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 Trina Spillman stopping by on her blog tour with a character sketch of her main character, Ian McCullough. Enjoy!
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Learn more about Ian!
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Name of Character: Ian McCullough
Age: 38
Eye Color: Piercing blue
Hair Color: Wavy auburn
Birthplace: United States; grew up moving between military bases
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Place of Residence: Maryland
Description of Home: A beautifully restored historic cottage set back from the road, reached by a long, winding gravel drive and secured by an electric gate. Manicured green lawns and mature landscaping provide privacy and quiet. Inside, warm wood tones, antiques, and carefully chosen furnishings give the home a sense of permanence. The chef’s kitchen is modern but integrated with restraint. This is a home built deliberately, a counterweight to a childhood defined by movement.
Dominant Character Traits: Integrity
Best Friend: A small, carefully chosen circle rather than one lifelong companion. Relationships built on trust rather than proximity.
Temperament: Measured, observant, emotionally controlled. Comfortable with silence. Unflappable until something truly matters.
Ambition: Initially, to build a stable, honest life. Later, to protect the truth and prevent harm, even when it costs him personally.
Educational Background: Undergraduate degree and Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. His education placed him close to power early, but also sharpened his awareness of how easily ethics can be compromised.
Philosophy of Life: Power without accountability corrodes everything it touches.
Bad Habits: Taking on too much responsibility, keeping personal matters private, assuming others will eventually leave.
Talents: Legal reasoning, reading power dynamics, endurance under pressure, and earning trust without spectacle.
Hobby or Hobbies: Swimming, long-distance running, cooking, and maintaining his property.
Why is Character Likeable? He is grounded, capable, and principled without being self-righteous. His strength is quiet, his loyalty intentional.
Favorite Pig Out Food: Well-executed comfort food and baked goods like homemade pasta, slow-cooked meals, or a perfect macaroon.
Character Mini-Interview:
Every New Year’s I resolve to: Protect what I’ve built.
Nobody knows I am:Still wary of permanence.
I wish: Stability didn’t feel like something that could be revoked.
A good time for me is: Cooking a meal from scratch with no interruptions.
When I feel sorry for myself: I remind myself this life was chosen, not assigned.
My friends like me because: I’m discreet, reliable, and steady.
My major accomplishment is: Building a life rooted in choice rather than obligation.
My most humbling experience was: Learning that saying no can be more dangerous than saying yes.
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Learn more about Trina Spillman!
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Trina Spillman, who also writes under the pen name Selene Greenleaf, crafts both practical witchcraft guides and immersive works of fiction that span romance, magical realism, and contemporary thrillers. Splitting her creative life between Colorado’s mountain landscapes and a growing library of story ideas, she blends current events, folklore, plant magic, and real-world rituals to invite readers into transformative experiences. Under Selene Greenleaf, she’s the author of Witchcraft Essentials: A Modern-Day Guide to Spells, Herbs, and Crystals; Cupid’s Craft: Love Spells for Valentine’s Day; and her forthcoming Plant Magic Encyclopedia: Rituals & Remedies, resources designed to help modern practitioners weave intention and botanical wisdom into everyday life. Writing as Trina Spillman, she’s best known for her engaging fairy tale retellings. Upcoming projects include:
A New Dawn — a gripping political thriller of power, ethics, and love, to be released by The Wild Rose Press
Collateral Justice — the powerful sequel to A New Dawn, where a hidden alliance of the world’s elite blurs the line between justice and vengeance.
The Witches of Fablecastle— When a witch hunter’s mirror exposes her forbidden magic, Holly McCool flees through a portal to Fablecastle, only to learn she’s the one destined to stop him from tearing both worlds apart.
The Quantum Hitchhiker’s Guide to Escaping the Matrix — a witty, mind-bending manual on how to hack reality, rewrite your personal code, and manifest with humor, consciousness, and a touch of modern witchcraft.
Whether she’s exploring the ethics of power in a thriller or sharing herbal recipes for daily rituals, Trina/Selene’s work reflects her unwavering belief in the healing and transformative power of words.
Trina’s latest book is A New Dawn.
Visit her website at https://authortrinaspillman.com.
Connect with her on social media at:
╰┈➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authortrinaspillman/
╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18389879.Trina_Spillman
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Inside the Book
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A catastrophic explosion at a New Orleans convention hall critically injures presidential nominee James Sinclair and ignites a national crisis. Attorney Ian McCullough soon uncovers evidence tying
the attack to Vice President Jay Buckley, who has orchestrated a false-flag EMP event to mimic a Chinese assault and destabilize the country for his own rise to power. With the economy collapsing, industries crippled, and global alliances shifting against the United States, Buckley intends to weaponize fear, chaos, and national confusion to consolidate control. Secret recordings obtained by Lee Chang confirm collusion between the administration, foreign officials, and powerful tech interests. The evidence is strong enough to expose the conspiracy if Ian can deliver it safely.
Determined to return to Washington, Ian turns to naval commander Sean Hennessey and asks for a plane. Their strained past reignites when Ian finally admits how deeply Sean’s emotional withdrawal wounded him, especially after concealing the deaths of Ian’s mother, brother, and sister-in-law. Despite the unresolved pain between them, Sean agrees to help. With presidential immunity shielding those in power and time working against him, Ian risks everything to expose the conspiracy, protect James, and prevent the nation from descending into manufactured chaos.
*****
╰┈➤Book Details
- Genre: Political Thriller/Romance
- Sub-genre: Conspiracy Thrillers
- Language:English
- Pages: 224
- Paperback ISBN: 978-1509264681
- Kindle ISBN: 978-1509264698
- Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
⤷ A New Dawn is available at Amazon at https://a.co/d/7vJUkhy.