Oh No! I've been tagged. Or. Meet My Character Blog Tour

I was asked to participate in the "Meet My Character Blog Tour" by my friend, Martha J. Allard, whose blog is marthajallard.blogspot.com.  If you go to her blog, you can read about her character and her forthcoming book, the Black Light.

The idea of this blog tour is to introduce a character from a recently completed piece or a work-in-progress. The following questions were part of the challenge:

•    What is your character's name?
•    Is your character a fictional or historical person?
•    When and where is the story set?
•     What should we know about him/her?
•     What is the main conflict/ what messes up his/her life?
•     What is the personal goal of the character?
•     Is there a working title for the book and where can we read more about it?
•     When can we expect it to be published?

As the author, I can answer these questions.  But since this is called "Meet the Character", I thought maybe you'd rather hear from her directly.  So I've adjusted the questions somewhat. 

Hi.  What is your name?

Hi, my name is Katey Millman and I'm ten years old. Actually, it’s Katherine, but nobody calls me that. My family calls me "Midget" because I'm the youngest and the shortest.

Are you a fictional or a historical character?

 Well, I'm not sure what that means.  Once my story is written, I guess I'm as real as a fictional character can be. I read a lot, you know. I just finished "A Wrinkle in Time".  Historical?  Well, if you mean someone from long ago who everyone would know, like President Abraham Lincoln or Queen Elizabeth I, no, I'm not famous.  I guess I'm just a regular person.

Where and when is the story set?

My story starts in 1969 just after I turned 10. The Beatles are still popular. A man just walked on the moon. There's a war going on over in Vietnam. So I guess that's history, depending on where you are. I live in a medium-sized city in Michigan with my mom and dad and my sister and--

Wait, that's the next question.  What should we know about you?

Oh, sorry.  I live with my mom and my dad and one sister and three brothers.  My sister Kristina is the oldest--she's seventeen.  Then, Jason is 15, and the twins, Dougie and Denny, are 11 1/2.  I'm the youngest.  I just this summer turned 10.  "Double digits", like my dad says. We're pretty normal in my family, mostly just like everyone else around us.  My dad works in an office, and my mom is a housewife.  Even though she said she wants to be considered a domestic engineer because she has to keep our train on the tracks.  Pretty funny, huh.  But lately, weird stuff has been going on.  Everybody is a little tense, and there's been some yelling.  I don't really know why. They all think I'm still a kid and so they don't tell me anything. But I know one thing--if you just keep your mouth shut and your ears open, you learn stuff.

What is the main conflict/what messes up your life?

Conflict? Like fighting, you mean.  It's Mom and Kristina. Always. Jason goes to swim practice--he's on the sophomore team. That's what he does. Dougie and Denny are just goofballs--they get in trouble sometimes. Like every other week they are grounded for a couple of hours, but mostly the conflict is Mom and Kristina. Hair and clothes and her friends and curfew. I try to talk to them both 'cause I hate it when they fight, but they tell me to hush up and go away. Kristina used to play with me and read to me and take me with her, but that's changed, too. 

The story starts with this:  "I remember the day my sister left us."

It's funny how one change makes everything change.  Like dominoes. I guess that's the story.  I guess that's what messes up my life.

What is your personal goal?

Hmm.  I guess I'd say at the beginning of the story it was to grow up to be just like my sister.  Only then it all changed and I have to find my own way. It’s confusing.  And hard.

Is there a working title of the book?

Right now, it's called Running.  When it's done, it may change.

When can we expect it to be published?

Ha ha!  First, it has to get written.  It's only half done, so it could be a little while.

You've met Katey as she is at the beginning of the book--in 1969 when she is 10 years old. Things will happen to her and to her family over the next few years, things she can't predict or understand.  But when you read the book, it should all make sense—both to you as a reader and to Katey.

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The guidelines suggest we tag five friends to participate in “Meet My Character”.  Unfortunately, I only know three:  Trilby Plants, Chris Dungey, and Ashley Jeffers.  So I pass this on to each of them.  Tell us about your character.

Trilby Plants http://trilbyplants.com has written several short stories and books for adults and recently has moved into the world of children's literature with two books, Hubert Little's Big Adventure and most recently, Meena Mouse's Perfect Raspberry.  She is the president of the South Carolina Writer's Workshop and the editor of Petigru Review.

Chris Dungey <>  is the author of numerous published poems and short stories.  His most recent book, Pace-Lap Blues and Other Tales from the Seventies, features stories about Hector Fritsch, a man just trying to get along and make some sense of his life.

Ashley Jeffers http://ashleyrjeffers.wordpress.com is a writer of fantasy and paranormal romance. She recently published Blood of the Immortal and is working on the sequel.