Read it in Houston: Lacy Yager's Blog Take-Over

Welcome to day 7 of Christmahanakwanzika. Kelly's on vacation today, so I will be your host. Please don't forget to check out the giveaway down below.

-Lacy Yager

Characters With Real Challenges

I love that Kelly shares about her dyslexia openly through her blog. Personally, I love stories with heroes/heroines who have to overcome something difficult from within themselves. I think it is because someone I am very close to struggles with a chronic illness. Seeing her work through the issues that her health causes has been eye-opening and makes me admire people (and characters) who have to do the same.

I recently read Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly, where the main character has Aspergers. Awhile back, I read Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury, which has a main character who is Autistic. Another favorite author, Courtney Milan, writes adult fiction with characters with dyslexia, PTSD, and agoraphobia. Each of the characters in these books are interesting, and their situations add layers to the characters.

And so, Evan Campton, a teen with Aspergers from Shadow Allegiance (who will get his own book eventually!), and Brett Carson, a teen with juvenile arthritis from novella Rival, were “born”.

Except, I didn’t know the challenges that creating these characters would pose! I wanted to capture them as realistically as possible without offending people who also deal with those same challenges. When I see people dealing with personal or health issues, I recognize that they have good days, difficult days and days that are in-between. But how to capture that in the pages of a novel?

Here’s a scene from Rival, one that shows Brett dealing with his arthritis while not wanting to look like a wimp in front of Emily:

"So, you kissed me yesterday."
I slide into the lunchroom chair next to Emily, hoping my smile covers my wince of pain. Even that simple movement feels like knives through my joints.
She shushes me, looking around frantically. I'm guessing to make sure no one heard me. Ouch.

But no one is paying attention to us.

I shift, try to find some way to alleviate the discomfort in my knees. I could go to the school nurse for another pain pill, but I don't want to. I can bear it.

I was right yesterday. My adrenaline crashed on my way back from Emily's, and by the time I got home, I had to pry my hands off the handlebars to hobble inside.

I crashed, overslept, and missed my first two classes. My doctors and parents have communicated enough with the school that my teachers understand, but it makes me mad every time I have to make up work or miss something important because of my condition.

What I wouldn't give to be a normal guy.

I lean back in my seat, changing positions again to try and get some relief. I throw my arm over the back of Emily's chair to cover the move.

She glares at me, and I smack an air kiss at her. "Ready to repeat?"

I have to confess that Brett stole my heart pretty quickly when writing his and Emily’s story!! Rival should be free on Amazon within a week or so. If you’d like to receive an email when it goes free, sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/GEpGf

Shadow Allegiance (Unholy Alliance #2)
Releases December 15, 2013

A vampire hunter-turned-vampire seeks to destroy her enemies. Until she falls for one of them.

A Chaser born to kill vampires, sixteen-year-old Rachel Campton has grown up in her older brother's shadow. Until she wakes up a vampire, her own mortal foe. She's stronger, faster than her human self, but haunted by bloodlust and the loss of her beloved younger sister. Friendless and lost in enemy territory, Rachel must rely on Alex Wellington, a former nemesis and centuries old vampire who looks like a college football player.

As Rachel goes deep into vamp territory, she learns there is more to the vampire life than killing humans. She also discovers another side to Alex. He is more than a murderer, he is someone that she starts to fall for. Rachel faces the ultimate choice--her new life and unexpected love or the family she left behind, the family that may now want her dead.

Amazon

Rival
Published November 24th, 2013

Her destiny. His determination.
Born a fifth generation vampire Chaser, seventeen-year-old Emily Santos wants nothing more than to join the family business. But Emily's mother refuses, so Emily must channel her aggression into her martial arts training.

Black belt senior Brett Carson has decided it's time to rid himself of his unrequited feelings for Emily. But when he finds himself in the middle of an altercation with Emily and a gang of vampires, he is drawn into a world he never expected. And Brett is hiding a secret of his own...

Amazon

Readers, I would love to know if you have a favorite character or book that has characters dealing with physical or mental challenges. Comment away!

About the Author
Lacy Yager

Lacy Yager is a pen name for Lacy Williams, a wife and mother from Oklahoma. As a child, her dad read Louis L'Amour westerns as bedtime stories and she credits those memories with her love of writing action-packed romances. She loves bad-boy heroes and heroines who kick butt.