Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Fear!

Fear is the most basic of emotions. It shapes us and molds us—who we become and what we do on a daily basis is largely based on what fears drive us. It can motivate and inspire or it can hold us back. The decision is ours.

In a book the decision belongs to the author. All characters are flawed people, otherwise they wouldn’t be interesting and no one would want to read about them. Their pasts and who they are now are tangled with that deep emotion of fear—fear of failure, fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of going hungry…the list is endless.

Fear is the driving force in any book and it is also the catalyst for change. Because that’s what any book of fiction, romance included, is all about—change and growth. If the characters are exactly the same at the end of the book as they are at the beginning, then the book will probably be a forgettable one.

Tension, drama, great sacrifice, and change are all motivated by fear and/or overcoming fear.

Take Cyndi from The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke. She has secrets in her past and knows the time has come to confront them head-on and put them behind her once and for all. For years she’s allowed her fears of the past to rule her life. The fear of being a person she didn’t like prompted her to change. As a result, she’s grown as a person and is now someone we all can relate to and respect. This final act of facing her fears will lead her on a journey of further self-discovery, will uncover even deeper secrets that some would like to keep buried, and will ultimately lead her to love.

In The Return of Patrick O’Rourke, both main characters are at crossroads in their lives. Shannon Brooker had dealt with an abusive ex-husband and now has to find the strength to get beyond the chains of the past so she can fully live again. Patrick O’Rourke is face with his own mortality and limitations. He has to face the fear that he will never work again at the career he loves. Both these characters struggle with their fears, but ultimately overcome them with a lot of hard work and the help of the other person.

A common fear is the fear of losing control or of being hurt. That is what drives Burke Black in Discovering Dani. Burke has to confront that fear to keep from losing everything important in his life. And Dani has to overcome her fear of not being good enough. She has to dig deep and accept who she is. She also has to let go of some of her pride and allow others to help her.

In my upcoming Jamesville book, A Legal Affair releasing on July 15th, Alicia Flint fears public opinion. Her spotless reputation is essential to her job, which means everything to her. She has to face that fear, and realize that her happiness and self-respect are more important then what others think of her, even if it means her job as a lawyer is at stake.

Fear binds us, stifles and contains us. It can also inspire and push us to heights we thought impossible. Everyone has fear, but how a character deals with it determines what kind of person they are, and ultimately, what kind of person they will become.

Emotional~Sensual~Satisfying Reads!
http://www.njwalters.com
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The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke—Samhain Publishing
A Legal Affair—July 15th!