Meet 2012 Golden Heart Finalist Marni Folsom
Posted by Elisa Beatty Jun 21 2012, 12:01 am in 2012 finalists, golden heart, heroes, inspiration, paranormal romance, women's strength
Today we’re welcoming Marni Folsom, 2012 Golden Heart Finalist in Paranormal Romance.
Marni writes in a tiny corner of the Pacific Northwest, strategically located at the base of her laundry pile and in the fine company of a baby boy, a toddler girl, three black dogs and a burly, artistic husband. Her Golden Heart manuscript, FLANNIGAN’S GRACE, is the first in a series about the magic-wielding descendants of pre-Celtic demigods. She blogs joyfully yet irregularly at marnifolsom.com.
Take it away, Marni!
***********************************************************
Go-To girls, both fictional and real
Hello, Rubies, and thank you for developing this blog! I confess that I’ve silently garnered writerly tips and Golden Heart inspiration from you all for the last couple years. It’s a thrill to be invited to post.
The ruby-slippered theme hits home today; I’ve been thinking about resourceful literary heroines, and Baum’s Dorothy Gale definitely falls into that category. Maya Angelou said we must honor our heroes and our “she-roes”. She likely meant historical figures that helped shape our culture, but I’ve always found comfort and inspiration in literature, so my favorite she-roes are of the fictional persuasion.
My first literary she-roe was Encyclopedia Brown’s friend, Sally, because she stood up to the class bully on Encyclopedia’s behalf (Save the Cat, anyone?). Lucy Maude Montgomery’s Anne Shirley proved another popular heroine in my early reading life. Anne defined “resilient” for me at a time when my hormone-laden blush preceded me into every room, and other than her idiotic tendency to overlook the wonderfulness of Gilbert Blythe, I thought Anne-with-an-E hung the moon.
My literary she-roe list goes on: Jo March; Lizzie Bennett; Nancy Drew; Adah Price in Barbara Kinsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible; Bridget Jones; young Arya Stark in George RR Martin’s Ice and Fire series; Hermione Granger; Lily Owens in The Secret Life of Bees; Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God; and many, many more….
In the romance genre, Joanna Bourne blew me away with Annique Villiers’ cunning in The Spymaster’s Lady, and she did it again with young Jess Whitbey’s determination and loyalty in My Lord and Spymaster. I loved Meljean Brooks’ Yasmeen in Heart of Steel (nothing like a fierce airship captain who dumps the hero into a zombie-teeming swamp because he challenges her command!) and Kitala Bell in Marjorie M. Liu’s Soul Song.
Then there’s Deanna Raybourn’s stalwart Lady Julia Grey and Julia Quinn’s Miranda Cheever. Right now, I’m enjoying tough-girl Rowan Tripp in Nora Roberts’ Chasing Fire and whip-smart Nora Towe in Meredith Duran’s At Your Pleasure. So many captivating heroines populate our genre!
Some of these she-roes overcome incredible odds in order to kick bad-guy ass, or to solve a big mystery, or to save the world. That’s all fine and good, but sometimes the most compelling heroines simply aim to bridge the gap between who they are and who they want to be. Me, too, girls. Me, too….
Each of these heroines is very different from the next, but they all inspire me with their ability to bounce back from adversity and internalize difficult lessons for future growth. Such is the way of women, and a message I’ve needed to hear lately.
A few weeks ago, I felt a bit defeated by some hardship in my world, and I rattled off a Yahoo post to my fellow GH finalists about the general rotten-ness of life as I knew it. Immediately afterward, I was embarrassed. I, a card-carrying Do It Yourselfer to Ridiculous Degree, had aired the dirty laundry in a public forum. I had, in essence, asked for help. *gasp*
But you know what? I’m now very glad I did! The responses to my post were filled with empathy, encouragement, and poignant personal stories from others who’ve traversed the murky waters I’m currently swimming. And those stories, like our GH-finalist manuscripts, brimmed with love and loss and the quiet-yet-indomitable strength of women.
These fabulous people who make up the list of 2012 GH finalists shared their collective experience and spurred me to open myself to greater possibility. Their stories reminded me of the power inherent in building something strong and good, even if it occurs via inch-high accomplishments. Ultimately, they reminded me that we are all she-roes in our own right.
I’d love to hear who your literary she-roes are. Do you have a favorite author who motivates you or character that inspires your writing? What traits denoting strength do you like to build into your romantic heroines?
Follow on Twitter
Like on Facebook
Send an Email
Follow the RSS Feed
Welcome, Marni! So great to have you here!!
As for she-roes, I second you on Sally from Encyclopedia Brown…and most of the rest of your list, frankly.
I’d add Jane Eyre, Anne from Persuasion (nothing better than moral fortitude!!), Shakespeare’s Juliet, Beatrice (from Much Ado), Cleopatra and Paulina (from The Winter’s Tale),and Claire from Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER books.
And, yes, the strength of the Firebirds is mighty!! It’s great to have that support.
Thanks, Elisa! You’ve added a great bunch of heroines from British Literature. Portia from The Merchant of Venice is one of my favorite Shakespearean heroines…and how could I forget Claire?! When I lived in Scotland, I had the pleasure of going on the “Outlander” Tour of the Highlands. Yes, they have an Outlander TOUR! It was gorgeous and made me want to read the whole series again. Did you read the Lord John series?
Ooh…an OUTLANDER tour???? Sign me up!! (I mean, as soon as I can afford to fly out of the country, sign me up!)
Yes, I really like the Lord John series! It’s not Claire and Jamie, but they’ve still got Gabaldon’s smart, vivid voice.
I met Diana Gabaldon at last year’s Reader for Life signing. It was toward the end of the event, so her books were gone and the line was noonexistent, which left time for an actual Real Person Chat (I used to live in the same Arizona town where she grew up). I found her interesting and sweet and verrrry tolerant of my obvious fan-girl gushing.
Congratulations, Marni!
If we’re talking resourceful women from literature, I think the all-time best she-roe ever written was Scarlett O’Hara. Unlike all of the too-perfect heroines romance authors love to write, who only have endearing, sympathetic flaws, Scarlett’s shallow, manipulative, selfish nature versus her strength and ability to step up in a crisis made her truly memorable.
Hope to meet you in Anaheim!
Laurie, you’re so right. Heroines with huge flaws, and the ability to work beyond them, are so compelling. You remind me that I’ve never read Gone with the Wind. Must rectify that as soon as possible!
Many congratulations on your GH wins! I hope to meet you in July.
I agree with many of the above choices, but find I often like secondary characters better than the heroes/sheroes. And I also find I craft my secondary characters so well that they outshine the leads. I guess it started early for me with George and Bess. Nancy? Too perfect and competent. I like that when faced with danger, Bess wanted a donut and George was like, “Tennis, anyone?” I suppose I’m more in tune with a secondary character. I’d be having the donut.
So I guess I like heroines who are challenged and don’t know what the crap to do, but somehow in the end, make the right choices. Those resonated with me. So Bridget Jones, Scarlet O’Hara,…and I need more coffee to think about this.
Fun post, and congrats on the final!
Liz, I SO hear you. I’ll never forget the day my CP told me that I should cut my heroine’s best friend from my manuscript, because she was overshadowing the lead. *gulp* She was right, though.
And not knowing what the crap to do? I live there.
Bring on the donuts.
Oh, I am so there with you on secondary characters. My first GH manuscript has a character called, Lobo [don't ask]. To this day, years later, writers that read it ask, “Whatever happened to Lobo? Did you give him his story?”
Always something to fix…
I think that we relax with our secondary characters and easily give them angst on the page. Our H/H are tougher and have to carry the story so our angst is on the page vs theirs.
Yes–I really think that’s true. We relax with secondary characters, and give them lots of color without worrying about alienating anyone.
A good lesson for loosening up with hero/heroine!
Lordy lou, Marni. I named practically EVERY one of my She-roes. I think the only one you missed was Lessa of Pern (Anne McCaffrey’s amazing heroine.)
But… tell me more about your “burly, artistic husband.” Mwrraaaarrrrr…..
Yes, yes, yes. Anne McCaffrey does good heroine! I recently (well, “recently” being about 9 months ago, well before the new baby arrived!) read a couple of short stories from The Girl Who Heard Dragons. Highly recommend!
Congrats to you! Will you be in Anaheim? I’m having trouble keeping up on the loop!
I sure *will* be there! (After watching Elisa be a GH finalist twice, I want my own moment in the sun!)
Lovely blog, Marni. Made me a little misty. What a great list of she-roes. Heroes often get all the attention what with the hot abs, smarts, charm, wit, courage, well-honed bedroom skills. But she-roes need love too!
I’m thinking of real women who came into my life through stories. Laura Ingalls wilder, Helen Keller, Anne Frank. Talk about strength and overcoming adversity.
The trait I respect most in a heroine is the determination to keep going. I’m not a fan of Scarlett, but no one can claim she ever sat down and gave up. I can admire that. A short-lived pity party is sometimes necessary, but a she-roe must get up and keep on moving.
Nodding my head, Terri. Those are fabulous, inspiring mentions. I re-read the Diary of Anne Frank every couple of years — that one alternates with my re-read of To Kill a Mockingbird. I saw her house once when I was in Amsterdam. Very, very moving to stand on those steps and recall that level of courage and determination from a young girl.
And as for short pity parties, I find mine go best with a big glass of red wine and a bath. Cleansing on both the inside and outside.
Hi, Marni! What a great topic–I may borrow it for my blog one of these days. Let’s see, I could add Lady Jessica from Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Cordelia in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. And certainly (hi, Eileen!) Lessa from the Pern novels. And all those women writers who moved science fiction from a genre for teen-aged boys to an adventure for all of us.
Kay, you make such a good point. Many she-roes have expanded an entire genre. That’s a heckuva lot of heroine juice! I haven’t read the Vorkosigan series. It’s now added to my TBR list. Thank you!
When I first “met” Cordelia,I thought immediately of Jessica. Cordelia is also the hero’s mother, but Bujold went back and wrote her story in Shard of Honor and Barrayar. (Unlike Jessica, Cordelia got to hang on to her husband, a hero himself.) It’s a great series.
Oh, so many!!! I love, love, love Elizabeth Bennett. Jane Austen rocks. And I love all of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton girls. I adore Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson and JR Ward’s Bella from Lover Awakened. And, of course, Katniss Everdean, my all-time favorite she-ro.
Great post, Marni, and so glad you could come! ~D~
Oh, how could I forget Katniss??
She’s beyond awesome.
She is just so well-drawn. Suzanne Collins did an amazing job.
Thanks, Darynda! I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read the Hunger Games yet. So far, I’ve successfully avoided all the movie-related hype (knock on wood). I want to read it with my own mental images of the characters before the actors are squarely insinuated in my brain space.
Big agreement from me on JR Ward’s Bella.
My favorites are women who are resourceful and determined even in the face of disdain.
Smilla from Smilla’s Sense of Snow
Anna Pigeon from a series by Nevada Barr
Dinah from The Red Tent
Kira from Gathering Blue
Beth, I replied to you below. I made a technical snafu of some sort or another, so it keeps getting pushed further down the page rather than appearing here with your original comment…but wanted to let you know it’s there!
Aw, Marni, beautiful post! Made me teary-eyed. The Firebird girls are really a terrific bunch. …
One of my fave recent “she-roes” was Clare from The Time Traveler’s Wife. She seemed so real: impatient, frustrated, flawed like the rest of us. And yet she loved Henry so unabashedly and with such courage, even though she had to know how things might end. To me, that’s the greatest kind of romance heroine — someone who can live and love so fearlessly.
Oh, Laurie, you’re so right. Fearless love is the perfect way to describe that. I actually had Clare listed in my draft, but I had to cut a few, because I felt like I was headed for Drone City. But I was awed by that book. I think Audrey NIffenegger achieved greatness with the construction of the plot alone, but those characters — all of them — were amazing. *sigh* *aspire*
Looking forward to seeing you in L.A.!
Hi Marni. Great post!
Darynda beat me to Katniss and the Bridgerton gals! Love both of those series. (I think Darynda must’ve stolen my Kindle at our last chapter meeting ;0)
You made me smile when you reminded me about Sally, and Encyclopedia Brown. I just adored those books when I was young.
Looking forward to seeing you in LA!
GASP! I would NEVER! Okay, I would, but I didn’t. Promise. Hehehe.
Heh — I took a little trip down memory lane when I started thinking about my first real foray into independent reading. They must have struck a chord if I remember them so clearly after 35 years or so!
I also liked the Bridgerton gals. I went to a tea & talk with Julia Quinn and Eloisa James last year, and it was so fun to hear JQ talk about the Bridgertons (what she could remember, anyway. There were a LOT of them, weren’t there??).
See you in a month or so! I like saying that….
And can I play with your kindle when Darynda’s done?
Hi, Beth! I agree on DInah from The Red Tent. I also liked Kathleen from Good Harbor (although I didn’t like the book as a whole as much as The Red Tent). I’m adding the rest to my TBR list. I didn’t think of it before, but this topic is a great way to get reading recommendations!
A wonderful post, Marni! Congratulations on your GH and I can’t wait to meet in Anaheim. Firebirds will definitely be flying!
All the great “she-roes” you’ve mentioned had me running for a pen to write down those I haven’t read…thanks for adding to my TBR pile.
Women are the glue in their families and the lives around them. Their strength in adversity is one of my favorite things to see on the page.
As for your pity-party solution– I love it!
Good luck!
“Their strength in adversity is one of my favorite things to see on the page.”
So beautifully put, Jean.
I’m catching up on loop news today, too — it’s exciting to see the Firebirds moniker floating around. We’re becoming the name, aren’t we?
I find red wine and a bubble bath works for just about anything, but it’s especially nice for Just Because.
Great post, Marni! I’m a Scarlett O’Hara fan from way back.
But I also loved Jo March and Nancy Drew. More recently, I’m a huge Kinsey Millhone fan–oh, and one of my newest favorites–Charlie Davidson. 
Lily Bard, one of Charlaine Harris’s series heroines…gosh, I could go on with this all day.
Congratulations on the GH final. I can’t wait to meet you in Anaheim!!
Shamefully, Susan, I didn’t get to the Sookie Stackhouse series before the True Blood series hit cable…and the show kind of turned me off.
However, so many people I trust continue to recommend the books to me that I’ll have to just buckle down and read it!
And what a great shout-out to Darynda’s Charley Davidson series! For those who haven’t yet tapped into the wonders, go to http://www.darynda.com/category/books/ and order away!
What a lovely blog post. You inspire me, Marni!
I’m a huge Anne-with-an-e fan (even went to the real Green Gables!) but my favorite romance heroine is Jessica Trent from Lord of Scoundrels. I love her never-back-down spirit.
Aw. Thanks, Wendy! Can you believe I JUST read Lord of Scoundrels last year. It was my first Loretta Chase novel (Yes, yes, I know. Can we say “groundling”??). All I have to say is: Loretta Chase rocks!, and I agree about Jessica Trent!
There is power in building something strong and good, and in sharing life’s ups and downs with people on a similar path. Thank you for that honest and insightful post, Marni!
Thanks, Meg! I keep thinking of one o’ my mama’s favorite sayings for tough times: “We’re handed what we can handle.” My struggle often comes in the how-to portion of the equation…but nothing like a personal challenge to light a fire under your derrier, eh?
Nancy Drew was the heroine who instigated my love of reading, as well as Charlotte of Charlotte’s web. The next heroine to hook me was Emma Harte in Barbara Taylor’s A Woman of Substance. I loved that book in the day. Also loved The Poisonwood Bible and Secret Life of Bees, wonderful, strong women there. Another fun series whose heroine grabbed me was Diana Gabladon’s Claire Randall. It’s wonderful that there are so many!
Hi, Sharon! There ARE so many!. You named some good ones. A Woman of Substance is new to me; I’ll check it out! I love that I’m getting so many recommendations from these comments.
My favorite fictional she-ro, hands down, is Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series. I think the primary reason I feel that way is that she’s just so damn resilient, both physically and emotionally.
She also gets to sleep with my favorite hero, Roarke – the hottest man on the planet.
Thanks for mentioning physical resilience, Tamara. Eve kicks ass, for sure. I know we’re talking books, but I have to say that strong female characters make up my favorite on-screen heroines, too. Buffy, Sarah Connor, Ripley, River Tam…yep. I like the action gals!
Sara Crewe in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess, and Judy Abbott in Jean Webster’s Daddy Long-Legs.
The books were published (Burnett’s in England and Webster’s in the US) within a couple years of each other (and both more than a century ago!) but both girls embody strength through loss. Not that women who haven’t suffered a loss can’t be strong, but for someone like me, who had the Bad Childhood, it’s been really good to have role models for the “if you can get through this, you can get through anything” school of thought.
Wonderful topic — thanks, Marni!
Thanks, Magdalen! Great additions to the list, and you’re right: We don’t need to suffer a great loss to be strong, but for those looking for mentorship or hope, there’s nothing like similar experience to form a strong link between people…or between person and character, as the case may be!
[...] the 2009 Golden Heart Finalists, this year’s finalists have been invited to guest blog at The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood. My contribution is up today. I tried to tell you earlier, but, hey. Witness the exasperation in [...]
Wonderful post Marni.
I love Lizzie Bennett too, and all the Hathaway sisters and the wallflowers Lisa Kleypas gave us. I saw a comment that mentions The Bridgerton sisters. I loved Julia Quinn’s Lady Whistledown, the ultimate gossip columnist.
And in real life, I would credit all our GH Firebird sisters for their strength and tenacity to rise up and start over, an inch at a time, if that’s what it takes right then.
I can’t wait to meet you next month.
Karen
Same here, Karen. I can’t believe the conference is only a month away (GAH – must finalize childcare, must finalize childcare, must finalize EVERYTHING) …and yet it’s so exciting that I’ll be meeting most — wish it could be all! — of the other Firebirds in only a few weeks!
Wow, Marni, you hit a LOT of my favorites, and of those few left over, most were hit in the comments. Jo March, forever and ever and ever. Lessa of Pern (and Menolly from the Harper Hall series). Lizzie, Arya, beloved Hermione. Sara Crewe. Beatrice, with the sparkling wit. Recently, I’m madly in love with the women from the Graceling series (Oh, Katsa. I love you so. And little Bitterblue. What a strong woman you’ve become) and of course, our Katniss.
The only imaginary woman I can think of who impacted me strongly who hasn’t been mentioned is Trixie Belden. I was never a huge Nancy Drew fan, but I loved that Belden girl with all my little 9-year-old heart.
Thanks for the walk down literary memory lane.
Trixie Belden? I must revisit the adolescent literature section of my local library ASAP, because I have not read Trixie Belden!
You know what I’m looking forward to, Lia? Our daughters’ generation of she-roes. My little one’s already a book hound at age 2. I’m giddy to imagine her book lust at 9, or 13, or 18. Hmm. I think I was about 13 when I started to steal Mom’s racy romances off the shelf. Must consider my feelings on that prospect with my own heroine-in-training and what will be considered ‘racy’ in another few years….
Thanks so much for being with us today, Marni!! I hope you had fun!
Looking forward to meeting you in person in Anaheim!
I’m not the great reader that you all are – but I love a few standards most: Jo March, Anne Shirley, and most of all Eliza Bennett, Emma, and Ann from Persuasion – any of Jane Austen’s ladies of first order. I appreciate women who hold strong during the storms. My favorites also have to have top-gun intellects, and they must have compassion for others. I used to tell my girls to ‘accept’, not ‘expect’.
Great post, Marni. What a super group of responses.
Thanks, Mom! Er, I mean, Jane. *wink* I’m glad you found the link, given all my troubles getting it posted. Apparently, I’ve always had my nose in a book during time I could have allocated to technical pursuits.
Hi Marni
You’ll not be surprised if I share my Scottish she-ro Chris Guthrie from the trilogy ” A Scots Quair” by Lewis Grassic Gibbon.
Strong, independent woman with a love of the land, her country and her men!
Sounds like the Firebirds are set to fly.Good luck next month