the gun-toting Patron Saint? The badass guitarist? I enjoy creating female characters who succeed in male-dominated situations. In Fortune’s Wing, all of the girls are ready to stand with Fortune and fight. In Valentine, it’s Val the members of the Syndicate are afraid of. The female characters in the W.E. books have demonstrated the meaning of feminism and redefined what it means to be in a “woman’s place”.
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