First Impressions

I feel honored to participate in this tag, since I have been chosen by both Abigail and Katie to fill it out! So, without further ado, here is my questionnaire for Eye of the Beholder.

Since I completed the editing of Valiant Journeys, I've been spending a great deal of my writing time focusing on editing and tweaking my plans for the novel I affectionately call EotB.

1. Who are the main characters?

Gavin Orford, a proper Victorian gentleman, wealthy, meticulous, a little self-centered and materialistic, and quite the charmer. Rella Torley, a young lady who has spent her life dominated by her elder brother and guardian, and who, though she hardly knows it herself, longs for someone to love her.

They are accompanied in their tale by a host of others, including Rella’s brother, Welford, who serves as the primary antagonist, Gavin’s younger brother, Garland, who is always ready with a punchline and smile, and Gavin’s uncle, Arthur Pendleton, a man whose duties often overpower his good intentions.

2. How did you get the idea for this story?

I was searching for another story idea, initially for a short story competition. I’ve always loved the Arthurian legends, and the story of Gawain and Ragnell was my personal favorite. The original idea for Eye of the Beholder came into my mind while I was brainstorming with my mom one night. I had studied the Victorian Era in school and greatly enjoyed it, so it only seemed natural to mesh the two. From there, it was just a matter of figuring out the logistics of placing it in Victorian England and developing the characters!

3. What genre is this story?

Historical fiction. It is the first time I have truly written in this genre.

4. Describe your book in three thoughts:

Culture clashes with integrity, duty with intention, and expectations with truth. There is more to life than is seen on the surface. More than just beauty resides in the eye of the beholder.

5. The bit that describes an obscure piece of real life best:

I apologize in advance for the length of this section…but I just couldn’t find a way to cut it that didn’t cause it to lose all meaning.

Slowly, [Rella] turned to face the speaker.  A young man stood there, hands in his pockets, auburn curls and a dimpled grin giving him a rather puckish appearance.

            “Pardon my intrusion,” he said, seeming utterly delighted to have stumbled upon her. “My brother sent me to tell you he will be down shortly and said to inform you that if you give me enough to talk about, I shall be a perfect gentleman. […] Oh, goodness, forgive my atrocious manners…I am Garland Orford, Gavin’s younger brother by six years. I love a good conversation, a good book, and most of all, a good biscuit with coffee.” He swept a debonair bow.

            Rella couldn’t help but smile as she curtsied in response.

            “Do you play chess?” Garland asked, his manner in every way abrupt, polite, and easy.

She studied him as surreptitiously as possible. He wore a dark blue coat, checkered trousers, and cream cravat. His boots looked as if they were expensive and new, but already bore the marks of their owner’s roughness.

            “Miss Torley?”

            “No, not well, I’m afraid,” she quickly responded. “I have no one to play.”

            “A tragic strait indeed.” Garland gestured to a chair. “Will you sit?”

           “That’s very kind of you,” she murmured, reluctantly sitting—for in doing so, she exposed her face to him.

            “Not at all, actually. It’s quite selfish. You see, my feet are tired, but Gavin informed me that if I dared to show my inner clod in your presence, he would have me drawn and quartered.” He shot her a disarming smile, and Rella noticed how strongly he resembled his brother.

6. The funniest line said by a side-character thus far:

Lawson sniffed disdainfully. “Idiot French. A snail by any other name is still a snail.”

Or this one. I can’t pick.

[Garland] rose from his seat and stretched. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve run out of coffee. An empty cup is quite a sad sight, don’t you agree?”

7. Your favorite piece of description:

This is easily one of my favorites, though the scene it comes from desperately needs rewriting…

The man nodded, pasted on his smile—which always looked as if it had just been starched and whitened to the point of discomfort—and led the profusely grateful young woman out.

8. Your biggest fear in the writing of this story:

That I will, in the process of loving my characters, stray too far from the original legend.

9. Last full sentence you wrote:

Gavin rolled his eyes as he made his way up the staircase as silently as possible, his brother’s chuckles echoing through the empty hallway.

(Perhaps that could use a bit of editing too…)

10. Favorite character thus far:

Garland Orford. He’s an absolute riot. He’s funny and a bit clueless, but he lives with such enthusiasm that I doubt he ever has a dull day. He’d be the one to leave the house with hair sticking out every which way, and garishly plaid trousers with an equally-garish paisley cravat. To sum him up, he drinks coffee. And has a huge sweet tooth. And all-but idolizes Gavin, yet at the same time, is the only one who can truly shrink his brother’s ego.

11. What books have been written or have you read that are similar in style and flavor to your novel?

I can’t truly say, since I haven’t yet written much for Eye of the Beholder, but I must say that I have always been told that dialogue is one of my strengths in my writing. So, if that gives you any idea regarding the “flavor” of my novel, there you have it.

12. If it was destined to become a book on tape, who would you wish to read it?

If it were to be recorded, I would hope it would be a full-cast radio drama, not just an audio book. But if it were to be an audio book, the reader would need to be someone with a very proper British accent, as I think the majority of the book will be told from Gavin’s perspective.

I tag:

Lauren from Beautiful Hope

Megan from The Poetry of Lost Things

Ivorydancer from Another Once in Time