Shannon here: Kelly Irvin shares insight into creating characters, how they are like and unlike her, plus a chance to win a copy of her Amish Romance, A Daughter’s Choice. Comment on any post dated Oct 21st – Nov 1st to enter the drawing for 6 titles in my Oct Book Bundle #2. Deadline: Nov 8th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Kelly:
Characters who inhabit my stories surprise even me—the writer:
I’m frequently asked how I come up with my characters. The answer might be surprising to y’all. I really don’t know. They slip into my stories and reveal themselves as I write. Their backstory often surprises me, because it provides me with the physical, emotional, and spiritual conflicts and themes that will be explored and confronted during the character’s journey.
Henrietta “Hen” Miller from my latest Amish romance, A Daughter’s Choice is no exception, but she is certainly exceptional in many other ways. Hen and I share a rebellious, rule-breaking spirit and sometimes unruly relationship with our Lord and Savior. However, we’re different in other ways—which makes for a roller-coaster of a ride, a rich, and fun relationship for the writer and the character. In other words, I love Hen so much. She may be one of my favorite characters (and that says a lot since I’ve written about 35 books!)
Here’s an example of how we’re different. Hen loves animals—especially her goats—with a passion. My
Kelly’s cat, Jasmine, enjoying her bed in front of the fireplace
family never had pets, except for a few alley cats my dad fed scraps from our table. With five kids to feed and clothe on a laborer’s salary, Dad didn’t feel we could afford pets. It wasn’t until I married my cat-loving husband that I learned to have affection for animals. My daughter has a menagerie of four dogs and two cats; my son, two dogs and a cat. I love them too! Almost all my characters have pets now.
Hen’s menagerie is far bigger: goats, horses, chickens (especially the rooster Sam), cats, dogs, and cows. Her dad, also her bishop, can’t understand her desire to spend time with livestock, instead of doing womanly chores in the house so she can marry one day.
Kelly making friends with goats at the Calvary Farm while doing research for A Daughter’s Choice
That’s where Hen and I are on the same page (pun intended!). I’m an okay cook, but I’d rather be outdoors or read a book (or both together).Like Hen, I’m not much of a housekeeper. I’m not a slob, but nor do I worry about dusting floorboards. I’m a terrible seamstress. I’ll never forget my frustration and embarrassment in my first home economics class in seventh grade—I know I’m dating myself. I couldn’t make an A-line skirt with straight seams. I was mortified to get a C on a project.
Hen doesn’t care about the C or school, but boy howdy, does she hate being cooped up inside sewing. She’s bad at it because she has no patience for it. Nor is she in any hurry to get married. She has a herd of dairy goats and her own business Hen’s Goat Goodies. She wants to expand to a second herd of goats for their wool. Bishop dad is adamant she will NOT do this. If she keeps it up, she’ll never marry and have children—every Amish woman’s goal in life.
Which leads us to Nicholas Byler. Nicholas moves with his sister Lenora to the Smicksburg, PA, area to take care of his ailing grandfather. He’s hired as a vet’s assistant—a job Hen applied for over her father’s wishes. They immediately butt heads over the care of her family’s elderly horse. They’re alike in so many ways. They both love animals beyond measure. She wants to take care of animals that get sick. Nicholas wants to be a vet—but he’d have to leave his faith and his family to do it. From their first encounter, the sparks fly. Everyone can see them except Hen and Nicholas!
Unlike Hen, I found a soulmate in a man who is my opposite in almost everyway. After 37 years of marriage, we’ve proven it can work. I love to read. Tim never reads, except for computer stuff and instructions. He loves action adventure movies and classic rock. I’m a fan of country music and Christian contemporary music. I prefer movies with lots of character development that entertain, but also make me think and feel. We’ve learned to compromise and expand our horizons to encompass each other’s likes. Tim is a neat freak (I say that in the nicest way), while I have a more lackadaisical approach to clutter. He leads the charge on house cleaning, in part, because of my health and mobility issues. He also does most of the cooking. He’s much better at both than I am. I try to keep up my end of the bargain. He tries not to nag me too much about it.
One big challenge Hen and I face likely appears in the story because of my efforts to explore and resolve faith issues that have arose in my life. Hen struggles with the idea that God has a plan for our lives. Rather she knows He has a plan for her life, but says quite frankly to her Aunt Ginny “it stinks.” Then waits for lightning to strike. Hen’s mother died unexpectedly from a reaction to a treatment that was supposed to cure a minor illness. A few years earlier she’d lost a baby to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Hen is still grieving the loss of her mother and infant brother. She’s still questioning.
Although our circumstances are different, I understand. It’s been ten years since I lost my mobility and I still grieve it. It’s been nine years since I learned I have stage 4 ovarian cancer and will be in treatment for the rest of my life. I’ve had a hard time reconciling myself to a season where I can no longer walk normally, let alone hike, zipline, body surf in the ocean, or pick up and carry my grandkids on my hip, or babysit them.
Even so I’ve found great joy in being here to see them grow and making memories with them. I take immeasurable joy in writing books and knowing that they provoke thought in my readers in their walks with Jesus. My physical weakness has been made a strength of another kind. It’s quite possible the same will be said of Hen’s suffering.
I may not know exactly where my characters come from, but I suspect they spring from the gift of writing that God has given me, along with the gift of a vivid imagination. Most of all, I hope there will be many more like Hen showing up willy nilly in future stories. Won’t that be fun?!
Reader Question: Opposites attract or two peas in a pod? Which works better for you in relationships
(or hasn’t worked in the past!)?
Oct Book Bundle #2
Don’t Blink by Jordyn Redwood, Romantic Suspenses, e-book copy of the complete box set
For the Love of Recipes – recipe collection from various authors including R.F. Whong. Free download when you sign up for her weekly newsletter. You may unsubscribe anytime after the download. There’s no obligation.
Mistletoe and Malice by Lori DeJong, Contemporary Romantic Suspense, print
Salvaged and Liabetes by Shanna M. Heath, Young Adult Contemporary Romance, print
A Daughter’s Choice by Kelly Irvin, Amish Romance, print
About Kelly: Award-winning author Kelly Irvin has published more than thirty-five novels and a dozen novellas in Amish romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction genres. Irvin explores themes of family, forgiveness, trust, love, and faith. A former journalist and public relations professional, she now writes fiction full-time. Having lived with ovarian cancer for nine years, she also writes blogs advocating for new cancer treatments and research. She and her husband reside in Texas. They’re the parents of two children and grandparents to four grandchildren. In Irvin’s spare time, she loves to read, write poetry, and play with her grandchildren.
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About the book – A Daughter’s Choice (releases Nov 1st):
Henrietta Miller loves animals—especially her goats. She wants to marry and have children someday, but right now her goal is to have her own business selling snacks made from goat’s milk and goat’s soaps. Against her the wishes of her father–who’s also the bishop—she applies for a job as a veterinary assistant to earn money. Then newcomer Nicholas Byler snatches the job out from under her—or so it seems to Hen. Now Nicholas is treating Hen’s beloved animals as if he knows more than her. Hen turns her frustrations toward expanding her business to include wool-producing goats, even while her aunt hatches matchmaking plans—with Nicholas Byler, no less.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Kelly’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now!
A Daughter’s Choice – Amazon A Daugther’s Choice – BarnesandNoble
A Daughter’s Choice – ChristianBook A Daughter’s Choice – Bookshop
A Daughter’s Choice – BooksAMillion Kelly’s Books
Come back Nov 1st for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
These books sounds good. Thank you for the chance.
Two Peas in a pod Please enter me in this amazing book giveaway Thank you
Opposites attract. It has worked for my husband and me for over 50 years. Thanks for the great giveaway.