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?

new novel

I'm feeling down today, so to get my thoughts elsewhere and to relax a bit, I decided to let my thoughts run free and come up with a new story idea. Of course, I won't be able to start working on this new idea for ages to come, but I just had to make a book cover for it as well. :P It is:


"Snapshots" is a mystery surrounding Hayden. Hayden is an introvert and likes to keep herself to herself. She has never bothered anyone and no one has bothered her...until. Someone starts photographing her and sending her the photos anonymously. She is being stalked and threatened...her life is being invaded...and she has no idea why. She will have to turn the tables and leave her comfort zone to take her own snapshots.

Random Boringness

Sometimes I wonder if there's something to it when dad teasingly tells me I must be bipolar.

I like to think of it more as I'm a Marianne Dashwood with just a tad more sense. I have been described as passionate before. I either REALLY love something or REALLY hate something, I've been told. I honestly don't that's quite true...I'm not as black and white as I once was, and I definitely have my moments where it's like, "Eh, it was okay. I didn't love it, but I didnt' hate it." So, see? I compromise. ;) But it is funny how sometimes my emotions can be wacky...one day I'm hyper-happy and the next day I'm all blue. Maybe it's because I use up all my energy on the hyper day? lol.

Oh, don't worry...I'm not a person who gets really bad depression and thinks about jumping off London Bridge (seriously, if I was in London, I'd be in my hyper mode!!!), these are just random thoughts here.


So. What have I been reading lately? Cuz I just KNOW you've been DYING to know, right? ;) lol. Yeah, okay, so maybe you weren't. Still, you're gonna get a peek:



I LOVE WWII novels to PIECES. And this one is no exception. I just recently picked up my own copy...I finally have my own copy to add to my personal library! Squee! It's sweet, it's sad...I recommend that if you read it, read it with caution. I've heard it called "disturbing" before, and I guess it is. The ending made me cry when I first read it. It's definitely a favorite of mine!


What have I been watching? A mixture of both:


and



Both very interesting...so yup, getting my fill of tv shows. lol. I prefer NCIS, but I DO like the actor Simon Baker, who is the star of "The Guardian"...I do believe I prefer him in "The Mentalist", however. ;)


And how about what I've been listening to?


and




Yup. Interesting, I know. ;)

Until next time, Peeps! Sorry for the random boring-ness. :D

Posting...

Here I am...soundly admonished for letting a whole month go by without a post. ;) lol.
Poor neglected blog! *sigh*

What have I been doing?

Well...I'm currently reading one of the most wonderful books ever..."Laddie" by Gene Stratton Porter. Full of sweetness, and rioting comedy! Seriously!

She said if the child really had talent, she should be about developing it, and while there would be many who would have far finer things than Shelley, still she meant her to have enough that she wouldn't be the worst looking one, and so ashamed she couldn't keep her mind on her work. Father said, with her face it didn't make any difference what she wore, and mother said that was just like a man; it made all the difference int he world what a girl wore. Father said maybe it did to the girl, and other women; what he meant was that it made none to a man. Mother said the chief aim and end of a girl's life was not wrapped up in a man.

So so so true! ;)

And I have been writing...

“I'm Karrie,” Karrie held out her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Karrie” the young woman shook it.
“It's Bertha, isn't it?” Karrie suddenly blurted out.
“What?” the young woman looked confused.
“Your name. It's Bertha, isn't it?”
“What makes you think that?!” the young woman asked, half-amused.
“Because you obviously don't want to tell me your name...so it must be dreadful. And I can't think of any thing more dreadful than Bertha. Actually, Annabelle...that's the most stuck up name I've ever heard. It's not Annabelle is it?” Karrie asked.
The young woman laughed, “And what would you say if I said 'yes'?”
“I'd die of mortification.” Karrie grinned.

Yup. :)

Quote

"Of course, in a novel,
people’s hearts break, and they die, and that is the end of it; and in a
story this is very convenient. But in real life we do not die when all
that makes life bright dies to us. There is a most busy and important
round of eating, drinking, dressing, walking, visiting, buying, selling,
talking, reading, and all that makes up what is commonly called living,
yet to be gone through..."

Memories...

Sometimes it's hard to grasp that I am twenty years old. That I have lived twenty years. I look back and feels like it was no time at all...I mean, I can remember things from when I was nearly 3. I can remember birthday parties. I remember thinking to myself, "I can't wait until I'm 16." I remember the first time I slept over my grandparents. I remember getting my very first bike. I remember the first day I rode my bike without the training wheels. I don't know about everyone else, but memories are mostly stored in my mind like short clips of film. No sound...just kinda like watching a tiny clip. It's kind of like that with my writing as well. I see what I write like a movie inside my head. Rather, I see the story played out in my head...sometimes a scene is played out several different ways, and I just write down what I see.



I'm not quite positive how old I was...the oldest would've been six going on seven, as I had yet to get my glasses. It was summer and hot outside. All my siblings and I were outside playing in a tiny kiddie pool and the hose. Someone, probably my oldest brother, had the brilliant idea of pushing the kiddie pool underneath the swingset, fill it up with water, then climb half-way up the side of the swingset, jumping down into the kiddie pool for a refreshing splash. It was an old swingset...or perhaps it had just gotten a lot of wear from six kids. Several of the swings were broken off, and many of the screws on the poles had their protective caps missing. As I climbed up to enjoy another jump, one of my siblings (who shall remain nameless) jumped down, pushing into me. I got pushed up against one of the poles and my leg scraped against one of the uncapped screws, and I got a cut. I saw the blood and felt annoyed. I would have to run inside to get a bandaid! I've never been squeamish of blood and at that age, I was forever getting scraped up while playing outside. I ran inside and into the bathroom, managing to get the bandaid box down. I was found in the bathroom by Mom who took a look at my cut. It worried her slightly and she eventually decided to take me to the ER. I don't really remember the drive there, but I remember sitting and waiting, then being led into a room. I remember lying down and I remember a tall man saying to me, "It's not going to hurt. It'll just feel like a bee sting." I wasn't very afraid before that, but I certainly was then. I had (and still haven't) been stung by a bee. "You can hold your mom's hand and squeeze it." the tall man said, and I did exactly that. I don't really remember how painful it was, though I do remember squeezing my mom's hand tightly. I got stitches...I don't remember how many, but there weren't that many. I remember a woman telling me I was brave then asking me if I wanted to pick out a teddy bear. I said yes, and she led me to a closet? Where she pulled out a big box of teddy bears and let me choose one. I chose the most hideous bear of all...bright pink with bright purple overalls.