About Bullying--Guest Lisa Whitefern!

Last Christmas a special education professor named Dr. George Giuliani created a bit of a stir online when he accused the 1964 television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” of promoting bullying.

Part of Giuliani’s argument was that the story of Rudolph suggests victims of bullying and people with disabilities must do something extraordinary if they want to expect the bullying to stop.

Well maybe Giuliani does have something of a point, however as a bullied child I found the song and story comforting, exciting and magical.

The way I saw the story-it was telling people who were picked on that they could surprise everyone someday with their achievements. That story of the underdog’s surprising achievements is as traditional and popular as the story of Cinderella, and as contemporary as Harry Potter.

When I wrote Wicked Wonderland  I wanted to write an erotic romance with the magic and excitement of a children’s Christmas movie, and Wicked Wonderland is a re-telling of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the difference being that in my menage romance the heroine gets to fly around the world in Santa’s Sleigh with two very sexy half-fae men.

Here is an excerpt from Wicked Wonderland in which my heroine Lilly Rudolph is bullied.
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The icy December winds whipped around them, stinging Lilly’s face, but the night sky was clear and full of stars. The cold bit through her flimsy costume, and her teeth chattered audibly. Sonya stopped by the trash cans, holding Lilly tightly around the waist from behind. Kandy grabbed hold of the chiffon on the front of her angel costume. Lilly shook and twisted violently to try to break their grasp, and part of her angel costume tore. “Let go of me, you assholes!” She jabbed backward with her elbow, connecting with Sonya’s stomach, and heard the taller stripper gasp with momentary pain, but unfortunately, Sonya didn’t loosen her hold. “Oooooh! Rudolph’ll pay double for that!” Kandy exclaimed.

Lilly didn’t know why she did it. Maybe it was a way of dissociating from a horrible situation, maybe it was because her heart always ached to make music when she was in pain, but she began to hum, the sound starting low in her throat. She closed her eyes and played a flute in her head, filling her mind with a rich and clear melody, which, for a moment, took her right out of her nasty situation. Then a vicious pinch froze the sound in her lungs. Lilly twisted around enough to look up at Sonya. Something frightening had happened to Sonya’s face. It became very still, and the stripper’s eyes narrowed into slits that showed too much amber and almost no pupil, like the eyes of a snake or some other reptile. A sharp chill ran up Lilly’s spine.

“Don’t fucking hum.” Sonya spat out the words.

“Who cares if she hums? She’s just a weirdo,” Bambi interrupted. “I don’t care what she does as long as she doesn’t take our money again.” The words of the other stripper somehow returned everything to relative normality.

I must have been imaging the whole thing. Must have been the cold messing with my brain.

“You steal our tips, Rudolph, and I’ll give you a red nose, all right.” Sonya’s voice seemed inhuman in its rage. Fear swelled around Lilly like a choking fog. The tall stripper swung Lilly around like a toy, then pulled her fist back. Before Lilly could react, the fist connected with her nose. Shooting pain accompanied a sickening crack. Blood ran down her throat, tasting like metal, and all she could see was an ocean of red.

“Enjoy, Dumpster Girl!” Sonya tipped her upside down and slammed her headfirst into an empty trash can.

“Remember, Rudolph, you’ll never fit in anywhere. You’ll always be an outcast left out of all the reindeer games.” The other strippers convulsed with laughter.

You can purchase Wicked Wonderland here. 

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/wicked-wonderland-p-7081.html

Learn more about Lisa here.

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/lisa-whitefern-pa-1737.html