My absolutely favorite blog linkup is ENDING. And I’m a blubbering ball of sadness. *cue the waterworks*

I’m sure most of you know about Beautiful People—a linkup hosted by Sky @ Further Up and Further In and Cait @ Paperfury, in which each month they ask questions for us to answer about our story characters. Talking about my characters (or, ya know, ANY fictional characters) is my favoritest thing on this earth, so naturally I was alllll about this linkup! And GUYS, I’ve been doing it since my first year of blogging. Since before Cait was one of the hosts and instead Sky did it with her friend Georgie. I’ve joined in on almost every BP for the last 7 years. AND NOW IT’S ENDING. I am much sadness, but I absolutely understand. Sky and Cait are busy people, I totally get that. I’m just feeling all nostalgic. *sniff, sniff*

BUT. Before saying farewell for an undetermined amount of time, our ever illustrious hosts have cooked up an extra special Beautiful People to say goodbye with a bang. This one is all about FAVORITES. And I do love favorites, so I am excited!

Though a lot of the questions are centered on my writing in general, some still ask about a specific character. It was hard trying to decide which of my (maaaaany) characters to end BP with. I had finally narrowed it down to Rose and the Dragon (the “beauty” and “beast” from Burning Thorns). Buuut I couldn’t pick one sooo…I’M DOING BOTH. ‘Cause hey, it’s the last BP. Let’s go all out!

Visit Sky @ Further Up and Further In or Cait @ Paperfury to join the (FINAL!!!) BP linkup!

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
FAVORITE’S EDITION

1.) Favorite genre to write in?

FANTASYYYYYY!!! (Is anyone surprised?) The ability to literally create anything I want with absolutely zero real-world limitations appeals to my creative-loving soul like no other.

Also fantasy involves DRAGONS. So, like, why would I write anything else???

Okay, but if we’re being specific here, YA speculative fiction is my niche. I’ve written a couple of steampunk stories, time travel, dystopian, high fantasy, modern fantasy, a retelling, and…yeah. I really like spec-fic. But pure fantasy is my #1 BFF.

2.) What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?

The Dragon: Wellll, I supposed it’d be amusing if he read the original Beauty and the Beast fairytale or any B&B story period. Since his story is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Eheheheh. Buuut I think I’m going to steal Skye’s and Kendra’s answers and say the Bible. He could…probably use it. Ahem.

Rose: I think she’d absolutely love Lord of the Rings. She probably needs that reminder that the smallest, seemingly most insignificant person can make the biggest difference, and that there is always hope no matter how dark things become. Plus she just loves reading and good stories so win-win here.

3.) Favorite piece of dialogue you’ve written?

Good gracious. I’m supposed to choose one scene of dialogue out of the over a dozen stories I’ve written? *pokes through stories*

OKAY. I do not have a favorite favorite, but I did find this one from my dystopian novel, Fallen Matter, that made me chuckle.

“Redness caught my eye, and I found a splotch of blood covering Lykan’s upper right arm. “You’re hurt.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t wear your seatbelt and let an idiot drive.”

I bristled. “You told me to!”

“That was before I knew how incompetent you were. Really, is it that hard to keep your eyes on the road?”

“You shouldn’t have been hanging out the door of a speeding vehicle!”

“It’s called saving your life, so I think the proper response would be a thank you. Those authoritaters were never going to give up.”

Man, I haven’t looked at this story in aaaaages. It was fun revisiting it and these characters (mainly Lykan *COUGH*).

4.) What did your character want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

The Dragon: He was honestly so busy avoiding what he didn’t want to be and just surviving, he didn’t really take the time to think about the occupation he would have pursued if he had had the choice. But when he was a child he always admired the high life and dreamed of living in the castle. So something prestigious would have been his choice, though, as a peasant, it was an impossible dream. And he became…a beast. Eheh. But he does in fact live in a castle now but ahahahaha it’s not exactly the life he dreamed of…

Rose: Though Rose’s situation is far different from the Dragon’s, she, too, has always had her life set out for her, not leaving her much room to dream of any other options. Really, she just wants to please her father, no matter what. (And yes I’m being vague because #SPOILERS) Althooough I suspect being a librarian would be something she’d leap at the chance of. But what did she grow up to become? Mmmm. Spoilers! *grins*

5.) Favorite character name(s)?

UGH. So many characters!

I think my top favorite is proooobably Iavin (from the Colors of a Dragon Scale series). It’s like Ivan but with an UH in the middle. Eye-UH-vin. No clue why I like it so much, but I do! I’ve always loved names starting with vowels.

I also really like Eryth (AIR-rith), Calgora, and Eldoren from the same series.

Ethryl is from a trilogy I have called The Traveling Library and may be my favorite female name. (Except it looks too much like Eryth and I think I need to respell one of their names…?)

Annnd I’m very fond of Karis (from The Nether Isle). That’s such a pretty name.

Okay I’m stopping now I promise. I just have SO MANY CHARACTERS and am totally named obsessed so yeah.

6.) What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

The Dragon: Words of affirmation is his love language. Harsh words and disgust is all he has experienced for many, many years, so praise and reassurance touches his heart deeply. He’s also not-so-great at expressing kind, meaningful things vocally, and admires those who can and do. And, naturally, Rose was the last person to show him this kindness. (BRB SOBBING.)

Rose: For Rose, it’s all about quality time. She values spending time with people, and when someone, in turn, wants to spend time with her, she’ll basically instantly make them her BFF. It means so much to her when others show they like her enough to want to use their valuable time with her. Though a kind word can definitely go a long way with her as well. And who made her feel loved last? Ummm…that depends on what point it is in the story. In the last section I edited it was a random guard. XDD Buuut also the Dragon, obviously. Sort of. Mostly. (Let’s just pretend I’m not ruining all of their lives. Eheheheh.)

7.) Favorite character you’ve ever written?

AHA! You thought I’d agonize over this question, didn’t you? WELL. I’m actually a terrible person and tooootally pick favorites between my children. *smile, smile*

The answer would be Cael from the Colors of a Dragon Scale series. He’s probably the most complex character I’ve ever written. He’s an antagonist and not. Literally the worst but also kind of totally nice. Very charismatic and fun while also driving everyone craaaazy. He’s sort of snarky, but really not in a nasty way. More fun-loving, honestly. He cares about people buuuut also sometimes has, erm, warped views about things. And just…I DON’T KNOW. He is a conundrum and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! He also has an extremely complicated and fascinating backstory and just yeah. Cael. He’s something.

This looks sooo much like how I imagine him.
(Pic found on Pinterest)

But he also has a big head and if he knew he was my favorite character I’d never hear the end of it GAWSH.

My secondary favorite is Iavin, who happens to be Cael’s best friend…and enemy. (I TOLD YOU IT’S CONFUSING.) Iavin is a little shy, awkward cinnamon roll and my absolute faaavorite character to write the POV of. His nervous, adorable thought-process gives me life, honestly. Also he’s a half-elf which is always fun!

Totally Iavin
(Pic found on Pinterest)

Honorable mentions go to: Airen (Colors of a Dragon Scale), Lark (Burning Thorns), Lykan (Fallen Matter), Karis and Jonah (The Nether Isle), annnd…literally every single one of my characters ever because even though I say I choose favorites I REALLY JUST LOVE ALL MY BBYS SO MUCH!!!

My babies that I seem to take pleasure in
torturing but hahahaha details.

Rose: Well, she sort of did leave town and she was in her nightgown and had literally nothing. Buuut in normal circumstances, she’d probably pack plenty of gowns and lots of good reading material, and maybe something special to remember her mother by, like a rose from the gardens where her and her mother spent so much time. She’d press it in a book to preserve it. That way she’d have a piece of home and her mother with her forever. I don’t know what she’d easily throw out. I think as long as she had enough clothes and books, everything else could go.

I’m also a total sucker for amnesic characters. Yes, I know it’s sooo overused but I LIKE IT. Something about having a character who literally has NO CLUE who they are and then watching them slowly get their memories back is so, sooo fun! And can also add a lot of wonderful emotion. (I mean, BUCKY. COME ON!) It’s great!

Because you needed Bucky feels today. You’re welcome.

The bantering male and female ships also give me life. As do snarky dudes with hearts of gold hidden deep, deeeep inside them somewhere.

Tropes can be fun, guys! Usually they’re overused because they work.

Right now Burning Thorns has me wrapped around it so tightly I can barely think of anything else, and I’m totally okay with that. But that really happens with any story I’m working on at the time. My favorite story tends to be the one I’m working on at that moment.

Cael is so flighty and sure of himself and charismatic and the total leader, where Iavin is the scared puppy who barely knows how to use his own paws and is both fascinated and horrified over Cael but is too timid to speak up and tell Cael that no he in fact doesn’t want to go on death-defying, world-ending quests thankyouverymuch. Basically Iavin risks his life on a constant basis because he’s too shy to tell Cael no. He does eventually get a smidge of backbone and learns how to handle Cael, but the growth of their friendship is so entertaining to watch.

“Come on now,” he stood and grabbed Iavin’s arm, “you really should be sleeping.”

“But—”

“We’ve got another full day of traveling tomorrow. You need your sleep.” Cael pulled him to a stand, dragged him back to Nemayn, and practically tucked him to bed, carefully making sure Iavin’s cloaks covered him sufficiently. “You sleep well now.”

Iavin watched the boy walk off, not entirely sure what just happened but far too sleepy and cold to figure it out.

Sometimes Cael mothers Iavin and it amuses me endlessly.

12.) Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?

Well how convenient that I literally published an entire post about this last week! Completely on happenstance too, because I had written last week’s post weeeeks ago, long before this BP came out. I’m just psychic I guess. *puts on sunglasses*

Anyways, you can read the post HERE.

13.) Favorite pinterest board / aesthetic for a book?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION. Pinterest = LIFE.

I think my favorite would have to be the Burning Thorns board, mainly because I’ve put the most effort into it. Plus I just adore the dark forest-y feel of it.

Though I’m also very fond of the dark, whimsical feel of the The Nether Isle board, even though it’s pretty small right now.

14.) Favorite time periods & settings to work with?

Medieval fantasy has aaalways been my go-to. It’s my comfort zone. BUT, at the same time, I quite like occasionally slipping out of it and trying something utterly new.

The grungy, futuristic, dystopian world of Fallen Matter was so, so, sooo different. Basically the complete opposite of my usual setting, but I loved that. I loved working with technology and futuristic buildings and contemporary speech. I utterly adored the strange, 1920s-esque, steampunk setting of The Nether Isle. The McGuffin Book, another story I have that…I never got far with at all but still plays in my head quite often, was a set in modern times buuut had mythical beasts and magic which was fun.

But, I still always fall back to a medieval, European, fantasy setting. Still though, I think in general as long as it has fantasy or, ya know, not strictly real world elements, I love it. Being limited by real world things bores me to tears. XD

15.) When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

With every single one of my books, I want the reader to close it with a spark of hope igniting inside them. With a satisfied smile, a content sigh. With the unshakeable truth stirring inside them that there is always light in this world, it’s just a matter of finding it, holding on to it, and never letting the darkness reign.

And I want them to feel as though they just experienced a wild, emotional, amazing journey with a cast of characters they don’t want to say goodbye to.

Whether I achieve this ahahahahahaha! WHO KNOWS. But this asked what I want, not necessarily what I accomplish, SO.

And with that, we reach the end of my last Beautiful People post for the unforeseeable future. *sniffity sniff*

Thank you, Sky and Cait, for the delightful linkup. Every single one brought me a better understanding of my characters and stories, and was just a blast all around. I do hope it returns one day, but if not, I sure am glad for the time we did have with BP!

TALK WITH ME!