Characters Making Surprise Visits by Sarah J. McNeal #TheWildingsSeries #TheViolin

15 Regiment Calvary

I took a character from a book outside my Wildings series, THE VIOLIN, and placed that character in FOR LOVE OF BANJO, the second book in the Wilding series. Actually, I could not resist the temptation because the time line overlapped. These two stories are not related, but they do both hold a time element that is related: World War I.

Banjo Wilding joins the U.S. Calvary to fight alongside our allies in Europe during the “Great War.” Because he’s in the Calvary, his loved ones believe him safe from the dreaded trenches in France. But Banjo’s fate is determined by Colonel William Hay (a real person) has other plans. As they sit astride their horses at the edge of the forest near the battlefield, Col. William Hay speaks to his men and gives them their orders.  

“Our English and American brothers have been fighting in those trenches for six months. They have endured every kind of discomfort for the sake of our country and freedom. I know you didn’t join the Regiment to fight in a trench, but you are brave men who know your duty. You will ride as fast as your horse can carry you toward the trenches. Some of you and your mounts won’t make it, but, for those who survive the first onslaught from America’s enemies, you will reach the trench. When you do, your orders are to dismount, and relieve a soldier, who will then ride your horse from the battlefield. You will take his place.”

This order was an historical truth.

Banjo, an experienced horseman rides Ajax to the trenches, leaps from his back, and finds a soldier to replace. Now just who is Banjo going to choose?

Left to Right: Donald, "Jimmy" (my dad), and John McNeal

Well, it came to me almost instantly. In my almost true time travel novel, THE VIOLIN, John Douglas, the hero, has a brother name Donald Lee Douglas who served in World War I. Shucks, I wasn’t about to pass up that opportunity so I slipped Donald into the scene.

EXCERPT:

Horses screamed in agony as bullets found them. Men cried out and fell to the ground with mortal wounds. Ajax sped forward, the trench just a few more yards ahead. Banjo’s heart raced; his breath hitched. Ajax moved like the wind, solid muscle and bravery beneath him.

  When they reached the trench, the stench of it gagged Banjo. He reined Ajax to a halt. A quick glance around told him only half the Regiment made it. Colonel Hay shouted the dreaded order. “Dismount!”

Banjo dismounted, grabbed his kit and gear then spoke his last words to his faithful horse. “You take this soldier out of this hell and back to his loved ones. You’re a good horse, Ajax. You take care of yourself now.” Banjo patted him one last time on the withers, then hurried to the ladder and made his way down into the pit. The soldiers in the trench were filthy and their smell almost made him retch. Their faces lit up when they saw him. Someone’s freedom had arrived. Banjo took a young soldier by the arm who couldn’t have been more than eighteen years of age.  His face was barely recognizable as human for the dirt and mud caked on it.

“What’s your name, soldier? Where do you call home?” Banjo had to raise his voice to a shout over the din of noise that surrounded him.

“Corporal Donald Lee Douglas, Sir, Thirty-second Battalion, Eighty-fifth Infantry Division under General Parker. My home is Numidia, Pennsylvania.” The lad saluted Banjo.

“No need to be formal, Corporal Douglas. I’m just a sergeant, and I’m here to relieve you.”

A white grin spread across the muddied face. He shook hands with Banjo. “Tell me the name of your family and I promise I’ll get word to them that I saw you here. It’s the least I can do for the man taking my place.”

“Maggie Wilding is my wife.” Banjo drew a piece of paper from his chest pocket. He had scribbled the address of the O’Leary ranch on it along with a short note that told Maggie he was in France, in good health, and that he loved her. “Send this note to that address and I’ll bless you every day.” Banjo glanced around at the mud and pools of rancid water in the floor of the trench illuminated by the sporadic glow of gunfire. He made a mental promise to himself and those he loved that would not die in this damned rotten ditch.

“Consider it done, Sergeant. I owe you a debt I can never repay.” The boy peered at Banjo with solemn eyes, a startling blue within his dirt-caked face.

“I hope you know how to ride a horse, Douglas. Just ride west for the tree line and you’ll be out of range.” Banjo clapped him on the shoulder. “Now, get the hell out of here before they shoot my horse.”

“Yes, sir…I mean—Sergeant.” He started up the ladder but paused on the fifth rail and turned to Banjo. “What did you say your name was? I don’t want to forget. I want to be able to tell my folks the name of the man who saved my life.”

“It’s Banjo Wilding. Now, get going, Corporal Douglas, before daylight catches you.”

The lad smiled. “Thank you, I won’t forget you—not ever.” 

Toward the end of the book Donald Douglas reappears for a short, but important scene. A word about THE VIOLIN: I mentioned it is an almost true story. Most of the characters in it are real from my own ancestry though the story is completely fictional. Donald Lee Douglas was my father’s oldest brother whom I never met. He died long before I was born. His real name was Donald Lee McNeal. He was a civil engineer who worked as an inventor for Westinghouse in Pittsburg, PA, and he did, indeed, serve in World War I.

As a writer, have you ever taken a character from an unrelated book and had he or she walk onto the pages of another book you wrote? If so, what compelled you to do it?

As a reader, have you ever read a book by an author you followed in which a character (not in a series) was reintroduced into a story by the author? Do you think that character drew you deeper into the story or do you wish the author hadn’t done it?

 Sarah J. McNeal

Diverse stories filled with heart

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Ever wonder where writers find the names for their characters? With billions of names floating around, how does one go about choosing the right one for each person in a book?

For me, most of my characters’ names just appear out of nowhere. The tall, elderly man is most certainly Ellery. The slightly dotty collectibles dealer is Dovey, as in lovey-dovey. The dead man is Jonathan Chambers, I don’t know why. He’s dead. I don’t even know what he looks like. But I know his name.

Then there are some characters that defy this sort of cosmic inspiration. The hero of my new mystery series eluded me for quite some time. A septuagenarian who solves crimes with the aid of a ghost cat seemed like a perfect Agatha, but there are far too many of those sleuthing around cozy mysteries as it is. Same with Amelia. Clarissa wasn’t quite right, and neither was Camella. I finally lit upon Camelia, like the flower, and this one stuck. Stay tuned for Camelia Collins and her ghost cat Soji, coming next year.

Back when I was a reader, before I was a writer, I wondered what would make one author choose odd or unusual names and another pick the most common. Now that I find myself in their place, I realize every writer has their own system. I personally try to choose unique names for the sake of creating a memorable character.

As I said, most names come to me, but what if they don’t? There is always the internet, but I find those long, alphabetical name lists to be two-dimensional; it’s hard to connect first name with surname and be sure they fit. When I worked in filing, I’d write down names that caught my eye on a Post-it. (One name only so as not to break any HIPPA rules.) I’ve checked my FB friends and the phone book. Sometimes I pick something in the room. My character Guinness MacAngus from Cosmic Cat began in the kitchen of a house where I was live-in cat-sitting. The owners had a wooden Guinness Stout crate on top their fridge.

Covid-19 had changed how we do things in ways we could never have imagined. My sisters-in-laws get together with my husband and me to take walks in a cemetery. I know that may sound strange, but many of our loved ones reside on that peaceful hilltop. We can stroll around, a safe six feet apart, and enjoy the fresh air in relative isolation. As you can imagine, we look at the beautiful old gravestones, many dating back to the 1800s. On our last trek, I realized that here was a wealth of names, just waiting to become a character in a book!

So look ahead for first names Thana, Owen, Angeline, Ward, and Gabriel. Last names Christner, Service, Brichard, Noble, and Flutz. These, and more, are all ready to come to life in my stories. And next time you take a walk, see what character names might be right before your eyes.

How do you find your character names?

 You can read more from Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer on her blogsite, www.lecatts.wordpress.com.

Changing the World Through Fiction, by Mollie Hunt

Changing the World Through Fiction: Introducing altruism into your writing without using soapbox rhetoric (or putting your reader to sleep.)

As a fiction writer, I create an engaging and entertaining story; as an animal rescue advocate, I raise awareness of our companion animals and the ways we can help them. By introducing characters and situations involved with animal welfare into my cozy cat mysteries, my readers come away with something more than a pleasant read.

Whether it’s LGBT rights, saving the whales, or the beauty of the state of Alaska, if you are passionate about it, you will – and should – show it in your writing. A cause can give your character a more profound persona. Belief is inherent in all of us, and unless you plumb the depths of your characters’ convictions, they may come off as more two-dimensional than you would like.

The hero of my Crazy Cat Lady series, Lynley Cannon, is, like me, a grateful cat shelter volunteer. Through her, I can enlighten, promote, and advise without getting up on a soap box to do it. That’s the trick. Inserting a long commentary about the immorality of declawing or the evil of animal abuse would make my audience disappear faster than a feral cat. A one-sentence thought or insight through the eyes of Lynley is all that is needed to get the point across.

My readers are cat people and often tell me how much they appreciate the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. These are stand-alone notes or tips on cat behavior, health, and lore that impart something useful and interesting. In the same vein, a cooking mystery might be prefaced by favorite or nostalgic recipes, and a novel taking place in the wilds of the Yukon might use Robert Service’s poetry as epigraphs . Not all subjects lend themselves to this type of chapter prefacing, but for those that work, it’s a place to reach out to readers about a specific issue.

I like reading fiction books that get me thinking and help me learn something I didn’t know, but I don’t want it to seem like a lecture. Just the mention that your character is a communist, a hospice volunteer, a blood donor; that she marches in the Pride Parade or joins the beach clean-up every year; that he gives anonymously to the March of Dimes or hosts a fundraiser for his favorite independent candidate is enough to give new insight into a personality. 

What do you love? What do you feel strongly about? What do you think would make the world a better place? Don’t be afraid to let a little of your own passion slip over into your fictional world. You may find it brings in a whole new group of readers, ones with similar sympathies to yours.  

"Writing is a bit like lying - the closer you stick to the truth, the less likely you are to slip up."

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!