The longer I live, the more I believe in and appreciate the power of women to transform lives, to nurture the future, to demonstrate that strength and gentleness are not mutually exclusive.
Not that I don’t adore men. I absolutely do–not only do I treasure the ones in my life and thank them for how they enrich it, but I just like the male sex in general. Writing great heroes and falling in love with every one of them has been one of the very best parts of being a romance writer.
In my women’s fiction debut, THE GODDESS OF FRIED OKRA, the roles women can play in the lives of other women are a crucial element in the narrative. Eudora “Pea” O’Brien desperately misses the sister who raised her and feels the need for Sister’s forgiveness. Because she so badly wants a do-over, she decides to gamble on Sister’s belief in reincarnation. In the hope of somehow finding the new body in which Sister resides, Pea hits the road with everything she owns in a beat-up sedan.
Pea may miss Sister greatly, but that doesn’t mean she’s the type to sit around and wallow in self-pity. No, she charges out in the world, coming to the aid of other lost souls—a pregnant teenager, a starving kitten, a very sexy con man trying to go straight.( Oh, and did I mention that Pea has spirit guides, voice she hears in her head?) As they journey, Pea meets a gun dealer named Glory (her shop is called Guns ‘N’ Glory?) who introduces her to the world of warrior goddesses, most particularly a blood-thirsty sword-wielding character named Dark Agnes. Glory herself is quite the swordswoman, and soon she’s teaching Pea to wield a sword, as well.
When the band is stranded in a tiny Texas town, Pea also encounters grandmotherly café owner, Lorena, who teaches Pea to cook—fried okra, of course, first and foremost. More than either cooking or swordplay, however, Lorena and Glory, in their very disparate styles, help Pea uncover the strengths in herself. In the end, it is all these women—real and imagined—who help Pea find her way home.
I marvel at the ability of women to get each other through both the joys and the agonies life in this world dishes out. I’ve had very important women in my life who’ve forever changed me. Are there important women in yours?
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