COTT's Blog Winner!

-guest post by April W Gardner


Rosslyn Elliot--Winner of the 

Best Protagonist Clash

Fairer Than Morning was voted as having the best protagonist description by Clash of the Titles readers.

Her worthy competitor was Pamela Thibodeaux's Tempered Hearts.

A snapshot of her winning excerpt:

Will groaned. His eyes still would not focus, though the barn’s spinning was slowing.

The barn door rattled as Master Good left. Will raised his fingers to the side of his head, where he could feel a huge lump already forming. A sharp sting revealed a break in the skin. His fingers were slick and red when he held them up close enough to focus on them.

He would live. Tom’s head had bled worse than this, when the master hit him with the poker two weeks ago. He thought vaguely that he would have to wash the blood off before dinner, or he would get another thrashing. Read full blurb here

A couple reader comments:

• Tom's scene gave vivid picture of the protagonist was, and the dream of who he might become. I wonder what angel of mercy found him in such a state...
• Taking on slavery from a historic and spiritual perspective seems really important and challenging. I liked the way you allow your protagonist to experience fear.

Rosslyn says:

For me, a good protagonist is admirable but also real, which means he must have sympathetic traits and also flaws. I find the most sympathetic traits to be courage, compassion, faith, sincerity, and loyalty. I want the protagonist’s weakness to be a significant problem, not just a cosmetic story device. Read full interview here:

Want to get in on the voting action? Head over to Clash of the Titles now and cast your ballot for this week's Clash!

PLEASE CHECK 

OUT OUR EXCITING NEW VENTURE:

Join us in June as we premier COTT's book club! Karen Witemeyer and her COTT winning novel, A Tailor-Made Bride is up as our first read . More details and to vote for July's book, CLICK HERE. 

--April W Gardner is the senior editor at the literary site, Clash of the Titles. She is also the award-winning author of Wounded Spirits.

Favorite Protags: Saying Goodbye ~ COTT Blog Alliance Post!

Guest post by Amanda Flower

When you finish reading a novel, are you ever sad to see the protagonist go? Does it feel like you’re saying good-bye to a good friend? Those are signs of well-crafted main characters, like the ones in our excerpts this week.

There are many protagonists whom I’ve met in my life who have felt like old friends, and I miss them at the end of the book.

Here are eight of my favorite protagonists and their characteristics which I found most endearing as a young reader and still admire to this day:

1. To Kill a Mockingbird- Scout Finch’s imagination
2. Pride and Prejudice- Elizabeth Bennet’s wit
3. Mouse and the Motorcycle- Ralph S. Mouse’s sense of adventure
4. Charlotte’s Web- Wilbur’s loyalty
5. The Baby Sitter Club Series- Kristy Thomas’s organization skills
6. Jane Eyre- Jane Eyre’s conscience
7. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- Lucy Penvensie’s bravery
8. Mandie Series- Madie Shaw’s crime solving skills

My question for you, who is your favorite protagonist?

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Make sure to hop on over to COTT this week to get to know the authors of our current Clash:

Best Description of a Protagonist!

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Amanda Flower is an academic librarian for a small college in Ohio. Her first novel, Maid of Murder, was released in 2010. When she is not at the library or writing her next mystery, she is an avid traveler, aspiring to visit as much of the globe as she can. She is the author of Maid of Murder

Contact Amanda: amandaflower(at)gmail(dot)com
Amanda's Site, Blog, Facebook
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Well folks I hope you run over to COTT and check out the contest!

Until later.... take care, God Bless and remember....Prayer and Confession are two of the greatest tools we have!

Pamela S. Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" (tm)