Characters IRL

A wise author once said something like this: The author is represented in every book character. Yes, even the villains.

I don’t remember his words exactly, but I know this was close. I know how that sounds; who wants to be a villain? Then again, the research and creation of my villains were the most fun. I enjoyed writing the children and the couples and the differences between the humans and the shapeshifters.

It's hard to say exactly which parts of me are represented in each character. But I’m sure those who know me would be able to identify them.

My favorite part of writing certain characters was choosing people from my real life to put into the book. One example is Carole Cawthra. She’s named after my mother. Carole is the chapter head for the Purple Lotus in Richfield, Utah.

I chose the Purple Lotus to represent the secret resistance because the Lotus is a symbol of overcoming adversity, and purple is the color for Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s runs in my family. I will go into more on the Purple Lotus in another special email for my subscribers. If you want to read about the Purple Lotus and other aspects of my characters, then join my mailing list.

Another person is Jim, the restaurant owner of the Plaza Inn. To be completely honest. I’m unsure if there is a diner with that name in Telluride. There is a Plaza Inn where I live, though the owner's name isn’t Jim. I spent many mornings in that little diner, sitting in a booth eating breakfast as I worked on my book. The atmosphere in the restaurant was fun, and the staff were great. I thought they deserved a mention in my book.

I will give another shout-out to another of my favorite places to eat in book 2. But that is for another time.

Amber’s Awakening has another person very dear to me, Joleen. Joleen is a friend with whom I work and go to church. She is someone who has inspired me since I met her. Joleen gave me my CPR and First Aid certification. When our family was going through hard times, she brought us dinner. I still remember her walking up to our door with ham wrapped in tin foil and green beans in a Ziploc container. Her kindness has stayed with me.

Who do you have in your life that you would put into a book? Post your answers in the comments below. I hope you all have a wonderful week. Until next time, my friends.