Comments on: Danger Gal Friday: Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren

By: Linnea Sinclair

Linnea Sinclair — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:14:06 +0000

Lisa, the weirdest (and “funnest”) thing was world building our own world in ZOMBIE. When you have to actually analyze what we do, why we do it and how it appears…it’s very comical. ~Linnea

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:56:45 +0000

I know what you mean, Miki, about the term “kick-ass,” but I haven’t found a suitably catchy term with which to replace it. I’m always fielding ideas on that.

Linnea, I’m really excited for THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES to come out in November. I like that you’ve flipped the gender roles on the “Starman” idea, not to mention all the other world-building I’m sure is there.

By: Linnea Sinclair

Linnea Sinclair — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:54:55 +0000

Thanks for your comments, kids! You might want to check out my blog today at http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/
where I talk about how I designed Jorie Mikkalah–a very competent gal you’ve yet to fully meet. The full blog URL (this might truncate) is here:
http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com/2007/10/shes-got-clout-and-classand-knows-how.html

I don’t have the issues with kick-butt as a term, Miki, possibly because I’m inured to it. I realize it’s buzz-jargon. But I can see where it also implies almost a cartoonish aggression.

Being comfortable with onesself is probably something Chaz has more than Trilby (Finders Keepers) or Gillie (An Accidental Goddess. Jorie has that element, too. Trilby and Gillie had some growth in that area. Sass (Games of Command) was comfortable with herself and yet very uncomfortable with her past. She was an interesting mix to write. ~Linnea

By: Miki

Miki — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:31:06 +0000

I for one have been waiting for the continuation of this story since I first read it when it was published in its original incarnation at LTD Books. Gabriel’s Ghost is so far my favorite of Linnea’s books.

But to get back your topic, all of Linnea’s heroine’s are strong competent women. “Competent” sounds a bit like damning with faint praise, but I mean it as defined, not necessarily as it can be sometimes used. They’re knowledgeable, able, confident, strong, comfortable with themselves. Eminently competent.

I hate the term “kick-ass heroine”, because it makes me think of teenagers pretending to be ninjas (like Buffy or Alias). Children that Hollywood wants us to believe are “bad-ass”, but still have perfect manicures and make-up. Big eye-roll.

So if you want to read grown-up, strong, confident women - pick up any of Linnea’s books.

By: clara bow

clara bow — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:29:23 +0000

Great post, Lisa, and I love reading these stellar comments. One factor that always amazes me about the Danger Gal characters I read about in SF/SFR/fut (etc.,) is how complexâ€”and complicatedâ€”they are. I really look up to these characters because of their intelligence, savvy ways, compassion, and leadership abilities. I love reading about their adventures because I know they wonâ€™t respond in a two dimensional fashion. They keep me guessing.

Chaz is mature without being stuffy. Sheâ€™s the kind of woman who can embark on fantastic adventures and itâ€™s compelling and believableâ€”despite the space opera aspect–because Linnea has given her so many interesting layers.

By: Linnea Sinclair

Linnea Sinclair — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:29:36 +0000

Well, JD/Nora has kept Eve and Roarke ::sigh:: going for quite a while.

Sully and Chaz’s story simply wasn’t yet finished. Gabriel’s was written with the intention of having a sequel. It wasn’t something I thought of later but it had always been two (or more) books to me. When Gabriel’s ends (trying not to get into spoiler territory here), Chaz and Sully have just made the initial commitment to each other. There’s still a lot at risk, a lot to learn, a lot to experience. The galaxy is still a very dangerous place and the bad guys have not been given a much-deserved whoopin’.

More so than any of my other books and characters, Sully and Chaz’s relationship faces the most challenges, both internally and externally. A lot of it’s Sully’s fault but a lot is because of Chaz’s linear way of thinking. She likes her ducks and her data all in a row. Being linear has saved her butt many times; it’s a workable system for her. Until she meets Sully.

Sass (Captain Tasha Sebastian) from Games of Command would have reacted completely differently to Sully but Sass is far more intuitive, suspicious and creative than Chaz is.

By the way, I’m not very linear at all so writing Chaz has meant putting on a different mindset for me.

By: Kathleen O'Neil

Kathleen O'Neil — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:04:02 +0000

You’re right, Linnea writes a great space opera - with a delightful twist! And not just in â€˜Gabriel’s Ghostâ€™. All of her books are great reads! Being a dyed in the wool SF reader I wasnâ€™t sure about the first book, â€˜Accidental Goddess,â€™ when a friend gave it to me. But I loved it and went back for more!

Iâ€™ve gobbled all of Linneaâ€™s books and Iâ€™m waiting ::impatiently:: for her newest, â€˜Down Home Zombie Bluesâ€™ to arrive. Then I have â€˜Shades of Darkâ€™ to look forward to!

I love the fact that her heroines are mature, well thought out, accomplished characters who donâ€™t know how to simperâ€¦ And her heroâ€™s arenâ€™t perfect, just desirable with all their faultsâ€¦ And that their stories are part of the whole story, not something stuck in to appeal to the romance market. â€˜Gabrielâ€™s Ghostâ€™ is a GREAT space opera with well thought out romance as a part of the story line.

PLEASE keep writing Linnea! I want more!

KPON

PS: If this appears twice… well, I tried…

By: Kathleen O'Neil

Kathleen O'Neil — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:38:11 +0000

PLEASE keep writing Linnea! I want more!

KPON

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:44:30 +0000

Thanks for stopping by Linnea! I’m definitely looking forward to SHADES OF DARK. Do you feel that you’ve had fewer or more options in writing a SFR sequel like SHADES OF DARK, about a couple who has already had their own book? Non-SF Romance has its share of sequels, but it’s usually limited to books connected in a series where the initial couple are secondary characters in following books. It sounds like Chaz and Sully get to be in the spotlight again as main characters.

By: Linnea Sinclair

Linnea Sinclair — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:58:54 +0000

Hey Lisa, Thanks for highlighting Chaz! Yep, she’s a very take-charge kind of woman, raised that way to a great extent, having grown up in a military environment. She’s an interesting character to write–and I’m writing her as we speak because I’m doing the sequel to Gabriel’s Ghost–because she also has a strong soft streak. She’s vulnerable which is what make her also a good leader. She has compassion.

I think that’s what strong women can bring to the table, in real life or fiction. That element of compassion.

I know for the ten+ years I was a private detective, I viewed many cases (and confrontations) from a different perspective than my male partners. I tried to inject that wisdom in Chaz.

Cindy Penn’s review of Gabriel’s Ghost has long been one of my favorites. She “got” completely the message I was trying to create in the story. I do like writing and reading the mature heroine. The one who’s had some life-scars. The one who knows how to trust herself. The one who’s still willing to take chances and make mistakes.

I hope you continue to enjoy her adventures when SHADES OF DARK comes out in 2008.

Thanks again, ~Linnea