Years ago (and still applies today), the experts were telling fiction writers that in order to really know their main character, they must come up with a character profile sheet for them and definitely applies to all your characters as well. This is a good practice because once you know all the ins and outs of all your characters, the book flows better and allows the author to get inside the head of each of their characters.
We decided to ask authors if they would like to come up with a character sketch of their main character, throwing in a few unique questions to make it really fun!
Today we have Kayleigh Kavanagh stopping by on her blog tour with a character sketch of her main character, Mary-Anne Smith, nickname Yana. Enjoy!
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Learn more about Yana!
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Name of Character: Mary-Anne Smith, nickname Yana
Age: 14
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Birthplace: Colne, England
Marital Status: Single. But the book follows her marriage interviews and the epilogue shows her married.
Children: None. In the epilogue, three.
Place of Residence: Family home. Epilogue, husbands estate.
Description of Home: warm, full of life, large enough for the siblings to all have their own rooms.
Dominant Character Trait: Stubborness
Best Friend: non mentioned.
Enemies and Why: Lord James, who wants to marry her. The old god threatening their lives.
Temperament: Bubbly and sweet with a sarcastic streak.
Ambition: To marry the man she loves and have children.
Educational Background: Finishing school, but knows her numbers and letters.
Philosophy of Life: God will provide
Bad Habits: Thinking she knows everything
Talents: The gift of foresight
Hobby or Hobbies: Making plans and plots
Why is Character Likeable? She has that headstrong naivety that only someone her age can. She’s a good person despite her ignorances.
Favorite Pig Out Food: biscuits (cookies)
Character Mini-Interview:
Every New Year’s I resolve to: Be the best version of me
Nobody knows I am: A descendant of the Pendle witches
I wish: I could have lots of babies
The worst part of my life is: having to deal with men I don’t want to marry
I want to teach my children that: They are capable and strong, especially with our family gifts
A good time for me is: Spending time with my mother, or other women I admire, like my teacher Mrs Stoneby or the midwife, Claire Davies.
The worst advice my father gave me is: He’s very naive when it comes to the men he associates with, and doesn’t see that they’re not as honourable as him. It wasn’t so much advice, but the fact he thinks his family is automatically safe with these men simply because he wouldn’t do anything untoward is a message I picked up through osmosis and when I had to tell him otherwise, he was very shocked and resistant.
When I feel sorry for myself: I try to realise there must be a reason for it, though Chattox would probably comment on how I have a little wallow first.
My friends like me because: I was clever and helped them sneak cakes from the kitchen.
My major accomplishment is: Helping to save everyone I love through my family’s gifts.
My most humbling experience was: Realising the man I loved couldn’t love me back.
Meet the Author
Kayleigh Kavanagh is a disabled writer from the North-West of England. Growing up in the area, she learnt a lot about the Pendle Witches and launched her debut novel around their life story. Her main writing genres are fantasy and romance, but she loves stories in all formats and genres. Kayleigh hopes to one day be able to share the many ideas dancing around in her head with the world.
Her latest book is the historical fantasy, One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches.
You can visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads and Tiktok.
Inside the Book
When 14 year old Yana comes into her psychic abilities and inherits the ‘eyes of the Chattox family’, she can see the long-dead witches, as well as an encroaching evil. But even with this foreknowledge, she’s trapped by marriage interviews and being unable to see her own future, and more importantly, whoever her future husband will be.
Demdike’s healing gifts are alive and working in Claire, a mid-30s midwife well renowned for her skills and holding her tongue. The Secrets of Pendle are safe with her and her midwives. However, when surgeons looking to make standardisation the norm encroach on her territory, she soon realises how, even a respected woman is vulnerable in a patriarchal system.
The two descendants must come together to protect the ones they love from an ancient evil, all whilst balancing their lives and the cruelties of being a woman in a man’s world. Set in late 1800s NW England, this book has all the elements of the area: strong, hardy people, atmospheric horror and days as unpredictable as the weather.
One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches is available at Amazon.