I wrote three fantasy novels that were published between 2000 and 2004. “The Watcher’s Quest” trilogy is made up of “The Watcher”, “The Seeker”, and “The Finder” in that order. My character Emma Sweeney is the central character in all three books. She is helped by male and female characters, but she is the one who has the most at stake in the stories and this drives her to be the leader of her motley crew.

All three books received excellent reviews in Kliatt, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Canadian Materials, Booklist, Voya, Quill and Quire, Children’s Literature, many newspapers such as The National Post and numerous USA and Canadian review sources and each won a number of awards and honours.

It was suggested at one point in the early stages of writing that I might consider changing Emma to a male character which I dismissed. I get as much mail for male teens as I do female, from this series, possibly because Emma’s closest friend is a strong male character. However, there is no question that Emma is the one who is a central force in this trilogy.

Here are comments about my books that will give you an idea how they have been received.

“Strong themes of the necessity of discovering one’s own identity and persisting in the face of danger and defeat dominate this novel.” Canadian Materials

“…this story will appeal to readers of Franny Billingsley’s The Folk Keeper (Atheneum, 1999) and will entertain fans of the genre. While a familiarity with Celtic myths is not necessary to enjoy the story, those who know the tales will delight in finding fresh interpretations of characters rarely brought to life in children’s literature.” School Library Journal
“Buffie invents beautifully imagined worlds, exquisite villains and a cast of delightfully improbable quest companions.” Quill and Quire

“Suddenly, Emma is shuttling between her world and another, where two moons hang in the sky and overheard conspirators discuss a Game, and a Child, in chilling terms. Emma slowly pieces the puzzle together, identifying the Game’s powerful Players, figuring out the Rules, and discovering her role—and Summer’s too. As it turns out, they are both “Pithwitchen,” changelings sent to replace dead human newborns, and Summer is heir to a throne in that other place. From ominous beginning to tense climax, this page-turner, reminiscent in ways both of William Sleator’s Interstellar Pig (1984) and Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s Moorchild (1996), will keep readers guessing—and as the Game ends in a draw, they’ll be set up for sequels, too.” KIRKUS Reviews

“(There are) games with often outrageous rules, and players with roles hardly known even to themselves. In some ways, It feels like Lewis Carroll with the Queen of Hearts in full control. Like Alice, Emma is confused and distressed, but Buffie shows that Emma and even her family never really escape the rabbit hole. From a world centered on humans in the opening chapter, Buffie skillfully navigates step by step from the solid ground of a world governed by gravity and expected behavior and understanding, to an existence where Emma can’t separate dreams from reality. Taking her fantasy from Norse and Anglo-saxon mythology, Buffie adroitly conjures up this confusing world going back and forth from worldly adventure and fright to supernatural powers.” The National Post

The way I look at it, a strong female character was simply the only choice for me in all my novels.

I think you’re the only one that is really putting forth a strong point here.

The problem is not how oh so oppressed we white women want to feel but how little diversity is actually present in most modern fantasy litterature.

The rest of you white women might feel you have a problem when in reality you do not realise what the problem really is. Hint: You are not the center of the world.

It was really disheartening. I eventually picked up the romance genre because I just couldn’t get into male main characters at that age (and don’t get me started on male “magic wands”.) I never understood why there was so few. There are enough women writers out there getting published. So why are there so few?

When we do find a good female writer (such as Susan Cooper), the women/girls they write are horrid. Darkness Rising is a good series but I don’t think I can forgive Susan Cooper for making the *one* female character that has any real importance a complete idiot.

Now all we get is soft core porn in the variety of sparkly vampires and half blooded elven princesses or goddesses. Bleh. But it is nice to know I’m not alone in this sentiment.

Agreed! I’ve also seen a dearth of mothers in fantasy — why are all the women single and kid-less? My own novel, NIGHTWORLD, puts a mother front and center as the central POV.

Sample.

I have known a few women who felt it was a sound feminist position not to read books by men (note: I’m not saying this is a standard feminist position–I’m saying I’ve known a FEW women like this.) However–and just in my own experience–there’s a higher percentage of men-reading-SF/F who don’t read books by women than women-reading-SF/F who don’t read books by men. My samples aren’t big enough to make any firm conclusion. I think there are suggestions that it’s true, in the fewer books by women reviewed…the fewer books by women on “best of” lists…the (to my mind) shallower reviews of women’s books written by male reviewers (different criteria for reviewing)…that sort of thing.