The making of a hero
First, thank you so much to the very awesome Jessica for
having me here today to celebrate the release of Soul Kissed, book two in my Shadow Kissed series. I’m giving away a
Shadow book (reader’s choice) to a random reader who answers my question at the
end.
I’m talking heroes today, and mine are rarely knights in
shining armor, aw-shucks-ma’am, can-I-get-the-door-for-you kind of guys. Not
that they don’t have manners. They do. It’s just that every single one contends
with quite a bit of darkness, and in another life, might just have been a
villain.
My Shadow world, though contemporary, is dark and full of
magic. The things that go bump in the night are now real. The fairy tales,
myths, and legends of old are happening again, just in a modern context.
Mason Stray first appeared in Fire Kissed, book one. He was leaning against a Camaro, and he was
holding a shotgun. There was a dead man at his feet. I saw a good-looking tough
guy, one who got his hands dirty (though he was friendly about it). I saw my
next hero.
When it came time to write Soul Kissed, my take on Cinderella, I knew that Mason would assume
the rags to riches story arc. I knew he was “stray,” which means he has no
family. He was the product of an illicit affair between his mother and an
unknown man. He was raised somewhat in his mom’s House, but as soon as he was
able to fend for himself, he was put out. Mason started with nothing and was
treated like he was nothing.
Beginning a book is always the most difficult. It goes so
slowly because I have to know my characters before I can have them do anything
on the page. (Picture me staring at a blank page on a screen.)
So I asked myself questions (always do, all day long): Is he
angry about his crappy life? Does he want revenge? Does he have ambition to
prove himself?
None of that sounded like my hero.
I had a flash of a vision, Mason as a father, but I rejected
it. My books always have plenty of dangerous
situations, and I don’t like
putting kids in danger. It makes me crazy and heartsick and tense…which is
exactly how Mason was feeling to me.
But the kid thing stuck. Sometimes things just stick in
books and I can’t change them no matter how hard I try.
A kid meant that Mason didn’t have time to be angry for
himself, or want revenge, or want to prove himself. A single parent in a world
growing more frightening by the moment doesn’t have that luxury. Mason’s
singular goal had to be his son’s safety.
Here’s an excerpt:
“We run. As fast and as far as we can. We run, or we
die.”
Could an eight-year-old understand?
Mason would have carried him again if it would have
been safer, but the humans had grown more dispersed, and frankly, Fletcher
could run faster than he could. Kid had speed and power in those legs. Mason’s
eyes burned as he cursed again. He just hadn’t anticipated Fletcher would have
to run for his life so soon.
They got as far as the parking lot access road when
black doom torpedoed overhead, poisoned Shadow picking out the mages from the
panicked crowd.
They weren’t going to make it to the car.
Mason made a grab for his son, who was still in
flight. Fletcher jackknifed in the air—the muscle in Mason’s shoulder
shredded—but he brought his son to his chest and went down on his knees on the
street.
He’d have prayed, but if there was a God, he’d long
ago forsaken the Shadow born.
Mason curled his body around Fletcher. Screams of
fear and pain ripped the air so close, Mason groaned. He strove to make a
boy-sized hollow out of his chest and belly, kneeling on the pavement and
hugging his son, hands splayed over Fletcher’s face and head, his own head
bowed to close the man-made cocoon. Within his grasp, Fletcher trembled, his
heartbeat fast like a rabbit’s. Mason’s own heart had stalled. His throat had
strangled shut with horror. All necessary body function was diverted into
willing his son to live, at any cost, including his own life.
Black, smoky arms of terror reached among the
throng, brushing by Mason like whispers of vicious gossip. He felt the Shadow
singing in his blood as it drew near; ironic that his affinity with magic would
help him know when his death was near. The dull thump and burn of a body
falling nearby brought bile searing onto his tongue. Another mage down,
moaning, then gargling into death.
“To the Webb wards!” Dalton’s voice, far away,
rallying the stricken mages.
Yes, House wards would protect the mages who’d come
to the May Fair. House wards were
impenetrable magicks of safe harbor. And Webb’s wards were the nearest, not ten
miles from the fair site.
But since Mason had no House, no wards to offer in
return, that option wasn’t open to him. To his son. Not yet. Though he would have begged if there’d been any
chance or service he could have traded.
Stray mages were outsiders, no matter how friendly
the handshake. How many times did Mason have to learn that lesson?
Humans whimpered and ran, their passage bumping
Mason’s shoulder, riffling his hair, as if they were the ones at risk. Stupid.
This was a trap for Shadowed blood.
Inside Mason was frantic too: Not my son. Please, not Fletcher. Pass over. Pass him by.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Today was
supposed to have been about peace, an opportunity to make friends.
Someone somewhere was laughing.
Mason ground his teeth against the burning in his
eyes. He clutched Fletcher and vowed again, as he had a million times before,
he’d do better for his son. Safer. No matter what in blackest Shadow he had to
do.
Mason’s son, Fletcher, idolizes his dad, which becomes a bit
of a problem in and of itself in the story when Fletcher tries to battle the bad
guys too.
So here’s my
question: When you were a kid, who was your hero?
Contest will be open from now til Friday at 11:59 PM (CST)
Bio:
Erin Kellison is the award-winning author of
the Shadow series, the Shadow Touch novella series, and the Shadow Kissed
series, all of which share the same world, where dark fantasy meets modern
fairy tale. RT calls her latest, Soul
Kissed, “a dark fairy tale with a twist, perfect for readers who love
passion with their fantasy.”
You can find Erin at:
Goodreads: www.Goodreads.com/ErinKellison
