Meet My Character
Today we're getting a little off track as I participate in a "Meet My Character" blog tour. My thanks to Ariella Moon for inviting me to participate in the blog tour. Ariella is not only a dear friend who I met a RWA conference, she' also the author of a series of awesome young adult books.
Facebook Page http://tinyurl.com/lkhoyjm
Ariella Moon is the author of the Teen Wytche Saga, a sweet Young Adult paranormal series. Ariella writes about magic, friendship, high school, secrets, and love in Spell Check, Spell Struck, and Spell Fire from Astraea Press.
Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred her youth. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. Ariella is a Reiki Master, author, and shaman. She lives a nearly normal life with her extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and an enormous dragon.
Website: http://www.AriellaMoon.com
Now I'd like to introduce you to a character from my upcoming novella release Susannah's Promise.
What is the name of your character? Is she fictional or a historic person?
Susannah Warden, a fictional character, is the main character in my novella Susannah’s Promise.
When and where is the story set?
The story is set in a small town of Tassanoxie, AL in present day. I patterned the town on my hometown circa twenty years ago. And for fun I’ve thrown in things I like from other small Southern towns, like a square in the center of town and a river flowing beside the town.
What should we know about her?
Susannah is not living the life she wants, but the life her mother wants. She’s a visual person, with a good eye for color, which helps her in the retail dress business, but she’d rather apply it to textile history. She’s exudes a polished, poised exterior but beneath it all she is miserable.
What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?
The untimely death of her mother and a deathbed promise have combined to change Susannah’s life. She dropped out of college when her mother became ill and took over running her mother’s dress shop. Bit by bit, she stepped into her mother’s life until she can barely remember what she wanted. She even takes her mother’s poodle, Cuddles, with her wherever she goes. Her strong sense of duty locks Susannah into keeping her promise even though it means giving up her dreams.
What is the personal goal of the character?
To somehow fulfill both her promise to her mother and her own dreams. This is the quote that kept me on track while writing this novel.
Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
This novella had several titles during it’s life, but we finally settled on Susannah’s Promise. Most of the Tassanxoie stories include the heroine’s name. It doesn’t work all the time and if there’s a better title that appeals to me and my editors, we use it. That’s what happened with the short story, Love to the Rescue that was recently released. We just couldn’t figure out a way to use the heroine’s name in the title and it make sense!
If you want to meet Susannah right now, she’s a supporting character in another Tassanoxie story, Feather’s Last Dance, available in e-book and print at The Wild Rose Press.
When can we expect the book to be published?
SP is undergoing it’s last set of revisions and I plan to have the
e-book available by the end of August. When Susannah’s Promise is released, there will be two novels, a novella, and three short stories about Tassanoxie available.
Here are two authors from The Wild Rose Press you'll want to know about. They'll be blogging on September 1st on their blogs about their characters.
Fleeta Cunningham
After a career as a law librarian for a major Texas law firm, writing a monthly column for a professional newsletter and other legal publications, Fleeta Cunningham returned to her home in Central Texas to write full time. When she isn’t writing, she teaches creative writing classes, speaks to civic groups, serves as the wedding coordinator for her church, and keeps house for her feline roommates.
A fifth-generation Texan, Fleeta has lived in a number of small Texas towns. Drawing on all of them, she created the vintage 1950’s town that is the setting for her Santa Rita series and its inhabitants. After the five book Santa Rita series, Fleeta followed a long-time dream and wrote the historical romance, Bal Masque, the first book in the Confronting Destiny series.
She’s also released several short stories and is contributing a vintage story to the Wild Rose Press Christmas box set, The Twelve Brides of Christmas. A novella, Double Wedding, Single Dad, will be featured in the Dearly Beloved series later this year.
Website: www.fleetacunningham.com
Shirley McCann
Shirley McCann’s fiction has appeared in Woman’s World, Alfred Hitchcock, The Forensic Examiner, and many other publications. Her first contracted novel, Anonymously Yours is now available from The Wild Rose Press. Her second novel, The Scarry Inn (a series) will soon be published from Black Opal Books.
She lives in Springfield, MO with her husband of 34 years, two grown children, and 3 grandchildren.
Facebook Page http://tinyurl.com/lkhoyjm
Hi Ginger.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I love the Atkinson quote. Words of wisdom for your poor heroine to live by!
~Ariella Moon
Hi Ariella,
DeleteI love that I found that quote b/c it seemed to fit Susannah's life.
HI Ginger. Your book sounds really interesting. Do you use an outline or are you a pantser? Me? I'm a pantser. Not always a good thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Shirley! Great question. Oddly enough, I love to write synopses of my stories. They help keep me on track, but I have no problem veering off if the story leads me that way. I've always thought of myself as a combination of both types of writers.
ReplyDelete