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Category: Characters

I love making characters and, if the planets align and I’ve done it right, then they come alive and leap from the page. They become real to you.

What’s All this About Characters?

And, just in case I mess up and my characters do not feel real to you? Then please feel free to contact me and hold my feet to the fire. Er, figuratively.

Seriously.

If have messed up, then tell me.

And if my characters feel good and real and true to you, then I hope you will let me know that as well!

So, here are some observations about them.

Faves

Who are my favorite creations?

Craig Firenze — the Force of Nature

Craig is a trip to write because every other word is a swear word. While all of the characters in Mettle have potty mouths, he takes it to an extreme.

I mean, why do you think the first word anyone says in that book is his—and it’s an f-bomb?

Peri Martin — the Snarky Author Stand-in

While all of my characters are me to some extent, Peri is my snarky best. But I was never as reckless as she is.

Er, was I? Hmm.

Ceilidh O’Malley — the Fan Favorite

People love Ceilidh and I think they’ve got the right idea. I don’t think I have another character who went on such a journey. When you first see her, she is at her absolute lowest in life.

It was great fun to write her prequel. I hope readers come away with a greater appreciation of what she went through, but also of her mother’s motivations.

Tommy 2000 — the Plastic and Polymer Hero

How do you make a robot humanish but not turn him into a latter-day Pinocchio? I hope I’ve done Tommy some justice.

Ixalla — the Alien Revolutionary

One of the conceits of Untrustworthy is that no one in it is human. Ixalla wasn’t even originally going to be as big a character as she turned out to be. Ixalla became a voice for freedom. And I like that about her.

Trixie LaRue the Favorite Secondary/Sidekick

From her gol-darn Kentucky accent (based on my BFF’s mom, with love to Mrs. P) to her cougarish ways, to her loving friendships, to her radical competency, Patricia Louise LaRue is a kick to write and should be anyone’s ride or die.

Takeaways

Making characters is one of the most fun parts of writing fiction. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

Character Review — Frances Miller Ashford

Consider Frances Miller Ashford, One of My Original Characters

Who is Frances Miller Ashford?

When Ceilidh is hired to work for the Edwards, the first thing readers should notice is: it’s a really big house. There are obviously going to be other people working there. Lots and lots of them! If you have ever watched Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs, then you know exactly what I mean.

But at the same time, I knew that not everyone would know the nuances of Victorian era living. Plus, I needed to have a good way to get across the look and feel of the Edwards House. There would have to be a character who would, at least in part, behave as a kind of expository mouthpiece.

Enter Frances.

Margaret Qualley, who I see as Frances Miller
Margaret Qualley, who I see as Frances Miller. Image is intended for reference purposes only.

Where Did Frances Miller Ashford Come From?

I wanted very much to have an immigrant much like Ceilidh but better settled in the story. Also, I needed for Ceilidh to have someone she could talk to. Frances fills the bill rather nicely in both areas. Further, I needed Ceilidh to have someone who had an English accent she could emulate. It didn’t seem realistic to have Ceilidh remember Captain Underwood perfectly for years. But Frances was a lot more plausible.

Originally, her last name was Marshall, but then I had too many scenes with a character named Barry Marsh. The names were starting to get confusing. And I could not change Marsh’s name, as he was named after someone I know.

Hence, Frances got a slight tweak. I also like the newer name better, because it flows much better with her (spoiler alert!) married name.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Frances Miller Ashford

An orphan who never knew her family, I never actually wrote her extremely early life. But Frances could have been the child of people who died—perhaps of any of the many diseases flying around Britain at the time.

Or she could have been the child of an unwed mother, left at a church or even the orphanage where she grew up. Her mother could have even been a prostitute. I don’t see her as a female Oliver Twist, the child who’s in the orphanage but should have been raised by their own wealthy family.

No. Frances was to be a real foundling, with a hard beginning. For an almost traditional look at someone who raised themselves up from their bootstraps, she is the one to look to.

Was Frances Originally Jewish?

The more I read about the Manchester Jewish Board of Guardians, the more I wonder if I could make her a Jewish child. Conversion of orphans in orphanages appears to have been pretty common at the time. The Board of Guardians is developed in 1859, though, and I put her birth at 1858. But this can work for the story line.

So, prior to the creation of an appropriate orphanage to place a Jewish child in, the possibility is high that such a foundling would be put in a non-Jewish orphanage. For a very young baby, which Frances would be, there really wouldn’t be anyone to object to someone just quietly baptizing her.

Coming to America

In keeping with what really happened to some people, I wanted Frances to have kind of gotten to Boston in a roundabout way. Ceilidh means to go to Boston. But Frances? Not necessarily.

As she got older, the orphanage was clearly going to toss someone like her out on her ear. The orphanage wouldn’t necessarily care if she ended up working, married, turning tricks, or dead. They would simply want her bed for some other, younger child.

And so I decided there would be someone who would come and promise the older girls husbands if they left the country. This would be an irresistible offer for not only someone like Frances, but also for girls like her and the orphanage itself.

But when they arrive in the United States, there are no waiting husbands. The promise was a false one. And so, rather, Frances and her cohorts become Lowell Girls, working for a mill.

After she bides her time, eventually, she gets a day off and ventures into the big city of Boston. Frances has main advantages: a pleasant voice and demeanor, a high class-sounding accent to someone like Mrs. Edwards, and a willingness to work hard. As a result, Frances gets a job in the scullery. She doesn’t keep in touch with the other girls, and has no idea what happened to them.

Her rise is slow, deliberate, and patient. I want it to feel believable. Frances knows the world does not owe her a living.

Frances Miller Ashford, a Description

So, Frances has dark eyes and dark brown curls. I always hear her as having a somewhat breathy voice. Her British accent is via Manchester. It is the kind of accent Americans generally think of when we think of British accents. She is not cockney and is not some latter-day Eliza Doolittle.

I recently decided on actress Margaret Qualley to be the face of Frances Miller. It was a bonus that Qualley was in a show called Maid!

The idea behind Frances is that she almost blends into the background in the beginning. But, of course, she ends up being a lot bigger and more important than that. Ceilidh is a big part of Frances coming into her own as, of course, Gregory Ashford is, too.

Quotes

Coming from Ballyvaughan, Ceilidh has never used indoor plumbing before. In this scene, Frances explains what to do:

Frances lifted the lid, and showed Ceilidh there was a lacquered wooden seat. “Now here’s all you do, see. You lift the lid like so and let it rest against the back here, see? And then you gather your skirts or your nightgown up and sit down, facing the back.”

“Right, yes, I see.”

“And you do your business, of course. Then you take a sheet of these papers and use it cleanse yourself.”

“What do you do with the paper afterwards?”

“You place it into the bowl, where you just did your business.”

“And then what do you do?”

“You see the lever, and the little frog pull?”

“Yes, ‘tis rather amusing.”

“You pull once and hold it for as long as it takes in your head, to say,” Frances giggled a little, “God Save the Queen.”

“Truly?”

“Truly!”

Relationships

Frances has two main relationships.

Plumber’s Assistant Gregory Ashford

Her romantic one is with her husband, Gregory Ashford. They meet when the plumber is called in, to clear away a clog in the bathroom shared by all the women servants. Gregory is the assistant. While fixing the toilet, he and Ceilidh talk a little. He asks her, “Who is the vision?”

Ceilidh asks for clarification, and he says the vision has brown curls. Ceilidh makes sure to tell Gregory that Frances is Miss Frances Miller.

For Frances, Gregory is utterly unexpected. She and Ceilidh are what anyone of the time would have called old maids. While Frances has always wished and hoped for a family, she is a practical person at heart. Her dreams of love would not necessarily come true.

And so Gregory is a pleasant surprise. He is also kind and gentle and truly cares for her. Frances gets a middle class life, and that is perfect for her.

Ceilidh O’Malley

The only other relationship (really) for Frances is her close friendship with Ceilidh. When Ceilidh arrives, unsure of whether she’ll get work, Frances is the one to help Ceilidh along and assure she gets a job as a scullery maid. Frances wants a friend, someone she can talk to. No one else in the Edwards household can fill that need for her.

And so Frances kind of puts her thumb on the scale and rigs Ceilidh’s test to be hired. Without Frances and her help, Ceilidh would not have gotten such a good job. And certainly nowhere near as quickly.

The truest of friends, Ceilidh convinces Frances to give Gregory a chance, because plumbers will always have work, so she’ll never starve. Coming from grinding poverty, that’s an enormous plus, so far as Ceilidh is concerned.

The biggest bonus is when Gregory turns out not only to be all right, but to truly be an almost (this is the 1870s and 1880s we’re talking about) an equal partner.

Other Servants

Just like Ceilidh and other women of the time, Frances is a victim of what today we would refer to as sexual harassment. Donald Smith is nasty to everyone, and he leers at virtually every woman he sees. This comes to a stop when Gregory finally steps in and makes it clear that Frances is his girl. At least Donald backs off.

With the other servants, Frances is cordial but not overly friendly. There is nothing about the woman who Ceilidh ends up replacing. I never mention her by name, and neither does Frances. And so I feel we can conclude that the two women were not too terribly close.

Conflict and Turning Point

In the first book, The Real Hub of the Universe, the conflict and turning point for Frances are nearly the same as those for Ceilidh. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, the real issue is that both Ceilidh and Frances could have lost everything. When Judge Lowell helps out, Frances realizes she’s come from nothing, but has come to have powerful friends.

Her gratitude goes beyond measure.

By the time the series ends, she has achieved a great deal of the middle class dream. In particular, in comparison to someone like the wealthy Margery Cabot Edwards, Frances has true happiness.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Gregory’s Brighton, Massachusetts house ties in with, of all things, Mettle. It’s just down the street from the house where Craig and Mei-Lin find the solar panels—about 140 years later.

Also, as an expository character, she aligns somewhat with Ixalla from Untrustworthy. But only a little. Ixalla, after all, is well-educated. Frances, while she can ostensibly read and write, has what is likely what we would call dyslexic today.

Also, her name ties her directly to Josie James’s sixth-eldest sibling, Frances Farrah James Walsh. But Francie is a professional ballerina, and has divorce in her past. She shares custody of her daughter, Gina, with her ex-husband, Clayton. Francie Walsh lives on Titania, a Uranian moon. Her ex has custody of Gina and they live on another Uranian moon, Umbriel.

And so Frances and Francie really just share a name, but nothing else.

Future Plans

I don’t really have future places for her, simply because the series is done. But never say never, for I did write a few short one-offs with her, Ceilidh, Gregory, and Devon. She may very well turn up again. Here’s hoping!

There are also enough hints that there could very well be a sequel series if I ever get a true plot together…

Frances as an old woman could be truly compelling. With her birth in 1858, she could conceivably live into the 1930s. Without it being too much of a stretch, that is. Her earlier, harder life could even give her an advantage during the Great Depression. But she would still be about 71 when it starts, and that’s pretty old for that era. For a person with a difficult early life, even a survivor like Frances Miller Ashford might not live past her sixties, if that.

Frances Miller Ashford: Takeaways

Every main character needs a sidekick, a kind of bounce off person. Frances is that type of character. This survivor, against all odds, is still sweet and charming. This makes her one of the more optimistic characters I have ever written.

Frances Miller Ashford — because so many main characters need a true best friend.


Want More of Frances Miller Ashford?

If Frances resonates with you, then check out my other articles about them, Ceilidh, Johnny, Devon, Frances, and everyone else as they work to prevent a temporally jacked-up genocide.

Character Reviews:

Self-Review: The Real Hub of the Universe
Self-Review: The Real Heart of the Universe
and Self-Review: The Real Hope of the Universe

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Character Review — Dr. Devon Grace

Consider Devon Grace, One of My Original Characters

Who is Devon Grace?

Dr. Devon Grace arose from, among other things, Peter Capaldi being tapped to play Dr. Who.

Where Did Devon Grace Come From?

Once Ceilidh is ensconced in Massachusetts, she needed something to do that wasn’t going to be just endless cookery and housework. And then the idea for Devon sprang up, and I realized it could drive the plot rather well.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Devon Grace

Rich and privileged, all Devon wants to do is heal people. But it’s the Victorian era, and he’s got a major secret.

He’s gay.

And so, his very existence is essentially illegal.

Female patients seem to sense something about him, so Devon becomes essentially an OB-GYN. He delivers babies and, eventually, women start to trust him to perform abortions. His track record is decent (after all, he’s no quack), but women still die.

It all goes wrong when a relative of a member of Parliament dies on the table.

Arrested, but then charged with buggery, Devon ends up in prison for a year. But he’s lucky. Since Dr. Grace is wealthy, at least he’s not executed.

Post-Disgrace

Banished from practicing medicine in the UK, he comes to America. But he feels horribly guilty and wants to atone. He does so by becoming what we would now call a Public Health Officer. In particular, he helps a morphine addict turn her life around.

Description

Peter Capaldi, who I see as Dr. Devon GraceI see Peter Capaldi, hands down. There is no one else.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Like the other characters in the Universe of The Real Hub of the Universe, his motivation is to protect the Earth. Much like Ceilidh, he has a redemption arc. Finding love, and finding purpose, are key.

And, along the way, he even finds a more traditional-ish family, marrying Ellen Remy and adopting her son, Richard, who was born out of wedlock.

Quotes (to help out Ceilidh in the Charles Street Jail, Devon poses as her husband)

When the church bells rang for one, the jailhouse’s bell rang and Gregory Ashford arrived, looking concerned. Less than half an hour later, the bell rang again, and Ceilidh heard Devon’s voice. “I will visit this prisoner when I please,” he complained.

“Oh, really? And who might you be?” asked the captain.

Devon came close to the bars and Ceilidh could see he was wearing an unfamiliar cloak. Either he had purchased something new, or it was Shannon. He nodded to her and she approached. Unexpectedly, Devon took both her hands in his and kissed them and then said to Marsh, “I am her husband.”

Relationships

For someone who wanted to be left alone in his misery, he ends up making friends and more.

Ceilidh O’Malley

As originally his employee, Ceilidh is a serving girl, maid, valet, and confidante. They become closer when they reveal their secrets to each other.

At her annulment hearing, he cosplays as a priest, the third necessary for a hearing. No one needs to be the wiser.

Ellen Remy

Devon loves children and sees an injustice in how Ellen and Richard are treated by most people. He proposes marriage to fix that, but also for his own purposes. If he can convince the authorities that he’s a changed man (which we would just see as him being forced even further into the closet), he can go back to Scotland to live.

At first, Ellen is afraid he’s in love with her but she doesn’t feel the same way about her. But they come to an understanding.

Carlos

Devon’s old friend is an important member of SPHERE in Europe. They can joke and laugh and end up in love.

Shannon Duffy

The entity known as Shannon Duffy has odd relationships with most human beings. With Devon, the relationship is cordial. They play draughts a lot, and team up to help Ceilidh and Jake and the rest of SPHERE.

Conflict and Turning Point

When the Yarinduin and the Xolana attack, Devon is in the thick of it.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Since I also see Capaldi as David Shepherd, I’ve had an intriguing idea. Perhaps Shepherd’s real name should be Devon Grace? I confess I rather like the idea.

Peter Capaldi, who I see as Dr. Devon Grace
Peter Capaldi, who I see as Dr. Devon Grace. Image is for reference purposes only.

Future Plans for Devon Grace

He will not be a part of the Real Hub of the Universe prequel. But never say never. If I write another prequel, he would be a fascinating character to cover.

Devon Grace: Takeaways

Complex, sardonic, rueful, but ultimately kind, Devon Grace was a great character to create.

Devon Grace — a doctor character ahead of his time.


Want More of Devon Grace?

If Devon resonates with you, then check out my other articles about Ceilidh, Johnny, Devon, Frances, Shannon and everyone else as they work to prevent a temporally jacked-up genocide.

Character Reviews:

Self-Review: The Real Hub of the Universe
Self-Review: The Real Heart of the Universe
and Self-Review: The Real Hope of the Universe

Next article


Leave a Comment

Character Review — Ceilidh O’Malley

Consider Ceilidh O’Malley, One of My Original Characters

Who is Ceilidh O’Malley?

The main character in The Real Hub of the Universe series is someone I originally thought of as “a plucky Irish scullery maid”. But then she grew and changed. And I like her better now. Readers seem to love her, too. To get truly technical and formal, this character is Ceilidh Aisling O’Malley Barnes Radford.

Oh, and her name is pronounced Kay-Lee, and her middle name, Ashling. Dance and dream.

Where Did Ceilidh O’Malley Come From?

The name came to me first. Because the idea behind Real Hub was to marry science fiction with the Victorian Era, the perfect character to observe the goings on would be in the serving class. With a story that goes from the serving class to the Boston Brahmins and back again, she could be there for all of it.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Ceilidh O’Malley

Considered an old maid in her tiny home village of Ballyvaughan, Ceilidh, her sister Maeve, and her mother are starving. The crops are unreliable, and the entire village is barely on the right side of grinding poverty. And that even includes the most powerful family in Ballyvaughan, the Barneses.

Ceilidh has stayed away from the men in her village. She’s a cousin of some degree to near all of them. But it’s more than that. She’s just plain not interested in them.

A part of this is because she (and one of the Barnes sons) is the best student in the one-room, multi-year schoolhouse. The teacher? Her father. But by the time she’s in her teens, her father has died of what was likely food poisoning. Things are not looking good.

And so, even though Maeve likes him, it’s Ceilidh who’s married off to the middle Barnes son, Johnny. When Johnny attacks her, she flees the country and the story begins, as does the Real Hub of the Universe series.

Description

Extremely pale, yet with the map of Ireland on her face, Ceilidh is semi-unique looking. But not so much that she should seem out of place. What I didn’t want was a stereotypical redheaded, freckle-faced Irish Colleen.

I decided Ceilidh would resemble Naomi Watts, an actress I like a great deal, particularly because she doesn’t seem to be afraid of looking her age.

Naomi Watts (as Gertrude in Ophelia) - looking a bit like Ceilidh O'Malley
This is Naomi Watts (as Gertrude in Ophelia) – looking a bit like Ceilidh O’Malley but probably too well-dressed and not as young as I’d like

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Ceilidh’s original motivator is getting away/lying. When she leaves Ballyvaughan, it’s essentially under false pretenses. But she can’t stay.

Her struggle to not only survive, but to turn her life around, is at the heart of the series.

Quotes (Ceilidh is talking to Dr. Devon Grace, who speaks first)

“And so you left?”

“Yes. I packed and my cousin was still in the village but he was leaving. So I went with him. He took me to Kinvara and I got passage on the Atlas because Captain Underwood took pity on me. We stopped in Cornwall and I met his wife and befriended her. She agreed to be the go-between for me and my mother and sister. Helen has kindly forwarded letters and even money to them for a few years now. She has exceeded my expectations a thousandfold.”

“And your mother and sister know nothing of your whereabouts?”

“That’s correct. They don’t even know I’m in America.”

Relationships

Ceilidh, like many characters, is well-defined by her relationships in life. Friend, family member, and employee—and eventually employer—she does it all.

Friendships

A true, understanding friend, Ceilidh feels it’s important to help her friends whenever she can.

Frances Miller Ashford

Ceilidh’s first friend in the states is fellow scullery maid, Frances Miller. In fact, Frances makes it easier for Ceilidh to pass a test to be able to work at the Edwards House. To return the favor, Ceilidh works to bring Frances’s admirer, plumber’s assistant Gregory Ashford, to the house more often so the two can get to know one another. The two women are so close that they are in each other’s weddings.

Shannon Duffy

Shannon is a strange creation of mine, essentially a colony of tiny cells which, together, make up a form of collective intelligence. The colony chooses her by vote, as they choose virtually everything else. When they meet, it’s almost by random. Shannon, at the time called Levi Altschuler, is being chased by a number of bullies in the Boston Public Garden. Running from them, Shannon runs directly into Ceilidh and knocks her down. But when the bullies catch up, Ceilidh rises to defend Shannon, even though they have never seen each other before.

Shannon helps her in several different ways (trying to avoid too many spoilers here!), including helping Dr. Grace to save her life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This very real figure from history is initially snobbish and somewhat mean to a mere serving girl. But they grow on each other, and he takes the place of her father in some ways. As he ages, he slows down, and suffers what we would recognize as a form of senile dementia, possibly Alzheimer’s disease. She cares for him whenever they are in the same room together, and mourns him when he dies.

Dr. Devon Grace

Devon is Ceilidh’s originally stern and mysterious employer. He likes her discretion and company, and she, initially, enjoys bouncing ideas off him. In that way, he’s also something of a father surrogate to her. She accepts his faults, smooths out at least some of his rough edges, keeps his secrets, and they both make each other better.

Devon’s greatest gift to her is given in Ireland.

Ellen Remy Grace

As Ellen lives in somewhat genteel poverty, Ceilidh can relate. And when Ellen’s employment prospects are nearly zero due to her having an illegitimate child, it’s Ceilidh who gives the semi-starving woman a sandwich. And it’s Ceilidh who treats Ellen like a friend and not a pariah. In her own way, Ceilidh also realizes Ellen is in mourning and has lost a great deal more than just her reputation.

Judge John Lowell and the Other Members of SPHERE

SPHERE, the secret society at the heart of the story, is the source of several relationships for Ceilidh.

Apart from Winthrop Edwards, all the members of SPHERE are real historical figures. Lowell is Ceilidh’s second employer. He treats her well and gives her responsibilities she would normally never have gotten. He and his wife treat her fairly.

Henry Adams is mainly aloof, but in the third book, he confides that he and a woman he corresponds with are involved in what we would nowadays call an emotional affair. George Weld had been a yachtsman, but by the time Ceilidh knows him, he’s becoming disabled (possibly due to a stroke). Much like with Emerson in his later years, Ceilidh fetches him tea, helps him up and down stairs, and otherwise treats him with special care. Alexander Graham Bell joins later, and he’s initially suspicious that a woman could possibly be a good confidante. She wins him over, in a way—but lets Mrs. Lowell speak up when Bell argues at a party that women should never be working.

When Emerson dies, Ceilidh turns to SPHERE member Bronson Alcott to take his place as the father figure in her life. Delighted, Alcott makes her promise to keep in close touch.

Finally, Winthrop Edwards is her Ceilidh’s first employer in the US. Snobbish and very private, we get to know him better in the second and third books than we ever do in the first.

Family

Ceilidh’s family relationships are complex, mainly due to the tininess of her home village (so she’s related to pretty much everyone) and her immediate family’s grinding poverty. Her beloved father dies when she is young, and so her mother, her, and her sister are forced to fend for themselves. And it does not go well at all.

Mam (Mary O’Malley)

When the first book starts, Mary has been backed into a financial corner. She and her family are members of the cottier class, a kind of tenant farmer. But when the crops fail too many times in a row, Mary knows that Maeve in particular probably won’t survive for too much longer. As a result, Mary surveys her valuables and essentially “sells” one of them—Ceilidh—for more food for all of them.

For the time, Mary’s actions are justifiable and even kind. Giving up Ceilidh to the Barnes family means her elder daughter will never starve. And it also means that the meager rations she, Maeve, and Ceilidh have been living on can instead be split among two people. Furthermore, a connection to the Barnes family means occasional meals or at least allowances to be late with the rent. Jack Barnes is already Mary’s cousin. But handing over Ceilidh strengthens that.

When we finally meet her in Book Two, Mary is a doting grandmother but still starving, giving her share to her grandsons even if that means it could eventually kill her.

Maeve O’Malley Barnes

With Maeve, things are complicated. But that’s understandable. Much like in the Old Testament story of Rachel and Leah, it’s Maeve who’s originally pledged to Johnny. But things go south when the family goes through yet another bad winter. And Johnny doesn’t want to wait for what at the time was called ‘wifely duties’.

Mary is cognizant enough of Maeve’s ill health to offer up Ceilidh instead. Ceilidh is about twenty, an old maid pretty much anywhere. Maeve is fifteen, and technically old enough to wed. After Ceilidh flees Ballyvaughan, Johnny and Maeve take up anyway. And when Ceilidh, Jake, Shannon, and Devon go to Ballyvaughan in the third book, Ceilidh discovers Maeve is living in her cottage. Ceilidh’s cottage, that is.

Yep, like they say on Facebook, “it’s complicated”.

People Ceilidh Doesn’t Like

While technically Johnny Barnes should be here, he belongs in the next section. These people aren’t necessarily enemies, per se. But they’re not pals with Ceilidh all the same.

Margery Cabot Edwards

Like in many wealthy American households of the time, it’s the lady of the house who is in charge of the servants. Mrs. Lowell is fair and smart, running her house like a business. Margery Cabot Edwards, on the other hand, is a snobby, spoiled rich girl, more than happy to treat all of her household help like dirt. But her maltreatment is a catalyst to get Ceilidh to find work elsewhere, with the Lowells.

Gerald Price

The lesser of the two louts working for the Lowell House, Gerald is a sexist, but that was par for the course at the time. This stable hand is a bit too nosy for his own good, but otherwise he and Ceilidh mainly stay out of each other’s way. Ceilidh’s semi-revenge is to hire Gerald in Book Three.

Gerald has his name because I’ve been in more than one working situation where a guy named Jerry was just the biggest jerk. My apologies to those who love people named Jerry (and hey, how about Jerry O’Connell?)! But I will often name a jerk in my writing Jerry, and that’s the case in the Time Addicts trilogy as well.

Donald Smith

This character got his name due to the election of the 45th president, a person who has never impressed me.

In the books, Donald is the gardener to not only the Edwards and Lowell Houses, but really to all or most of the Boston Brahmins. Talented and hard-working, he turns that on its head and uses his good qualities to get away with a lot. As a result, he has a girlfriend in nearly every house he works in, and most if not all of those relationships are sexual in nature.

With Ceilidh, he’s rough and nasty. Jealous of her education and her position with Devon, he’s also sexually attracted to her. He calls her Duchess, and he’s not trying to be flattering.

Donald’s comeuppance happens in Book Three (if you’ve only read the first two, trust me, it’s coming), and I spent a lot of time trying to come up with what would punish him the most. Did I succeed? You tell me.

Romantic Relationships

Johnny Barnes

The first time we see Johnny, he’s attacking Ceilidh for having the audacity to try to bring him home after he’s been on a multi-day bender. Most women of the time would have accepted his treatment, although a lot of Irish villages and towns would have held a shivaree.

While Johnny’s behavior is far from defensible, some of it stems from marrying the wrong sister. In some small way, he loves Maeve, but he doesn’t treat her much better than he does Ceilidh. But at least with Maeve, he ostensibly provides care for her and their sons. Well, kinda.

Jacob Radford

Their meeting is far from auspicious, as they first see each other at the Charles Street Jail, on opposite sides of bars. But there is something about Jake. Originally, he’s just her handsome, pleasant, polite suitor. And when he learns the truth of her marital status (covered in her quote, above), he’s all set to do the honorable thing and bow out. But when he learns why she’s in America, he takes up her cause, and is a large part of proving her case in the annulment hearing.

When they wed, he reveals real heat under his manners and Southern charm, and their sex life is certainly more active and consensual than it was for a lot of women at the time. But the time they truly grow close is when he reveals his secrets to her about his service in the Civil War. And when both of them see a possible future for themselves, he includes her in the decision-making, treating her far more like an equal than most husbands did in the 1870s and 1880s.

Conflict and Turning Point

Ceilidh experiences several turning points within the series, and the first one happens in the first scene. Wwhen the series starts, it’s 1876. In this time period, most women would have accepted abuse as their lot in life. But not Ceilidh. She’s not going to continue pretending everything is fine.

In the second book, I tackle more of her marriage to Johnny. The abuse is just the cherry on a nasty sundae.

Without giving away too many spoilers, Ceilidh changes with major upheavals in her life. This is whether they’re from the start or end of relationships, or from external factors like trouble with the law. And, of course, the main change in her life is by aliens.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Second Harrison Gray Otis House, Mount Vernon St., Boston
                                                                                               Ceilidh lives in two separate houses when she gets to the states. The first is at 85 Mount Vernon Street (the second Harrison Gray Otis House, pictured above). The other one is at 60 Beacon Street. Both are on Beacon Hill in Boston, and are exceptionally expensive properties.

Future Plans for Ceilidh O’Malley

I don’t necessarily have a lot of plans for Ceilidh, because I have already finished the trilogy. But people love her, and I suspect her early life or her future could be of interest to readers. So, I may not have seen the last of her.

Ceilidh O’Malley: Takeaways

For a character whose first appearance is a beating, Ceilidh O’Malley grows to become a somewhat middle class. She grows to become a certainly respectable member of Boston society.

And she ends up with powerful friends, a great love, and a promising future. Her happy ending is the kind any of us would wish for.

Ceilidh O’Malley — a character who turns around completely.


Want More of Ceilidh O’Malley?

If Ceilidh resonates with you, then check out my other articles about Ceilidh, Johnny, Devon, Frances, Shannon and everyone else as they work to prevent a temporally jacked-up genocide.

Character Reviews:

Self-Review: The Real Hub of the Universe
Self-Review: The Real Heart of the Universe
and Self-Review: The Real Hope of the Universe

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Character Review — Rachel Gifford

Consider Rachel Gifford, One of My Original Characters

So, who is Rachel Gifford?

The exceptionally wealthy head of one of the biggest robotics companies in the Solar System, Rachel’s got … issues. For one, she’s horribly prejudiced against the relatively newcomer aliens in society, the Obolonks. But she is also running a company which she has no real business (heh) doing so. She’s not a leader. Yet she is thrust into a leadership role all the same.

Her own personal dissatisfaction stems from a number of things (see below), and a lot are of her own making. Yet, being the speciesist that she is, she pins a lot of her troubles on the orange folks who are not human.

You would think that her wealth would isolate her. But money can’t buy her solutions, not really—she wants action.

Where Did Rachel Gifford Come From?

In order to get anywhere, the antagonist had to have access to money. A lot of money, like ridiculous peak Michael Jackson or Tom Cruise or Oprah Winfrey wealth. Money where you can buy a private island or three, if you like.

I also needed a motive for them. Enter Rachel.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Rachel Gifford

Just before and during the events of the first Obolonk trilogy, Rachel’s mother, Camille Gifford, starts to exhibit the signs of Lewy Body dementia. I chose this diagnosis after Robin Williams’s suicide and the revelation that he had it. But it also serves a rather specific purpose.

Why? Because it’s a disease with delusions and paranoia, manifesting at the start of its progression. It’s also inheritable.

But back to Camille and Rachel. Rachel’s really just an engineer. But she gets thrust into Camille’s role—CEO—without enough preparation. And with very little desire to be in that role in the first place.

At the same time, she starts to become a victim of cyberbullying. Rachel puts all of this together and to her it spells an attack by Obolonks. With this kind of fuel for her prejudice—which isn’t exactly uncommon during this time period—she decides that the Obolonk people as a whole need to leave, and collectively pay the price for, well, being mean to her, more than anything else.

Do motives have to be highfaluting and complex? Do they need to be proportional to a villain’s reactions and plans?

Of course not.

Description

Mousy and slender, Rachel is a wealthy woman and an engineer/CEO. But she’s still not much for public speaking or the like. So, essentially, she’s the kind of woman in a twinset, sensible flats, and a gray tweed skirt who you might find at a meeting of the Junior League. She’s also someone who can quickly write a check if she decides to endow a hospital wing or college dormitory.

I don’t have an actress analog for her look. But I figure that’s all right. After all, even Nicole Kidman can get a mousy look with the right makeup, posture, lines, and gestures.

So can Jamie Lee Curtis.

Given that Rachel is in her fifties or early sixties, I would be looking for an actress more or less within their age range if I really wanted to discover an analog.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

In The Obolonk Murders, anti-Obolonk prejudice is widespread enough that Rachel can find plenty of people who are simpatico with her. She is, in some ways, like the equally (if not more) prejudiced Robin McKenna of Time Addicts.

But one of the main differences is that Robin needs someone to bankroll her scheme—Corwin Zachary. But Rachel is wealthy enough that she can run that part of the show all by herself.

Quotes {Peri, Tommy, Lester Norris, and Luke Brody Question Rachel}

“Okay, we’re recording. State your full name for the record.”

“My name is Rachel Elizabeth Gifford.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m the Chief Engineer at Polychron Enterprises. We make robots.”

“Tell us what happened from the beginning,” Norris said.

“A few years ago, every time I got on the grid, I was attacked in cyberspace. It was the worst sorts of flaming and trolling, insulting and cyber bullying.”

“Can you give us specifics?” asked Brody.

“I was called incompetent. They claimed I’d never had an original idea. The same old accusations of stealing technology and blueprints from Perfect Carol, Ltd. resurfaced. Only this time, with new twists.”

“Such as?” asked Tommy.

“They claimed to have intimate knowledge of my mother, Camille Gifford, CEO of the company.”

“What kind of knowledge?” the robot persisted.

“It was about what she was like in bed, if you must know.”

“Oh,” Tommy said softly.

“That was their first mistake. It’s how they made it clear they were orange freaks.”

“Got it,” Luke said. “So, it was about a supposed sexual relationship with an Obolonk?”

“Yes.” Gifford looked down. “My mother, until a few months ago, before she got really sick, was an avid hiker.”

“Sick?” asked Peri.

“Yes, Dorothy. You’ve been underground for a while. The Solar System keeps on spinning, even without you there to watch it,” Gifford cracked.

“Wait—why’d you call her Dorothy?” Luke asked.

Relationships

Rachel Gifford mainly keeps to herself, the poor little rich girl that she is. But she still has some relationships.

Rachel and Camille

Because I see Camille as being the kind of CEO who kept everything close to the vest and wrote nearly nothing down, I see Rachel as resenting this aspect of her mother’s pre-dementia personality. Rachel, understandably, is resentful of Camille’s utter lack of planning for a succession. Even without her diagnosis, Camille was not going to live forever.

But a lot of people do act that way, so I wanted Camille to be like that. And, as a result, Rachel is left holding the bag. And she doesn’t enjoy that one bit.

At the same time, though, Rachel makes no moves to assure her own succession, or to hire someone to help her or become the CEO instead of her. The truth is, a lot of Rachel’s issues are real and they would be problematic to just about anyone. But others are her own damned fault.

Rachel and Ted

Rachel’s not exactly looking for love, or at least some sort of a connection. And, with her wealth, she’d be cautious about a lot of people. But the Reverend Theodore Moore is basically the Jimmy Swaggart of the story. And so, with money coming out of his ears, Ted isn’t a threat to Rachel’s fortune.

It also helps that they bond over their mutual prejudice against Obolonks.

Conflict and Turning Point

Much like in the rest of the story, Rachel’s turning point comes during the characters’ time on Sedna. When her identity and scheme are discovered, she fights back. But Rachel fights dirty.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

She has no continuity with other stories and, if I recall correctly, I don’t mention her in the Time Addicts trilogy. In addition, she is not a part of the prequels to either the Obolonk trilogy or Time Addicts. So, no pun intended, she is a bit unmoored.

Future Plans

Since she did not show up during the Obolonk prequel, I am at a loss as to where I could put her again. And a character like her—resentful of having to be the adult in the room, spoiled, and with a superiority complex—would likely be a lot of fun to really get into writing. Imagine her point of view!

Rachel Gifford: Takeaways

So, what I truly love about this character is that she doesn’t look like she could do anything worse to anyone beyond blackballing them at the local country club. But underestimating Rachel is a very bad idea.

Rachel Gifford — because sometimes it really is the quiet ones.


Want More of Rachel Gifford and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans

Robots

Obolonks

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys

The Bad Guys

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

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Character Review — Olga Nicolaev

Consider Olga Nicolaev, One of My Original Characters

So, who is Olga Nicolaev?

For Mettle to work, Eleanor Braverman (an Alzheimer’s patient) had to have a caregiver. Because just letting her loose wouldn’t work. And because tying down Noah wouldn’t serve the plot. Enter Olga.

Where Did Olga Nicolaev Come From?

So you see, I had to have her. Because creating a character with Alzheimer’s means creating a caregiver for that character. But like a lot of other immigrants, I wanted Olga to have a higher education than her speech might indicate.

Therefore, when I was first writing her and getting her accent down, I wanted her to be a lot more articulate than that—in Russian. It’s … like this.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Olga Nicolaev

A lawyer in Russia, Olga can’t pass the bar in the US. So, instead, she becomes a caregiver for geriatric patients.  However, it doesn’t help that her English isn’t the best. Olga regularly skips shorter words.

However, she’s not dumb. It’s because she’s just impatient with how hard it is for her to express herself in English.

Description

Russian actress Larisa Luppian, who I see as Olga Nicolaev. Image is for reference purposes only.
Russian actress Larisa Luppian, who I see as Olga Nicolaev. Image is for reference purposes only.

I like Russian actress Larisa Luppian for Olga. But I didn’t want someone who would pretend to be Russian—I wanted an actress who really is Russian.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Olga’s initial purpose is simply to be the one to take care of Eleanor. Because I needed her! But toward the end (and I’m getting into spoiler territory here), her arguments save the day.

And all this from the least articulate character in the book!

Quotes {First, Eleanor and Olga are talking}

“Steven?”

“Not here.”

Dez and Noah returned with firewood. “We got some from going past the school and up near the post office. Somebody used a chainsaw, we figure. There were piles of it and more if we want it but a lot of it’s wet.”

“Can we put stuff in your garage?” asked Dez. “Maybe let it dry out in there?”

“Sure. We’ll just move the lawn mower and stuff.”

“Who is this boy?” Eleanor asked.

“I’m Douglas, ma’am. Here, I’ll build your fire back up again.”

“People do that for a living? I should get my purse.”

“That’s okay, ma’am.” Dez added pinecones and sticks before heaving a big log onto the fire. “I’m a volunteer.”

“You’re a good boy. Are you at college with my Noah?”

“Not yet, ma’am.” Dez got up. “Looks like you’re all set for a while. Noah, you coming?”

“Sure, just a sec.” He beckoned Olga. “Come with me a sec, could you please?”

“Yes. I be right back. You play cards with Dez, or he read you. We have Secret Garden for next book.” She followed Noah into the kitchen. “Well?”

“I don’t know how to say this. But Olga, you didn’t have to do any of this. You never had to stay. It’s been a few months, but you have been right here, as if,” he started to cry a little, “as if Ma were your mother, too. And, and I know I don’t say it enough but, fuck it, thank you. Thank you so much for, for everything. You’ve been fantastic and you went above and beyond a long, long time ago.” He clumsily wiped his face. “I don’t know what we’d all do without you.”

Olga awkwardly patted his arm. “She not patient no more. You not employer no more. You family.”

Relationships

Everyone in Mettle has some sort of a relationship with everyone else. But these are Olga’s two biggest relationships.

Olga and Eleanor

But what is any caregiver’s relationship with a patient? Because Eleanor is essentially helpless, Olga does just about everything for her. And this even includes sleeping in the same room. She is so devoted a caregiver that she is essentially on call 24/7.

When the power goes out, Olga doesn’t always tell Eleanor the full truth about what’s going on. But how can she? And, more importantly, why should she?

But telling Eleanor everything is really just a way to upset the patient. And that is something that Olga is loath to do.

Olga and Noah

Also, what is any employee’s relationship with their employer? Everyone calls her Olga. But she calls Noah ‘Mr. Braverman’, and she call Eleanor ‘Mrs. Braverman’. So, this is somewhat comparable to Caribbean caregivers calling my late mother ‘Miss Shirley’.

Conflict and Turning Point

Olga’s turning point is similar to the other characters in Mettle. But for her, it’s also a way to suddenly become the articulate, sharp friend she has really always been. But it was just English that got in the way.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

So, Olga doesn’t have any continuity with any other storylines.

Future Plans

She will definitely show up in the prequel.

Olga Nicolaev: Takeaways

Originally just a convenient plot device, Olga has a purpose. Because without her, the story wouldn’t end like it does. She is a truly necessary part of Mettle.

Olga Nicolaev — an essential part of Mettle.


Want More of Mettle?

If Mettle resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.

Character Reviews: Mettle

The Mettle Universe
Self Review: Mettle

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Character Review — Eleanor Braverman

Consider Eleanor Braverman, One of My Original Characters

So, who is Eleanor Braverman?

Ellen Burstyn, who I see as Eleanor Braverman. By gdcgraphics, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5199528
Ellen Burstyn, who I see as Eleanor Braverman. By gdcgraphics, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5199528

I came up with the storyline and the characters for Mettle so quickly that it was unreal. My husband and I were on vacation on Cape Cod and it just… fell together. It was so fast that I honestly fear that I will never have that kind of ‘taking dictation’ story creation again.

But I digress.

I created Eleanor because, after gold, the first element I thought of that would go haywire was titanium. And what’s made of titanium these days? Why, artificial hips, of course! That led me directly to an elderly patient. And, after having contributed to The Longest Night Watch, the idea of giving this person Alzheimer’s was a lead pipe cinch.

Where Did Eleanor Braverman Come From?

A good 30 or so years ago, I worked on a series which was an amateur detective in Boston. These stories are printed (yes, on actual paper) and live in my house.

Yet unless I give them some extremely serious and tough editing love, they won’t see the light of day. But one chapter was on a coma patient slowly coming out of it.

I recalled that scene and that’s one of the ways I saw and still see this character. As a fog lifts, something comes back.

The apocalypse taketh away, but the apocalypse also giveth.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Eleanor Braverman

Long before her diagnosis, Eleanor is a professor of English literature at Pine Manor Junior College. Now, in real life, Pine Manor doesn’t exist any more—it was taken over by Boston College. But then again, the Garfield Middle School in Brighton doesn’t exist any more, either.

But back to the character. She’s a classical teacher, bringing the English canon to her students. In particular, it’s her favorite book, Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is almost an Easter egg in what I write. It’s, to me, shorthand for a classical work that can still speak to us today.

Eventually, I reveal that it’s how her husband proposed to her—he copied out the proposal scene and changed the names.

Description

Eleanor is like any other older woman who was originally educated and perhaps a little elegant. So, she’s still sick with Alzheimer’s, and she still has trouble getting around. Like many people of her age group, she’s usually wearing polyester slacks and sneakers or the like. But for someone who had had a sense of style, those clothes might be paired with a cashmere twinset or the like.

For her, I mainly see Ellen Burstyn although I am open to convincing if there’s a better match out there.

As for the swearing (see below), Eleanor swears because everyone in Mettle has a potty mouth. In fact, one of the first things she says is that her ass itches. But it doesn’t itch—it hurts. She’s just forgotten the word hurts.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Unlike the other characters, Eleanor goes through her changes right in the middle of the story. And, she has a very specific purpose. After all, an apocalypse can often mean it’s everyone for themselves. At the start of the story, she’s the very definition of a drain on resources. But Noah, to his immense credit, will never, ever leave his mother behind.

And, she humanizes the rest of them. Beyond a story of survival, keeping her around also cements Mettle as a story about love.

Quotes

After a few minutes, Eleanor asked, “Who the hell are you?”

“I, I’m Nell.”

“Nell who?”

“Nell, ma’am, I’m Nell Murphy. Penelope Kelly Murphy. I live at fourteen Kerr Street, and I go to Garfield Middle School.”

“What are you doing here? Do I know you?”

“Uh, not really. I mean, I live around the corner now and Noah’s been really nice about everything.”

“Where is my son?”

“He’s, he’s out shopping. With, with Mei-Lin.”

“Who’s Mei-Lin?”

“Dr. Quan. She’s from St. B’s. She’s really nice.”

“Don’t lie to me about this so-called ‘shopping’. I can tell the power is out and nobody took a car. How long has the power been out, anyway, Nell?”

“Over two months, Mrs. Braverman.” Nell went back to tending to the fire.

“Holy shit. Er, sorry. I’ve been out of it for that long?”

“I don’t know what to tell you, ma’am. I’ve never known you any other way. Until, until today, that is. What the fuck happened?” Nell turned back to look at Eleanor.

“You shouldn’t swear.”

“You just did.”

“Yes, I suppose I did. And I suppose two months without electricity would coarsen anyone’s vocabulary.”

“I don’t understand, Mrs. Braverman. You were, um, how can I put this? You were really sick. You didn’t know anyone so well. You kept asking about some guy named Steven.”

Relationships

For someone who is barely with it for most of the book, she does have some relationships. But it all starts with Steven, who has been dead for years when the story begins.

Eleanor and Steven

To her credit (and sometimes to Noah’s annoyance and own personal pain), Eleanor remembers the love of her life all too well. But Alzheimer’s, as cruel a disease as it is, is a little bit kind here.

Because if you just think your great love is at work or out shopping, they can’t be dead.

Er, right?

Eleanor and Noah

Like with anyone who finds themself with a person with Alzheimer’s, the questions and the forgetting can sometimes seem to be too much. And the continual requests to see Steven are hurtful, although Eleanor doesn’t mean anything by them. Noah has to fight to maintain his composure and patience.

But he’s around. Like some folks, even though memory care would have possibly been better for her (definitely for him), he keeps her at home. Even though she can’t put it into words anymore, she can feel his devotion. He’s a good son.

Eleanor and Olga

What is anyone’s relationship with their caregiver? Olga has done everything for Eleanor, and Eleanor often doesn’t even know who she is. Yes, this is Olga’s job. But Olga doesn’t have to stay. Yet Olga does stay—and often makes it possible for the rest of the story to move along.

In addition, Olga’s reserves of patience make up for Noah getting short with Eleanor on occasion.

Eleanor and Nell

Beyond their somewhat rocky start, Nell actually misses not just her Gran but also school. Eleanor gives Nell something intellectual to do. Nell confides in Eleanor, even telling her that she sometimes wishes that Craig was her father.

Conflict and Turning Point

Eleanor’s turning point is when she seemingly recovers. The events of Mettle are often unkind. But that is most certainly a gift.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Eleanor’s maiden name is Shapiro, so if you’ve been following this blog at all, then you know exactly where this is going….

Future Plans for Eleanor Braverman

She will show up in the Mettle prequel although I am not certain as to whether I will give her her own POV chapter. So much remains to be seen.

Eleanor Braverman: Takeaways

Intelligent and ultimately fearless, Eleanor Braverman loses a lot when she gets Alzheimer’s. And because of that, she’s a reminder of how awful that disease truly is.

I hope they cure it in our lifetimes. Don’t you?

Eleanor Braverman – because characters best show their humanity when they take care of someone who’s a drain on their resources.


Want More of Mettle?

If Mettle resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.

Character Reviews: Mettle

The Mettle Universe
Self Review: Mettle

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Character Review – Dez Hunter

Consider Dez Hunter, One of My Original Characters

So, who is Dez Hunter?

Kitty and Mink were easy and I thought of them almost immediately. But then I needed a boyfriend for Kitty.

Where Did Dez Hunter Come From?

I first decided that Kitty’s boyfriend would be a kind of bad boy. So, Dez comes with the trappings—skateboard, attitude, and a sparse goatee. Then, when I was developing his father in particular, I realized that he and his father would not get along. This works to keep him where he is—and get Dad out of the picture.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Dez Hunter

The class bad boy is growing up in a working class home, his father on a construction crew, working as a supervisor. His mother is a diabetic. I haven’t decided if she was working outside the home. But either way, they could afford some discretionary spending.

Much like Kitty, he can’t be bothered to do class work. So when he and Kitty start dating, he gets in on Mink doing his homework. It’s probably the only way he’ll pass History.

At the start of the book, he’s sent to the principal’s office—and he makes it clear that this is not going to be his first detention.

Was he kicked out of his home before the power blew? Or did he leave more or less voluntarily? I confess even I’m not 100% certain.

Description

I like Dylan O’Brien from The Maze Runner. But I’m not 100% sold on him and could potentially be persuaded to choose another young actor for this look. For one thing, he’s probably already too old.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Dez provides two things that the other characters need for their very survival. The first is the air rifle (it’s a .22). Without it, things would have gotten a lot more desperate, a lot more quickly. Craig is the one who really knows how to use it. But he wouldn’t have one in the first place without Dez.

The other gets us heavily into spoiler territory. So, let’s just say that Dez’s physical strength become vital at just the right moment.

Quotes {Craig and Dez are talking; Craig speaks first}

“My pappy was sharp as a tack to the end. It is possible.” Craig looked at the mess of electronics skeptically. “When I was younger than you, I used to take stuff apart all the time. My momma didn’t know what to do with me. I’d take apart the TV remote, put it back together, stuff like that. Used to have pieces left over. It’s a big part of why I went into engineering. And I went into civil on account of a hankering to build bridges. The Army paid my way. Then I was introduced to a guy who worked at NASA. That’s more or less how I ended up there after retiring early from the Army. You got plans?”

“Do they matter?”

“You tell me.”

“I guess they do. I don’t know. Dad was pushing me to go to college or he’d put me in his construction crew.”

“Wait, did your parents leave without you?”

Relationships

Like everyone else in Mettle, Dez has a relationship of some sort with everyone. But these two are his closest relationships.

Dez and Kitty

Of course Kitty would have a boyfriend. But they don’t treat each other well at all. They aren’t truly together due to any real affection between them. Rather, for her, it’s being with a bad boy. And for him, it’s being with the hottest girl in the school. But when all is said and done, they really don’t have anything in common.

When she goes to seek FEMA aid, it’s got to be a relief for him.

Dez and Mink

I have kind of flirted with an idea of them getting together. But I really only hint at it. So, I leave it to the reader’s imagination. So, have at it!

Conflict and Turning Point

For Dez, the conflict and the turning point are the same as they are for the other characters in Mettle. When the power goes out, he becomes unmoored. But when his father becomes somewhat unhinged, Dez has to get out. So, he and Kitty go to Mink’s.

But this also means leaving his sick mother. With no power and no way to restore it, a diabetic like her is not going to survive. To Dez’s credit, at least he realizes this. But it’s still a bitter pill to swallow.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

He doesn’t really have any continuity with any other storylines. Dez exists on his own, more or less.

Future Plans

He will definitely show up in the prequel!

Dez Hunter: Takeaways

Dez almost fancies himself James Dean—if he knew who James Dean was, that is. And the events of Mettle give this rebel a good cause.

Dez Hunter — a character who gets a chance to shine.


Want More of Mettle?

If Mettle resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how changes in the periodic table nearly kill us all.

Character Reviews: Mettle

The Mettle Universe
Self Review: Mettle

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Character Review — Elston Young

Consider Elston Young, One of My Original Characters

Who is Elston Young?

When I first started to write Time Addicts, I needed an engineer. I already knew who the main villain was. But just who had invented the tech? Enter Elston.

Where Did Elston Young Come From?

His first name actually comes from the late baseball player, Elston Howard. But otherwise he is just a character who would be morally ambiguous. Craven and ruthless, he only has his own best interests at heart. And, really, no one else’s.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Elston Young

The OIA file says it best:

Elston Young: Born July 24, 2479. Start date at the OIA: April 20, 2507. First assignment: engineer in Robotics Division. Second assigned division after transfer: Department of Temporal Narcotics. Transfer date: August 17, 2522. Second assignment: chief engineer and secondary time traveler, supplementing the work of time traveler Robin Campbell McKenna.

Honorable OIA Discharge: September 19, 2525. Last known location and details: moved to Charon on September 29, 2525 and works as a mushroom farmer. Home address: Sarah Boone Drive, at its intersection with Sybilla Righton Masters Way. Location is an unnamed district just outside the Charonian capital, Teslaville.

She stared at the information for a moment. What the hell happened on September the nineteenth, two plus years ago? And then you moved to the outer reaches of the Solar System in ten days? What the hell are you running from? Or to?

She added a query: Locate all OIA and news events from September 19, 2525.

The answer came back a few seconds later.

Honorable OIA Discharge date for Elston Young. No other events on this date in the OIA database which match your level of security. News stories for the date in question: ‘Chief Governor Dae Ou Xiang begins trip to Haumea to meet with Tommy 2000 for the robotic contingent and They Say This is the One from the Obolonk delegation. Talks are expected to include distribution of vanadium mining leases in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.’ Second most important news story: ‘OIA Chief Inspector Peter Ray visits burn ward on Triton.’ Third most important news story: ‘mushroom futures rise as demand increases for luxury dishes on Tethys.’

Description

I love the idea of making him an older guy who should have known better. But at the same time, he would be formal, with European-style manners. As a result, I am going with Christoph Waltz  for his look.

Because I pair him with Robin McKenna, they’ve got an obvious age difference. So in a way, you can see why she might want to throw him over for someone else.

Christoph Waltz, who I see as Elston Young. Image is from Wikipedia, by Manfred Werner (Tsui) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64147562
Christoph Waltz, who I see as Elston Young. Image is from Wikipedia, by Manfred Werner (Tsui) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64147562

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

So, his original purpose coincides with the other members of the cabal—he wants power. But he at least knows when to quit. Or, at least, to be satisfied with what he’s got.

Robin? Not so much.

But when she throws him over, he loses his clout with her. Because he’s a smart guy, he can see the writing on the wall.

Quotes {Josie has just gotten a tattoo from Elston to help her with time travel}

“I know the first time you and I met, that you believed I had had a relationship with Robin McKenna. You were right, of course—at the time. But things have changed.”

“The bloom is off the rose, I take it?”

“In a manner of speaking. It doesn’t help when someone you love takes up with an intimate colleague. You still need to see them, and all that.”

“Wait, I don’t think the timeline’s right. When I first saw you, I had already gotten an encrypted message.”

“Yes, you had. It wasn’t just the end of our relationship which convinced me to change my mind. But I needed—and still do, I might add—legal and rather real physical protections. I could plant the seed in your group and then eventually the dice would roll the way I want, and I would be free of the Yester Gang.”

“Why would you ever want to leave them? I would think you’d be sitting pretty.” She touched the bandage, and her wrist felt like it was burning. “Ow!”

“Now, will you listen to me and not touch the bandage? So, in answer to your question, it was all about power, to start. But you see, Robin has a rather deep and strong prejudice against the Obolonk race. Garnering and holding onto power stopped being good enough for her. She wanted to eliminate the Obolonks as well. Understand, my memory, and my own comprehension come from the current timeline. But I still know that the destruction of the Obolonk race was not in the original scheme. She was splitting her focus.”

“Power for both of you, and, er, this intimate colleague?”

“Not just for us. But Peter Ray was a particularly good find. He can be the face of everything. One of the faces, that is.”

“I don’t remember him originally being in charge of the OIA.”

“That’s because he wasn’t.”

Relationships

Like other members of the cabal, Elston has a relationship of some sort with all of them. But his closest relationship is with the villainess herself, Robin McKenna.

Elston and Robin

I didn’t originally intend for there to be a ‘love rhombus’ in the gang. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

And so, she starts off as his lover. But then she changes her mind…

Because he’s humiliated and he still has to work with her, he gets an idea about how to turn the situation to his own, personal advantage.

But this crafty silver fox will go down swinging. However, if necessary, he will take everyone else with him.

Conflict and Turning Point

He has a few. One is when he gives Josie the tattoo. Now, he is far from being a good person. So, when he chooses to help her, it’s not out of the goodness of his own heart. Instead, it’s for his own personal advancement and safety—and nothing more.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

There is no continuity between him and other storylines.

Future Plans

He did not show up in the Time Addicts prequel, and he can’t show up in the Obolonks prequel (wrong time period). So, unless something big changes, I won’t be exploring his particular story any further.

Elston Young: Takeaways

Morally gray as much as he’s gray around the temples, Elston Young adds a dash of enigma to Time Addicts. Can he be trusted?

Only if it suits him.

Elston Young — because craven bad guys are never really repentant….


Want More of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans

Robots

Obolonks

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys

The Bad Guys

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

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Character Review — Tad Lewis

Consider Tad Lewis, One of My Original Characters

Who is Tad Lewis?

Tad—er, Thaddeus—Lewis sprang forth almost fully formed when I first thought of him. Josie would need someone who could shoot. She would also need someone who could afford her some physical protection. Enter Tad.

Where Did Thaddeus Lewis Come From?

Now, for the Time Addicts universe to work, the people who work for the OIA-DTN have to be excellent at whatever they do. Hence I could see an immediate need for a sharpshooter. That is, Tad has to be able to shoot the hairs off a flea that’s a city block away—more or less.

I also wanted for him to be into guns but not obsessive. So, he’s not going to throw a tantrum if one is taken away for any reason. Rather, it’s subtle things, like changing the drawer pulls on his desk to little pistols.

Since he enjoys history, he understands older, historical weaponry. This includes the Glock Canadian, a gun which has almost become an Easter egg in my stories.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Tad Lewis

Tad gives some of his backstory when he says: “I’m a sharpshooter. I worked in the security detail for Chief Governor Xiang. No ranks—but I did get to ride in the official tri-phib.”

So, he’s a little silly at times. But he’s got serious shooting chops. And, the reader learns later, he’s good about making friends with the people who he works with. Tad is, in some ways, a little like a traditional networker.

Description

He’s about 30 or so. He was born in the Columbus-Chicago Meg. Tad lives in a three-decker brownstone in Allston and was an Eagle Scout.

Armie Hammer, who I see as Thaddeus Lewis. Image is for reference purposes only.
Armie Hammer, who I see as Thaddeus Lewis. Image is for reference purposes only.

So, the main actor I see for him is Armie Hammer. Now, this is not a testament to the real actor’s character. It’s just a reference and nothing more. 

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Beyond simply protecting Josie or being her partner, his motivation is to protect what he can remember of the original timeline. But he’s got holes in his memory.

Because he trusts Josie implicitly, he believes her version of events. And so, even when he doesn’t really know the original timeline, he works to protect it all the same.

Quotes {Josie and Tad are working out signals for their first undercover mission}

He plucked a black tee from the middle of the stack. It said Led Zeppelin’s. “Will this work? I got it on Europa.”

“Yeah, that’ll work.”

After he’d donned the shirt, he said, “We’re going to need signals.”

“Right. Marky and I were partners for so long we just sort of knew.”

“Well, you and I don’t exactly know yet. So how about pet names?”

“Pet names?”

“You know, like sweetie, or cutie or whatever. We’re supposed to be dating.”

“Yeah, this could work. We need one for keep going, another for stop, and another for change things up. Plus, we could use a panic signal for when we really can’t do anything but get outta Dodge.”

“Ha!” He snapped his fingers. “Honey can mean yes or ‘go ahead’, because it flows.”

“Well, it flows kinda slowly.”

“I am not gonna call you water or anything.”

“So, I guess honey it is. And hey, baby can be the signal to change. Because, you know, babies need to be changed.”

“Yeah, works for me. Sweetie pie for stop or no.”

“Why that?”

“Because my mom’s pies are as thick and heavy as doorstops. But if you ever meet her, er, don’t tell her that.”

“My lips are sealed. And speaking of that,” Josie said, not finishing her sentence. Instead, she came up to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“What was that for?”

“We’re supposed to be dating, Tad. We had to get that outta the way. Otherwise, the first kiss is really weird. And we don’t want our pals to get even an inkling that we’re only kissing for the first time.”

“Gotcha. Oh, and sugar?”

“Sugar?”

“Yeah, sugar,” he said, “That’ll mean we need to abort the mission and get the fuck outta there.”

Relationships

So, the truth is, when I was first writing Tad, I wanted people to potentially ‘ship him and Josie. And why not? They’re thrown together constantly, and often have to convince others that they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. But of course I had other plans for Josie. And then I ended up having other plans for him as well.

Tad and Josie

Even though I personally don’t see them as romantic partners, they are certainly work partners. They spend a lot of time together, and they bounce off each other well. He’s a lot more than a glorified bodyguard.

Tad and Cyndi

So, I didn’t originally see them together until I started to get into the story. And then I figured: what the hell. Yet the more I see of them together, and think of them together, the more I like this pairing.

Part of this is because both of them are, essentially, unflappable. Their experiences and their purposes are mainly on the defensive side of things.

Conflict and Turning Point

Just like with the other “good guys”, Tad comes to his turning point with the rest of the story. Despite his background and his obvious talents, he’s underestimated in some ways. But he comes through as well as he can, even when it seems as if all hope is lost.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Tad doesn’t have any real continuity in other stories, unlike all those folks named Shapiro or Tommy.

Future Plans

Because he doesn’t show up in either the Obolonk prequel or the Time Addicts prequel, I’m not so sure there will be any future plans for him. I am so sorry, character!

Tad Lewis: Takeaways

Clearly one of the good guys, Thaddeus Lewis is someone you want on your side.

Tad Lewis — because a sensitive sharpshooter is kinda fun.


Want More of Tad and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans

Robots

Obolonks

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys

The Bad Guys

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

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Character Review — Peter Ray

Consider Peter Ray, One of My Original Characters

So, who is Peter Ray?

In order to get across the continual dissolution of one timeline into the next, I had to have someone who was constant—but not always.

Where Did Peter Ray Come From?

So, I wanted a character who would be essentially the kind of bad guy who many people would not think of as a bad guy at all. Because he’s handsome, gentlemanly, and polished, this character can fool just about anyone.

But despite his polished, courtly exterior, he’s ruthlessly ambitious.

The Past is Prologue — Backstory for Peter Ray

So, in the original timeline, he’s the kind of guy who takes way too many shortcuts. But he gets caught, and in the original timeline, he does have to pay the piper.

Character Kurt Wilmont describes him best:

“Peter Ray was recruited in a rather different manner from y’all. He was called in directly by the Chief Governor. Yep, Xiang pulled him in herself. He was attractive as a candidate for the OIA for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was winning the Decker Prize for Engineering back in twenty-one. She saw potential in him.” …

He looked at his audience with a hangdog expression. “We’re not here to talk about her, or to spread rumors and gossip. So, here are the facts, in all their naked glory. Peter Ray was caught taking bribes to look the other way in various investigations. Those included drunk skimmer flying charges against an Orb Rep’s wayward son, and a bunch of miscreants on Vesta stockpiling thermal weapons, hoping to whack a few Obolonks on their way to martyrdom. As a result of Ray’s misdeeds, we are painfully aware that the agency isn’t as trusted as it once was. For this, I blame Ray directly. His greed and carelessness cost us a helluva lot. My husband and I were damned lucky we kept our jobs. A lot of people didn’t—it was a ton of housecleaning after Ray’s trial and conviction last year.”

Description

The only person I can even conceive of in this role is an older Richard Gere. Peter is handsome, distinguished, and charming. But he’s also quite the gladhander. He’s definitely like a politician in that you might want to count your fingers after you shake hands with him.

You know, just to make sure he hasn’t taken any.

Richard Gere, who I see as Peter Ray. Image is for reference purposes only.
Richard Gere, who I see as Peter Ray. Image is for reference purposes only.

Purpose/Theme/Motivation

Josie’s first inkling that things are not the way they seem is when Ray is suddenly in charge of the Orb Intelligence Agency. This is despite the information I’m listing above.

So, her biggest issue is that she’s unsure of what she can recall. In addition, she doesn’t have a lot of people who she can look to for any sort of confirmation.

But it does lay out the purpose, theme, and motivation for Peter Ray. He wants power. And the more, the better.

Quotes {Josie and Tad are looking to make some arrests}

“This is all fascinating and everything, but beyond the current love, er, rhombus, there’s a more pressing matter at hand. We know you’re killers. It’s time to pay the piper.”

“Not in this timeline. You got nothing,” said Cassie.

Vel, Daisy, and Marty Quinlan are all dead in this timeline. Even if Marty still killed Daisy in this line, the chances that he did it with your knowledge, consent, and blessing are high. Under your orders, I bet. “Sure, sure, keep telling yourselves that.”

Tad pulled out a small hot gun. “You did know it would come down to this, now, didn’t you, Robin?”

“Are you going to shoot us, Mr. Lewis?” asked Young. “Or arrest us? For I fear you have no jurisdiction here.”

“The people we’ve got backing us up do,” said Josie. Bobby, you can hear what’s going on. If you haven’t had Cyndi call the Charonian cops by now, then I gotta wonder why the hell we even keep you on the payroll.

Peter Ray arrived, and he glanced around. He must have realized the backup wasn’t in yet, and he charged at Tad. Tad coolly raised the weapon and shot the man in the face, creating a grazed oval on Ray’s skin, marring its otherwise just about unworldly perfection.

“What the fuck did you do that for?” yelled Ray, touching his hand to his face, and drawing away blood.

“You do realize that when you try to attack people, they’ll defend themselves, don’t you? Sheesh, why was this guy in charge of the OIA again?” Josie smirked, gesturing at Ray.

Tad lowered the weapon to allow it to recharge. “You’re lucky I can aim well. Most people would’ve taken your head off from this distance.”

“Besides, now he’ll have a Zero scar on his face,” said Josie. “We branded him as one of your boys, Robin.” She paused for a second and sneered. “You’re welcome.”

Relationships

Because the timelines keep shifting, his relationships and other aspects of his life change. But there’s one constant—he and the chief governor of all the orbs are, shall we say, simpatico.

Peter Ray and Chief Governor Dae Ou Xiang

Sometimes, she’s his mentor. But sometimes, he seems to be hers. Also, at other times, they are good friends with a kind of unspoken attraction. Yet other times, they’re lovers. Because like everything else, it really just depends on the timeline.

But does he have ambition to unseat her? Even I confess I’m not certain. I give them six-year terms, just like US Senators. And they’ve got a term limit of two. So, he could technically just wait things out if he wanted to become Chief Governor. After all, having her backing would be a huge feather in his cap.

But I don’t necessarily see him as having that kind of patience. If he did go up against her, either officially in an election or in some illegal and underhanded manner, I believe she would prove to be a formidable opponent.

Conflict and Turning Point

As the timelines keep colliding and changing, he is of course pulled along with everyone else. And because he is, he can be manipulated in some ways, to further serve the ends of the cabal.

For a person who lusts for so much power, it’s got to be a bit of a comedown to realize that you’re just someone else’s useful idiot.

Continuity/Easter Eggs

Unlike the Shapiro crew or Tommy 2000, he doesn’t have much continuity. But he most certainly does have continuity when it comes to the myriad of timelines Josie visits and has to undo.

Future Plans

He doesn’t show up in either the Obolonk prequel or the Time Addicts prequel. So, unless things change, his personal story won’t be visited again.

Peter Ray: Takeaways

If human nature stays more or less the same in the future, then a villain like him seems almost inevitable. Because in a way, he’s the ultimate in wolves in sheep’s clothing. Except his sheep’s clothing is impeccable suits, made from Tethyan silk.

Peter Ray — because gladhander politicians who turn out to be fascists are just a little too real these days….


Want More of Peter Ray and the Rest of the Obolonk Universe?

If the story of the Obolonks resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how our society turns tripartite, with humans, robots, and Obolonks.

Character Reviews: The Obolonk Murders

Humans

Robots

Obolonks

Character Reviews: Time Addicts

The Good Guys

The Bad Guys

The Obolonk Universe

Self-Reviews: Obolonk Trilogy

Self-Reviews: Time Addicts Trilogy

Next article

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