Do the characters in the stories you read come to life in your head? And in your heart? Is there some special something about the book or the characters that makes that happen for you?
A few years ago I got a very nice note from a reader who had gone to Rosey Corner. She hadn’t read the first book, Angel Sister. Instead she had picked up the 2nd visit to Rosey Corner, Small Town Girl. While I do have three books set in my Rosey Corner community, I did try to write them so that they all read like standalone novels, and my publishers didn’t name the books as a series. I’ve noticed now that many publishers not only like a series but they publish the books in those series very close together. Maybe that’s to keep the characters and places fresh in the readers’ minds.
My Rosey Corner books were published about a year apart. I know from the reviews that some readers discovered Rosey Corner first through the second or third book, Love Comes Home. Whenever I’m at a book event and a reader asks me, I do tell them the books are standalone stories, but if they think they might read all three, it is more fun to start with the first one.
Here’s my reader’s message.
Mrs. Gabhart, I have never written an Author before today! I just finish reading Small Town Girl! I do so hope there will be a follow up on Jay Tanner and Carl and Mike did they return home? How’s Birdie? Graham and aunt Hattie and Fern? Poe and Scout?
I read your book in 3 short days . I’m sorry if I am long winded I can’t put words to paper as you do! I am so looking forward to finding more of your books! I am ashamed to say this was my first book I read from you. The cover caught me eye. So I do as I always do! Open the book to chapter 1, read the first paragraph and if it catches my attention I’m buying if I can afford it! I am going to look for Angel Sister! As I now know it was your first Rosey Corner novel! I love the people in this book! I am from Kentucky, Covington and Newport area. I was born there!
Her questions made me think about how characters do come to life in stories and how I love it when the people I drop down in my stories take on a personality and purpose that springs from who knows where as I write their stories. Of course I did write that one follow-up to let my reader know a few of the answers to her questions about Jay and Carl and Mike making it home from the war. Love Comes Home told more about Lorena or Birdie as the reader and Jay in the story called her. And that story had plenty about Graham, Aunt Hattie and Fern.
She even wanted to know how my dog characters were doing. I love having dog characters. Didn’t have an animal character in my book to come out in May. The setting didn’t suit a dog, but I think I could have worked one in somehow. I’ll have to come up with one for my work in progress although progress has been slow as Christmas zooms toward us and I have a deadline on final edits for the May release, In the Shadow of the River.
But even after the third book, my Rosey Corner sisters had plenty more living to do and maybe someday I’ll go back to Rosey Corner for a new story. I do like the sister theme that carried through all the stories and I think I was able to make my Merritt sisters so real because in that first story, Angel Sister, I modeled them on my mom and her sisters. The picture up top is my mother and her sisters with their parents in front of their house. In that picture, they are probably four or five years younger than I made them in my book. Kate was my mom, the one who always took care of whatever needed doing. Evie, the oldest Merritt sister, was something like my mom’s older sister in that she wasn’t a tomboy and she always wanted things to look right. Tori, the younger sister, was like my mom’s younger sister in that she liked to fish and would cry easily when things upset her. Lorena, the young adopted in sister, isn’t really like my mom’s youngest sister except that she was always sweet and full of love.
And here is a picture of them closer to the age the characters in my books might have been.
The best thing about Mom and her sisters was how much fun they had when they got together and how they loved to talk about their growing up years during the Great Depression. I’m thankful I listened and let those stories take root in my story well to rise up years later to bring their childhood home to life with sisters who weren’t them but thinking about Mom and her sisters helped me breathe life into my fictional sister. Maybe that’s why a reader could read my Rosey Corner stories and wonder about what happened to my characters after the final page.
I’ve posted this picture before, but it’s still a favorite of mine. Mom is the one of the left.
Thanks for all the great comments about sisters that you shared with us on the last post. The giveaway is continuing to let you have a chance to win your choice of one of my books. You can get your name thrown into my giveaway drawing hat by leaving a comment on this post. Each time you comment on a new post before the deadline of midnight EST December 30th, 2022, you get another entry. No purchase or any kind of sign up is required. Just a comment on a blog post.
Here’s today’s question you can answer for your entry. Or any comment will do.
Have you ever met a character in a story who lived in your heart for a while and made you wonder about their life after the story’s end?
Comments 27
I enjoy being able to relate to a character. Makes the story so much better.
Author
I do agree, Caryl. A book without a character I can like and root for is not much fun to read. In fact, I probably won’t read it. 🙂
Yes I can when you get so close to the characters in the books then when they end You don’t want them too!
Author
All stories have to come to an end, I suppose. But it is fun to imagine what might happen on down the road for them, Sarah. And sometimes it’s fun to write another story about that next or read one.
I’ve always wondered about Martitia Howland from “They Loved to Laugh” by Kathryn Worth. I really like that book. 😀
Author
Sounds as if that character found a place in your heart for sure, Elizabeth. That’s what all writers hope for when they write a book.
Yes many characters come to life for me, most of them from your books since I started reading them this year. Jocie was the first and still sticks with me! I loved the Jupiter talk between Jocie and Wes. I would love it if you were able to write another books about these characters.
I love every book of yours that I have read but as I have often said in my comments, my favorite book is “When The Meadow Blooms”. The book caught my attention from the first paragraph and did not let me go. I think this is because I work with children who have been removed their homes; I supervise visits between parents and their children while they are in foster care. The characters in this book touched my heart in a way I can’t put into words. I cried tears of sadness and tears of joy while reading it.
I love hearing about your mom and her sisters and the love they shared. Thank you for bringing these characters to life in my head and heart!
Author
I’m glad my sisters, Calla and Sienna, were real enough to you, Pamela, that you shed some tears for them. Your work sounds as if it would at times be heart rending as you want the best for the children you work with. But it’s great that people like you are willing to do those hard jobs. Some of the research I did about orphanages in the late 1800’s was really sad, but I hope that most places were good to the children.
I appreciate you giving my various stories a read. I don’t always write the same type of story, but my readers are very kind to follow me down whatever story path I chose. I did have fun with Wes falling out of that Jupiter spaceship to add some smiles to my Hollyhill books.
I think a great way for the authors to build good characters is the in depth descriptions of the thier personality, and physical traits. Also when the characters interact with each other. I love the interesting descriptions of where the story takes place. Ann, you do a very good job of both of these. I especially liked When Love Comes Home, I liked how it told about who came home from the war, and the sadness the reader feels for the ones that didn’t . I like how the authors let the reader get to know the characters, where you actually care about them and are interested in what happens to those people. I like how the characters come to life like real people. Thanks & Write On
Author
I’m with you in liking those things in the books I read too, Jolynn. Many of my stories are more character focused than action focused and I guess that’s because that’s the type of book I like to read. I want to get to know the characters and to know what makes them tick. But some action in a story is good too. Getting the right mix is what makes a good story. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do that with the story I’m working on now as I try to write on. 🙂
Yes! The sign of a really good book is when you think about those characters long after that last page. I still think about Josie and Adrian and Sarafina, along with others from your stories. I hope to someday find out how they’re doing, even if it’s just a tidbit in another story.
I love that photo of your mother laughing with her sisters! That’s priceless!
Have a grand weekend, Ann. Thank you for creating characters that touch our hearts.
Author
I do so appreciate you reading my stories, Lavon, and liking my characters. Not sure about that Sarafina. Maybe that’s some other writer’s creation or maybe you were thinking about Sophrena in my Shaker books. But I do like the name Sarafina. Maybe I should write a story about her.
That is a favorite picture of Mom and her sisters. It shows their personalities so plainly to me. They did have fun when they got together.
Yes, Sophrena was who I meant. I knew I had it wrong, but once a reply is sent, there’s no editing. And auto correct keeps changing Jocie to Josie. Gotta love these “smart phones”! Hahaa!
Oh yes! Sometimes it’s so hard to finish the last in a series because I just don’t want to say goodbye! Sometimes I’ll take the story further so I don’t have to say goodbye. Thankfully I’ll get another story to draw my attention onto someone else.
Author
That’s the thing, Shari. We carry those fictional friends around until some new fictional characters beckon us down a new story trail. Aren’t books the most fun?
All the time! I typically prefer series because I’m not ready to say goodbye to the characters.
Author
You make writers and publishers of series very happy, Dana. The interesting thing about the few series I’ve written is that often the people reading one of the stories doesn’t even realize there are other stories about those same characters. I guess that’s poor marketing on my part.
I actually love it when characters in books become my best friends. I think series that have the same characters in the story, are a great way to keep their lives alive in my mind, seeing them in different life situations! I love that I can imagine how they look, and love to read details, like what they are eating or wearing! Reading is such good medicine!!
Author
I do agree, Bonnie. Reading can be good medicine and a way to turn a gloomy day into something happier. I haven’t read that many series but I can see why that would make a character even dearer to a reader as you get to know more and more about them.
I always enjoy having you write a bit about several of your previous books in your newsletters because it helps me to decide which of your books I want to read next. I read Angel Sister earlier this year, but I didn’t realize that there are two more Rosey Corner books I’ve not read yet. I’m also eager to read the two other murder mystery books that follow Murder at the Courthouse. I really like your writing style and so I’m delighted to have many more “treasures” from your pen awaiting me!
Author
I do hope you’ll go back to Rosey Corner and catch up on what happens next to my Merritt sisters, Roberta. Actually the third story, Love Comes Home, was the Selah Book of the Year when it was published. The Selah is an award given out by the Blue Ridge Writers Conference. So that was super neat. I have an overabundance of copies of that book. So maybe I should have a giveaway just for it. But it would be best if readers tried Small Town Girl first.
If you read any of the books you mentioned, I hope you’ll enjoy the stories.
can’t think of any
Author
The characters I read about don’t linger long once I start reading another story. But if the story has ended badly, I sometimes want to rewrite the ending in my head and keep thinking if only this or that had happened.
That seems to happen with just about all the books I read until I get involved in the next book, then I have new characters to wonder about.
Author
You know, Connie, that’s true for me too. Even the characters I write about. The new characters in whatever I work on next do push those other characters out of the limelight in my imagination. I do remember having some trouble leaving Jocie and Wes from the Hollyhill books behind. I did enjoy listening to those two do their Jupiter talking. 🙂 Maybe that’s why I let Jocie start reporting from Hollyhill in my Heart of Hollyhill blog.
I am a bit behind on your post. Been a bit of a rough time. We had to have our 17-year-old cat put to rest last week and then the next day, Dec 7, my aunt passed away. She was one of two sisters of my dad. She and my other aunt were incredibly close. My living aunt lives in Florida and the other like us, lived in PA. They talked on the phone every Saturday morning unless something prevented it and was very important to both of them. My heart hurts for my aunt as she deals with the loss of her younger sister. My aunt who passed and my uncle were never able to have children but she always sent out birthday cards to her many nieces and nephews with a couple dollars in them and then did it for our children. I really don’t know how she kept track of it all because she also sent cards for our wedding anniversaries as we grew up and married. I have a sister and she lives in Connecticut and with the loss of my aunt, it makes me even more conscious of how blessed I am to have my sister. Sister bonds are special.
Today we are without power as we are hit by winter pretty much showing us all it has to offer with snow, sleet, freezing rain. Power is expected to be out for a while, but we are blessed to have a generator, so not having water is our main issue…it doesn’t run the well pump. I started tonight’s supper in the crock pot this morning, so no one will go hungry! 🙂
I often have characters from books that stick with me. I just finished re-reading River to Redemption and so I am wondering what would happen next for all of them….Did Ruth have a baby…did Adria ever find love…and I wonder what life was like for Louis-both the real man and the character in your story. Thanks for writing books with characters that we can feel connected to and want to know more about. And sorry I have written a mini-book myself! 🙂
Author
So sorry things have been rough for you this month, Hope. It’s hard to have to say goodbye to one of our furry friends. And then to have the sadness compounded by the death of your dear aunt. She sounds like a wonderful lady and for sure, her sister will miss her. When Mom was declining and struggling with dementia, I think it was her sisters she missed most. I know the blessing of my sisters.
Sorry too about the nasty weather you’re having and sounds like things are just going to get worse in the week to come. I know a lot of people want snow for Christmas, but I never do. That’s because I want my kids to be able to make the trip home without the worry of slick roads.
I don’t mind reading mini-books. Love that you read my books and wonder about my characters. I do have an idea for a follow-up story about Adria but I’m not sure I’ll ever get it written. But it would answer some of those questions.