Behind the Scene with Secondary Characters
Creating characters for our books is extremely important, immeasurably valuable. Without the right character creations, a book will be boring and unnoticed by many. That's why authors must work diligently to create characters with vivid and correct personalities to suit their various duties in our books.
Let's talk about a few secondary characters—those creatures who support the protaganist(s) and antagonist(s). In my newest book: Catch Me If You Can, Book one of the Nursery Rhyme series, I have two I want to use as examples.
I love creating secondary characters in books. They seem to add a touch of spice to the whole story. For instance:
How does that affect the readers? They love him: his deep understanding of people, their troubled hearts, their spirituality, their hurt—all of that resonates with them. It makes him a very empathetic individual, one that readers can connect with.
And then there's Boet (pronounced Boot): A little background here: when I first wrote Catch Me If You Can, Tara Layne (the protagonist) had a pet mouse given to her by her two brothers as a joke. BUT...when an editor suggested I use a different kind of pet, I went on the hunt for the perfect pet. Once I'd decided on a cat as Tara's pet, I did a lot of research and came across an article about Savannah cats. I was impressed, not only by their behavior and attitudes but that this cat was the perfect pet for her.
And what is the response to Boet from readers? Well, he's one of their favorites. His antics, intelligence, and overall personality win them over.
Because they're not restricted in behaving in a way that leads to results. They can be as quirky or hateful as you portray them, and people will still love them because of that distinct difference.
Think about it. Who doesn't love a cat who leaves perfectly good clues for their detective and then nonchalantly walks away? He's done his job, now it's up to this person to do his. And all the time, he's gaining the attention of readers who wish he belonged to them. As is his right.
Smart cat! Fascinating characters!
* A major character in the book series:
The Nursery Rhyme Books
* He's a SAVANNAH cat.
* A Savannah cat is bred between a domestic cat and an African Serval cat.
* Savannah cats are rated between F1 and F5. The F stands for filial (how many generations removed from the Serval cat that cat is). You cannot own an F1 without a Dangerous Wild Life Animal license.
The higher the number, the more gentle they are.
Savannah cats are extremely loyal. Raised in a household with children or other people help to make them very socialized.
* Savannah cats like to cuddle, play ball, and sometimes even swim!
* They are extremely smart (hence Boet's intelligence in this series!)
* They can weigh anywhere from 15 lbs to 25-some lbs. The largest Savannah cat--19 inches tall--in the world lives in Michigan. First generations are usually larger than later ones.
*AND they are expensive. Some can run as high as 30 some thousand.
NOW...
For a chance to win a Kindle copy of Catch Me if You Can,
answer this question:
Question of the Day:
Would you like to own a Savannah Cat?
Catch Me If You Can
Book ONE of
The Nursery Rhyme series
The big cat sat on the oversized rock, ears pointed toward the sky, every muscle taut, every sense at the ready.
“S-s-shut up and f-f-forget it. You've s-seen nothing and know nothing. I won't warn you again. G-g-got it?”
The cat's head swiveled, his ears twitching as if catching the hint of threat in the whisper. A soft hiss slid from his open mouth and reinforced the overtone of evil pressing in upon the scene. Within hours, lies and dark secrets are slithering all over the campground.
Coaxed into finding the animal killer at Jamieson's Outfitters, Tara Layne, with her sidekick, Boet, is welcomed by a threatening whisper and the unfriendly eyes of a rugged and devastatingly handsome manager. Wesley Clarke, both interesting and frustrating, holds an attraction for Tara that is both primitive and exasperating.
Intermingled with her search, Tara deals with her own heartbreaking buried secrets. When a strange old Native American probes into the recesses of her heart, he encourages her to face her bitter feelings.
As Tara closes in on her search, she finds herself—and Boet—the target of someone who's determined to outrun and outsmart her. Someone determined not to get caught.
His theme:
Fun as fast as you can, you can't catch me.
The question:
Can Tara run fast enough to catch this real live Gingerbread boy
before he decides to get rid of her and Boet?
Buy the book here:
amzn.to/2CIEhrC
Presenting...
Catch Me If You Can
How We All Met
How hubby and I met, and how Ryle and Jazzi met couldn't be farther apart.
For hubby and I...
I was a
church girl and had been for quite a few of my young years. When the
church I attended was having special services, quite a few teens and
young adults were attending, and one night something special
happened. Two new young adults walked in. I didn't pay much attention
to the young lady, but the man—oh, my. He was strong-looking,
athletic, polite and extremely good-looking. He caught my attention,
and I guess, I must have caught his.
Two of the younger ones I worked with in church decided to chime in. Immediately after the service completed, they made it their mission to go after that young man and ask him a few questions. When he confessed (in front of the young lady he was with) that he liked me, they giggled and ran straight to me. (And they still proclaim, to this day, that they were the ones who brought us together!)
The rest of the story after that ended up with us falling in love and getting married.
Our happily ever after.
As for Ryle Sadler and Jazmine (Jazzi) Sanderson...
They met in Book Four of the Appleton, WV Romantic Mystery series when Ryle served as a casual escort for Jazzi (at the request of Jazzi's sister). But in Book Five, Ryle has an unusual happening that encouraged and outright seemed to compel him to invite Jazzi to work with him on a new project. Involved in their work, working together to find the mystery beneath the place, they find similar ground that leads to their romance.
With Ryle, it's realizing that he's found the person—not just a person who was a compatible work partner, but someone who was tender-hearted, sweet and the perfect person for him.
And for Jazzi, Ryle was an example of growing faith and strength that she severely needed. His trust in her to do the right thing was the exact action that gave her the determination to do just that.
Ryle, who never thought a small town like Appleton, and Jazzi, who'd run away from the place years before, realized that Appleton was a place they could call home. A place filled with loyal friends, a peaceful place that both of them craved, and a place where love was to be found.
Two tales of romance building. One real and one make-believe, but, both very satisfying.
I visited Gail Sattler's Blog this past week and shared how hard it was for me to plot the book.
Here's the link if you'd like to check it out:
https://www.gailkittleson.com/the-spies-of-world-war-ii/#comment-532758
Books one and two came as if it was nothing...just there.
But book three?
A bit harder.
I had to work at it.
I had to revise, rethink, rewrite before I could get it where I wanted it to go.
I knew who the two main protagonists were...pretty much.
But the secondary characters?
They were difficult, hiding from me as if they were keeping their personalities, their reason for even being in the book hidden. I had to WORK at finding their information.
But as I always encourage beginning writers to do...
Never, never, never give up.
Keep writing even you feel what you've written is horrible.
Even when you feel you're mentally dead.
Even when you want to.
Keep writing.
Keep winning.
And the results will be there.
Like this:
Happy writing!
Sing Until You Die, Book 3 of The Spies of WWII series.
As I read and enjoyed the responses from the attendees at the Book Party last night, I appreciated those who attended, those who support and love my books, appreciated their enthusiasm and their love of reading.
Authors may pen their thoughts, their ideas and creations, but without readers?
So thank you, readers and lovers of fiction books! You are worth your weight in gold, and I, for one appreciate your patronage and support!
God bless!
I thought I'd share a bit about my latest novel:
Caleb's Destiny
Blurb:
Mr. Michael, Destiny Rose McCulloch, and Hunter have a mysterious history. Why were three fathers, all business partners, murdered under suspicious circumstances while on their quest to find gold?
Hunter, who is Mr. Michael's ranch manager, is determined to find the answers and protect the precocious young lady who he suspects holds a key answer to his questions.
Mr. Michael wants only to be left alone to attend to his property, but what can he do when Destiny refuses to leave and captures the heart of everyone of his employees?
Destiny almost forgets her quest when she falls in love with Mr. Michael's ranch and all the people there. And then Mr. Michael is much too alluring to ignore. The preacher man back east where she took her schooling tried to claim her heart, but the longer she stays the less she can remember him. She only came west to find a little boy she knew years ago. A little boy all grown up by now...unless, of course, he's dead.
Tell me, do you or anyone you know enjoy westerns, whether it's books, dramas or whatever?
Happy Reading!
I'm thrilled to have my dear friend Sharon Lavy with me today to share a little of her writing journey with you! PLEASE be sure to comment and leave your email addy for a chance to win her book! Now on to her story:
This one is non-fiction. OLD GERMAN BAPTIST DRESS PATTERN… Drafting and fitting..jpg)
Sharon A. Lavy was born into an Old German Baptist family. This Anabaptist group is often mistaken for Amish.Autumn's Bright Blue Weather --Helen Hunt Jackson O suns and skies and clouds of June, And flowers of June together, Ye cannot rival fo...
