Today I have the postponed post from the Lizzy Ford Rhyn Tour from April. Due to a mix up in the scheduling the post was delayed. I am happy to have Lizzy here on the blog today with a guest post on writing and characters.
I previously reviewed her book : Katie's Hellion (Rhyn Triology #1) you can check out my review here.
Make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of the post. Here is Lizzy:
What fictional characters reveal about the readers who love them.
A few months ago, I completed the exercise of defining my target audience. The 
summary of the results: my readers are mostly women who still believe 
in true love, despite knowing Cinderella probably lost her half of the kingdom in the divorce after Prince Charming cheated on her. When I posted this to my blog, I received quite a few responses from my readers who heartily agreed! It was a truly fascinating discovery for me, because I learned something important in this process. I learned there was a direct connection between my characters and my readers, and this was why my readers loved my books.
After this exercise, I realized how much fictional characters reveal 
about the rabid fans that love them. I’ve read a few articles where people criticized the lead female characters created by Stephanie Myers (Twilight series) and Amanda Hocking (Trylle Trilogy), because the characters seem to have no definable motivations or personalities. I tend to believe Ms. Myers and Ms. Hocking are speaking the same language as their shared audience, which consists of young women who are just forming who they are and what life beyond themselves is like. It’s a rather scary time of life. They’re learning as they go and not sure what to expect, just as the characters in Ms. Myers and Ms. Hockings books are. Readers are given the ability to explore a new world and convey their own characteristics, personalities, fears and fantasies onto characters like Bella in a way where they won’t be judged or discouraged.
Meanwhile, my readers are probably a bit more jaded and beat-up by 
Life. They cheered when Sofi (from “Damian’s Oracle”) was kidnapped, when she put her foot down and refused to take more, and when she ultimately was rewarded by falling in love with a man who truly appreciated her. My readers also cheered when Rhyn (“Katie’s Hope,” Rhyn Trilogy) – a self-loathing half-demon surrounded by people who feared or hated him – finally overcame his self-doubt to realize he was worthy of being loved and respected, and that he did have something positive to offer the world.
My books feature characters who definitely aren’t given an easy lot in life but who find the personal courage to hope for something better and to persevere. As Rhyn says, “Sometimes life is full of bad choices, but you still have to choose.” This message reverberated with my target audience, because my readers have wrestled with Life – and not always ended up with the hand of cards they expected.
I can picture my readers and characters sitting together at the local café, commiserating 
over their life challenges, heartache and loss then getting back together in six months to share their tales of redemption, hope, and triumph. Good fictional characters speak to readers. As an author, I create something for them to talk about, but it is the readers who will choose whether or not to invite those characters out for a cup of coffee.
About Lizzy
Lizzy Ford is the self-publishing phenom of the sweet paranormal romance series: "Rhyn Trilogy" and "War of Gods" series; and the young adult fantasy trilogy, “The Foretold,” all of which launched in 2011. She has also authored multiple single title young adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Lizzy's books have reached the bestseller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK in multiple categories. Widely considered a freak of nature by her contemporaries for her ability to write and publish a new book every 30-45 days, Lizzy attributes her success to a team that consists of her editor, graphics artist, I.T. Sherpa, and her rabid readers.
Lizzy released ten books in 2011 and intends to release another ten in 2012, including launching two more series. Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Smashwords. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, three dogs and a cat.
Links to Lizzy online: Website , Facebook, twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Amazon.
Are you kidding? All that in a year. She is a writing machine. You can download Katie's 
Hellion for free on Amazon.
Big thanks to Lizzy for being here today. Up for grabs today she is offering an autographed copy of Katie's Hellion. Contest is open to everyone. See Contest Policies for details. Now fill out that rafflecopter!
Good Luck and thanks for stopping by.
