This week is all about Samantha Bryant and menopausal superheroes. What? You thought they never faced the change?! Think again! Read on to learn about Samantha and her book, Face the Change. And don't forget to stop back by on Friday for an excerpt! :)
What do you think is the most interesting thing about you?
I have an adventurer’s heart, but I look like a someone’s mom (which I also am). The contrast can be startling and I have to admit that it amuses me a great deal to mess with people’s expectations, given the opportunity.
Are you more of a plotter or a panster when you're writing?
I always begin as a pantser, but become a plantser as the story moves forward. I often can see the next major landmark and work toward it, but don’t know the final destination until we’re practically there. When I’ve tried more substantial plotting and planning, all the life drained out of my story. It seems I need to discover my story by writing it.
If you could bring to life any of your characters, which would you choose and why?
My personal favorite is Linda/Leonel Alvarez of “Fuerte” as they’re known when on the job. Fuerte is the trueheart of my group of heroes, the idealist among the cynics. Fuerte also has the most to deal with of all my Menopausal Heroes.
The changes that brought on their superpowers affected their life in the most personal of ways, endangering their twenty-year marriage and relationships with their children, but their dedication never wavered. I can’t say too much about it without completing spoiling that part of the story, but I find hope in Linda/Leonel’s love story. This romance thread reflects my own hopes that love can overcome even the most unexpected of obstacles.
What show would your character(s) binge watch?
Patricia a.k.a. “The Lizard Woman of Springfield is a closet watcher of sweeping historical dramas, especially weepy ones. She adored Poldark, but would deny it to her dying breath. She’d rather you believe that she only watches Black Mirror and other edgy shows with biting social commentary.
Linda/Leonel Alvarez (Fuerte) loved Jane the Virgin and watched it with their daughters. Don’t get them started or they’ll try to explain the whole convoluted plot to you and you’ll be there all afternoon.
Jessica (Flygirl) used to be a sucker for tear-jerking Hallmark movies, but she and her new boyfriend have been enjoying The Good Place. She says it feels good to laugh again.
You're stranded on an island. What two books would you bring with you and why?
There aren’t a lot of books I re-read. There’s too much out there I haven’t read yet! But I am devoted to Emily Dickinson, and poetry holds up to multiple readings without loss of impact, so I’ll take my collected poems of Emily Dickinson. Other than that, I’d better find some kind of “survival for dummies” manual, because my skillset is definitely better suited to electricity and wifi than to campfires and catching my own dinner.
What's your favorite 90s jam?
Two of my favorite songs from the 90s were “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morrisette, two very different tones I know. When I need something to scream along with in the car, the Morrisette still does it for me, and the butter-rich luxury of Lauryn Hill’s voice still seems so sexy! I *love* a good cover where the interpretation makes you see the original song in a new light, and this one is a great example of that.
Why did you choose to write in the romance genre?
To me, romance is a basic human element. Just as we need food, shelter, and purpose, we need love. Finding it, keeping it, losing it, regaining it, enjoying it . . .romance is central to what it means to be human. No matter what I write, romance will always factor in.
Tell me one unique fact or quirk about one of your characters.
Jessica “Flygirl” Roark is a cancer survivor. It’s why she’d already gone through menopause at age 32. In fact, the medical crew at the Department think that may have something to do with why she developed flight powers.
What inspired your book?
In a roundabout the way, it was the X-men movies. My husband and I both love superhero movies and we’ll hit the cinema for each and every one, given the time and budget. After watching one of the X-men films, we were talking and I observed that the underlying message seemed to be that hormones causes superpowers. I joked that, if that were the case, then menopausal women ought to have the corner on the market! My husband laughed, then looked thoughtful and said, “You should totally write that.” And I did. I’m still writing it, and it’s still an absolute delight.
If you only had three lines to tell readers about your book, what would you want them to know?
The Menopausal Superhero series combines superhero action and intrigue with domestic concerns, turning tropes on their ears and reminding everyone that heroism has no age limit.
The Menopausal Superheroes are coming out of the closet and the pressure is high, both on the job and on the homefront.
Now that he knows what it’s like to be a hero, Leonel “Fuerte” Alvarez can’t imagine going back to his former life as a grandmother and housewife. But putting his life on the line may cost him his husband even while he saves the city.
Jessica “Flygirl” Roark is holding on to her second chance at love with both hands while learning to balance single parenthood with her new career in crime-fighting.
Patricia “Lizard Woman” O’Neill is blindsided by an unexpected romance just as she signs on to join the team.
Meanwhile enemies old and new abound. When superpowers alone aren’t enough, what a woman really needs are her friends.
Get the Book!
Series link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CHNLQ2
Publisher page: http://falstaffbooks.com/catalog/going-through-the-change-menopausal-superheroes-book-1/
Samantha Bryant teaches Spanish to middle schoolers. Clearly, she’s tougher than she looks. She writes The Menopausal Superhero series of novels, and other feminist leaning speculative fiction. When she's not writing or teaching, Samantha enjoys family time, watching old movies, baking, reading, gaming, walking in the woods with her rescue dog, and going places. Her favorite gift is tickets (to just about anything). You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @samanthabwriter or at: http://samanthabryant.com
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