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| Marilyn Meredith on the right, with granddaughter, Jessica |
Contest: The winner will be the person who comments on the most blog posts during the tour.
He or she can either have a character in my next book named after them, or choose an earlier book in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series—either a paper book or e-book.
Where
do the Minor Characters Come From?
In my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, there are a few
continuing minor characters who at times have major parts.
The most important one is, of course, Nick Two John.
He’s been in nearly every one of the mysteries. Another Indian, Nick is the one
Tempe often goes to for answers though he tends to be enigmatic. His life
partner, Claudia, pokes her head in now and then.
Other minor characters who make regular appearances
are the two sheriff’s detectives, the crime scene investigator, the coroner,
and the Tribal Police Chief.
In River Spirits, Miqui Sherwood makes
a second appearance. She played a big part in Raging Water, picturing
herself as an amateur sleuth. The character was based on a friend who begged to
be in one of my books. After her first go-round, she asked to do it again.
Usually, the new minor characters consist of the
murder victim and the suspects. River Spirits revolves around the
murder of the male star of a low-budget film being made on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation. The cast and crew of the movie company make-up the majority of the
new minor characters with a few Indians thrown into the batch.
And of course, there is the legendary Hairy Man.
He’s made a couple of appearances in other books, and pops into this one too.
The Hairy Man is a big presence on the Bear Creek Indian Reservation whether
he’s seen or not.
Where these characters actually come from is a bit
hard to pin-point. First, my imagination, though I can see each one clearly in
my mind’s eye. Some of the characters are people I’ve met along the way—not
necessarily as they look, but the essence of their personalities. My goal, of
course, is that the reader will see them just as clearly as I do.
Marilyn Meredith
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What River Spirits is About:
While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made
against the female stars, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor
is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again,
the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest
Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.
I’m leaving here to meet with Cheryl Malandrinos at http://bookscanbedeadly.blogspot.com/
and writing about what might be next for Tempe.
WHERE TO FIND RIVER SPIRITS:
From the publisher, all formats:
For Kindle:
Amazon paperback:
For Nook
Please leave a comment to welcome Marilyn Meredith to Book Beat Babes.
Thank you, Morgan, for hosting me today. For some reason I had a hard time locating you, but glad to be here.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I'm always amazed by how much you do! I wish I could get half as much accomplished. Welcome to Book Beat Babes!
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I must say I love the cover of River Spirits! Thanks for another very interesting post!
ReplyDeleteI think this Amy, right? In any case, I really like what the cover artist does with this series. I've had the same one for a long time. Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI tend to fall in love with writing the minor characters as they can and often do say anything they want... Good luck with your new release Marilyn!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lynn. I've even had some minor characters nearly take over a book!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you've heard of the annual Hairy Man Festival in Round Rock, TX, Marilyn? It's a hoot!
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't. The Hairy Man in the series is similar to Big Foot.
ReplyDeleteOften the 'minor's have almost as much to say as the 'majors!' :)
ReplyDeleteHi Christine, you are so right, they can take off on their own.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I love that you created a character based on a friend who begged to be in one of your books. So, if I don't win your contest, then I might start begging. : )
ReplyDeleteBegging works. The only thing with my friend, I didn't use her name, but I described her looks and personality--her friends all say I absolutely nailed her.
ReplyDelete