Today, my dear friend, Marilyn Meredith, tells you about how she created some of her supporting characters using her friends. I was fortunate to win a contest to have my name used in one of her books (Spirit Shapes). She used the character again in The Trash Harem. I loved “my” character! Today, she’ll tell you about another friend.
Yes, that was one of my good friend’s request.
Over the years, I’ve named characters after people—usually
as a prize. This is an accepted practice used by many authors. However, the
character’s appearance, profession, and personality are usually completely
different.
I wasn’t sure if I should do what she wanted, but she was
insistent. So, in this case, the name of the character is different. I called
her Miqui Sherwood instead of using her real name. But everything else is very
much like my friend: her looks, her hobbies, her interesting quirks, and personality
traits
She appears in four of my Tempe Crabtree mysteries,
including the latest one (which is also the last.) This time she asked, “How
about giving me a boyfriend?”
I gave her two.
She’d given me some hints about what she liked in men as
far as looks, behavior, etc.
Miqui Sherwood made her first appearance in Raging Water. Her friends told me I’d
nailed it. And best of all, she loved it.
Now we will see if she likes what happens to her in A Final Farewell.
You might be interested in knowing how I feel about this
being the last book in the series. When I wrote End of the Trail, I thought it might be the last—but then I got the
idea for The Trash Harem, and it had
to be written.
Because I had a major change in my life, which happened
before I’d quite finished this tale, I knew I was saying goodbye to Tempe, her
husband, Hutch, and all of her friends in Bear Creek. Believe me, it hasn’t
been easy. They’ve all lived in my imagination for many years.
Does this mean I won’t be writing anymore? Absolutely not.
I can’t imagine my life without writing. I’m in the middle of rewriting a
camping cookbook, and I have plans for either a young adult mystery set during
World War II, or perhaps just a piece about me growing up during that time. Not
sure yet.
I must say a big thank-you to my good friends Lorna and
Larry Collins, who made it possible for all my books to be re-edited and
re-published. It would not have happened without all their hard work.
I'm the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series under the name, F. M. Meredith. I've also written stand-alones in other genres including historical family sagas and horror. Reading and writing have been a part of me since I was a little girl--a very long time ago. I love to hear from readers who have enjoyed my books. I've made many new and good friends among the readers and writers at various mystery conventions and conferences.
Hubby and I live in the foothills of the Sierra much like the place where my heroine Tempe Crabtree lives. And we once lived in a beach community that resembles Rocky Bluff.
I've also written several stand-alone books for Kindle and paper.
I love to hear from my readers or have them visit my webpage at http://fictionforyou.com
#20 and the newest and last in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, A Final Farewell.
The discovery of a body in a neighbor’s pond piques Tempe’s
curiosity. No longer a deputy, she still begins her own investigation into to
the death of a woman who’d been missing for several years. It isn’t long before
someone tries to kill Tempe and her husband, Hutch. Miqui Sherwood has two
handsome suitors. And Tempe’s longtime friend and mentor, Nick Two John, is
extremely ill.
Thank you for letting me be a guest on your blog, Lorna, and for being such a good friend.
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to have you.
Delete