Guest Post – Jami Gray – Who’s Wearing the Armor?

We are welcoming author Jami Gray to the blog today.  She’s here to share a guest post and to talk about several of her books.  Enjoy!

Who’s Wearing the Armor?

I love Urban Fantasy, all the dark edges and fantastic magic lurking in the shadows of the real world, and let’s not forget about the kick butt heroines that populate the genre.  Yet no matter how wild the adventure or exciting the danger, I still need that touch of romance to help me connect with the characters.

Let’s make sure we’re on the same page before I continue.  Romance doesn’t mean my leather wearing, weapons mistress of the dark is going to jump into bed with the first alpha male that knocks her on her butt.  That’s sex…sometimes great sex…but still sex.  For me, romance is the roller coaster ride my heroine takes as she realizes how much the disturbing male who is turning her life upside down, will come to mean to her.  It’s all the steps, the arguments, the partnering up against the big bads, the quiet moments, the sparks of shared humor, all those little things that suddenly change the relationship into a partnership.

When I was initially submitting my first book, Shadow’s Edge, to agents and editors, you would be amazed at how many times my very nice rejection letters included the following “…great story, but there’s just not enough sex.”   Ummm…okay?

I could have buckled down and let Raine and Gavin get down and dirty, but the problem was, it wasn’t the right time in their relationship.  They were so busy tracking down tantalizing clues, dead bodies, mad scientists, and power hungry military peeps, that trying to find that right spot for some quality time in the bedroom, just wasn’t happening.  As a writer, I  feel it’s my job to stay true to my characters, so I held strong and was thrilled when  Shadow’s Edge got picked up and my fabulous editor didn’t say a word about the lack of a hot and heavy scene.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of sexual tension in Shadow’s Edge, but I felt it was important to lay a solid base for the evolving relationship between my heroine and hero, Raine and Gavin.  Considering how much is thrown their way, I didn’t need them falling apart before they even got started.  So I let their partnership run its course naturally.  Which meant the bedrock of their relationship helps save them both in the second book, Shadow’s Soul.

Don’t get me wrong, I love books, and I’ve read everything from erotica to suspense to fantasy to historical.  I’ve found some of the best books I’ve read are the ones where the romance grows with the characters.  It resonates with me when the self-sufficient, independent, can handle anything thrown her way heroine has that aha moment when she discovers how much more rich and rewarding her life becomes because she’s found a balance in her hero.  Even her flaws (because no heroine should be perfect, that would be boring!) are altered—they become strengths instead of weaknesses, because instead of doing it on her own, there’s someone to share the burden with.

What’s even better is when the heroine turns into the knight in shining armor for her hero.  I mean, how awesome is that? Considering how many times a story’s hero stands in front of the rampaging dragon, shielding his love from shredding claws, isn’t it nice when a heroine can step in and with a quick flick of her wrist, take down the snarling demon determined to drag him into hell?
The true power of a couple lies in the strength between the hero and the heroine, because if they were facing the world on their own, it wouldn’t be much of a story.  Even if it takes a book or two to get to the deliciously steamy scenes, it’s well worth the wait.  For me, it feels more real and has me believing that they’ll make it through anything—dirty socks on the floor, leaving the toilet seat up, and slathering werewolves prowling outside their door.