NEW WEEK NEW FACE – CAROLE BROWN

 

 

 

Personalities and Heroes

 

Once you begin writing, once you’ve released more than one book, you’re faced with decisions that are peculiar to your first one. That is: creating personalities of your characters that differ from the previous one.

 

How important is that? Very.

 

Here’s a couple personality examples I’ve given two of my male protagonists:

 

• In Sabotaged Christmas, the first book in the Appleton, West Virginia Romantic Mysteries series, I gave Perrin Douglas a loner personality. Because of his deceased wife’s feckless attitude with her marriage vows, he had little use for the female species that happened to cross his path. He was just as happy sitting secluded (and hidden) in his home, writing, and away from prying eyes that might somehow discern the hurt in his heart. His previous life when he’d worked as a college professor–even then he was serious and responsible about his duties, his life and his family. He didn’t care for nonsense.
• With Tyrell Walker in the first book of my WWII Spies, With Music in Their Hearts, series, he was an all-around good, smart man and serious about what he wanted out of life, yet fun to be with. He was a person who made others feel safe and comfortable to talk with him about their problems. His parents hadn’t had the best marriage, but his grandparents were prime examples of what love should be all about. They were the influence that Tyrell needed, and it showed in his personality.

 

Now, in Knight in Shining Apron, I needed a man who was comfortable with himself and others. I have this nifty little book by Tim LaHaye called Why You Act the Way You Do, and in the book are descriptions of different personality types. One of these is the Sanguine Personality.

 

Here’s how one dictionary explains it: optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. Optimistic, bullish, hopeful, buoyant, positive, cheerful, cheery, upbeat.

 

So how did I create Joel?

The negative:

• Bullish: Joel was a bit of a bully, not in a seriously bad way, but he liked his way and he was persistent in trying to bring Starli out of the dumps, getting her to smile, and working to make her forget her troubles
• Which is a good thing for the most part. But sometimes he was so-o-o confident, he could make the other person feel just a bit uneasy. Joel was such a caring person, that it hardly ever happened, but the tendency was there and had the potentiality to surface.

 

The positive:

• He was smart, won awards and received job offers even before finishing school. He was perceptive and discerning with those he was around.
• Joel was generous to a fault, gave his time and work to countries and those in need.
• He was creative and talented, and took pride in doing his best and doing well.
• When he gave his love, he did it with all his love and might.

 

It’s generally bandied about that opposites attract, and going on that supposition (or is it fact?), pairing Joel with Starli was a good choice. Given that Joel was a faithful Christian  and Starli was a practicing Christian, it was inevitable that both would be able to work out the differences in the way they approached or looked at life.

 

With Joel, his heart safely in God’s control, gives him the discipline that keeps his negative traits in check.

 

Personalities matter. Matching the right one with the right character, learning that characters are not all good or all bad, and digging deep into your characters personalities, their lives and their habits is a priority for authors.

 

If you’re an author I’d love to hear how and why you created a character in your book

If you’re a reader, I’d love to find out what kind of character interests you? Can you forgive a “bad” character if they show change?

 

 

Besides being an active participant of many writing groups, Carole enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance and whimsy into her books, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

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Barn Door Book Loft: http://www.barndoorbookloft.net/

 

Knight in Shining Apron Cover Blurb:

Starli Cameron gave up her career plans to be a concert pianist to marry the man of her dreams. He turned out to be a nightmare. When he dies in a car accident, Starli takes the insurance money and builds a successful and upscale restaurant: Apple Blossoms in rural West Virginia.  Threats from someone determined to ruin her life and the suspicious romantic advances from her new chef force Starli to search her heart and finally turn to God for real healing.

 

Sir Joel Peterman-Blair, top notch chef from England, is roped by his uncle, into filling in as head Chef at Apple Blossoms. Joel, with his sanguine-personality, has always laughed and flirted his way through life. But now, confronted with and attracted to the most beautiful woman he’s ever met, Joel has to prove his sincerity and depth of character to his icy-cold employer. Can his love for God and for this woman reach out far enough to rescue her from her own mistrust and bitterness? Will he learn that life is not all play?

 

And can they both work together to find the source of threats that seem to be coming from Starli’s past?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1427898838&sr=8-1

 

 

 

 

Carole Brown, New Week New Face, NWNF, Guest Post, Personalities and Heroes, Knight in Shining Apron, The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman, Bat Crazy, Sabotaged Christmas

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