30 Day Writing Meme: Day #2.

2. How many characters do you have? Do you prefer males or females?

O_O You mean, ALL the characters I've EVER created?? You've got to be KIDDING me. I couldn't count them! There's way too many! Or do you mean, in my current story? lol. In my CURRENT story there are 5 so far. But be assured, there will be many others.
As for which I prefer, males or females...I've really only written a couple novels with a guy as the main character and he was sharing "main character" with a gal. (Mark & Karrie). And I have to say, I love Mark more than Karrie.

BUT. I do enjoy writing females. So much fun. :P Really. You couldn't make a guy jump up and down and squee...that'd just be creepy. With a girl it's just normal. ;) lol. And we all know me...I love my squees.

No, but seriously...I think I just write with more girl protagonists because (duh) I'm a girl and I know how girls think. Well, at least, I know how I think, and I'm a girl, so obviously I know how one girl thinks. (Brilliant theory, huh? :D)
I really would love to write a story where there's a guy and ONLY a guy as the protagonist, but that has yet to come about. I'm *slightly* afraid that if I do, the guy will end up as a sap...a wimp...*shrugs* I hate that. So...until I can come up with a good, strong, realistic male protagonist, I'm waiting. Don't worry...I'm sure he'll come sometime. I did, after all, dream up Mark! :)

30 Day Writing Meme: Day #1.

1. Tell us about your favorite writing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.


My favorite writing project/universe would have to be my Mark & Karrie series set in Massachusetts during WWII...and partially in England and even France. Perhaps one of these days it'll be in Germany as well! :D :D Talk about exciting! French Resistance! O.S.S.! Air raids in England! Mysteriousness set during it all. I love it. I love the characters. I love the time period and the interesting events that happened. The struggles the people went through and defeated. England was so darn brave! RAF pilots are my heroes. :D There's always something new to learn about during that period and it's just all so fascinating to write about. :D

What Have I Been Writing Lately??

“The hairspray is seeping through the pores in my head. Seeping. It is going to start rotting my brain. In fact, it already has. I can feel my brain shrinking.” Teagan thumped her head against the table.
“You're weird.” Aidan gave a look of half-disgust and half-annoyance at his sister.
“My brain is pounding the sides of my head,” Teagan moaned, ignoring him, “It just keeps on going and going. And my eyes burn.”
“What do you know, a fuzzy pink rabbit with Darth Maul eyes.” Aidan spoke sarcastically.
It was Teagan's turn to give him a look of half-disgust and half-annoyance.
“The energizer bunny? It just keeps on going and going and going. And your eyes are red like Darth Maul's.” Aidan shrugged.
“Darth Maul has yellow eyes.” A third voice piped up.
“Whatever.” Aidan rolled his eyes.
“They're not red! They're yellow.” Darcy, Teagan's best friend, insisted.

What It Is Like...

I talk to my writing friends...and we've often discussed what it's like for each of us to be a writer. Because each writer is different...how we view things, how we think, how we react to our characters, how we write.

I think one of the things that really adds to my being a writer is my vivid imagination. I'm the sort of person who imagines the oddest things...not to sound gruesome or anything, but I've wondered in my mind what it would be like if I fell down the stairs and broke my arm. How would I fall? How would my arm look? How much pain would it be?
My mind is rather curious...my thoughts go by very much like a movie inside my head. It's like looking through the eyes of someone else and seeing things happen from a totally different perspective. And yet, at the same time, I am inside the head of whomever I'm imagining.

“Oh, Mark, please be safe! God, I know he's in Your very capable hands, but could you please just surround him with even more extra care? Just let him be safe!” Karrie breathed the prayer out loud, as she finally reached the end of the pier and went up onto the street. She found herself in a very ugly side of the neighborhood. There were old, broken down and dark-looking buildings all around. She shivered as she stood looking about. It almost seemed as if the sun had darkened over this neighborhood and was staying hidden behind a cloud on purpose, just to make it all seem more horrible than it really should have been. She walked slowly up the street towards some of the buildings feeling her dread building.

When I wrote that bit, I was inside Karrie's mind. In my own mind, I could see her quite clearly, looking around, approaching the dark buildings, the cloudy sky making the whole scene more frightening than it would've been in the daylight...yet, at the same time, I was inside her, feeling the fear and worry she felt. I could feel that she was scared of approaching the buildings, but at the same time she had another fear that was worse.

I wouldn't say that my books are REAL to me...I know really they aren't real. But inside, I can FEEL what my characters feel.


My mind is forever over-flowing with questions...What is it like to be terrified? I think it over...imagining worst-case scenarios in my mind, causing a feeling of terror to come over me. This is where it's hard to explain what it's like for me...in some weird way, I can make myself feel sadness, fear, bitterness, scorn, laughter...all the emotions that I put into my characters. I have an odd trait, where as I'm writing out a scene with different emotions, I'll stop and try to FEEL those emotions. It gives me a better taste of what it's like, and able to write about it more. Perhaps I don't exactly go into detail about the emotion...maybe I'll just write:

“You couldn't kill me.” --- (named blocked out so as not to give away spoilers) whole face was contorted into a sneer.

It doesn't go into how scornful, how evil, and how confident that character was feeling. But I feel those feelings just by reading that sentence, because I brought myself to feel those feelings while writing them.

Another odd trait I have is to act out bits of the story...or rather, try out things my characters are doing, just to see exactly how it would look (Sometimes I stand in front of a mirror. lol.) and how it would feel.

Karrie looked disappointed but smiled.
When I wrote that it didn't seem weird to write it. Then I stopped and re-read it. I had to ask myself, "Is it possible to look disappointed and smile at the same time?"
I tried it. It's hard, but it is possible. So I kept it in.
A character leers...what exactly does a leer look like? I try it.
A character grimaces, I grimace.


Talking to my writing friends, I've come across a couple who do some of the same weird actions as me, and others simply tell me that I'm a "highly dramatic person who feels the need to live her characters".
I don't live my characters...I just happen to feel what they feel. They surprise me constantly, just as real people would. They make me laugh, on rare occasions they have even made me cry.


I find my best writing time is in the evening...I am a mystery writer. While I do have a vivid imagination, I also struggle with thinking about murderers and villains in the daytime, when they just seem silly. At night, in the dark, they become more real. And it's easier to feel their emotions and to write about them. Weird, yes. Morbid? Maybe slightly. (No worries, I have no longings or tendencies to go and murder someone. :P)

I also tend to stop and find myself frowning while I write. It's not that I'm unhappy or angry with what I wrote...I think it helps me to concentrate better. It's more of a slight crease between my eyebrows, as I struggle to write exactly what I see in my mind. Sometimes, instead of a frown, it's a stupid, sappy grin.

And you will never, never (okay, very rarely) see me writing without earbuds plugged into my ears. Music is a necessity when I'm writing.


I don't write what I think. I write what I see. What I see in the real world. What I see in books. What I see in movies. But most especially, what I see in my mind...the over-reactive imagination of a writer. What is it like? It is never boring. It is exciting. It is fascinating. It is like breathing. It is...a passion.


*All exerts from "Switched"...do not steal! Not that you'd probably want to, but still. :P

Stolen Meme...

I tag anyone who wants to do this meme...

1) What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
The last thing I wrote...novel-wise? Part of my River Davies novel. But actual writing, that would be a letter. :P Besides some school papers, the first thing I wrote that I still have is my first story "Sunshine Castle". Total funness. :D

2) Write poetry?
Occasionally, but nothing good.

3) Angsty poetry?
Uh, not really.

4) Favorite genre of writing?
Mysteries set in historical times. Preferably WWII. :D

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?
Hmm..probably, Belle in "There on the Titanic"...I so wanted to shake her sometimes.

6) Best plot you've ever created?
Hmm...either the plot in "Pearls in Her Hair" or "Switched". :P

7) Coolest plot twist you've ever created?
lol. I don't know about cool...I love to give little twists whenever I can...probably when former Chief Detective Reynolds turned out eviiiiiiiiiiil!

8) How often do you get writer's block?
Too much. :P

9) Write fan fiction?
I tried once with Campion...never actually finished the story. I'm not a huge fan-fiction, uh, fan. ;)

10) Do you type or write by hand?
Both, but I definitely get a lot more writing done by typing.

11) Do you save everything you write?
Not everything, but most.

12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
Sometimes. :)

13) What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
My Mark & Karrie series...

14) What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?
Um, I'm not sure...you should ask them!

15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
I've done slight romance in my Mark & Karrie series, but I don't like to get into REALLY REALLY romantic novels. lol. Just not my thing. As for angsty teen drama...nah, not really.

16) What's your favorite setting for your characters?
WWII England/U.S.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Um...*counts* Two are actually being written, but I've got like 3 in the planning stages.

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Not yet. :P

19) What are your five favorite words?
I can't just choose 5!!!

20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Hm...I haven't created anyone who is JUST like me, but Karrie has some of my personality...

21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?
Real life people, fictional people, stuff that just pops into my head...:P

22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Occasionally. :D

23) Do you favor happy endings?
I guess I do, since all my finished novels have "happier" endings, but I don't think I'd mind having a sad ending. It's just I don't know if I could get a sad ending to be "genuine"..."real".

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
Not especially...I'm not usually thinking about it AS I write. ;)

25) Does music help you write?
Can't write without music!!

26) Quote something you've written.

“She believes in fairies?” he asked.

“Of course she believes in fairies. Everyone does.” Karrie murmured. “Don't tell me you don't?” she said.

“What? Of course not!” Mark said into the phone.

Karrie tsked, “Really, Mark, you shouldn't say that. Not out loud, at least. Every time you say fairies aren't real, a fairy dies. Oops, there I go. Another one down. How many left?”

Who is Karrie Ingleford?

Karrie Ingleford...yet another of my best characters...wife of the brilliant Mark Ingleford. You saw her name so many times in my introductory post to Mark, so it's only right that she get her own post. Because, she really is such the lovable character.

(Very close to how I imagined Karrie, though with light-brown hair instead of blonde...)

Karina Jane Angelson (pronounced "An-jel-sun") was born on August 25th, 1920 to Robert and Martha Angelson. She was "born and bred" in Boston her entire life. She grew up loving the busy-ness of city life, enjoying being a city girl. She was an only child for ten years, until her brother, Bob, was born.

Karrie wasn't nearly as brilliant in school as Mark was. However, she did possess a certain talent. At age eight, while on summer vacation, Karrie found her way to the newspaper office of the "Boston Star". She was discovered hiding in a corner of the office, watching all the goings-on, by the newspaper photographer, Rick Flaherty. Inspired to creat her own newspaper, Karrie soon grew tired of having to draw all the pictures in her own newspaper. She went to Rick Flaherty and begged him to let her take one photograph with his camera. Soon enough, she discovered she had a talent for photography, and Rick Flaherty taugh her all he knew. When Karrie was sixteen years old, Rick Flaherty died, leaving her his own camera, which she treasured and used constantly.

After graduating from high school at the age of eighteen, Karrie was determined to find some line of work. She literally begged for a position as a photographer for the "Boston Star" until one day, the chief editor broke down and let her fill in for another photographer who had gotten injured. ("Pearls in Her Hair: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #1) She was instructed to take the photographs of a famous actress. The actress, however, was shot during her performance on stage. Because of her enormous curiosity and her ability to react quickly, Karrie was able to take a photograph of the murderer's get-away car and submitted the film to the police. Impressed with her, Detective Chief Reynolds offered her a position on the police force as crime photographer to his replacement, Mark Ingleford. It was on her first big case that Karrie was able to get to know Mark Ingleford so well, as well as meet her best friend, Hayley Carter (Holbrook). When Mark was accused of bribery and false testimony, Karrie took on the job of proving that he was right, even when it put herself in danger. It was all because of her that Mark was ever proved innocent of any crime. Mark proposed soon afterward, and when they were married, Karrie resigned from her position on the police force.

It was on Karrie's twenty-first birthday that her father went missing. ("Death Because of Amber: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #2) Worried beyond distraction, she accompanied Mark when he took on the task of finding her father. While in England searching, Karrie was confronted with some of her worst fears when she and Mark were separated. Stuck in the bleak countryside of England, following a lead from a Jane Austen novel, Karrie was led to an empty, old, and lonely mansion. Faced with the fear from the case, Karrie was only more pressured and worried when she discovered she was pregnant. It was at the darkest moment that Karrie discovered just how much strength she could have with God's wisdom and guidance.

In the spring of 1942, Karrie had her first child, a baby boy named Nicholas. ("In Blackest Night: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #3) She was happy to be a mother and was content to stay at home while Mark followed a lead on his case. But that changed when she started to get horrifying telephone calls from a strange man, who threatened to hurt Mark. Determined not to give into the stranger's demands as well as to help Mark, Karrie escaped from her home that was being watched. With the help of her best friend, Hayley, Karrie followed her own leads to find Mark, only to get wrapped up in a mystery surrounding some paintings. Her own discoveries helped not only Mark's investigation, but also a mystery centered around the hospital and her cousin Reggie.

In the spring of 1943, Karrie caught a bad case of the influenza, and only irritated it more by staying out in the cold, helping Mark with a case. When she finally recovered, her doctor ordered her to go on a vacation free of any worries. ("Switched: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #4) Unfortunately, Karrie couldn't seem to stop worrying, especially when her new friend, Leighton, was accused of murder. She got caught up in the mystery, facing not only a car bomb, but also a betrayal which led her to getting severly injured and landing her up in the hospital yet again.


Karrie is a young, happy-go-lucky sort of girl, who loves to laugh and loves to make others laugh. She has a rather dramatic side to her, as well as a serious, mature nature. She gets Mark to lighten up in ways that no one else can, and even though she can drive him beyond distraction, she also makes life more fun. She has a sweet, kind way about her, wanting to help beyond her abilities. She is passionate and enthusiastic about helping her husband in cases. On the other hand, she is also quick to accuse, quick to think wrong AND well of people, quick-tempered, apt to speak before she thinks, and can be rather fool-hardy at times. She is also observant, noticing the little details, she has a motherly nature, and a stubborn way that makes her not want to give up easily. She loves to play pranks, especially on her husband, and is a bit of a romantic.

Random facts about Karrie:
She doesn't care for her full name, Karina, insisting she be called Karrie at all times.
Loves to dance.
Loves to go to the movies.
Is passionate about photography.
Talks about fairies at the oddest times.
Loves a bit of excitement.
Is an ardent Jane Austen fan.
Loves the fact that her husband has British roots.
Is pretty in, but not in a way that she sticks out.
Her best friend is Hayley Carter Holbrook.

Who is Mark Ingleford?

Mark Ingleford...the character I created, who has totally won me over...whom I think it my best character...the one I love to write about the most. In a way, I am in love with him! But just who is he? Well, for me, all I have to do is say, "He's Mark!" but obviously that's not going to mean anything to you all. So let me introduce you, in-depth, to Mr. Mark Ingleford:


Mark Joseph Ingleford was born on May 23rd, 1914. His parents, Joseph and Mildred Ingleford, were originally from England, moving to the states a few years prior to Mark's birth. They had become American citizens before he was born, and thus he was born an American with a British name and heritage.

For the first few years of his life, Mark was raised in a small town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He and his parents moved into Boston when he was quite young, so he grew up knowing Boston as "home". He was raised in a Christian home as an only child. His own, personal beliefs grew stronger each day and his goal became to serve God in anyway that he could.

School was a breeze for him, and he graduated high school at the young age of fifteen. Interested in helping others and in wanting to help rid the word of as much evil as he could, Mark entered the police force at the age of seventeen. Starting at the bottom, he quickly made his way towards the top. He was bright, willing to learn, clever, and wise, which made him a favorite with everyone on the force.

Just after he turned eighteen, both his parents were killed in an accident. From then on, he was on his own, working even harder to rise in the police force. He had the honor to become detective sergeant at the age of twenty-two, serving under Detective Chief Reynolds, the man who had influenced him the most in the force. It was just two years later that Detective Chief Reynolds was forced to retire, which led to Mark's own promotion to detective chief at the age of twenty-four.

It was on his first case as detective chief in 1938 (aka "Pearls in Her Hair: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #1"), that Mark's path collided with Miss Karina (Karrie) Angelson's, as she was hired as his crime photographer. They were paired together, along with Detective Sergeant William Holbrook to solve a murder set in the countryside. During the case, Mark was wrongfully accused of accepting bribes and giving false testimony in court. When his name was cleared, Mark was faced with a difficult decision...eventually, he decided to leave the force and help build an agency for troubled men and boys of all ages.

Forced to spend so much time with his young crime photographer, Mark was also forced to get to know her more. Karina encouraged him, assisted him, and stood up for him when no one else could. It was inevitable *wink*...he fell for her. After his decision to leave the force, Mark proposed and Karina accepted. They were married the following year, in 1939.

However, mysteries seem to follow Mark and his wife, Karrie, wherever they go. It was Karrie's birthday when they discovered that Karrie's father suddenly went missing. ("Death Because of Amber: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #2) Concerned, Mark and Karrie went to the New York offices of the packaging company that Mr. Angelson worked at. Following the clues left in the offices, as well as ones from a strange telephone call, Mark and Karrie headed to England, where war was already declared on Germany, in 1941. Their investigation brought them to a young, British woman, who escaped murder only to suddenly go missing as well. Mark and Karrie were separated by their investigation, Mark sent into France, and Karrie into the countryside, each following a lead. They were faced with not only murder, kidnapping, and robbery, but espionage, the French Resistance...and on top of it all, there was a traitor in their midst. Even in spite of solving another case, there was tragedy as well as joy...a bittersweet way to return to the States.


Mark was 29 in early spring of 1942...America was at war after the attack on Pearl Harbor the December before. The agency Mark was working for was closing down, and Karrie was very pregnant. While smoothing over an attempted robbery at a nearby theater, Mark was approached by a representative of the U.S.O. (United Service Organization), who hired him as a private detective to solve the mystery behind wounded soldiers who were being drugged, items that were going missing, and especially the disappearance of a young woman. ("In Blackest Night: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #3) The case was slow-going at first, and Mark and Karrie were distracted by the birth of their son. It was afterward that Mark got his first real lead and headed into the countryside again to search for the missing woman. Soon, his wife and child were involved and the case crashed into another case involving his friend Mags, Karrie's cousin Reggie, sabotage within the U.S. navy, valuable paintings, and German spies. It was after solving the case that Mark felt led to open his own private detective agency.

In the summer of 1943, by the orders of Karrie's doctor, Mark and Karrie went on holiday by train, where Mark was confronted by yet another mystery. ("Switched: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #4") A young woman entered their life when she was being chased by strange men. The case became more complicated when a murder occurred on the train and the young woman was implicated. When the police inspector in charge of the case was injured in a train accident, Mark stepped into his shoes and took charge until more help could arrive. The case led from there to one of not only murder but more espionage and some sort of link to Italy. Everything Mark thought true was switched around, and it became a matter of his wife's life when everything became clear.


Mark: a man of quiet strengths, immense wisdom, and a great willingness to serve and help others. He is capable of viewing things through different eyes, able to separate the good from the bad, and the knowledge needed to unravel each puzzle that comes his way. He is far from perfect, however. He struggles with impatience and controlling his annoyance with others. He likes to be control, and can forget sometimes that everything is in God's hands and not his own. He is over-confidant at times, and yet, he practically always remains calm. He is cool, collected, and level-headed. He loves God with all his heart, and yet he knows that there is always so much for him to learn. He loves his wife dearly and puts up with her silly, wacky nature with a great sense of humor.

Random facts about Mark Ingleford:
Handsome, but not too handsome.
Is a great dancer.
Plays piano.
Loves putting together puzzles.
Can speak three other languages (French, German, and Russian).
Loves Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller...
Loves going to the movies.
His best friend is William Holbrook.

Okay. Enough about Mark. But...c'mon, doesn't he sound great?