In my most recent two books -
RESISTING THE REBEL and
THE REPLACEMENT CRUSH - the
heroes save the heroines from creepy guys. Both books are definitely rom-coms,
but deal with an important issue facing girls and women β jerk guys who
intimidate and bully girls to try to get what they want.
While I consider myself a strong feminist and completely support girls standing
up for themselves in every way possible, there are times when itβs not enough-
when someone else needs to step in. Standing around as a disapproving spectator
doesnβt cut it β good guys need to step in.
In
RESISTING THE REBEL,
the hero Caleb has the school βbad boyβ reputation, while the real bad guy Gus
puts on a phony act to try to win over Mandy, the heroine. However, as the story
progresses Caleb realizes what Gus is up to, so he sets out to 1) prove to Mandy
that heβs the better guy, 2) protect her from Gus, and 3) demonstrate his
superior kissing skills, because this is a rom-com, after all.
In
THE REPLACEMENT
CRUSH, Jake the Snake is a more serious threat. He intimidates the heroine
Vivian and threatens her, after theyβve had a brief relationship. Hero and
all-around great guy Dallas is the counterpoint to Jake β funny, sweet, and
thoughtful. And even though heβs more of a beta heroβ¦well, who says betas canβt
be badasses, too?
I wanted to write about realistic heroes who stand up for girls because I think
itβs so important to acknowledge the many good guys who do this. And I really,
really want girls to know there
are great guys out there who
wonβt try to force them into sexual intimacy if theyβre not ready, guys
who will value them as friends and girlfriends, and who will stand up for them
against assholes if push comes to shove - literally.
I met my own hero in college when I was dealing with a creepy stalker, so I have
very strong feelings and opinions about what true heroes are like, and the need
for someone to step in and help when things go sideways.
Hereβs to our real-life heroes: the ones we can count on every day to love us,
make us laugh, and stand up to the jerks when we need backup.
Lisa Brown Roberts still hasn't recovered from the teenage trauma of
nearly tweezing off both eyebrows and having to pencil them in for an entire
school year. This and other angst-filled memories inspire her to write YA books
about navigating life's painful and funny dramas, and falling in love along the
way.
Her almost forever home is Colorado, though she occasionally pines for the days
when she lived within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean. Her house is full
of books, boys, several four-legged prima donnas, and lots of laughter.
Disclaimer: This book contains a villain pretending to be a hero, a
hero pretending to be a villain, a disco-dancing heroine, two overprotective
sidekicks, a little bit of bad language, and a whole lot of swoony
kissing.
Spirit committee leader Mandy Pennington is secretly in love
with her best friend, Gus, but when he hooks up with her archenemy at a party,
she decides to win him over once and for all. She just doesnβt know how.
But who better to help than hot loner Caleb Torrs?
Calebβs got his own
problems, but when he sees Mandy pining over Gus at a party, he thinks sheβs
finally smoked the spirit stick and lost her mind. Maybe he has, too, because he
just asked Mandy to be his fake girlfriend. Sheβll get her loser friendβs
attention, and heβll get his stalker ex off his back. Itβs a win-win.
But
soon one fake date blends into the next and before he knows it, he actually
wants to kiss Mandy. For real. Too bad their plan is working, and Gus is
finally noticing the one girl Caleb just might be falling forβ¦
Young Adult [Entangled Teen, On Sale: July 25, 2016, Paperback, ISBN:
9781682812549 / ]
True love can't be strategized.
After book blogger Vivian
Galdiβs longtime crush pretends their secret summer kissing sessions never
happened, Vivian creates a list of safe crushes, determined to protect her
heart.
But nerd-hot Dallas, the sweet new guy in town, sends the mission
and Vivianβs zing meter into chaos. While designing software for the bookstore
where Vivian works, Dallas wages a counter-mission.
Operation Replacement
Crush is in full effect. And Dallas is determined to take her heart off the
shelf.
Young Adult Romance
[Entangled Teen, On Sale: September 6, 2016,
Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781633755048 / eISBN: 9781633755055]
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