The 7 Most Facinating Characters I've Created

So I was tagged today; I guess that means I'm "it". I'll be honest, though. I really don't like tag games, or chain emails. They usually end up triggering a "DELETE" reaction from me...and a sigh or two. But something was different about today's tag. A couple of things actually. First, I was tagged by Stella Telleria, an aspiring author who also lives in Edmonton. That's 2 points in her favor. Plus, this tag--her assignment--really got my creative muse going "Wow! You can do this one, Cheryl. It'll be easy." So let's see how easy it is.

My assignment, should I chose to accept it, is to infiltrate my novels and covertly spy on my characters until I can boil them all down to the 7 "most fascinating characters" I ever "dreamt up". While making my list,I quickly realized that I had 3 good characters and 4 bad characters. And here goes...


1. Nana has got to be my most fascinating character in WHALE SONG. She is the elderly grandmother of Goldie, the main character's best friend. As the story progresses, Nana puts in appearances that offer both wisdom and compassion, all the while helping Sarah, the protagonist, integrate into a new culture--one filled with native folklore, traditions and mystery. Nana is the seer of all things who helps Sarah when a life-changing tragedy occurs. From the emails I've received from fans of WHALE SONG, I believe Nana is a hero of sorts; everyone seems to love her and her wonderful yet sometimes comical storytelling ability.


2. Del Hawthorne is one of my most fascinating characters in THE RIVER. I think what makes her so appealing to me personally is that I based her on my very good friend Bobbi. Like Bobbi, Del is strong-willed but kind. She's a fighter too, especially when faced with challenges. And believe me, Del is faced with challenges. After her father goes missing and is presumed dead, she moves on with her life, only to discover years later that her father is still alive. But he's being held captive in a remote area up north, an area known for strange disappearances and murders. Even faced with this knowledge, she's determined to rescue her father. Gathering a group of near strangers, she sets off on an adventure that LOST fans will surely enjoy. As Del's health begins to fail, she becomes more fascinating to me--her strength, her determination, her fighting spirit are all admirable.


3. Jasi from DIVINE INTERVENTION is another strong, determined woman I've created. As a government agent in a covert division known as the Psychic Skills Investigators or PSIs, Agent Jasmine McLellan knows how to get things done. She spends her days hunting down serial killers who use fire to dispose of bodies or to kill their victims. Jasi's special "gift" is that of a Pyro-Psychic. Whenever someone dies in a fire and she smells the smoke, she has visions--through the eyes of the killer. But it's Jasi's back story that intrigues me most. Her mother was murdered when Jasi was a child and the case has never been solved. Jasi knows much more about the killer than she realizes. And if this isn't enough, she is haunted by a ghost. Not the ghost of her mother, but of a young girl with a red scar around her neck and dead eyes. I am compelled to write more in this series so that I can learn the truth about Jasi, her mother and this ghost girl.


4. Myrtle Murphy is an intriguing character from a series of short stories. What makes Myrtle so fascinating is that she is a serial killer. In fact, I like to say: "Myrtle Murphy is an unlikely serial killer that you'll hate to love." She's kind of a crotchety old gal and in the first story, A GRAVE ERROR, Myrtle isn't too happy with her husband. He's getting on her nerves, something no one should ever do. In THE DEATH OF AN OLD COW, Myrtle's dead set on ridding herself of a pest--her opinionated, hoity-toity mother-in-law. In MAID OF DISHONOR, Myrtle's got her eyes on someone who has really ticked her off, and all the bells and wedding cake in the world isn't going to stop her from getting what she wants. I think she fascinates me because she gets away with murder. Literally. And she seems almost oblivious to her crimes. Plus, she's sixty-one years old, not some spring chicken. I'm sure Myrtle's a Dexter fan.


5. The Director is a mysterious character from my suspense thriller THE RIVER. What fascinates me most about this character is that no one knows who the Director really is. That being said, I can't really say too much, but it's because the character is cloaked in anonymity and mystery that makes the character especially fascinating. That, and the fact that the Director is involved in a deadly conspiracy that threatens all of mankind. THE RIVER is a mix of Lost meets Timeline meets The Da Vinci Code, and the Director takes it to a whole other level.


6. Harold Fielding, from REMOTE CONTROL, has proven to fascinate audiences of all ages. As a finalist in the Textnovel contest, this novelette explores a character whose greatest desires in live is living a life of luxury--any way he can get it. But as we've all heard before, "be careful what you wish for." Harry has fascinated me for decades as he is one of my oldest characters. The original short story was written in 1986, I believe. In all these years, I have never forgotten Harry, or his terrible greed. He's the kind of guy you turn your nose up at in distaste. While he wishes for fame and fortune, his wife has another wish.


7. Winston Chambers, from my upcoming September release LANCELOT'S LADY is to date my most favorite bad guy. He is a heavyset, heavy breathing, slimy, evil sleaze-ball with no redeeming qualities and I found him an utter delight to create. He emerged from a rough outline with rapid speed, evolving into probably my most hated character ever. I have to thank Waheed (Wally) Rabbani, who entered my Create a Corpse Contest and won with his winning character name entry--"Winston Chambers". Winston is one character you'll love to hate.

I hope you've enjoyed a glimpse at what I consider my 7 most fascinating characters. Of course, in the end it really doesn't matter what I think. If you've read any of my novels or short stories, I would love to hear which characters you found most fascinating.

Now, who to tag next...

Betty Dravis
Eileen Schuh
Carol D. O'Dell
C.J. Ellisson

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write about 7 themes found in your works (novels, nonfiction, short stories etc). I'd like to know what made you explore these themes and what research you may have done. Tag! You're it! :-)

100-word "elevator pitch" for my thriller The River

The Nahanni River in Canada's Northwest Territories has a history of mysterious deaths, strange disappearances and headless corpses. Seven years ago, Del Hawthorne’s father and three of his friends disappeared near the Nahanni and were presumed dead.

When one of the missing men stumbles onto the University grounds, alive but barely recognizable and aging before her eyes, Del is shocked. Especially when the man tells her something inconceivable. Her father is still alive! Now she and a group of near strangers embark on a perilous mission that involves stem cell research, painful serums, cloning and world domination―with a deadly twist.

Sunday Salon: Happy Mother's Day to the Mothers of my Characters

There are many memorable mothers in fiction, like the crazy mother in Stephen King's Carrie, but three mothers that stand out to me are characters I created in each of my novels. Let me introduce you to the mothers of Sarah Richardson (Whale Song), Del Hawthorne (The River), and Jasi McLellan (Divine Intervention).

Whale Song - Daniella is a kind, sweet, loving mother who finds beauty in nature and everyone she meets. Born in the US, she meets Jack Richardson, a Canadian marine biology student who is infatuated with her paintings, which are sold at Visions, an art gallery in San Francisco. When they move with their daughter Sarah to the remote town of Bamfield on Vancouver Island, the wise Daniella helps her daughter deal with a school bully.

"If you choose to hate her, then you become just like her, no better," Daniella tells her daughter. "Life's too short to not forgive those who hurt us...Forgiveness sets you free." It is this last sentence that most reminds Sarah about her mother, even after her mother is taken away from her.

The River - Maureen Walton is the opposite of Daniella. Maureen takes great pride in her appearance and manners, and she expects the same from her daughter Del, an anthropology professor. Although Maureen thinks she's the next Martha Stewart, she's remarried a man far beneath her. And she's not the brightest bulb in the box, especially when Del reveals that Maureen's first husband, Del's father, is still alive.

"You can't be serious, Delila. He's dead!" Yes, some mothers can be quite heartless.

Divine Intervention - Jasi McLellan's mother was murdered during a home invasion when Jasi was a young child. Married to a cop, Calista McLellan loved her children dearly and would do anything to protect them. Jasi doesn't remember much about that tragic day, even though she was a witness to her mother's murder. A few years after her mother's death, Jasi began having disturbing visions. Now, as a trained Pyro-Psychic, she sees through the eyes of killers. But there is always one murderer that has alluded her--the person responsible for her mother's death.

The second book in the series, Divine Justice (unpublished) reveals more about Jasi's mother's death...and her murderer.

Today as we celebrate Mother's Day, let's remember that every mother is different. Each has a story--a childhood, a past life, sometimes a secret. Some are loved, some are feared, but in the end they gave us life and we wouldn't be here without them.

For me, there is no greater joy than being a mother. My daughter is my heart and soul.

Happy Mother's Day!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com

Canadian stem-cell breakthrough meets The River

In a news story that sounds like it should have been included in a chapter of my thriller The River, it appears that a huge breakthrough in stem-cell research has been made between Dr. Andras Nagy of Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital and Keisuke Kaji of the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and their teams.

Anne McIlroy from the Globe and Mail reports, "Canadian researchers have discovered a new way to turn skin cells into stem cells with fewer potential risks to patients...Dr. Nagy and his colleagues are the first to reprogram human skin cells to an embryonic state without using a virus..."

So does this mean that scientists are well on their way to finding something to slow the process of aging? I mean, if they can revert a cell to an embryonic state, what does that mean for those who are obsessed with staying young?

For now, they're looking at ways to use this technology to eliminate diseases like diabetes or Parkinson's. One day, this research might be responsible for curing cancer. Or this technology may end up repairing damaged hearts, kidneys, livers or even growing new organs. The possibilities are endless. That is exciting!

How interesting that something I wrote about is actually more of a possibility. Fiction becomes fact. Let's hope that the horrible atrocities that occur in The River as a result of such technology doesn't happen in real life.

You can read the Globe and Mail story HERE.

MSNBC also carries a story on this breakthrough. Read it HERE.

Want more info on my thriller The River? Here's a brief description:

Stem cell research, cloning, and world domination--with a twist...

The South Nahanni River has a history of mysterious deaths, disappearances and headless corpses, but it may also hold the key to humanity’s survival--or its destruction.

Seven years ago, Del Hawthorne’s father and three of his friends disappeared near the Nahanni River and were presumed dead. When one of the missing men stumbles onto the University grounds, alive but barely recognizable and aging before her eyes, Del is shocked. Especially when the man tells her something inconceivable. Her father is still alive!

Gathering a group of volunteers, Del travels to the Nahanni River to rescue her father. There, she finds a secret river that plunges her into a technologically advanced world of nanobots and painful serums. Del uncovers a conspiracy of unimaginable horror, a plot that threatens to destroy us all. Will humanity be sacrificed for the taste of eternal life?

You can buy The River online at Amazon or Chapters, or ask your bookstore to order it for you.

Ever been contacted by a character from a novel? I have--twice!

Last year I was contacted by a gal named Del Hawthorne. At first I couldn't believe it. Then I had to laugh at the irony. Del Hawthorne is the main character (protagonist) in my thriller The River.

My Del is an anthropologist at a UBC. When her father goes missing and is eventually presumed dead, she is devastated. Seven years later, someone from her past shows up in her classroom--a man who'd also gone missing with her father. He tells her something unbelievable. Her father is still alive, but not for long if the wrong people get their hands on him. Del sets out to find her father, along with a group of near strangers, and follows his trail to the mysterious and deadly Nahanni River, a river that is often referred to as..."the Bermuda Triangle of Canada".

The Del Hawthorne who emailed me has a lot in common with my "character" Del. Del is short for Delila for one, and Delilah for the other. They both live in Vancouver. There were other things they have in common.

Yesterday, I was contacted by a gal named Bliss. She'd done the same thing as Del above; she'd Googled her own name out of curiosity. And that led Bliss to my i Phone novel Finding Bliss, which I'll be starting on hopefully next month. I told her I named my main character after the Bliss chocolates made by Hershey's. She got a kick out of reading about a novel that had a character with her name. I got a kick out of being contacted by another "character". :)

Hmmm...perhaps I should write a novel about a hunk named Johnny Depp. Maybe he'll contact me next...

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

http://www.cherylktardif.com