When Bad Things Happen to Good Characters

I'm delighted to welcome Kate Collins to my site, and hope someday I'll be able to review her book here. To be sure, "Daughter of Hauk" is right up my genre--the paranormal, where the only limiting factor is the author's imagination. Kate provides some insight into the reasons bad things happen to her main character, and also comments on the blog I posted immediately below hers. Welcome, Kate, it's good to have you here.

---------- 

My name is KateMarie Collins, and I met James through our mutual publisher, Solstice.  While our writing styles and genres are different, he and I share something.  We both agree that bad things can happen to good characters.

In my book, “Daughter of Hauk”, the main character is executed on the first page.  Arwenna spends the first two chapters dead, stashed away in a personal hell constructed for her by her foster brother.

As to Bohrs, let’s just say he’s got more than a few unsavory appetites. 

I don’t get overly graphic with the descriptions of what happens while she’s there, but the reader knows what’s going on.  Why did I put my main character, one I relate to as an alter ego, through that?  Because bad things happen to good people.

Think about it.  Have you ever met anyone who has never had something bad happen to them?  They’ve never done poorly on a test, missed the bus, lost a job?  What about those who emerged from abusive relationships as a stronger person?  I’m not saying anyone deserves to be abused.  Not by any stretch of the imagination.  But, it happens.  The best we can hope for is to not become so bitter and jaded by the experience that we lose that part of our soul where our humanity sleeps.

So, bad stuff happens to Arwenna.  More than once.  Some of it wasn’t easy to write, but I wrote it anyway.  It was a form of therapy for me.  The character has to face her fears, overcome them, and grow without losing her humanity.  So did I.

Now, James has a slightly different take on it.  What happens when bad things happen to bad people!  I read the excerpt that was questioned, and loved it.  I don’t see how someone like Lucifer would draw the line at handing his daughter over to a creature of Hell as a reward after all the other things he’s done.  This is the DEVIL we’re talking about.  He’s about as sick and twisted as they come.  For him, there would be no limits.  Fatherly love?  What’s that?  I don’t think it exists for him.  The balance is in the words used to describe what’s going on, not in the actual act.

Kate Collins

Thanks for letting me stop by, James!  If anyone’s interested in my book, my blog, etc, there’s links below.  It’s been fun!

KateMarie Collins

Solstice:  http://www.solsticepublishing.com/default.aspx

Solstice – my book:http://www.solsticepublishing.com/downloads.aspx?categoryid=123

Amazon – Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Hauk-Raven-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B007KDWYP4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335385261&sr=1-1